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Rookies of the Week – Week 2

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Another week in the books, and boy am I glad I extended this from three rookies to seven! These guys are setting records every week.

Let’s look at my standout seven from Week 2.

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Sam LaPorta, Tight End – Detroit Lions

It’s a position with one of the hardest jumps from college to professional; however, no one told LaPorta as he set an NFL record last weekend. With his five receptions for 63 yards, Sam is now the first tight end in NFL history to have five or more receptions in the first two games of their career.

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Marvin Mims Jr., Wide Receiver – Denver Broncos

Two catches were all it took for Mims Jr. to appear on this list. In the first half of the Broncos game against the Commanders, Mims had two targets, two receptions, 113 yards, and a touchdown. Unfortunately, though, he was unable to add to that as he wasn’t targeted again for the rest of the game.

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Puka Nacua, Wide Receiver – Los Angeles Rams

In Week 2, Nacua continued to make waves as he hauled in 15 catches for 147 yards. He has now set the record for most receptions for a single game by a rookie, as well as the record for most receptions by a rookie through their first two weeks with 25.

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Ivan Pace Jr., Linebacker – Minnesota Vikings

Could the Vikings have found one of the steals of the draft? After an impressive start to his career, Pace was given the starting job this week, and he repaid his coaches with seven tackles and one sack. Amazingly, he also has the highest pass rush grade among all linebackers.

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Bijan Robinson, Running Back – Atlanta Falcons

A second week in a row for Bijan on this list, and if he continues to play the way he’s started, he might not leave. Robinson had 124 yards of rushing against the Packers, with the highlight being a 19-yard run early in the second quarter featuring a surplus of missed tackles.

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John Michael Schmitz Jr., Center – New York Giants

After a tough start to the season, Schmitz bounced back immediately with a dominant performance, helping the Giants in their comeback win against the Arizona Cardinals. Schmitz played all 68 snaps in the game, allowing only one sack and posting positive grades in both run blocking and pass blocking.

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C.J. Stroud, Quarterback – Houston Texans

The Texans might be 0-2 to start the season, but that’s no fault of the young rookie. It was an outstanding performance against the Colts, as Stroud threw for 384 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He is currently the fourth-highest quarterback in passing yards with 626, despite being the most sacked quarterback across the first two weeks.

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F10Y CFB – Week 12 Scouting Notes, UCLA vs. USC

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The penultimate week of the regular season threw up some absolute barnstormers, with all of the top four teams having some issues, and a couple were very close to defeat.

The deep dive this week though features the battle of Los Angeles, and probably the best uniform matchup of the season.

USC edged their rivals UCLA in a thriller 48-45 and this win keeps the Trojans play-off hopes alive, although a lot will have to happen to get in.

However they are still in with a chance.

We’ll start the notes on the unlucky losers…

UCLA

Head Coach Chip Kelly may not have done well in the NFL ranks, but as a college coach no one can doubt his record. He is taking UCLA in the right direction, and more importantly for us, coaching his players up to an NFL level.

Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR to his mates) is one of the most exciting college passers out there right now.

When he gets things right he looks like the second coming of Lamar Jackson, but when it’s bad he looks like an undrafted free agent. This game summed him up beautifully.

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He had 390 total yards and 6 total touchdowns, but threw three horrible interceptions that ultimately cost his team the chance to win this game. There’s no doubting his commitment and desire, he leads the Bruins with confidence and carries them as far as he can, but those mental mistakes are always there.

The NFL won’t waste good draft capital on players like him.

He has played better though this season, and there are certainly tools to work with, so teams may start looking at him on early day three, but you do get a sense that he’ll be a better college quarterback than NFL one. 

Michigan transfer Running Back Zach Charbonnet has been a revelation for the Bruins these last couple of seasons. He is a bigger power type back, who will gain every yard available and run through you to do it.

He was up against a decent USC front seven, but still ploughed his way for 95 yards at 5 yards per rush. This was his second lowest output of the season, which shows you he is having another productive year in the PAC 12 and making a name for himself.

He does lack the burst and cutting ability that the great backs do, but NFL teams need backs like these to complement their rushing attacks, so although he won’t blow people away with his testing, he should still be a priority pick come day three of the draft.

Another transfer who is having a great season for UCLA is former Duke receiver Jake Bobo.

I really liked Bobo’s 2021 tape with the Blue Devils, and it looks like he is thriving again this season, just on a different team. He is a big target at 6’5 215lbs, and does use his size well to block out defenders when the ball is coming his way, but he is more than just a big body receiver.

Bobo can win in the slot or on the outside, and although clearly not a dynamic athlete, he certainly isn’t a terrible one either. He had 4 catches for 76 yards in this game, was active in the run game too, helping blocking downfield. However, he have two drops, which is very uncharacteristic of him.

Players like Bobo will more than likely go on day three of the draft, but they almost always make NFL rosters and contribute in the pros. 

Defensively, the Bruins struggled to contain USC’s high volume offense, but from an NFL point of view, they do have a couple of interesting pass rushers who are both getting a fair bit of buzz. 

EDGE Laiatu Latu has a very interesting back story to him. He was a four star recruit who went to Washington and had a nice Freshman season in 2019.

He then suffered a neck injury prior to the 2020 season and team doctors advised him to retire rather than play on and risk permanent damage.

After two seasons away from football he entered the transfer portal and joined UCLA, where their doctors cleared him to play, and he has been amazing for them so far this season.

Latu is currently tied sixth in the nation with 9.5 sacks and has become a pass rushing demon.

I’ve caught a few UCLA games this season and he has stood out in all of them, including this one. He has a long and slippery frame, has active hands and never stays blocked for long.

In fairness to USC they did a better job on him in the second half, but he still finished with 4 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

From a draft perspective, the medicals obviously will be a massive deal, but if he does declare and the medicals check out, then you have an upside player worth taking a risk on. 

The other Bruins EDGE causing some noise is North Texas transfer Gabriel Murphy. He and his twin brother Grayson transferred over together in the off season, and they are both having very nice seasons.

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Grayson has been more productive on the stat sheet, but for me Gabriel looks the better all round player. Like Latu, Murphy has stood out every time UCLA has been on, and again here he gave USC’s very talented offensive line plenty of trouble.

He is strong at the point of attack and disengages quickly to disrupt plays. Gabriel lacks the length and burst that Latu has, but he looks a much better all round player and would make a nice 4-3 base end. He (and his brother) have a year of eligibility left, so he may well go back to school, but if he were to come out I think he’d be a mid round steal for someone.

USC

The Trojans are a very exciting team to watch right now, and honestly, I think this offense, along with Ohio State’s, are the only two that would give Georgia’s vaunted defense any issues. 

The leader of this gang is Oklahoma transfer Quarterback Caleb Williams. He has been nothing short of sensational this season and quite rightly is a Heisman Trophy candidate. You can’t help but think of Patrick Mahomes when you watch him, as he can turn any play into one of those WOW moments.

Williams has everything you look for tools wise, and although he may get knocked for his size, he is easily big enough to handle the NFL life. This game had so many highlights it’s impossible to list them all, but most of them came out of structure, hitting receivers in stride in tight windows. He threw for 470 yards with two touchdowns and one pick.

The interception showed he still makes the odd mental mistake, but as a true sophomore that is expected, the great plays still vastly outweigh the bad ones. He has every chance to be the number one overall pick in next year’s draft. 

The Trojan’s star Wide Receiver Jordan Addison has had some recent injury woes, missing two of the last three games and barely featuring in the other. So, with that in mind, it was good to see him back to his best in this game, having a season best 178 yards on 11 catches and a touchdown.

Addison’s presence takes this offense over the top, as they have so much talent on the field it’s impossible to cover all of them. He looks like a spitting image size wise of Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith, and there is a similarity to their styles of play too.

