For this college football season I decided to dive into my Scouting Notebook and publish a bunch of notes on players from all of the games that I watch each week.
I have not published this sort of thing on my own NFL draft notes for quite a few years. This year felt like a good time to do so again. As it is ALWAYS draft season, scouting potential prospects began as soon as the opening games kicked off.
This post will be updated regularly as we go through the season, with the aim of scouting as many teams and players as possible. Scroll to find the game weeks covered in chronological order all the way down to some Bowl Season contests at the end. Week 0 is a nice way to start as there were only a few games to focus on.
WEEK 0 – NEBRASKA AT ILLINOIS
The opening game of the new FBS college football season. An anticipated encounter between two well-matched Big Ten teams.
Nebraska – Given the start at quarterback again is Adrian Martinez. He needs a season of growth to earn draftable grades, unfortunately the issues of previous years remain. Martinez runs a lot and it’s the way in which he can most hurt a defense. As a passer, the awareness and accuracy are not good and there were too many throws sailing high over open receivers. When given enough time in the pocket he showed some poise and did hit a couple of targets attacking deep middle. A 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter showed off the running ability.
The Nebraska defensive line looked pretty good, especially when pass rushing. I thought Ben Stille was strong on the interior and battled through for some disruptions including a nice hit on a running back trying to come up the middle and stopping the play right at the line. Stille was showing power to get off blocks throughout the game.
Sixth-year senior safety Deontai Williams added to the pass rush from the secondary when he fired through for a tackle for loss on third down in what was a highlight play.
Speaking of secondary, cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt was a guy I focused on for Nebraska. There is some athleticism and good movement to his skill set, but he gets very physical and was beaten on short plays in close coverage a few times. He did position himself well for an interception off a high throw that was called back for a roughing the passer penalty. A good play had it stood. Taylor-Britt is used as Nebraska’s returner, and made a mental error getting hit in the end zone and playing the ball forward on a punt return. The play had to be ruled a safety (special mention to Illinois punter Blake Hayes, who had a great game!).
Illinois – They have some talent on their offensive line and the unit looked adept at blocking for run plays. Doug Kramer has stood out over the last year at center. He shows good strength and vision, also demonstrated good movement to pull and create big lanes to help his running backs make significant yards. There were instances where Kramer was forced back by bull rushes when in pass protection. Overall the pass protection from the experienced Illinois line was inconsistent, to the point where they even got their starting quarterback hurt and taken out of the game in the first quarter.
Out of the two Illinois tight ends on the field, Daniel Barker was quiet aside from assisting with blocks on a couple of the better runs. Luke Ford got all the production with a few good catches and got himself open in the end zone on a short touchdown, which was his first in college.
Mike Epstein got the majority of carries at running back. Some long runs following the gaps made by good run blocking. He showed quickness and cutting ability to take advantage of the open field. The other running back who had some good flashes was Chase Brown. I expected him to get far more plays than he did. When Brown was called upon, he displayed some really nice strength and contact balance on one particular tackle-breaking effort.
On defense, Illinois look like they are going with a 3-4 formation this season. I liked the performance off the edge from Calvin Hart Jr. He was beating blocks with good length and arm power and had a productive game, getting hits in the backfield and recovering two fumbles, taking one for a touchdown.
There were other players on both sides that I wanted to see more from, but they didn’t get the chance to play themselves into the game. Plenty more opportunities to look out for them as the season progresses.
WEEK 0 – UCONN AT FRESNO STATE
UConn – It’s a tough old ask to play on the UConn offense these days! I have offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark as a player to watch this season. The O line does look inconsistent and from the first drive you can see Van Demark is the standout pass protector, so they stick him at LT. In a solid game where none of UConn’s issues came from his area of the line, it looks like Van Demark has good upper body strength and anchor.
The UConn defense has a leader in defensive tackle Travis Jones, who likes to battle through contact and has obvious power in his hands. He managed to drive between blocks on a few downs, but was too often having to chase a play. It was amusing seeing Fresno State identify the threat of Jones as early as the second quarter and have their O linemen double-team him for much of the remainder of the game.
