Three big games this week. Top-ranked Tennessee heads to Athens to face defending national Champion, Georgia. Alabama heads to Death Valley for a night game at LSU and Brian Kelly’s first chance at Nick Saban in the SEC. Notre Dame hosts Clemson for a night game in South Bend. All these games have significant playoff implications and top prospects.
We’ve covered the prospects from Tennessee, Alabama, and Clemson in-depth already this year. Click my name above to see all those articles. Below we’ll focus on Georgia, LSU, and Notre Dame.
NO. 1 TENNESSEE AT NO. 3 GEORGIA, 3:30 p.m. on CBS
NO. 6 ALABAMA AT NO. 10 LSU, 7:00 p.m. on ESPN
NO. 4 CLEMSON AT NOTRE DAME, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
Potential Round 1
DT #88 Jalen Carter, Georgia (6-3, 300 pounds): He’s returning from a strained MCL and while he may be on a snap count, the Dawgs will need him to get pressure up the middle against Hendon Hooker. He has elite quickness and because of his active hands he seems to keep moving even when being blocked. I watched Georgia a ton last year because of their all-time defense. Travon Walker had enormous potential. Jordan Davis could be dominating. Devonte Wyatt had his moments. But I thought Carter was their best player. He reminds me of a smaller Richard Seymour.
WR #7 Kayshon Boutte, LSU (6-0, 205): The next star receiver to come out of LSU. This game is really important for him. Boutte hasn’t played up to expectations this year but his potential is through the roof. Good hand eye, route running, body control, and YAC. If he checks out off the field, he’ll be a top 35 pick and maybe a top 20. I think a fair comp is current Carolina Panther, D.J. Moore.
TE #87 Michael Mayer, Notre Dame (6-4, 265): Baby Gronk is an apt comparison. Beyond just his number and how he runs, Mayer’s craftiness and physicality at the top of his routes look very familiar to Rob Gronkowski. He creates windows for the QB and he’s more athletic than he appears. He's not an elite blocker but he's competitive. More of a refinement vs. a toughness issue. He's a first rounder.
CB #5 Kelee Ringo, Georgia (6-2, 210): If you were making a CB in a video game it might be him. He has safety size and a track background (4.3ish). He’s an outside CB because of the size, speed combo and should have the strength to effectively jam with the right technique. His interception to end the National Title game propelled him up draft boards. Ringo is fast but I am not sure his football speed matches his track numbers. He can also be targeted inside because he’s not terribly fluid in the hips. I think he’s still a work in progress but he’s likely Round 1 pick because of his traits.
Great matchup against Tennessee WRs Cedric Tillman (big, powerful) and Jalin Hyatt (explosive speed). Both of them are Day 2 prospects right now.
OT #59 Broderick Jones, Georgia (6-4, 310): He’s a former 5-star prospect in his first full season as the starter. He’s full of talent. High-end athleticism which really helps him in the pass game. Needs to tighten up his technique but his potential is significant. Very similar to Isaiah Wynn when he was at Georgia.
Edge #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). While Foskey has 7 sacks so far this year, he hasn’t done it against the top tackles he’s played against. He’s a top 50 prospect who could close strong.
Top 100 Prospects
TE #0 Darnell Washington (6-7, 270): I’ve been driving the fan bus on Washington since early last season. He has potential to be a dominating blocker and when I watch him, I see the upside of a young Mercedes Lewis. He’s not a primary target but that's because the UGA offense is really balanced, and starter Brock Bowers is one of the best players in college football. The good news is that almost 80% of his catches go for first downs. I see Washington as a Day 2 pick for a team that bets on his upside and puts an emphasis on the run game. Ring a bell?
Edge #4 Nolan Smith, Georgia (6-3, 235): The OLB tore his pectoral last week and will be out for the season. He’s a guy the Patriots could potentially target (top 75). We’ll write about him deeper in the offseason.
Edge #18 BJ Ojulari, LSU (6-3, 250): He's on the smaller side (for the NFL) but he’s productive; (25 tackles, 5 TFL, 4 sacks, 9 QBH, 1 FF). Ojulari plays with motor, good quickness off the line and some bend on the path to the QB. In the run game, he’s not going to be as stout in the NFL, but he offers track and tackle athleticism. 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. I still have him on Day 2.
S #29 Chris Smith, Georgia (5-11, 195): He played well last week against Florida. Ringo is a better prospect, but I think Smith might be their best playmaker in the secondary. He was hurt in the SEC Championship against Alabama last year and it cost them. He’s a versatile free safety who is a decent tackler (4th on the team in tackles). I think he could be a third rounder.
OT #70 Warren McClendon, Georgia (6-4, 300): He was voted preseason first-team All-SEC, and he's started 33 games for the Bulldogs. He has solid athleticism but needs to work on his anchor. He’s likely a guard at the next level.
C #63 Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia (6-4, 310): He was a rock on their national title team last year. He doesn’t make many mistakes in the run game. In the pass game he has a very strong anchor, which makes him difficult to overpower but he needs to clean-up his technique. Potential starter at the next level.
Day 3 Prospects
RB #6 Kenny McIntosh, Georgia (6-1, 210): Averaging almost 5 YPC, he’s the guy they’ll trust in the red area. Georgia is similar to an NFL team with how they rotate their backfield. McIntosh doesn’t have much tread on his tires. He’s comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield; he’s their third leading catcher right now (he had 9 catches in the game I watched against Oregon). He was good last week against Florida (90 yards rushing and 2 TDs). He has an NFL frame, solid balance, and a pretty good burst. I see him as a Round 4 player.