Addison is dynamic with the ball in his hand and has enough speed and savvy to create separation, so his lack of size is negated.

In my book, he is clearly one of the top wide receivers in college football, and if he can finish the season strong he should be in the conversation to be WR1 come draft day.

Defensively USC are lacking superstars, but there were a couple of guys in this game who certainly helped themselves from a draft prospective. 

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu currently shares the lead nationally in sacks with 11.5. He was actually held sackless in this game, but the disruption he caused in both the run and passing game was excellent throughout.

He reminds me of how Texas A&M used DeMarvin Leal last year, but unlike Leal, this dude plays with his hair on fire every snap. USC even stands him up and let him rush with a head start from a yard or two off the line of scrimmage, and that’s a scary sight watching a 285lb man smashing into static guards.

Tuipulotu has decent bend as a pass rusher, especially considering his size, but his NFL money would be made inside you’d expect, or as a five tech. He really has put himself on the map with the phenomenal season he is having, and he could easily end up as a first round pick, if the right team thinks he is the missing piece to their defense.

Colorado had two excellent cornerbacks last year. Unfortunately for the Buffalos, both transferred out and ended up at rival PAC 12 teams. Christian Gonzalez is having an excellent season at Oregon, and may have become a first round pick. However, we shouldn’t forget about the “other” former Buffalo, Mekhi Blackmon, who is now at USC.

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The Colorado tape, particularly the 2020 season is excellent, and now he is showing out at a top program and getting himself noticed.

Blackmon moves really well, fluid in transitions and can stick with receivers down the field. He gave up just 3 catches on 6 targets with no big plays allowed, and even came up with an excellent interception to top it all off.

An older prospect, in a position where the NFL prefers youth, but there’s too much to like about Blackmon to ignore. Hopefully he can workout well, and although he won’t go as high as his former teammate Gonzalez, he should be in consideration as a late day two player. 

Interestingly these former teammates could very well meet in the PAC12 Championship game, if Oregon manages to beat Oregon State at the weekend. 

Follow Keith on Twitter – @Lordlucken

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F10Y CFB – Week 11 Scouting Notes, Texas vs. TCU

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The week 11 slate of games wasn’t at the same level as the previous weeks, but the Texas vs. TCU match up was littered with future NFL studs, so this got my vote for a deep dive. 

The game was very un-Big XII like with both defenses really showing up and slowing down each other’s potent offense.

It wasn’t until late in the third quarter that the first touchdown was scored, and only one more offensive one was scored in the rest of the game.

Texas Christian thoroughly deserved their 17-10 victory, and they march on unbeaten still and have a realistic shot at getting into the college football playoff.

We’ll start the round up with those happy Horned Frogs…

TCU

The rumour before the game was that star wide receiver Quentin Johnston may miss the game because of an injury, but he ended playing about two thirds of the snaps in the end.

He certainly didn’t look at full speed out there, but even a 75% fit Johnston is a weapon, and he ended up making the biggest play of the game. He took advantage of a coverage bust to get behind the Texas safeties, and catch a deep ball uncontested in the end zone.

This essentially put TCU out of sight.

He was pretty well marshalled otherwise, though certainly some of that was him not being at full speed. After a very slow start to the season Johnston had really begun to ramp up the production in recent weeks, so hopefully this knock doesn’t slow him down and he can finish the season strong.

Because of his physical traits he will certainly have many NFL scouts as fans, and in an uncertain wide receiver class, he has every chance of being WR1 on some teams’ boards come April. 

There wasn’t a lot to get excited about offensively for TCU, but I thought left tackle Brandon Coleman looked good out there, albeit after a pretty shaky first quarter. He gave up a sack early on and looked confused as Texas dialled up quite a few different pressures, but once he settled down he controlled the edges nicely. Coleman also helped carve out some decent running lanes, particularly in the second half.

He is a big man (6’6 325lbs) but plays with light feet and strong hands and is having himself a very nice season. He is still only a Junior, so he will probably go back to school, but he is getting some attention right now with the season he, and this whole offensive line in general, are having. 

Most of the talk about running backs pre game would have been centered around the star on the other team, but TCU’s running back Kendre Miller stole the show from his more famous counterpart in the game.

He is a bigger back at 6’0 220lbs, but he certainly isn’t slow, as he showed by breaking a run off tackle, and out-running a couple of Texas defensive backs down the sideline for the long touchdown above.

This was his highlight play, but perhaps more impressive was the way he made every available yard, from every rush attempt, leaving no yards on the field.

He is tough, quick and has decent hands, so he is a nice complete back with plenty of tread left on his tyres. If he comes out early he has a chance to be a top 100 player. However, when we consider that the upcoming draft has a decent RB class he may go back to school and try to be a top five back in next year’s group.

Defensively, the Horned Frogs were excellent throughout this game, really slowing down one of the most exciting offenses in college football. There were quite a few stand-out performances, but I’ll highlight a couple of guys who really stepped up and made the plays when called upon.

I’ll admit that I’d never heard of Linebacker Johnny Hodges before this season, but the Navy transfer is having an excellent season and has impressed me every time I’ve watched TCU.

He was one of the main reasons that the usually dominant Texas running game could never get going. He flew around the field filling run lanes and chasing down plays, and ended up having 11 tackles, with 1.5 for a loss. He has the size and speed you look for, and at the very least you’ll get a special teams demon, but with the chance of becoming much more with time.

I’ve been a big fan of Cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson for the last couple of years now.

He is one of those guys who just makes highlight plays week in, week out, but will be knocked down draft boards because of his size. Being only 5’9 185lbs is a problem for most, but Hodges-Tomlinson plays like a much bigger corner with his physical style of play.

That can get him into trouble at times, as he tends to get a bit grabby against bigger receivers, but he loves the challenge of being the underdog, and you can’t help but be impressed with how he plays.

He was excellent in this game, going up against top quality receivers and only giving 1 reception on 8 targets.

He had this great deep ball interception, running in stride with the receiver down the middle of field and making the play on the underthrown ball. He also showed his aggressiveness at the catch point, batting away a ball intended for Texas’s 6’4 tight end on the sideline.

I really hope NFL teams overlook his size issues, as his style of play is so infectious that you can’t help but root for this guy.

Texas

This Texas offense has been exciting this season, but they came crashing down to earth here as the Horned Frogs had an excellent game plan to slow them down, and they executed it perfectly.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers has been the main reason that Texas fans are getting excited about their team again, but this game will be one he’ll want to forget.

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He never got into any kind of rhythm at all, and missed on quite a few deep balls, and a certain touchdown on a wheel route that he never saw. He is still very young and there will be growing pains in games like this one, but there’s no doubting the talent he has. As long as we don’t see too many more games like this one, he’ll still have a chance to be a top five pick next year.

The star of this whole Longhorn team though is Running Back Bijan Robinson. No other team has stopped Robinson like TCU did, they held him to a two year low of 29 yards on 12 carries, without a catch too.

The whole offense struggled so this isn’t all on Robinson, but he’ll have the NFL scouts asking him what happened here when they talk to him next, and he’ll need some good answers for them

 This game won’t affect his stock too much though, as he has so much good tape out there already, and I’m still certain he’ll be a first round pick in April.

The one bright spark for me on offense was Wide Receiver Jordan Whittington. He looked like the only weapon out there hauling in 6 catches for 78 yards.

Whittington has some nice after the catch ability and reminds me a bit of Deebo Samuel with the way he can break tackles. That said, he has nowhere near the production that Samuel had in college but the skill set is similar, and another year in this system will only boost his draft stock.

For three quarters the Texas defense played lights out, but they just ran out of puff in the end, which was hardly surprising given how much time they were on the field in the second half.

