Light week regarding top games but it gets better from here. Next week is rivalry week followed by the conference championships. It will be the last chance to see some prospects as many will opt out of the bowl games if their teams aren’t in the playoffs or a Jan 1st bowl game.
IOWA AT MINNESOTA, 4 p.m. on FOX
Iowa LB #31 Jack Campbell (6-foot-5, 246 pounds) vs. Minnesota OC #60 John Michael Schmitz (6-foot-4, 320 pounds)
LB will be a positional target for the Patriots. Campbell’s testing number will be important and should dictate how high he goes. Iowa has put out good college linebackers but none that have elite athleticism that has transferred to NFL success. That may cap his draft ceiling.
He has good short-area quickness, is durable, and he has NFL size. I wouldn’t be surprised if a team moved him outside in the NFL given his length. He led the country with 143 tackles last year and he has 97 tackles so far this year. That speaks to his play recognition. I think he’s likely a Day 2 pick.
Iowa DE (#91) Lukas Van Ness is another player to watch although I think it’s more likely he returns next season where he’d be a top-15 target.
With David Andrews getting older, the Patriots may be in the market for a succession plan. I had Schmitz as the top-rated center in the country coming into the season. He’s extremely smart, a trait the Patriots look for, especially at that position. Schmitz took an extra year of eligibility and so he has a ton of playing experience. I expect him to be the first center drafted in Round 2 or early Round 3.
He blocks for RB (#24) Mohamed Ibrahim who is an NFL player (Day 3) in his own right. Ibrahim is essentially a lock for a hundred yards every game.
NO. 5 TENNESSEE AT SOUTH CAROLINA, 7 p.m. on ESPN
South Carolina CB #9 Cam Smith (6-0, 188) vs. Tennessee WR #4 Cedric Tillman (6-3, 215) & WR #11 Jalin Hyatt (6-1, 180)
CB is a potential need position for the Patriots, and I had Cam Smith as my top-rated CB coming into the season. QBs have completed only 25% when he’s the closest defender which is one of the best marks in the country. He has 5 PBUs and 1 INT. He can flip the hips, tracks the ball well, and he’s instinctively smart in coverage. I don’t know if he’s a shutdown corner at the next level, he doesn’t necessarily have elite traits, but he has first-round talent in a draft class that is below average.
We mentioned Tillman prior to the Georgia game. He’s one of the top 3 senior wideouts in the country. He’s missed some time with an ankle injury but played full-time against Georgia (7 catches for 68 yards). It’s unclear if Tennessee will play him Saturday but he’s a strong possession receiver with a plus catch radius. He attacks the football like it has his name on it.
Hyatt is what many Patriots fans have been asking for, lethal speed, and what Tyquan Thornton was drafted to be. Hyatt is second in the country in receiving yards. If Tillman is out, I hope the Gamecocks move Cam Smith inside to cover Hyatt from the slot. That will be good tape.
UAB vs. NO. 6 LSU, 9 p.m. on ESPN 2
UAB #22 RB DeWayne McBride (5-11, 215) vs. LSU #40 LB Harold Perkins Jr. (6-2, 220)
McBride is one of my favorite rushers in this class and he’s a hidden gem (at least for now). This is his best test of the year. He’s second in the country with 1,407 yards and he has 17 TDs. He’s great in between the tackles because of his outstanding balance and ability to gain YAC. I think he’s a Round 3 or early Round 4 player who will be good on early downs in the NFL.
The LSU defensive line has a few NFL players, led by Edge BJ Ojulari (DT Jaquelin Roy, DE Ali Gaye are the others).
But the matchup with McBride will center on Harold Perkins Jr. He isn’t draft eligible, but he deserves a callout because reminds me of Micah Parsons during his freshman season at Penn St. He’s that type of athletic talent. Last week against Arkansas he had 8 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 FF, 1 PBU.
NO. 7 USC AT NO. 16 UCLA, 8 p.m. on FOX
USC WR #3 Jordan Addison (6-0, 175) vs. UCLA WR #9 Jake Bobo (6-5, 215)
Addison, last year's Biletnikoff winner given to the country’s top WR, is an incredibly smooth player. He’s not as good as current Saint Chris Olave (better ball tracking) but I’d put him in that range. He’s fast, a good route runner, and he has elite quickness coming out of breaks. His instincts allow him to challenge a defense at all levels. He has 40 catches for 587 yards and 7 TDs (including 15 explosive plays). He’s been dinged up (missed the last 3 games) but he’s expected to play in the cross-town rivalry game.
We’ve covered Jake Bobo a couple times this year since he’s a local prospect. Hailing from North Andover, he’s the Bruins' top receiving option (43 catches, 651 yards, 6 TDs). I see him as a potential late Day 3 selection or a PFA.
USC DE #49 Tuli Tuipulotu (6-4, 290) vs. UCLA DE #15 Laiatu Latu (6-4, 265)
Tuli Tuipulotu leads the country in sacks with 11.5 and he’s been on a tear this month (4.5). He’s not a speed rusher but he’s quick for his size, uses his length effectively and is efficient with his moves. His size will allow him to be scheme versatile which is a huge asset. I had him in the top 75 coming into the season and he’s outplayed that ranking. He could be a first-rounder.
UCLA’s Latu is second in the conference with 8 sacks, and he has 3 FF this season. He started his career at University of Washington where he didn’t play much because of a neck injury. Now healthy, he’s exploded.
His size, agility, and production are intriguing. His medicals will be important (Peyton Manning’s doctor cleared him, but UW’s wouldn’t) in determining how high he gets selected.