INDIANAPOLIS — Wednesday is Day 1 of the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Offensive linemen, running backs, kickers and punters arrived Tuesday and spoke to the media today. Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends arrived today for measurements and medical examinations. They will be speaking to reporters Thursday. Both groups are available to meet with teams tonight for interviews.

Here are the news, notes and quotes from Wednesday with regard to the best conference in America.

prescott isn’t tebow

If there’s one thing hurting Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott to some degree when it comes to the draft process, it’s the obvious comparisons he gets to Tim Tebow. The size, the dual-threat ability, Dan Mullen’s spread offense — there are certainly some similarities between the two.

However, fortunately for Prescott, one of the most qualified tape gurus in the business sees a much more polished passer than Tebow ever was.

“That’s a waste of time,” Greg Cosell of NFL Films told Satuday Down South. “The problem is I don’t want to rip Tim Tebow, but Tim Tebow can’t throw. This kid can throw. It’s as simple as that. He gets the comparison because of Dan Mullen. That’s the reason.”

When watching Prescott reach back and fire, Cosell doesn’t see Tebow. Instead, he sees a former six-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl appearance under his belt.

“He had spotty-type similarities to Donovan McNabb,” said Cosell. “I thought the throwing motion was similar. He looks like McNabb. Some will see similarities to Brett Hundley. I believe Prescott is a better prospect because of his pocket comfort and overall throwing ability.”

Hundley, the former UCLA signal caller, was a fifth-round selection of the Green Bay Packers a year ago. The consensus on Prescott currently is that he’s a third- or fourth-rounder.

McNabb, for what it’s worth, went No. 2 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles in the QB-stacked class of 1999.

tunsil no. 1?

According to one beat writer that covers the Tennessee Titans, Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil is getting strong consideration for the No. 1-overall pick.

Tennessee has its quarterback of the future in Marcus Mariota, who showed flashes of brilliance in 2015 as a rookie, but the 6-foot-4, 222-pounder did miss four starts due to injury. Better protection for their prized passer is a priority for the Titans this offseason — he did fumble eight times — and Tunsil certainly has the traits to be a Day 1 starter on the blind side.

The reporter suggested that the organization would love to trade out of the top spot and acquire additional picks, but with the lack of a no-brainer franchise passer available, Tunsil to Tennessee seems like more of a possibility by the day.

Tennessee general manager Jon Robinson didn’t tip his hand when it was his turn to speak at the podium, saying he’s simply looking for “an impact player” at the top of the draft, but Tunsil will get consideration.

“I’m looking forward to meeting him,” Robinson said of the former Rebel.

fournette a cut above

There are an awful lot of quality running backs available in this draft, including SEC alumni Derrick Henry and Alex Collins, but the best of the bunch won’t be at the Scouting Combine for at least another year. He’s currently preparing for his junior campaign in the collegiate ranks.

LSU offensive tackle Vadal Alexander — probably a guard in the NFL — doesn’t believe there’s a better ball carrier on the board than Leonard Fournette, who he blocked for in Baton Rouge for two seasons.

“In my opinion, Leonard Fournette is the best running back in the country,” Alexander said. “I don’t think there’s anybody here that’s better than him.”

Alexander has missed a block or two over the course of his Tigers career, but the penalties aren’t as severe with Fournette’s rare blend of power, speed and vision.

“Even when you’re wrong, he can make you right,” Alexander said. “He’s an offensive lineman’s dream.”

mayock on the phone

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, one of the most respected talent evaluators on television, spoke Tuesday via teleconference with members of the media.

According to Mayock, two offensive tackles from the SEC are likely to slide inside and play guard at the next level: LSU’s Vadal Alexander and Texas A&M’s Germain Ifedi. Both Alexander and Ifedi have been given second-round grades by Mayock.

Alexander in particular already has plenty of experience at the guard position, as he lined up there his sophomore and junior seasons before switching back to tackle — he was originally there as a freshman — for his senior campaign.

Mayock had high praise for Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell, who is battling with Baylor’s Corey Coleman for the right to be called the best pass catcher in the draft.