The two big senior Defensive Tackles Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat both had nice games, especially against the run. These two are very similar in size and the way they play, both excellent run defenders who can flash a pass rush move as well at times.

Coburn is the more highly rated right now and a probable day two pick, whilst I think Sweat may end up as an early day three type.

I had mixed feelings when I studied Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown in the summer. From what I’ve seen this season he has become a lot more consistent, and the position looks a lot more natural to him too now. He was always around the ball and finished with a team high 11 tackles in this game.

If he tests OK, he should be a day two player, but there is a fear that he might not test well, and if that happens you’ll be looking at a mid round guy.

For me the star of the game was Texas Nickel Jahdae Barron.

He has been impressive every time I’ve put on Texas, but in this game he was on a different level. He was so quick to diagnose throws into the flat, flying up the field beating blockers and making the tackle.

Barron showed he can also match receivers down the field, staying in phase nicely and taking away targets. He topped his day off with a scoop and score after a botched exchange in the backfield, picking up the ball in stride and running away from pursuit. He has decent size and physicality, and if he stays in school he could easily be spoken about in the same way Alabama’s Brian Branch is being talked about now.

Follow Keith on Twitter @lordlucken

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F10Y CFB – Week 10 Scouting Notes, Georgia vs. Tennessee

This game has been on everyone’s mind from the moment Tennessee upset Alabama in week seven. These were the top two teams in the country, although the playoff committee didn’t agree, having Ohio State ranked between them. For the added drama this was set up as the game of the season! One which would go a long way to deciding who will win the SEC East, and make the SEC championship game.

In all honesty the game never lived up to the billing, as the Georgia defense suffocated one of the best offenses in the country, and rightly won the game 27-13. 

I’ve covered Tennessee a couple of times already this season, so we’ll focus the main notes on the Georgia players, but we’ll start with some brief notes on the defeated Volunteers.

Tennessee

I’ve been a big fan of quarterback Hendon Hooker and his performances this season, but even I will admit that this was not a good day at the office for him. He was constantly harassed by the Georgia front four, and his big play receivers were very much kept in check.

He looked sharp completing short passes, but he missed on three big deep balls, over throwing his receivers every time. From a scouting perspective this game showed the limitations he has, but it shouldn’t hurt his stock too much, as he already has big performances in big games this season. So when evaluating, there’s no need to start moving him down boards on just one bad day.

Tennessee were very happy to have wide receiver Cedric Tillman back from injury, and although his stat line doesn’t stand out (7 catches for 68 yards), it was nice to see him back out there and showing the scouts his nice routes and sure hands.

In Tillman’s absence Wide Receiver Jalin Hyatt has been putting up some monster performances. Hyatt couldn’t really get going in this game though as he was superbly marshalled by the Bulldog secondary.

He also got hurt twice in the game and never really threatened the big plays like he has in the previous weeks. His name is still hot right now though, and if he hasn’t sustained any game costing injuries, he has an easy three game slate to finish the season and keep his name relevant. 

I think right tackle Darnell Wright has moved himself into the top 100 with his performances this season, and he did a good job in this game too, which will keep his stock on the up.

Without elite EDGE Nolan Smith, most of the Georgia pressures were from the interior, but when the Bulldogs did send outside rushers Wright handled them easily. He has all the tools you need, and now the light seems to have come on for this former 5-star recruit, and he is starting to live up to the high school hype and play his way into day two of the draft. 

Georgia

This Georgia team has a true leader in quarterback Stetson Bennett, and no matter what you think of him as a draft prospect, it’s hard not to root for this undersized overachiever.

The offense goes through him, and he makes enough good throws and improvised plays, to always have his team in position to win games. He was excellent here hitting the big plays when needed, and his running touchdown was a thing of beauty.

All that being said, Bennett is probably not going to be drafted, as his size limitations and arm strength will be big issues. Even so, you can easily see him being a Chase Daniel type back-up in the NFL and will probably turn into a very good coach when he’s done playing.

The star of this offense is Tight End Brock Bowers. He’ll be eligible for next year’s draft, but he is already the front runner to be TE1 in the 2024 group.

He is undersized (6’3 230lbs) and is deployed more like a receiver than a true tight end so he can show off his excellent hands and run after catch ability.

Tennessee did a pretty good job on him here though and limited him to just three catches in the game, but you can see the great hands and precise routes are there, and he will be widely talked about in next year’s cycle. 

Fellow Tight End Darnell Washington is draft eligible though, and he has been making quite a name for himself this year. Some of his highlight plays from earlier in the season are quite mind-blowing, especially when you consider his size.

He is almost like an extra offensive tackle out there, but one that can catch and probably run in the 4.5’s at the combine, making him a really intriguing prospect.

This game won’t feature on his highlight reel though, as he was held catchless, and his trademark aggressive blocking wasn’t as destructive as it normally is. He is still going to be drafted high, if he decides to come out, but he needs to pick the production back up, and get himself back into the TE2 conversation.

Georgia has produced some very good offensive lineman in recent years, and there’s two more that have first round potential, if they declare. Both center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and left tackle Broderick Jones are Redshirt Sophomores and are listed as the same size too at 6’4 310lbs, but there is a difference of over 500 snaps played between the two. Van Pran-Granger has played the more snaps and he is a lot more polished technique wise.

He is an excellent tone setting leader of this line, and has played exceptionally well this season, including this game where he was picking up blitzes and opening up nice running lanes all day long. He has great football IQ, looks a decent athlete and has a strong powerful base, all vital traits of playing Center. There really isn’t a clear cut OC1 in this class yet, so if he were to declare he’d put himself in that mix for sure.

For someone so young, he has a really high floor and would be a very safe pick who could anchor your line for a decade. 

Jones on the other hand would be much more of a gamble, but he plays the premium left tackle position, where teams are more likely to take a chance on potential rather than production.

I was super high on Jones during the summer, as you could see from the few games he stepped in for Jamaree Salyer last year that he was so naturally gifted.

However, I’m not sure I’ve seen enough progress this season to give him the lofty top ten pick that I’ve seen in recent mock drafts. He was inconsistent here against Tennessee, looking like an All-Pro on one play and undraftable the next, but teams will look at that upside and think they may get the next great one. But it all hinges on whether he can fulfil that potential.

I personally would like to see him go back for another year at Georgia and iron out those flaws he has now, as if he did, he has number one overall pick potential.

If he did come out though, I can see him ending up in the range that Dallas took Tulsa’s Tyler Smith last year, a player he compares favourably to, right now.

This Georgia defense lost so much talent to the NFL last year that there were questions entering this season whether they would be able to replace them all.

Well they have.

With Defensive Tackle Jalen Carter, they probably have the best player they’ve had for some time. Carter has been banged up this year, missing two full games and barely featuring in several others. However, for this game, he was back to full strength, and boy what a difference he makes to this team.

He is such a phenomenal watch, it’s so easy to just focus on him alone and watch him tear apart respected offensive lineman. Tennessee’s guard Javontez Spraggins will be having nightmares after Carter took his soul in this game.

He has such a quick first step that  he can club, swim or bull rush you before you are set, and in a blink of an eye he is in the backfield causing mayhem. He was credited with four tackles, two for a loss and a sack.

Not only that but he caused two fumbles too, all in his first full time action for months against the number one ranked team!

He is a lock for the top ten, and depending on what team is drafting where, has a legitimate shot at being a top three pick.

Georgia has another potential first round defender in cornerback Kelee Ringo. He was another one who flashed huge potential last season when he cracked the starting lineup, but hasn’t kicked on quite as much as hoped, although he is still flashing elite traits at times.

He had a very up and down game here against the Volunteers, giving up eight catches on just nine targets, but then made a sensational interception on a deep ball in the end zone. He has all the size and speed you want, but his technique can fail him at times, and he has given up 61.1% receptions when targeted, which is far too high for a player of his calibre.