Fresno State – Ronnie Rivers has been projected as their main offensive weapon at running back. His speed and movement skills were on display here and he showed soft hands as Fresno State used him as a receiver to good effect. Also standing out as a wide receiver was Jalen Cropper, who had perhaps the highlight of the day where he bounced out of tackles then accelerated away for an 86-yard touchdown.
In charge of making all the Fresno State passing plays happen was Jake Haener, a good thrower and efficient quarterback who looks comfortable leading the fast-paced offense. He can make all kinds of throws and there is some ceiling to keep an eye on with Haener. It was a shame to see him cramp up and leave the game early, but it feels like he will have a strong season.
I thought defensive end Arron Mosby put on the best show for the Fresno State defense. He was a constant threat to the backfield and his speed got him a sack/fumble, which he picked up and returned for the first score of the contest.
WEEK 0 – HAWAII AT UCLA
Hawaii – It was interesting to see Hawaii running back Calvin Turner Jr. actually not play as a RB at all. He was constantly lined up as a slot receiver and was given little opportunity to show off his playmaking ability across the ground. I would like to see Hawaii go back to using Turner Jr. like last season, with more reps out of the backfield.
The Hawaii defense had a rough time trying to slow down UCLA. Cortez Davis brings the experience in the secondary. He struggled in this one and was beaten deep down the sideline, getting off balance in coverage while trying to get a hand on the ball and ending up on the floor and left to watch his receiver stroll in for a touchdown.
UCLA – A real pleasure to see Zach Charbonnet running well on his UCLA debut. I was a fan during his time at Michigan and was eager to watch how he would play now he has transferred to a new school. He spent the first half running over Hawaii and was a threat each time he got the football. Charbonnet has a smooth and upright style, and it looks like he’s bulked up and added some weight since his Michigan days. This was best demonstrated when he broke at least a couple of tackles on a long run that was his second visit to the end zone. Charbonnet finished the game with 106 yards from only 6 carries and 3 touchdowns. The coaches did not need to see any more and pulled him out early. A great start to his UCLA career.
I have joked about quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the past for moving around far too much and not staying in the pocket to help himself complete passes. These inconsistencies with footwork appear to remain and it really affects his timing and accuracy when throwing. Thompson-Robinson can make yards as a runner, but he needs to clean up the rest to be successful.
Sean Rhyan has become a name to watch in draft circles and starts at offensive tackle. He combines good upper body power, technical skill and the movement to block quickly at the second level. Rhyan was putting it all together throughout the game and was not alone, as the guys alongside him on the interior also worked well as UCLA dominated in the trenches.
UCLA looked in control in all phases, including the secondary. They have some experienced defensive backs who can make plays and Quentin Lake stood out. He roams the field nicely from the safety position and is often around the ball; on one play he adjusted from his assignment to put a strong tackle on a different receiver right as the pass was completed. Lake also showed good burst to get a break up on a pass that would have been a first down.
WEEK 0 – SOUTHERN UTAH AT SAN JOSE STATE
This was a late one with kickoff at around 3am in the UK! Of course I was always going to watch the whole thing with the Mountain West champs in action.
Southern Utah – One small-schooler who has been getting a lot of pre-season buzz is offensive tackle Braxton Jones. This Week 0 game was a good chance to begin the season of evaluating him. Jones certainly looks the part physically – he’s huge! He moves well in both run and pass protection and technique in general seems very good. Some questions on body placement and reading the game, but when he locks onto a block, he is reliable. This was good work against an FBS defense.
San Jose State – I’m going to begin on defense as the most notable battle for Braxton Jones was Cade Hall, who I had down as San Jose State’s primary EDGE rusher. The strong performance from Jones was to Hall’s detriment as he could not get going and ended the game disappointingly with no significant production. He got at Jones with movement and efforts to work inside, but once engaged in a block Hall was shut down.
My focus when San Jose State was in possession was on their skill players. I’m a fan of quarterback Nick Starkel. I thought he had some good moments as an SEC quarterback playing for Texas A&M and Arkansas. He’s transferred his way to San Jose State and I enjoyed watching him last season as he led them to an unlikely Mountain West conference title. Starkel has a good all-round skill set and can quickly get in rhythm. He is quick to make reads and has the arm and throwing motion that allows him to complete a variety of throws well. In this game it felt as though the offense was going to score whenever they took the field and they completed a few long touchdown plays.