The closest NFL comparison for Mayock when evaluating Treadwell is Alshon Jeffery. Also an SEC alumnus coming from South Carolina, Jeffery was a second-rounder of the Chicago Bears and is likely to be slapped with the franchise tag this offseason.

Lastly, Mayock showcased some trepidation with his opinion of Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd. While he’s got the speed and quick-twitch characteristics to be a productive pass rusher, he may be overmatched physically at only 231 pounds.

Floyd supporters won’t want to hear this, but Mayock compared him to former LSU star Barkevious Mingo. A first-round choice of the Cleveland Browns with similar measureables, Mingo has only seven sacks in three years.

pinkel out, odom in

Former Missouri coach Gary Pinkel may have known for quite some time that he was ready to call it a career, but the same can’t be said of his players. When he made his retirement announcement, it came as a shock to the Tigers locker room.

Even offensive tackle Connor McGovern, a fifth-year senior and team leader, was caught off guard by the news.

“We had no idea,” he said. “That was a surprise to us. It was disappointing. He’s done so much for every guy that’s gone through that program, so it was definitely hard hearing that.”

Barry Odom, a former Tiger and the team’s defensive coordinator last season — an especially tough job considering how awful the Tigers offense performed — was promoted in part to keep some sense of stability in Columbia. Both on the field and off, it was a rough year at Mizzou.

“I think he’ll be a great coach,” McGovern said of Odom. “He knows the culture. He knows the guys. He knows how to get them on the right path. He’s a great guy. I think he’ll do a great job.”

slow down, coach

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn employs arguably the most frenetic offense in the country when it’s operating at full capacity, as calls are made in succession at a lightning-quick pace. Its design, obviously, is to tire out the defense and prevent the opponent from getting substitution packages on the field.

It didn’t happen often enough this past season, as the Tigers had trouble at quarterback more often than not, but it’s a sight to behold when everything is truly clicking.

“It’s fast,” said running back Peyton Barber, who departed The Plains for the NFL a year early following a 1,071-yard performance. “It’s definitely fast. It’s an up-beat offense, and we’re flying.”

However, the defenders aren’t the only ones that have trouble dealing with the rapid-fire approach. According to Barber, sometimes Malzahn is tuckering out his own team, too.

“There’s been times when you’re basically just running off pure heart,” Barber said.

cracking the whip

One of the biggest disappointments in the nation this past year, South Carolina went from bad to worse when former coach Steve Spurrier abruptly retired midseason. The Gamecocks weren’t able to right the ship under interim coach Shawn Elliott, falling to 3-9 and a sixth-place finish in the mediocre SEC East.

Even though he’s not a part of the program anymore, offensive tackle Brandon Shell believes USC is back on the right track with the hire of the no-nonsense Will Muschamp.

“I talked to some guys,” Shell said. “They said that the workout plans are going real good, and Coach Muschamp is putting his foot down and getting things rolling. I think it’s going to be good for them.”

So, Brandon, it’s fair to say that the team ran off the rails a bit once Spurrier decided to call it quits?

“Yeah, he said, “I guess you would say that’s fair.”

that’s a big man

Alabama running back Derrick Henry measured a staggering 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds with 33-inch arms. It will be very interesting to see how he runs the 40-yard dash at that size. Anything in the sub-4.5 range, and he’ll creep back into the conversation for Round 1.

Trust me, it was a good 247. Not a bad 247. There’s a difference.

Not-so-big uglies

One of the more interesting nuggets from the game of football this past season was the fact that Arkansas featured the biggest offensive line in the land — college or pro. The Hogs averaged a scales-tipping 321.1 pounds from tackle to tackle.

Look at it this way: When Razorbacks tailback Alex Collins fulfills his dream of playing in the NFL, he’ll be depending on a quintet of blockers that’s actually smaller than the one he ran behind in Fayetteville.

“I never thought about that,” he said. “I had a pretty good offensive line at Arkansas, but these guys are in the NFL for a reason. Because they’re the best around. Just thinking about that gets me exited. These professionals getting paid lots of money to do what they do, and I’m just ready to experience that.”

As far as Collins is concerned, there’s no such thing as an offensive lineman that’s too big, which is music to Arkansas coach Bret Bielema’s ears.

“The bigger, the better,” he said. “I can hide behind them.”