Whilst this isn’t the season he wanted so far, plays like the interception in this game show what he can be. Big speedy corners like this don’t grow on trees, and usually end up as first round picks.

Follow Keith on Twitter @lordlucken

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F10Y CFB – Week 9 Scouting Notes, Penn State vs. Ohio State

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The week 9 slate threw up a couple of interesting matchups. I hadn’t had a good look at Ohio State since their week 1 win against Notre Dame, so away at Penn State seemed a good time to check-in on some top talent, not only the Buckeyes, but a couple of highly rated Nittany Lions too. 

The game itself was a tight affair, with the Buckeyes having to fight tooth and nail to maintain their unbeaten start. They did come through in the end though winning 44-31, although the game was much tighter than the final score suggests.

We’ll start the notes with the winning Buckeyes…

Ohio State

Quarterback C.J Stroud seems to be suffering from the “over analysis brigade” this year. He is putting together a Heisman Trophy winning type season. However, the nit-pickers are highlighting some flaws, whilst ignoring the consistency and production.

Penn State gave him some issues, and truth be told it was the defense that won this game for Ohio State. That said you can’t ignore the poise and accuracy he displays from the pocket. The questions come when being asked to perform out of structure, and there’s no doubt this is his biggest weakness, but what you see from him when he’s kept clean, is one of the best clinical passers in football.

I still believe he will be QB1 come April, but in all honesty you can’t go wrong with either him or Alabama’s Bryce Young.

Stroud may have a limited ceiling, but he has such a high floor that he seems like a safe, NFL starter ready player, and those types will go very high.

Stroud’s favourite target this year has been Freshman sensation Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Those old enough (like me) will remember his Dad destroying cornerbacks in the NFL from 1996-2008 with the Indianapolis Colts, and his son looks like he may be as good as his old man, who of course is a Hall of Famer. Those are lofty expectations, but what he displayed in this game was his smooth routes and excellent hands.

I would go so far to say that I’m certain if he was draft eligible he would be WR1 in this class.

We’ll have to wait until next year to salivate over this next great Ohio State receiver prospect as he already looks like a certain future first round pick. And would it be bold to say, possibly a high end one at that?

Left tackle Paris Johnson was very highly thought of coming into the season, but there was a question mark about how he’d transition over from guard, where he spent the 2021 season.

Well, from what I’ve seen so far this season, he’s done a very nice job, so much so that he has been talked about now as a potential top ten pick.

I really like him as a prospect too, but this tape against Penn State makes me pause, and perhaps we need to lower that hype just a touch?

 There is no doubting his natural ability and athleticism – that’s easy to see – But there still seem to be some mental errors and technique issues that would need clearing up before slotting him in the top ten for me.

Right tackle Dawand Jones is almost the complete opposite of Paris Johnson. He is a massive (6’8 360lbs) road grader who once he gets his hands on you it’s over.

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He has better athleticism than you’d think for such a huge human, but he does get done by quicker, shiftier Edges, who can get by him in a flash. He is a plug and play right tackle in the NFL and there’s an easy comparison to Trent Brown. Brown has carved out a nice career for himself, despite originally being just a seventh round pick.

Jones displayed his heavy hands and brute power in the run game against the Nittany Lions and he looked pretty good in pass protection too, as he held up well against their edge rushers, but he had some trouble with the blitz’s that Penn State dialled up.

He will be viewed as a high floor player who should be selected somewhere on day two of the draft.

As I mentioned earlier the Buckeyes have their defense to thank for this win. There were numerous standout performances but we have to start with the quite incredible show that EDGE J.T Tuimoloau put on.

It’s not often that a defensive lineman will grab an interception, but Tuimoloau didn’t just get one against the Nittany Lions, no he bagged two of them, and returned the second one 18 yards for a touchdown too.

He also battered a pass that was intercepted by fellow EDGE Zach Harrison, recorded three tackles-for-loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. Quite an afternoon from the sophomore and one that will really put him on scouts’ radars.

The interceptions were very different, the first being a great read on the running back coming out in the flat and jumping the route. The second was leaping high mid pass rush, to grab the ball intended for a receiver behind him. Both of these plays demonstrated elite athleticism and high football IQ.

However, we mustn’t get carried away here.

All of his pass rush wins were against the back-up right tackle, who was playing because of injury to their regular starter, and he was having a complete mare. I don’t think he is the second coming of Chase Young or the Bosas, he doesn’t have that kind of bend around the edge that the top pass rushers do.

But one thing he has now, is a statement game on tape and something to build on heading into the 2023 season. 

Junior safety Ronnie Hickman has impressed me quite a bit this year, and that continued with another good showing in this game. He is such a solid all round player.

Hickman is good against the run and a willing tackler, he also has nice athleticism and play recognition to match up in the passing game. He was always around the ball and finished with six tackles, three passes defensed and a forced fumble. Even the negatives were not so negative either – The only completion he gave up went for just four yards.

If it wasn’t for Tuimoloau, Hickman would have been the talk of the game. There isn’t a clear cut number one safety in this draft class, but Hickman is certainly making his way up boards and he would be a top five safety for me right now.

Penn State

The Nittany Lions were in this game deep into the fourth quarter, which is a testament to them, as there is a big gulf in the quality of draft prospects between the two teams. They do have a couple of players who are getting quite a bit of buzz right now, so let’s see how they did in this game.

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We’ll start with Left Tackle Olu Fashanu, who right now is being discussed as an OT1 possibility. He is only 19 years old, but is draft eligible and he has scouts drooling with his natural ability.

He is quite an easy watch, especially in pass protection, where he has excellent feet to control the arc and strong hands on long arms to ride pass rushers away with ease.

The problems occured in the run game where he was often beaten to his spot by a defender and knocked off balance. He does have everything scouts want in a blindside protector though, size, arm length and athleticism, so it’s easy to understand why he’s moving up boards.

I would just like to see him become more refined, especially in the run game, before investing a round one pick on him. There is a chance of course he returns to Happy Valley for another season, but with the tackle class this wide open I think he would be a certain first rounder if he did come out.

Like Marvin Harrison, Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is the son of a former NFL star too. Joey Porter Sr. was a Pittsburgh Steeler legend in his day, and now his son is climbing rapidly up draft boards and into first round mocks.

Porter Jr. is as feisty as his old man was, he is just 40 odd pounds lighter and playing a totally different position.

We were hoping to see plenty of Harrison vs. Porter matchups during the game, but the truth was they only battled each other on a handful of plays. They were a fun watch though, and although Harrison had the big stat line, Porter matched up nicely with him when they did face off.

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Porter’s physicality is both a positive and negative though. Everyone loves a physical corner who isn’t afraid to hit in the run game and jam receivers off of routes, but he also gets very grabby. He was called deservedly for one pass interference penalty in the game because of this.

I think Porter will appeal to lots of NFL teams, but without elite athleticism I think he may end up as a day two player rather than going in the first round.

Penn State’s best player in this game was wide receiver Parker Washington, who I’ve been high on for the last couple of seasons.

He had his biggest game of the season, against the highest ranked opponent they’ll play, catching 11 balls for 179 yards and one touchdown. He has great hands, runs nice routes and always seems to find a way to get open. And he does all of this without being the best athlete on the field.

How about this for a way to bring this article to a close… I feel like there’s a bit of Deebo Samuel about him, and I think if he test’s OK he may sneak into day two of the draft, if he comes out.

Check back with me in April on that one.

Follow Keith on Twitter @LordLucken

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F10Y CFB – Week 8 Scouting, LSU vs. Ole Miss

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Week 8 didn’t have too many stand out match ups, but this encounter between LSU and Ole Miss looked like it could be decent on paper, and it certainly was.