Running back Tyler Nevens has become a fun watch over the last year. There is real effort and power to his game; he won’t be tackled easily. Straight-line speed looks good too. Nevens can cut and fight through defenses and will get more notice when doing it versus better teams further into the season.
Derrick Deese Jr. looked good at tight end and it feels like he will have a productive season. A slim TE, who moves well and works quickly through his routes. Deese Jr. was finding ways to get wide open all night and showed soft hands to bring the ball in.
This was a productive showing for San Jose State’s offense, but it was just as much down to the mistakes of the lower-level competition they were facing. There will be tougher challenges ahead.
Week 1 will really get the season up and running and with a much larger number of games now due each time across the country, I’m going to have to see exactly how the updates to the Scouting Notebook develop.
WEEK 1 – BOISE STATE AT UCF
Perhaps the game I was most looking forward to in Week 1. Many reasons to get excited about two of the best group of 5 teams playing each other, not least that it was the first time the schools had ever played. A huge weather delay made for a much later kickoff. Thankfully it did not affect the game, which was a great watch and included a big comeback from UCF to grab the win.
Boise State – Taking centre-stage for the offense is quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who I have enjoyed watching in the past. There are some nice leadership traits with Bachmeier and he manages the pocket well to step up and away from pressure before delivering the ball. His throwing style is a bit inconsistent, but he has the strength to make throws to all areas of the field. Bachmeier looks able to go through reads quickly. Unfortunately, when trying to lead a winning drive towards the end he threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted and ended Boise State’s chances.
On the end of many good Boise State pass plays was wide receiver Khalil Shakir. Pre-season he was expected to be their primary offensive player and he had a great game lining up from various positions. Shakir demonstrated his vision to see open space, and the cutting ability and balance on a really good scoring play that was his first of two touchdowns; he’s very elusive even through contact. I hope his fun playmaking continues throughout this season.
The wonderfully named Riley Whimpey was making plays from the middle of the Boise State defense. He looks to be more of an outside/coverage linebacker and showed good play recognition and movement to ball carriers, a little more speed would be good to see. Tackling form seems reliable.
Despite the high-scoring contest, I feel like there’s some talent in the secondary. Tyric LeBeauf certainly stood out with two interceptions. The first took advantage of poor decision making right at the goal line from the quarterback and was returned 100 yards for the games opening score. LeBeauf nabbed a second pick in the fourth quarter, which was a more difficult play where he showed he can stay close to a route and be in position to create turnovers.
UCF – Dillon Gabriel begins a new campaign as the starting quarterback. He is an intriguing prospect; a left-handed thrower who can put up high production and works in a fast-tempo offense. Having led the team down the field, he made a bad mistake in throwing the interception at the goal line, which was taken the other way for a pick six. It was a strange play that did not show his positional understanding in a good light. When in control of a drive, Gabriel does appear to read a defense well and can make medium and long throws accurately.
It is hard to miss wide receiver Jaylon Robinson. The slim and fast playmaker gets everywhere. Despite his size, Robinson showed he can be effective out wide on the perimeter and caught a nice touchdown pass down the sideline in close coverage. His speed and movement through his routes were on display a couple of times to show he can work himself open down the field.
A strong performer on the defensive line was Markaviest “Big Kat” Bryant, a transfer from Auburn. I looked forward to seeing him in his first UCF game and he was a constant threat to the backfield. There is good power and effort to him when taking on blockers. Bryant is able to track the ball well, but did over-pursue on a few occasions when there were opportunities to force a negative play. However, it was Bryant who chased down the quarterback and caused the bad throw that effectively ended the game.
WEEK 1 – WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN
Western Michigan – I really wanted to watch quarterback Kaleb Eleby. The offense was very productive last year and Eleby is a breakout candidate. A game against an in-state rival like Michigan was a big test. Early on he showed the confidence and strength to fire a pass to his receiver above the head of a defender in coverage. Eleby obviously likes to throw to routes out wide towards the sidelines, as he did so a few times in this game with accuracy and touch.
