This is one of the best weeks of college football because of the plethora of strong non-conference matchups. With notable games for five straight days, we’re going to go wider this week. Here’s are some intriguing prospect matchups.
TODAY
VIRGINIA TECH AT OLD DOMINION, 7 p.m. on ESPNU
CB #44 Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech (6-0, 178): Strong is a three-year starter and the next potential Hokie DB to be drafted. He needs to add more weight (his dad is a competitive weightlifter so it shouldn’t be an issue) but his length helps him in jam coverage. He’s better as a zone corner (largely VT’s scheme). The Hokies will mix up looks on Kuntz and I expect LBs Dax Hollfield and Alan Tinsdale to get some coverage reps. All these guys are potential Day 3 candidates.
TE #80 Zach Kuntz, Old Dominion (6-8, 251): Kuntz started his career at Penn State but didn’t get enough playing time behind current NFL Steeler (and MA local) Pat Freiermuth. The first thing you’ll notice is his height and he lines up both in-line and from the slot. He was a track athlete in HS and All-Conference last year (2nd in the country for TEs with 73 catches). He’s not just a red zone threat, he has some solid speed (he could break 4.6) and shows explosion getting up field or after the catch. Good player who will be drafted next year but games against Power 5 teams, like Virginia Tech, dictate his value.
SATURDAY
NO. 11 OREGON VS. NO. 3 GEORGIA in Atlanta, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
LB #1 Noah Sewell, Oregon (6-2, 253): Big, physical kid who can set a tone for a defense. He’s decent in coverage, especially given his size, but he’s not going to excel at it in the NFL game. It will be important for him to get better this year so that he’s not a liability. He’s a good tackler but needs to play with more control at the point of attack, he’s missed too many tackles (almost 18% last year) for an elite linebacker.
I am really interested to see how he plays in coach (and former Georgia DC) Dan Lanning’s system. Lanning had three linebackers drafted last year, including a Butkus Award winner (Nakobe Dean) and a first-rounder (Quay Walker). In summary, Sewell has great athleticism and is a really good football player. I have him as a first-rounder and I’d compare his body, style, and thump to Patriot legend, Dont’a Hightower.
TE #0 Darnell Washington, Georgia (6-7, 270): I like Washington more than most. He has potential to be a dominating blocker and when I watch him, I see the upside of a young Mercedes Lewis. He hasn't been much of a target but that's because the UGA offense is deep and starter Brock Bowers is one of the best players in college football. I see Washington as a late Day 2 or Day 3 type pick for a team that bets on his upside and puts an emphasis on the run game.
TE #7 Arik Gilbert, Georgia (6-5, 255): First off, he needs playing time. Gilbert was a highly rated recruit who went to LSU and made an immediate impact. Then he had an odd exit from LSU and didn’t play for Georgia last year. NFL teams will be digging into the off-field details but there’s no questions about his on the field athleticism. He reportedly had a good spring, and the coaching staff expects to line him up all over the field. He has Kyle Pitts type athleticism which is incredibly intriguing because it’s rare.
NO. 7 UTAH AT FLORIDA, 7:00 p.m. on ESPN
QB #7 Cameron Rising, Utah (6-2, 218): I think Rising is an interesting prospect. He was a highly rated recruit that started his career at Texas. After transferring to Utah, he won the starting job in 2020 before suffering a season-ending injury. Last year, Utah brought in a transfer to start over him, and he won the job back before leading them to their first Rose Bowl.
He has a very good arm, can make pretty much every throw, and doesn’t take many sacks. He reportedly wowed people at the Manning Passing Camp while surrounded by other top prospects. He's a laid-back guy but players are drawn to him. Coach Kyle Wittingham said he’s one of the best leaders he’s ever had. This is a tough matchup for him, Florida has a good defensive backfield and lots of talent, but it will be a good test in a hostile environment.
QB #15 Anthony Richardson, Florida (6-4, 232): Richardson is a really intriguing prospect, and the hope is that he could turn into a Cam Newton-type prospect. He’s a great dual-threat option (he’s a beast in the run game) and he has a very strong arm which is enticing. This season will be about development and consistency. He’s only started four games, so his experience is limited. Developing as a passer from the pocket and more accuracy on the deep ball are the top areas of focus for scouts.
NO. 5 NOTRE DAME AT NO. 2 OHIO STATE, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
DE #7 Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame (6-5, 265): Foskey has very good get off on the snap, perhaps elite. He can win with power, and he has a good spin move to counter. He still needs more polish, run defense isn’t bad but his consistency could improve. He has the size, length, athleticism that is desired for the position at the next level. He plays the Vyper position which capitalizes on his ability (sometimes he’ll drop into coverage). I see him as a first-rounder and playing against 2 of the top 5 tackles in the country will be important tape.