I’d seen these teams much earlier in the season, so I was eager to get some eyes back on them and see what they were like now we’re in the thick of conference play.

It certainly seems that LSU have turned a corner and look very much on an upward curve, and even in defeat the Rebels still look like a very talented team that can push the very top of the SEC to their limits.

We’ll start the scouting notes with the very impressive Tigers…

LSU

The quarterback position has been a bit of a struggle for the Tigers since Joe Burrow led them to their greatest ever season.

The fans don’t have to worry anymore though, as Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels is playing out of his mind right now. He absolutely destroyed the Rebel defense to the tune of 242 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and 121 yards and three scores on the ground.

He has such a calm demeanour about him, stays cool under pressure and takes care of the football, all very important traits to have. He was impressive during his career with the Sun Devils, but he has taken it up another level here in the SEC and this won’t go unnoticed.

There are limitations and question marks when it comes to evaluating him for the NFL.

Like, how much does he actually weigh? Why does he struggle with short touch passes? And, how good of an arm does he actually have?

But as a college quarterback he certainly is an entertaining watch, and he is putting himself into the Heisman trophy conversation too, which isn’t bad for a transfer who wasn’t expected to even win the starting job in the summer.

On the receiving end of Daniels throws should be star wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, but I think it’s fair to say he isn’t having the season that everyone was expecting.

Boutte hasn’t been playing at 100% health wise, and there was a run in with new head coach Brian Kelly before the season, so there are factors to why he is struggling, but right now he looks a shadow of what we saw the past two years.

He had 4 catches for 43 yards in this game, which aren’t big numbers at all, and he did have a drop too, but he was out there blocking his ass off on run plays when bigger ego players might not have bothered.

With a wide open WR1 for the 2023 draft, Boutte is still in that mix, but if the production doesn’t increase he’ll have to wow the scouts in interviews, and with his athletic testing to reach that lofty goal.

The recent Tiger defense’s haven’t always lived up to the levels that their predecessors were famed for, but they always produce NFL talent year in year out.

The 2023 NFL draft will have plenty of Tiger defenders in it, and there’s certainly one who could be a first round pick. EDGE B.J Ojulari is that player with a first round shot, and in this performance against Ole Miss it’s easy to see why. He is the brother of NY Giants EDGE Azeez Ojulari, and they certainly have a very similar style of play.

He is lightning quick out of his stance, can convert speed to power nicely and can dip under and around tackles in the flash of an eye. He isn’t the biggest and can get washed out on some plays, but there’s enough elite talent here to get first round looks, and at worst case he should end up a top 50 pick, just like his brother.

The Tigers other EDGE Ali Gaye is someone I wasn’t as high on as others during summer scouting, and he hadn’t impressed me in the couple of early season games I caught, but he was terrific here and showed why he could be a day two player.

He lacks the athletic traits that his teammate Ojulari has, but Gaye is a much bigger end who defended the run in this game well, and still showed enough as a pass rusher to worry the young Rebel tackles.

Testing will be key for him, but he looked a different beast in this game to what I’d seen previously, and hopefully he can continue to put these types of games on tape. 

LSU knows how to produce cornerbacks, and the next one in line is Louisiana transfer Mekhi Garner.

He was part of a very stingy Ragin’ Cajun defense the last couple of years but decided to make the leap to the SEC and he has shone every time I’ve watched him. He was tested more in this game than my previous watches, but he came through well showing fluid transitions and good route recognition skills, which considering how big he is (6’2 217lbs) is very impressive.

Garner did give up a pass interference call on a quick slant where he was a fraction early on the play, but he really does look the part out there, and if he can answer the question about his long speed with good testing, he has the ability to be a round two guy for me.

It would be wrong if I didn’t mention true freshman Harold Perkins, who is having himself an excellent season. You can tell he is going to be a special player already, and although he is mainly lined up as an EDGE right now, with time you can see him moving inside to a more traditional off ball linebacker.

He could very well be the next Micah Parsons, we’ll just have to wait another couple of years before we get to talk about him in regards to the NFL draft. 

Mississippi

Any Lane Kiffin coached team is exciting to watch, and these Rebels are no different. Defensively they were found out in the second half, but the offense was a fun watch and they were just inches away on a couple of big plays that would have kept them up with LSU.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart is a true sophomore who transferred in from USC in the summer and has impressed so far this season at Ole Miss. He has nice touch, good arm strength and can be creative out of structure. He is also a very capable runner which he displayed in this game too, so a good all round package player.

Dart isn’t afraid to take a chance or two down the field, and that will get you into trouble at times as well, but let’s face it, we’d all prefer that type of quarterback over the boring efficient ones! Certainly a name for next year’s draft, which is shaping up to have quite a few top end QB prospects in it already.

It’s not often you get a transfer between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, but that’s what Wide Receiver Malik Heath has done, and it’s paying off handsomely for him. 

You’d have thought being a receiver in the Bulldogs air raid system would be a better fit for him, but he is having the most productive year of his career in this more balanced Rebel offense, and also showing scouts there’s a more complete receiver profile to him.

Heath is a big, strong pass catcher who displays really good hands and strength at the catch point. There’s a little bit of former Rebel A.J Brown about him, but not as dynamic as the current Eagle is.

He has impressed me every watch so far this season and he may be one of my favourite sleepers at his position for the 2023 NFL draft. 

The Rebel offensive line had struggles in this game, which isn’t surprising considering they were starting two freshman tackles. They do have two highly rated draft eligible guys on this Line, but both are having indifferent seasons.

Former Left Tackle turned Guard Nick Broeker was highly thought of during the summer, but I was never quite as high on him as the consensus was, and I’m still not.

For me, he struggled at tackle the past couple of years, so the move inside to guard was expected, but the level of play still remains inconsistent. There are nice flashes at times but there were so many plays in this game where he was beaten to his set points or just knocked off balance too easily, and it’s a big concern if he is still viewed as a top 100 type player.

I was much higher on former right tackle-turned-guard Jeremy James than most during the summer, but his move inside to guard for me isn’t playing to his strengths, and it’s causing him to slide down boards.

He is excellent in pass protection and staying at tackle would have showcased that more, but inside at Guard he is having to do more of the dirty work.

That said, he did consistently beat up on LSU defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, who I’m pretty high on, so this tape is still good, I just wish he was out at tackle where I’m pretty sure he’ll be drafted to play in the NFL.

As I said earlier, this Rebel defense was torn to shreds in the second half of this game, but there was one stand out player who needs to get mentioned.

EDGE Jared Ivey is a transfer from Georgia Tech and he has taken the step up in competition to the SEC in his stride.

He has ideal size (6’5 265lbs) and length, and does a nice job rushing the passer from both the traditional outside role, and also inside as a three technique at times too. He has some decent bend to him and isn’t afraid to go through a lineman too if needed with brute strength, so plenty of nice traits to work with. He had a sack in this game, giving him 3.5 on the year so far, which is more than double what he managed in over 600 career snaps at Georgia Tech. Certainly a player on the rise, but as a true junior he may well go back to school to continue his progression and improve his draft stock.

Follow Keith on Twitter – @LordLucken

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F10Y CFB – WEEK 7 Scouting Notes, Tennessee vs. Alabama

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And just like that we are at the halfway point in the college football regular season! 

Week 7 had some great games on the slate, and I really wanted to get a deep look at the Michigan vs. Penn State game, but what unfolded in Knoxville needed to be written about, even if I’ve already done a deep dive on both teams already this season. This was probably the game of the season so far, with drama and talking points galore, and an upset win by the Vols 52-49 at the death.

So many players here helped their draft stock but there were also a couple who had uncharacteristic performances too, and I’ll try and cover as many as possible below, starting with the triumphant Tennessee Volunteers…

Tennessee

On my last deep dive with the Vols I suggested that Quarterback Hendon Hooker had put himself in the conversation to be QB3 next April. This performance, against a defense littered with future high NFL draft picks, will only push his case further, and there are now people suggesting that he is even in the Heisman Trophy conversation.