Michigan – Aidan Hutchinson starts this season among the top of the EDGE class for the 2022 draft and he was chasing after Eleby all day. He has the power and technique to get around the edge at speed and to also fight inside a block. His coaches move Hutchinson up and down the line and his strength and hand movement gave the opposing O line issues so many times, including a couple of plays where he got to the quarterback. I hope Hutchinson has a full season as I think he’s a great draft prospect.
I also really like the look of running back Hassan Haskins, who had a good game and scored a nice touchdown. There was some good blocking from his offensive line (I will have to watch them closer in the future!) and Haskins does a nice job of following his blocks and recognising where the space is to run into. Once he gets moving, he shows good side-to-side footwork and is tough to bring down in the tackle.
I thought linebacker Josh Ross had a good game, with plenty of examples where he was rushing towards the backfield to disrupt the offense. He plays at middle linebacker and did not show loads of speed, but reads things well to time his bursts to the football.
WEEK 1 – NOTRE DAME AT FLORIDA STATE
This was the late game on Sunday night and it turned into a fun back-and-forth match that was decided in overtime.
Notre Dame – Running back Kyren Williams has a really good all-round skill set and was making all kinds of plays in this season opener. He is always looking for the extra yards; his best play saw him follow his blocks on a screen pass and move down the field for a big gain. Williams also showed his strength with a stiff-arm when fighting to the end zone for a touchdown.
Center Jarrett Patterson was one of the key blockers on that screen play. He is highly regarded and had a solid game, as did guard Cain Madden, who I am looking forward to watching this season due to him being a transfer from Marshall with a high ceiling. He must be very pleased to have ended up at Notre Dame! The O line did allow a few pass rushes through gaps during the game.
On defense, edge rusher Isaiah Foskey was a real threat for the Fighting Irish. It will be interesting to see how he develops as he showed a quick first step and play strength to get off blocks. He also finishes well when given the chance to make a tackle.
The star of the night was Kyle Hamilton, a tall and athletic safety who will be towards the top of draft boards throughout the season. I enjoyed seeing Notre Dame use him as a single-high safety and allow him to use his speed and super range to make plays. Hamilton had two interceptions, the second of which was an excellent play where he started on one hash mark and made it to the sideline on the opposite side of the field to pick off the football at speed. A proper highlight reel moment!
Florida State – Jashaun Corbin stood out in the running attack. On one play he showed good acceleration and movement to find his way through gaps and then the long speed to run for an 89-yard touchdown. It was a really good play that woke up the Florida State offense.
Against a solid offensive line, the Florida State pass rush was pretty effective. Georgia transfer Jermaine Johnson II looked good and at times his explosive style was causing lots of problems. He hit gaps in the line nicely and can get great leverage off of blocks. Johnson II should be a good watch this season.
A special mention has to go to quarterback McKenzie Milton. It’s hard to believe this was the first time seeing him play since 2018, following a terrible injury. He was a great quarterback for UCF and although he did not start this one, he did come into the game and helped the comeback that took it to overtime. It would be really nice to see more of him further into the year, especially if he can play at a level where he can help Florida State win. He may even play himself into draft contention, which would be awesome.
WEEK 2 – IOWA AT IOWA STATE
One of the highlights of Week 2 as both schools are currently in good shape. Iowa got it done on the road and seem to have a real grip on this rivalry in recent years.
Iowa – Tyler Goodson is one of my favourite running backs in college this season. There is some great initial burst to his play and he has good vision, which was best exemplified in this game on a short touchdown play where he followed his blocks nicely for the score. Iowa trust Goodson with catches out of the backfield. His watchable style centres around his quick feet; he can weave and move through defenses and make it difficult for would-be tacklers.
One of the top centers in this draft cycle is Tyler Linderbaum, who was solid leading the line in this big game. He showed huge power and finishing ability, and a great understanding of leverage that comes from a wrestling background; always a great note to have next to an offensive lineman. Linderbaum is so valuable for clearing the way as a run blocker. Pass protection was reliable too playing against a good defensive front.
