Colorado State running back Kapri Bibbs may not rank high on the name-recognition list, but he certainly is up there when it comes to self-confidence.
Bibbs rushed for 1,741 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2013 as a sophomore, then decided to turn pro. So what kind of running back is he? "Terrell Davis pops out a lot to me when I watch my film," Bibbs told FoxSports.com. "I feel like I see a lot of myself in Terrell Davis and Bo Jackson a little bit."
And there's more.
"I think if I was at an SEC school, I'd be first round, hands down," Bibbs said. "I think I really didn't have any control over who I played or where I played. Those guys I played against were on scholarship, too. And they were playing to the best of their ability. .... You have to trust the scouts that they're making the right decision. When they're taking a guy who ran for 900 yards over a guy who ran for 1,700 yards, that's all politics."
Bibbs, who was listed at 5-foot-11 and 203 pounds at Colorado State, played just one season with the Rams after transferring from a junior college, but it was a memorable season. He is one of just four players in FBS history to rush for at least 30 TDs in a season, joining Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders (37 in 1987), Wisconsin's Montee Ball (33 in 2011) and Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds (31 in 2013). Bibbs had eight games with at least three rushing TDs and six with at least 100 yards.
His rushing total was a school single-season record even though he didn't become the starter until the sixth game. In his eight starts, he scored 25 rushing TDs and had five 100-yard games.
Bibbs, who has been training for the combine and other pre-draft events in Greensboro, N.C., has been clocked as fast as 4.45 seconds in the 40. He was a three-star prospect out of high school in the Chicago suburbs and chose Colorado State in the summer of 2010, before his senior season, over offers from Toledo and FCS member Illinois State. He had a big senior season and received more recruiting attention as the season played out, including interest from UCLA and Pitt, but he remained a CSU commitment.
Bibbs had academic issues and ended up at Snow College in Utah for the 2011 season. He attended classes but did not play football at Front Range CC in Fort Collins, Colo., in 2012 and enrolled at Colorado State in January 2013.
As for his rather circuitous route, Bibbs said "everything happens for a reason." A strong combine showing would give teams even more of a reason to draft him. He looks to be a third-day pick.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