Top Quarterbacks need a signature win to stamp their CVs and this was Hooker’s. He threw for 385 yards, five TDs and one Interception, which are ridiculous numbers against this Bama defense, but more important than the stat sheet was how he led his team to the upset win.

Hooker was never fazed as the score went back and forth between the two teams, and he was never afraid to take the downfield shots when he could, or use his legs if he needed to, to keep his team moving down the field. Hooker took chances, and got away with an Interception that was called back for a questionable pass interference call, but you don’t beat teams like Alabama without taking chances, and he made his offense a threat to score every time they had the ball.

As I’m sure you can tell I’m a big fan, and right now I can’t see how he isn’t viewed as QB3, but there will be people using his age (he’ll be a 25 year old rookie) as a big negative.

I would say what he has is a mature head on his shoulders, and could lead an NFL offense with very little prep time needed, which is surely a plus point. 

With star wide receiver Cedric Tillman still out, the Vols have relied on others to step up to pick up his slack. Jalin Hyatt stepped up in the biggest possible way with a career best 207 yards on just six catches, with five of them going for touchdowns!

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Hyatt is a burner who turned on the jets for two of his scores, outrunning the Bama secondary each time showcasing his elite speed. He has had a couple of really nice games this year, especially with Tillman out, and he is doing himself no harm with putting tape out like this for scouts to drool over.

There’s a bit of Hollywood Brown about Hyatt, and the NFL does love a speedster, so he has value and will be moving up boards with games like this in his pocket.

For the offense to move down the field as easily as they did, the offensive line had to play well, and they did, particularly the two tackles.

Left tackle Gerald Mincey was having a great game but picked up an injury and didn’t play the second half. Right tackle Darnell Wright did play the whole game and he put in a dominant performance, especially considering he spent a lot of time up against a potential number one overall pick in Will Anderson.

Wright was exceptional in pass protection, showing great technique and strength in his hands controlling the pass rushers nicely. He displayed good footwork too, keeping a nice solid base but with good lateral movement as well to keep the pocket clean. He gave up zero pressures, and considering the talent he was up against, that’s some great tape to show scouts.

He is someone I wasn’t overly high on coming into the year, but his performances this season have been excellent, and he is certainly getting his name back out there and on some top ten tackle lists. 

Defensively for the Vols there wasn’t much to shout about, as Alabama could consistently move the ball down the field with ease, but linebacker Jeremy Banks did impress though, often around the ball and in on plays. He can line up as a traditional off ball linebacker, or out on the edge, and was effective in both roles in this game.

He doesn’t have enough size to line up as a pass rusher in the NFL, but he was effective in that role here, getting five pressures and causing plenty of disruption when blitzed. In a more traditional role he showed good read and react skills and good tackling technique but is limited somewhat when asked to cover. He has that classic late round pick, special teams ace vibe to him.

Alabama

The Crimson Tide offense has looked a shadow of itself the last couple of games with star Quarterback Bryce Young out injured. He was back for this game and showed how vital he is to this team. He was excellent from the start, testing his injured shoulder early, and then with confidence took his team up and down the field routinely. He finished with a massive 455 yards passing, two touchdowns and no picks, and looked as good as he did before the injury. He is a special talent who is in a fight to be QB1 with Ohio State’s C.J Stroud, and both should end up being top five picks in the draft.

We are used to having a bevvy of top Bama wide receivers prospects, but this is definitely a down year in that department.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been a valuable weapon in the passing game as well as the run game this year, and he has helped his quarterback out in that department regularly.

Tight end Cameron Latu came through in this game too, with a breakout performance and one which should get him some draft buzz back. Latu came into the year graded by most scouts as the top senior tight end prospect, but his performances up to now have been a bit underwhelming and he has been overtaken by a few others.

However, he was a different beast though in this game, showing really soft hands when used in the passing game, and good solid run blocking, especially out on the edge, on run plays. This is the kind of level of performance we were expecting all year, so let’s hope this is the start of more consistent play so he can get his name back out there again.

The Crimson Tide offensive line has always churned out high quality prospects, but this current version is a little light on top end talent. Right tackle JC Latham is the one exception and he’ll be a big name in the 2024 draft, but their best draft hope for this year’s draft is left tackle Tyler Steen. Having to replace Evan Neal (seventh overall selection last year) is no easy task, but Bama is littered with five star recruits who should’ve stepped up into that role.

They didn’t, and it’s been left to Vanderbilt transfer Steen to come in and hold that position down, which he has done to a high standard. He won’t wow with athleticism or power, but he is a good technician and is very experienced, having been a three year starter at left tackle for the Commodores before transferring over the summer. He will most likely be a day three pick as the upside is limited with him, but he would make a valuable swing tackle at the next level, and teams will still invest decent draft capital to that role.

Now we’re not used to a Bama defense giving up 567 yards, but that is what happened in this game.

All the big name 2023 Bama defensive prospects had rough nights. EDGE Will Anderson had the quietest game I’ve ever seen from him. As mentioned before, Tennessee’s Tackles really shackled him and he couldn’t affect the game in any way really. We won’t overreact to this performance and move him down boards, he is still the best player in the country, all it proved was that he is actually human.

Linebacker Henry To’o To’o, Safety/Slot Corner Brian Branch and Safety Jordan Battle, all had indifferent games too, but again this won’t affect their draft stock too much as we pretty much know what players they are already.

One player whose stock may take a hit because of this game is Safety DeMarcco Hellams. He had been getting some buzz due to his play so far this year, but this was a disaster for him, as he was twice burned for touchdowns by Jalin Hyatt. They moved him away from covering Hyatt one on one in the second half, but he still missed some tackles and took a bad angle on another Hyatt touchdown. This is tape he’ll want to lose, but the scouts will already have seen the weaknesses exposed here, and no doubt he’ll end up falling down some boards accordingly. 

The only Alabama defensive player who gets a pass is true sophomore Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, who was only targeted twice and gave up no catches. He had Tennessee receiver Bru McCoy in his pocket all game and looked every bit the next special Crimson Tide corner.

Follow Keith on Twitter @lordlucken

Read other scouting notes and the rest of our CFB content HERE.

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2022 CFB: Alabama @ Tennessee Preview

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The third Saturday of October is finally upon us, which can only mean one thing – it’s time to go hard or go home. 

This weekend, #3 Alabama will take on #6 Tennessee in their 105th meeting. A rivalry that has been dominated for over a decade by the Crimson Tide, but this year seems different.

Tennessee is entering the matchup with Heisman hopeful Hendon Hooker behind center. Bryce Young is questionable to play after sitting out last week in a nail biter against Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide barely escaped that game thanks to some questionable decision making by Jimbo Fisher in the final moments of that game.

Going into Neyland Stadium will not make this any easier for Alabama, as the energy will reach levels fans have not seen in some time. Expect Knoxville to be covered in that beautiful Tennessee orange this weekend. 

If Alabama is going to sneak out of Knoxville with a win, then look for them to limit the amount of mistakes they make this weekend. Last Saturday was far from pretty, as ball control was something that the Crimson Tide struggled with all game. They were lucky to squeeze past Texas A&M despite the mistakes, but the Volunteers will not be as forgiving. Without Heisman winner Bryce Young, Alabama will definitely struggle against this Tennessee team. But surely there is no way the Crimson Tide quarterback misses out on potentially one of the biggest games of the season? 

In the other corner, Tennessee is looking to upset the Tide without wide receiver Cedric Tillman. The receiver is still recovering from ankle surgery, and hopes to be back for the Kentucky game instead. The Volunteers will look to overcome the lack of his presence and keep this offense at the top of College Football. 