At the EDGE position on the Iowa defense, Zach VanValkenburg (yes, one word!) was an interesting watch. He fights from the upper body to get off blocks. Also showed that he can diagnose a play, as he will drop back when recognising a pass play. VanValkenburg did manoeuvre his way inside blocks during this game, where he got a bit lost. He assisted on a play that resulted in a fumble by the opposing running back and was scooped for an Iowa touchdown. The team lost some good players from the defensive line to the draft last year, I’m going to look out for more of VanValkenburg to see how he steps up this season.
Iowa have had a tradition of good defensive back over the years, the stand out performance in this game was from cornerback Matt Hankins. One of the veterans of the defense, he got a really good interception on a deep throw in the second quarter, tracking the receiver’s route, following the ball through the air and making the play. Haskins got a second interception when he reacted to a tipped pass and stepped in for the turnover. A good coverage game for him. Also flashing at cornerback was Riley Moss, who shows good speed to cover large areas of the field. He did have a couple of missed tackles in the open during the game.
Iowa State – I have touted quarterback Brock Purdy as a good draft prospect for the past two years. I like the way he throws, but there are accuracy and decision making issues. In this one he did escape from pressure well on a few occasions. Unfortunately there were multiple turnovers in what was not a great day for Purdy and he even got benched in the final period. The lack of progression is worrying.
Breece Hall has become a productive running back and needs a good season to maintain his high draft stock. Hall has a reliable, all-round skill set with solid quickness, movement and the strength to take on tackles. Hall was always looking for those extra yards and was not easy to stop on drives, although he did lose a fumble that got taken into the end zone by the opposition. There are things to clean up but the way in which Hall played throughout last season, you can see there are some big performances to come.
There was some good work from the Iowa State defensive line. Off the edge, Will McDonald IV got a nice early sack where he showed speed out of his stance and good bend around the lineman to get to the quarterback. He was trying a spin move too often. As this was dealt with, I think he needs to stick to those power rush plays around the edge. Also playing well on Iowa State’s 3 man front was Eyioma Uwazurike. He featured mostly on the interior, but had more joy when moved to a wider position with a good motor and lots of effort to get involved in stopping plays. Uwazurike showed good patience and timing on a play where he stepped back, waited for a gap, then hit it for a sack.
Linebacker Mike Rose is one to watch this season. He had good production in this one and plays on the front foot to support the D line. When dropped back to cover, he did show awareness and movement to pick up routes, but not the speed to keep up and he also lost out a couple of times when chasing the RB. Looks to have good size as a blitzer.
It would have been nice to see more from Iowa State’s receiving group. Some players to look for at wide receiver and tight end further into the season.
WEEK 2 – MISSOURI AT KENTUCKY
I was looking forward to this one the most from Week 2 as I’m excited by Kentucky’s team this season. Missouri played their part as the match lived up to my expectation; a really enjoyable watch.
Missouri – Their best offensive weapon was running back Tyler Badie, who displayed some good stuff as a runner and also had the most receptions on the team. He goes through the gears well and has the movement skills to get around defenders, or make them miss with a stutter step. This was a solid game against a good defense.
Blaze Alldredge had a strong game on the defensive side for Missouri. A transfer from Rice, Alldredge by far led the team in tackles and blocked a late field goal attempt that gave Missouri hope towards the end. He looked good on the interior when playing the run. Did get caught out by misreading some plays and was left to chase from behind. When given the chance, his tackling looks good.
I wanted to see consistent time on the field for some of Missouri’s cornerbacks, but it seems they really spread out the reps during this game.
Kentucky – Will Levis has won the starting job at quarterback for this season. The decision has paid off so far and he looked confident here. He did not throw loads and demonstrated some good, tough running ability on some drives. Levis has the arm to go deep; there were examples that his accuracy may need improving as some passes were either too far in front or behind the receiver, one of these was intercepted as the WR tried to turn back when running a crossing route.
Kentucky has a strong run attack this year, led by Chris Rodriguez. He got a lot of work throughout the night and finished with over 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns. A strong runner who likes to bang through contact, Rodriguez did fumble twice when near the goal line. Despite this he is tough to bring down and once he gets up to speed, he moves well in open space. Among his scores was a receiving touchdown – an example of his good hands.
