OXFORD, Miss. — Michael Oher's football career has been seemingly scripted since he was a teenager at Briarcrest High in Memphis. Greatness came easy for the mammoth offensive tackle. It was preordained that his path to NFL stardom would follow a few simple steps.

First, dominate in high school and be one of the most coveted college prospects in the country. (Check.)

Next, pick a Southeastern Conference school like Mississippi and immediately become one of the league's better linemen. (Check.)

Then, listen as your college coach fawns over your skills to every NFL scout in an effort to get you drafted at the top of the first round.

But that's the step where Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt temporarily short-circuited Oher's inevitable march to fame and fortune.

"He needs to get stronger," Nutt said nearly one year ago. "Needs to get a little meaner. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a good player. But I want to see him really dominate somebody for four quarters. I just don't see that yet."

To be frank, when he took over as coach in November of 2007, Nutt didn't see what all the fuss was about. When Oher announced he was coming back to Ole Miss for his senior season after briefly flirting with the NFL, Nutt wasn't sure whether to be thrilled or concerned. He was worried about having a prima donna on his hands.

"I just didn't know if he'd be willing to work," Nutt said.

But instead of pouting about his coach's less-than-enamored opinion, Oher took the criticism and did something about it.

He spent long hours in the weight room improving his upper body strength. He worked with offensive line coach Mike Markuson to get better with his footwork. He took football more seriously and started to add a little bit of a mean streak.

And because of that, he had an All-America senior season and is expected to go in the top 15 picks in this weekend's NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

"Coming back to school was the best thing I ever did," Oher said. "I thought I was good enough last season (to play in the NFL), but Coach Nutt and Coach Markuson showed me that I had a lot to improve. With them, I worked out muscles I didn't know I had. I worked harder than I thought I could. It made me a much better football player."

At 6 feet 4-1/2 and 309 pounds, NFL scouts have always loved Oher's athleticism on the edge. With quarterbacks such a valuable commodity, left tackles nearly as coveted, because they protect a right-handed quarterback's blind side from 265-pound defensive ends.

But Oher's strength and intensity always lagged behind his athleticism — at least until Nutt, Markuson and Ole Miss strength coach Don Decker got ahold of him a year ago.

"Believe me, scouts have noticed the difference," said Mike Detillier, who has published the M&D Draft Report for the past 23 years. "He went back to school for all the right reasons. He improved all of his weak spots, had a great senior season, and now he's bumped himself from an early second-round pick last year to a top-10 overall pick this year."

Oher is part of a very solid group of left tackles in this year's draft. Baylor's Jason Smith, Virginia's Eugene Monroe, Alabama's Andre Smith and Oher are all expected to be selected in the top 15 picks.

ESPN.com draft analyst Todd McShay has Oher going to the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 10 selection. Detillier also mentioned the 49ers as a possible destination.

Another ESPN analyst, Mel Kiper Jr., wasn't quite as impressed with Oher, saying he needed to be more consistent to be a top-10 pick.

No matter what, it's almost certain Oher will be selected early and become a very rich man within a few weeks.

Last year, the Denver Broncos took offensive tackle Ryan Clady out of Boise State with the 12th pick in the first round. Clady signed a five-year contract worth $17.5 million, with $11 million guaranteed, according to the Denver Post.

Turns out that preordained football career path is back on track, and Oher knows he has Nutt and his coaching staff to thank.

He'll be in the Green Room on Saturday at Radio City Music Hall, where the top prospects will assemble in suits and ties. One year ago, he probably wouldn't have been invited.

"Just like everybody says — it's a dream come true," Oher said. "Last year I wouldn't have been prepared for this, but now I have no doubt I am."

Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com