The high powered offense led by Hendon Hooker is definitely the Vols’ strongest point. The Tennessee quarterback will look to keep this high flying offense on course throughout. It currently ranks first in yards, averaging 547.8 yards of offense. The unit is also second in scoring offense with an average of 46.8 points per game. This will be Hooker’s largest challenge to date though.

Alabama’s defense ranks top ten in many categories this season, including yards per game and scoring per game. Highlighted by Will Anderson, a favorite by many in this year’s upcoming draft, the Crimson Tide will not make things easy for this Tennessee offense. That being said, getting to Hooker will not be easy either as the Vols have allowed the second lowest pressure rate in the country. 

Tennessee will look to keep Alabama on their heels all game, flashing one of the quickest offenses in the nation. Alabama has not been the best in these up-tempo games, but will look to change that this weekend. No matter the outcome, the true winner will be football fans all over. This is lining up to be one of the best, if not the best matchup fans get all season. 

Will’s Prediction

#6 Tennessee will protect Neyland Stadium and upset the opposing Crimson Tide. Heisman Hooker will look to cement his name in this race and this is just the game to prove it. Hard to bet against Nick Saban and Alabama, but I just do not think they can keep up with this Volunteer offense. This will be a nail biter nonetheless, cause why wouldn’t it? Tennessee will squeeze by Alabama with some late game heroics from Hooker and win 34-31. Expect another strong showing from the connection between Hooker and wide receiver Bru McCoy.

By Will Lane – @TheWillieLane

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F10Y CFB Player to Watch: Michael Mayer, Notre Dame

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It’s Friday and we have all made it through to another week and we are on the verge of another weekend of college football!

And what does that mean? It means it’s time for another Player to Watch and this week we are focusing on Notre Dame tight end, Michael Mayer.

Keith whetted your appetite for Mayer in his excellent scouting notes review of the Irish’s game against BYU last weekend. Mayer had an excellent game, the best of his season so far – 11 catches for 118 yards, with a couple of touchdowns.

However, I’ll leave the one game scouting notes to Keith and I’ll get on with a deep dive on this talented tight end prospect…

Let’s go back to the start and find out who Michael Mayer is…

6’4, 265lb, Michael Mayer has always been a high flyer when it comes to football, a 5-star prospect out of Covington, Kentucky he attended Covington Catholic High School and he was the MVP on a team that won a Kentucky state championship in 2019.

Mayer was the 2019 Gatorade Kentucky Football Player of the Year and named the Kentucky Coaches Association Mr. Football in the same year. The accolades kept coming in 2020 as he was selected to the US Army All-American Bowl.

The recruiting process yielded an avalanche of offers from big, Power-5 schools; Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, LSU and of course, his home state of Kentucky, amongst many more. However, he chose to enrol at the most prestigious catholic university in the world and head to South Bend, Indiana.

Mayer was the number one player in Kentucky and the number two tight end in the country, so there is no wonder that he was so sought after.

Once on campus, Mayer began to make an impact almost immediately – He played 12 games in his Freshman season, he was starting by game two and scored a touchdown in game three. He really was Playing like a Champion from day one.

Ever since, Mayer has been one of the brightest tight end prospects in college football… Let’s dive into the tape to see why.

In the modern NFL, tight ends are versatile weapons and can be used in diverse ways in the passing game as well as being blockers in the run game too.

The bread and butter is the passing game and being that safety net for quarterbacks, which is the area of the game that I really feel Mayer excels in. I feel this gives him an excellent floor when entering the league, and as always there’s room to grow.

This first clip shows Mayer lining up in a traditional tight end alignment and making a nice catch with soft hands for a big gain. This from the Toledo game is 2021:

25 yards as easy as that. Ok, it is against Toledo and the defenders aren’t of the quality of Notre Dame’s more high-end opponents, but a nice release up the sideline, tracked the ball really nicely and brought it in easily.

We can see that Mayer isn’t a super-quick, jumbo receiver but he’s excellent at traditional tight end things. Which I think still valuable in today’s NFL.

Speaking of traditional tight end things…

As much as being a Travis Kelce or Kyle Pitts-type X-receiver masquerading as a tight end is fun, it is important to be able to run-block and be traditional, especially in an offense such as what the 49ers run with tight ends like George Kittle.

Mayer is certainly willing when it comes to run blocking. He motions across from the opposite side of the formation in this split-zone run, he opens up the lane to spring a big run, which is all very NFL run game, a team like the Rams run this kind of play a great deal, although this wouldn’t be Matthew Stafford running down the sideline.

Again, there is the caveat of Toledo and Mayer could be more aggressive in the block. However, you can see that he knows what he’s doing; he activates his hips and gets his hands underneath the pads of the defender to leverage him out of the way.

Whilst Mayer can do a lot of the traditional tight end things, he can also split out, off the offensive line, a la Kelce or Pitts. He isn’t the athlete of either of these two, he’s not even close, to be honest, but it’s nice to see this in his locker, big slot receiver’s are in vogue right now.

What I like about this clip from last year’s game against Cincinnati, is that he can make a long reception, in traffic with defenders diving and ready to lay a big hit on him. He is also able to run down the seam and show his physicality to shrug away the defender and create some separation.

We can see this kind of physicality on show in last year’s Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State.

The added layer from the previous clip to this one is that we can add in that Mayer is a red zone weapon. Big bodies can be great in the red zone; they can body up smaller defenders and box out players on well-placed throws that only he can bring in. Mix in the fact that he can be used in a variety of ways – Y-tight end, in-line tight end, H-back and Notre Dame do so here.

The Irish are in heavy personnel, with 3 tight ends in 13 personnel which forces the Cowboys into base defense and expecting a run. There are only two men out on routes but two crossing routes put the defensive backs in a bind and Mayer has leverage and uses his physicality to get separation and it’s an easy catch and score.

Mayer also scored a second touchdown against Oklahoma State too, another red zone score which again demonstrates what his value will likely be in the NFL.

Big bodies over the middle in the red zone will never not be an option for quarterbacks. Mayer shows his hands again here with an excellent diving catch. He also shows a little bit of wiggle with a drop of a shoulder, and mix that with a nice play design and a high quality tight end means it’s going to be a touchdown as long as the QB makes the throw.

As is tradition for this article, there’s always got to be a but, the area of improvement.

It’s tough to show in one clip but I feel like you could see it in every clip I’ve got here but it centres around his athleticism. As much as Mayer can clearly threaten down the seam and he can make plays in the deep portion of the field, I feel like his lack of juice could limit his ceiling and perhaps the separation that he could attain in the NFL.

Can this get better? Maybe marginally but he is what he is at this point and he has the ready-made body of an NFL tight end which isn’t going to drastically change.

However, at the end of the day, I still feel he has a bright future in the pros. 

So what can we expect this weekend against Stanford in one of college football’s most traditional rivalry games?

Well, Stanford isn’t having a great season so far, with a record of 1-4 in a fun Pac-12 conference, their only win coming against Colgate in their opening game. On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame has had a little bit of a resurgence after a somewhat sticky start to the season.

Stanford doesn’t really have any great safety or linebacker who will be tasked with guarding Mayer and attempting to take him out of the game. So perhaps the best comparison and battle could be offense vs. offense, and perhaps tight end vs. tight end.

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Stanford has their own exciting tight end in Benjamin Yurosek. Yurosek isn’t of the same calibre of Mayer, albeit he was a 4-star prospect out of high school. Last season Yurosek had 658 yards and 3 touchdowns to Mayer’s 840 and 7. Not a million miles away, especially when considering Notre Dame was 11-2 and was ranked #8 in the country, whereas Stanford, well, was not.

I expect Notre Dame to win but Stanford’s offense can put up some points with Tanner McKee under center, who, by the way, is the best QB in this game on Saturday.