Perhaps the most exciting playmaker in the team is wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who Kentucky like to use in a variety of ways. Right at the start of the opening drive, they motioned him down the line, gave him the ball and let him sprint most of the field to the red zone. He showed instant acceleration and the vision to cut into the open for maximum gain. Robinson can use his athleticism through his routes and gets the required space to make some deep pass catches.
The offensive line is bookended by Darian Kinnard and LSU transfer Dare Rosenthal. The highly-rated Kinnard put on a reliable performance at right tackle and looks very good technically with a strong anchor. There were good examples here of his quick play recognition and strength to redirect pass rushers away from the pocket. He was a big reason Kentucky ran all over this game. On the opposite side, Rosenthal was playing left tackle and showing strong initial push when engaged in his block. He got a little caught out of position by speed, but can use length to keep the pocket clean. Movement when run blocking was good.
Josh Paschal looked good off the edge for the Kentucky defense. There is strength in his bull rush and his hand work looks quick. He lined up at the EDGE position and was also moved inside as a 3 tech. Paschal can burst well and had some rushes up the middle that forced the QB to get rid of the football early.
A couple of linebackers played well. DeAndre Square can blitz nicely; timing his rushes well, he had a great play in the red zone that caused a play to break down and be incomplete. Square was also moved back to cover the centre of the field and showed quickness from that position to be around the ball on wide running plays. Another LB who stood out was Jacquez Jones, who seemed so deep in coverage that he was almost playing in the secondary at times. He had a productive night with some strong tackles and pass break ups, including a nice hit to force an incompletion over the middle that looked a certain catch. His highlight play was reaching up high to grab an interception and halt a good offensive drive.
WEEK 3 – MICHIGAN STATE AT MIAMI (FL.)
Michigan State – They have found a reliable option out of the backfield in running back Kenneth Walker III. A transfer from Wake Forest, he’s had an excellent start to this season and it was a strong performance from him here. Acceleration looked good as he attacked gaps to the second level quickly and he can change direction well. Walker III has strength to his running too and can break tackles, although he did run towards contact on a few plays. He showed good hands and body control on a scoring reception.
The wide receivers played well as Michigan State put up plenty of points on the way to victory. The appropriately nicknamed Jalen “Speedy” Nailor stood out. He certainly is fast, and I liked his route running; he is tough to cover due to his ability to get separation. This was best shown on a 39-yard touchdown catch, which was one of two trips for him to the end zone. There was also a nice block from Nailor on one of the team’s long run plays.
The two defensive ends on the 4-man front are fun to watch, both with busy styles. Jacub Panasiuk began the afternoon perfectly with a sack on the very first play. From then on, it was not the most productive game for him. He is a power rusher and can get off a block with good use of hands, although a few more pass rush techniques would have helped in this one. Panasiuk did record a fumble recovery in the final quarter. Coming from the other side was Drew Beesley, who had a solid day battling against a good left tackle. He has a good first step and works inside his opposing lineman if given the space to collapse the pocket. Beesley got a couple of sacks, one of which caused a fumble late in the game.
Safety Xavier Henderson has got some buzz recently, so this was a chance to see him play. He plays mostly the strong safety role and is trusted in single high coverage, while also moving closer to shorter areas when covering in the slot. Henderson is often around the ball and is quick to burst to ball carriers in run support. He likes to hit hard and was the leading tackler in this one for Michigan State. His movement skills in coverage look very good and a strong season is now expected.
Miami (Fl.) – What are we going to get from quarterback D’Eriq King this season?! The dual-threat signal caller is now in his sixth year of college football and has flashed the potential to “take the leap”, but there are still inconsistencies. This game was a good example – 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles. When King is given time in the pocket, he sets his feet and steps into throws nicely. He does move around and look to extend a play with his feet a lot. On the first fumble, he scrambled to gain yards in what was not actually a bad decision, but ball security was bad and out popped the ball in the tackle. King did get in rhythm on a couple of drives and showed he can execute medium and long range passes. An aggressive throw deep down the seam was picked off; King did not see the safety who got there until it was too late.