OT #79 Dawand Jones, Ohio State (6-8, 359): He has Mecki Becton (New York Jets) size which is a blessing but doesn't always translate to success. It's difficult for defenders to go through or around him in the pass game. His size just swallows them up. What I like most about Jones is his impressive athleticism for his size. Teammates say he’s one of the best basketball players on the team (he was good in HS). This year will be about translating that athleticism to more consistent technique. It’s the biggest area of improvement for him but I think he has as much, if not more, upside as any tackle prospect in the class.
OT #77 Paris Johnson, Jr., Ohio State (6-6, 310): Paris is the type of prospect you build in the lab with the ideal size and traits. He’s a smooth mover, seems to have enough strength, smart player, and the coaching staff is very high on him. He was a top recruit who played RG last year to get him into the lineup. He was Second-team All-Big Ten (1 sack and 4 pressures allowed on 440 attempts). His technique in space and how he transitions outside to LT will be the biggest questions. Many pundits have him ranked as the top tackle prospect in the class.
BOISE STATE AT OREGON STATE, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
S #0 JL Skinner, Boise State (6-4, 220): He's a long player with good striking ability and reportedly a solid 4.5 40 (or maybe faster). He has a similar physical profile as Kyle Hamilton (Ravens first-rounder) from last year.
Skinner is a box safety at the next level. He's better coming downhill but needs to clean-up tackling. While he led Boise State in tackles last year (92), he missed 1 tackle per game. He also needs to play with more discipline, he was called for targeting 3 times.
TE #88 Luke Musgrave, Oregon State (6-6, 250): He’s an intriguing prospect for scouts because of his traits; has the prerequisite size, he should be able to break 4.6 in the 40, and plus leaping ability (he was a track and field star in HS). He needs to demonstrate cleaner catching, he’s dropped too many balls for my liking, but his coaches rave about him. For Musgrave this season is all about the jump from potential to production. This will be an important matchup for both these players.
SUNDAY
FLORIDA STATE VS. LSU in New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
OT #52 Robert Scott, Jr., Florida State (6-5, 334): If Robert plays a full season, he’ll have over 30 starts which is good tackle experience and word is that he’s a smart player. He has a good frame and movement skills but doesn't have the production to this point (not great PFF scores). Ultimately, he needs to clean up his technique and be more consistent. Matchups against BJ Ojulari and Ali Gaye (another LSU DE prospect) will be an important tape for scouts.
Edge #18 BJ Ojulari, LSU (6-3, 250): He's on the smaller side (for the NFL) but he’s productive; 7 sacks, 11.5 TFL (he had a good freshman season too). Ojulari plays with motor and good quickness to get off the line. He’s a leader within that program and he was awarded the fabled #18 jersey for LSU. His brother, Azeez Ojulari, was picked in Round 2 out of Georgia (plays for the Giants and he had 8 sacks as a rookie last year). BJ needs to play with more physicality and power, but he has the traits to be a high-end pick. Right now, I have him on Day 2.
MONDAY
NO. 4 CLEMSON VS. GEORGIA TECH in Atlanta, 8 p.m. on ESPN
DE #98 Myles Murphy, Clemson (6-5, 275): Murphy had 42 pressures, 7 sacks last year but his best asset might be his physical play against the run (14 TFL). He has the size and movement skills to be an ideal DE. He’s not the bend-the-edge type pass rusher but he does have enough burst and closes well on QBs. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in power. He was able to start right away for Clemson as a freshman and was solid in the run game. That’s important for two reasons. It’s a huge challenge for a freshman defensive lineman to have enough strength to consistently hold up in the run game. Secondly, how a prospect plays as a freshman is a good indicator of how they’ll be able to contribute early (physically) at the next level. Consistency will be important this year, but he is scheme versatile, 3-down DE at the next level. He should be a first-rounder.
DE #6 Keion White, Georgia Tech (6-5, 286): He was very good at Old Dominion and then transferred to GT. Unfortunately, he broke his leg in offseason workouts last year and missed most of the season. He's moved up in weight this off-season which is intriguing because he’s expected to physically test really well. The questions will be his level of play against better competition (such as Clemson) and his potential role at the next level (athletic 3-technique inside or a versatile, strongside DE).
RECAPPING LAST WEEK
NORTHWESTERN: OT Peter Skoronski was technically very sound last week. He recovers well and stays low when run blocking. He’s good on the move and effective when he has to pull. He has good play strength and shows some anchor in the pass game. He’s a first-rounder.
NEBRASKA: DE Ochaun Mathis showed good awareness in the run game, he finds the ball well, and was credited with 10 total tackles. But from a rushing perspective it was not an impressive performance. He’ll need to be better this season if he wants to get drafted…OLB Garrett Nelson played with a ton of effort and had 1 pressure against Skoronski but he got dominated in the run game at times. He finished with 4 tackles. Tough matchup for him but he’s Day 3 prospect who will contribute on ST and bring good intangibles.