After this season, what can we expect some draft weekend?

Carrying on from earlier in the article, I fully expect the trend of Mayer being a high-flyer to continue come the spring.

As shown above, he is a plus-pass catcher and he will be ready to contribute on an NFL offense immediately. He has an NFL body and he passes the tight end eye-test, both on the field and also in the mugshot too. Just check out his Notre Dame bio, just look at that square jaw and thick neck, those are NFL traits as much as the height, weight and on-field play. 

In terms of tight end, the college football landscape and in particular the media coverage is dominated by Georgia guys like Darnell Washington and most of all, Brock Bowers. However, Bowers isn’t draft eligible until next year and Mayer should be talked about just as much, I feel he just doesn’t bring the monster, highlight plays that you see from Bowers on social media.

This shouldn’t be thought of as a negative though, Mayer does a lot of things well and he’s one of the best out there. Mayer is likely to be the first tight end off the board in April and that should mean he’s a first round player.

So to conclude…

Mayer is a traditional tight end prospect who has the skill set to fit into a lot of offenses around the NFL. He can improve in run blocking and maybe get a little faster and stronger in a professional weight programme but I do think we will hear the phrase NFL ready when the calendar turns to 2023 and we are in the thick of the pre-draft cycle.

Mayer reminds me of a player like Hunter Henry; a big body who can be a safe pair of hands over the middle and down the seams, he can be a serviceable blocker and a red zone weapon. One for your fantasy teams and for a long career in the NFL, another great prospect out of Notre Dame and one I am looking forward to watching this weekend.

Follow Lee on Twitter @Wakefield90

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F10Y CFB – Week 6 Scouting Notes; Notre Dame vs. BYU

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There were plenty of good games to choose from this week, but I’d always had my eye on this game as there were some very good potential match ups I wanted to watch. The game itself was an interesting affair between the more aggressive down the field style of BYU, against the more run based and time controlling Irish, and in the end Notre Dame prevailed, deservedly, 28-20.

We’ll start the notes with the defeated Cougars and a few players who are certainly creating some draft buzz…

BYU

Quarterback Jaren Hall has been getting plenty of plaudits for his performances so far this season, so I was intrigued to see how he did against a top quality defense. The answer was not great really. It started with his very first pass of the game, which was either horribly underthrown or a miscommunication with the receiver, which was easily intercepted.

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After that Notre Dame controlled the time of possession so well, that he only ended up attempting 17 passes all game. Now when they were backed into a hole and had to take chances, Hall seemed to come alive and hit a few nice chunk plays to get his team going. He is clearly the leader of that team and they responded to him well, but there’s still a sense of rawness and limitations to his game.

He certainly isn’t the second coming of Zach Wilson, which is what the hype around him had become, but there’s certainly things to work with and he could still end up a late day two type of guy. 

The biggest reason I wanted to watch this game was for the matchup between left tackle Blake Freeland, and Notre Dame Edge Isaiah Foskey. Unfortunately for me, Foskey only played just over half the available snaps, and when he was in there he was mostly lined up over the right tackle.

Freeland was absolutely dominant against the other pass rushers the Irish threw at him, looking in total control throughout. He is one of these elegant, dancing bear types, that always seem unfazed by the chaos around them.

He has long arms that ride defenders away from the pocket and he has enough strength in him to overwhelm static rushers too. His run blocking isn’t on the same level as his pass protection, but he still gets movement in the run game and has a good understanding of combo blocks and angles, and is rarely beaten to his spot.

Usually with BYU prospects we worry about their age, as they tend to go on two year mormon missions whilst at the university, but Freeman is still listed as 21 years old, and will be 22 come draft day, so nothing to worry about there.

I was really high on Brady Christensen a couple of drafts ago, but I think Freeland has better all round tools than him and he could end up being a first round guy, especially as this year the tackle class is a bit cloudy with no true standouts yet.

A name for the future is redshirt freshman receiver Kody Epps. The Cougars had been without their two best catchers in Gunnar Romney and Puka Nacua for a few games and in their absence Epps had shown up.

They were back for this game, but clearly not 100%, so it was still good to see Epps being used as a weapon and he made a couple of nice big plays, including a great catch and run touchdown. Not the biggest guy, but he is an exciting player when he gets his hands on the ball, and the type that gets you out of your chair.

Defensively BYU had a bend but don’t break attitude, and they made some nice plays when they needed to, which kept them in the game. None of the draft eligible guys did much to stand out but sophomore EDGE Tyler Batty had a nice game.

He is a long, athletic looking defensive end who had some nice results working against the right tackle in the run game and as a pass rusher. He is a good edge setter who understands his role, and when let loose he shows enough to scare some linemen. He won’t be a stat filler in this defense, but his pass rush win rate is really high, so there are traits and skills to work with, and he’ll be a fun watch for the next couple of years.

Notre Dame

This Irish offense has really taken off since quarterback Drew Pyne took over in week 3. They rely on the run game to move the chains, but Pyne can certainly sling it when he needs to, with poise and accuracy, and create splash plays. Now he’s built like Alabama’s Bryce Young, but obviously nowhere near the level of talent he is, but he is proving to be a good fit for this system and is at least making people sit up and take notice of him. 

Pyne’s favourite target in this game was star Tight End Michael Mayer. Mayer was sensational, snagging 11 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He has natural hands, plucking everything that comes his way, and is always making to look as much after the catch as possible.

He runs great routes, can create natural separation but is still strong enough to win contested catches too if needed. He isn’t the greatest blocker on the Earth, but he is willing and will always do a decent job, just don’t mistake him for George Kittle in that area. He isn’t the greatest athlete at the position either, but trust the tape, as this guy is the real deal and should be TE1 and a first round pick.

BYU’s left tackle Blake Freeland was fantastic for them, but Notre Dame’s Joe Alt was almost as good for the Irish in the same position.

The Irish offensive line has had a couple of down years, but Alt, a true sophomore, looks to have solidified the most important position at left tackle.

He caught my eye a couple of weeks ago when they played North Carolina, and he continued in the same vein here. He is a lot like Freeland in his style of play, a really dominant pass protector using his arms and height to control pass rushers easily. He looks like a real athlete too, moving around effortlessly in the arc and out in space in the run game. He hasn’t allowed a sack and has only 3 pressures allowed in 358 snaps so far this season, which is a phenomenal number.

He has the bloodlines too as his Dad was a first round pick in 1984, and showing my age now, I remember him playing for the Chiefs all those years ago. I’m planting my flag early for this guy, I think he could be special. 

All eyes when the defense is out there are on star EDGE Isaiah Foskey. As I mentioned earlier, Foskey was on the field for just over half the snaps, which was odd as he is their best defensive player by a mile. This has been a bit of a frustrating season so far for Foskey, as I’ve seen him three times now and he just isn’t dominating like he did last year.

He still has a great get off, as you can see above, can win the edge in a flash, and he destroyed a running back on one play going straight through him and sending them both into the quarterback, but these are flashes rather than consistent play. I don’t know if the snap reduction is down to injury or trying to keep him fresh, but he needs to be out there alot more so we can see him take on the best guys, and get himself back up the rankings. 

The other big name prospect for the defense is Safety Brandon Joseph. The Northwestern transfer has taken Kyle Hamilton’s old spot in the secondary, but so far hasn’t produced anywhere near the level that he did.

Joseph is still living off of his fantastic freshman season back in 2020, but whilst not making mistakes or giving up big plays, he isn’t making any either, and that’s what he was brought in to do. Hard to say where his draft stock is right now, but he may be better off staying for another season in South Bend to try and re-establish himself, otherwise he could get lost in the mix in this current draft class.

By Keith Lucken – Follow Keith on Twitter @LordLucken