C #55 Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame (6-4, 310): He has enough size and experience to get drafted as an interior backup. Consistency and versatility are his best traits. He’s played multiple positions across the line, but his future in the NFL is at Center. He’s a late Day 3 pick.
Also, keep an eye on LT, Joe Alt. He’s a future NFL starter, high pick when he comes eligible.
S #16 Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame (6-1, 195): Good coverage skills and solid ball production (10 career INTs) speaks to his instincts and eyes. He was outstanding as a freshman but hasn’t developed on that elite track. Still a draftable player. He has 27 tackles, 2 turnovers, 1 PBU and 1 TD this year.
DE #11 Ali Gaye, LSU (6-6, 265): He has extremely long arms and he can be really physical but doesn’t always use the power effectively. He’s a project pick that has some intriguing traits but he hasn’t consistently put it together. He has the size and length to be a 4-3 DE. So far this year he has 19 tackles, 3 TFL, and 1 sack.
CB #5 Cam Hart, Notre Dame (6-2, 198): He’s a bigger corner who played pretty well last year. He hasn’t made the leap I expected him to make this year. I think he’d be an interesting late round or PFA target for someone like the Pats.
LB #23 Micah Baskerville, LSU (6-1, 228): The leading tackler for the Tigers (50 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT, 4 PBU). He has some leadership traits and quick instincts helps him find the football. He plays multiple roles for the Tigers but he’s likely a Will who will need to earn his roster spot on ST at the next level.
DT #99 Jaquelin Roy, LSU (6-4, 315): He is very strong and shows enticing flashes, but he needs more of a pass rush plan and to play with better gap integrity. Not really a scheme fit for the Patriots. He’s going to be best in a 4-3 as a penetrating 3 technique.
CB #24 Jarrick Bernard-Converse, LSU (6-1, 205): He has 52 career starts, which is virtually unheard of in college. He started his career at Oklahoma State, and he had an excellent season with 11 PBUs last year. Tons of experience and he’s had a few flashes this season. If he closes strong, he could be a late round pick.
CB #2 Mekhi Garner, LSU (6-2, 217): Started his career at Louisiana Lafayette before transferring to LSU this year. He’s a zone player who might even project to a zone safety at the next level. He’s competitive, physical, and smart but he can beat because of his aggressive style. He’ll be a name to watch if stays one more year. He has 25 tackles and 5 PBU this year.
QB Jayden Daniels, LSU (6-3, 185): He played a lot at Arizona State for Herm Edwards before transferring to LSU to run Brian Kelly’s offense. He completes about 70% and he has had 12 TDs to 1 INT. Daniels has enough arm and does a good job scanning the field. He’s above average moving outside the pocket, throwing off platform and gaining yards on the ground. He needs some weight to run in the NFL. I expect he’ll compete for a depth spot next season.
Recapping Last Week
NO. 2 OHIO STATE: DE Zach Harrison had a good game with 4 tackles, 1 QBH, and an INT. He’s a good player but I’d characterize him as a great athlete. That athleticism will get him over drafted because it represents the upside. Though not an elite rusher, I thought he was good against the run. His teammate, sophomore J.T. Tiumoloau stole the spotlight. He had one of the best defensive games you’ll ever see with 6 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, & 1 TD…WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba was declared inactive before the game with a nagging hamstring injury. We called out sophomore Marvin Harrison Jr. as one of the WRs to watch and once Jaxon was ruled out. I posted in the comments “Harrison Jr. is a top tier talent, as in a top 10 type pick. He'll be eligible next season.” Remember the name (as if you’d forget his dad, former Colt Marvin Harrison) because he’s a stud. He was arguably the best player on the field and finished with 10 catches for 185 yards.
NO. 15 PENN STATE: CB Joey Porter Jr. had 4 tackles and only gave up 2 catches for 23 yards. Great showing and he might end up being the top corner in the class. His size, ability, and competitiveness at the catch are intriguing. I’d like to see more turnovers and improved tackling the rest of the season. Right now, I’d put him #2 in the class…LT Olumuyiwa Fashanu was impressive. He didn’t surrender a single sack or hurry. Moves very well for a guy his size and strength wasn’t an issue against the OSU rush. He’s climbing draft boards.
NO. 5 MICHIGAN: CB DJ Turner had 4 tackles and 1 PBU. He needs to play with a little more control, but he has strong recovery speed and he’s willing to be physical. Michigan provided him some help over the type which doesn’t align with a top pick. I came away thinking Round 3-4…TE Luke Schoonmaker led the Wolverines in catches (5) and yards (70). He’s rising a little bit. I have him just outside the top 100 right now…NT Mazi Smith had 5 tackles and 1 sack. Michigan State wasn’t effective running at him. He does a good job staying active and making plays from the nose spot. Good player and a guy for us to watch.
MICHIGAN ST: WR Jayden Reed was held in check by Turner. He had 4 receptions for only 17 yards and 1 carry for their longest rush of the day. We said the Spartans needed to get him involved and make big plays to have a chance. They didn’t…TE Daniel Barker had only 2 catches for 15 yards. Not terribly impressive performance…DT Jacob Slade had 3 tackles. He’s an effort guy. I think he’s late Day 3 or PFA.