Wide receiver Charleston Rambo was the highlight for Miami’s offense. He was constantly getting open out wide on curl and hitch routes and once he gets the ball, he is a smooth runner who can move passed defenders. Rambo got himself wide open in the end zone and was stood still waiting on a touchdown catch in the second quarter. He had another score further into the game that was very different; catching well between two opposing players in close traffic (a very good throw through a tight window from King as well). This demonstrated Rambo’s good hands and why he should have a strong season.
Offensive tackle Zion Nelson is the stand out guy on the O line. He had a nice performance here, showing good anchor and the body strength to bend and turn away pass rushers. In different situations Nelson was able to hold his position well once his block was clamped. Could be more of a power blocker as he did seem to get beat by speed off the edge a couple of times.
Miami has a young defense and a few of the underclassmen were making plays. One of the draft eligible guys playing well was Waynmon Steed. The linebacker got his chance to play in place of an injured starter and began with a sack early, timing his blitz to hit a gap at the right moment. He looks a little behind on pass defense, but I really liked his ability to get after a ball carrier in short areas and he was frequently in the mix here on these types of plays.
Bubba Bolden has stayed with the team for another year. I thought he was ready to declare for the last draft. He leads the secondary from the free safety position. Miami do like to move him around to take advantage of his length and quickness. He likes to tackle strongly, although more consistency is needed when wrapping up as some do get away. Bolden showed his range and movement to cover large areas of the field here and recorded the most tackles in the game.
WEEK 3 – AUBURN AT PENN STATE
An exciting prime time matchup between two good teams. Even though they lost, fair play to Auburn for going on the road to a similarly large Power 5 college, something that SEC schools do not currently do anywhere near often enough.
Auburn – Both starting quarterbacks in this game had something to prove and it feels like Bo Nix has more to prove than most. The odd promising display as a freshman offered excitement, but there has been little progression. In this one, the arm strength and deep pass accuracy problems were still evident; he was missing by a lot on passes down the sidelines. His receivers had a difficult night facing a tough secondary and Nix was not able to put enough full drives together.
The defense really kept Auburn in with a chance of a win. They have a good linebacker group that I look forward to watching more of. Chandler Wooten seemed to be around the ball loads and brings down players quickly even when having to get off a block. Working more from the interior linebacker position was Owen Pappoe, who looks a good athlete and can lay a hit. Auburn dropped extra defenders into coverage during this game and on these plays, Pappoe looked a bit behind when reading where a pass was going.
Cornerback Roger McCreary had a solid game in coverage against some tough opposition. He plays close to the route very well and has the acceleration to move in quickly on short plays. McCreary got the only interception of the night. Another stand out in the secondary is Smoke Monday. He moves well in coverage and has the size to play a more hybrid role on the front foot towards the backfield. Monday did this well against Penn State; hurrying the QB and registering a couple of tackles for loss among his strong tackling throughout.
Penn State – Sean Clifford is a quarterback who is also looking to move up a level in 2021. He had quite an efficient game, showing that he can read and deliver the ball quickly. There were some nice medium range ones around the middle of the field to his tight ends. Good offensive line play helped give him time and he was bailed out by athletic receivers jumping to reach high throws.
The most athletic receiver Clifford has to target is Jahan Dotson. Known for showing great hands with highlight reel catches in the past, Dotson did it again here leaping up and managing to grab some passes that appeared out of reach. His speed and movement allows him to run good routes and he makes thing happen after the catch. Dotson is such a fun playmaker for this offense.
In a good game for the O line, left tackle Rasheed Walker was consistently strong. He is reliable in pass protection and seems to read defensive schemes. Walker plays big and strong; this showed in this game with his great work when run blocking. He was moving defenders around and can easily drive guys backwards with upper body strength and leg drives to open up some lanes for the running back.
During the broadcast it was noted that this may be the most talented secondary Penn State have ever had, and it is certainly a very good one with good players across all positions. I liked watching cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields in coverage. He has long arms and liked to be physical and take charge of a route. These types of plays really suit him and he was able to get some pass break ups to frustrate the opposing pass game. Perhaps the most talented of the bunch is safety Jaquan Brisker, who leads by example. They’ll play him in deep coverage and bring him up to the line in run support. Brisker is a tough tackler and has the range to get to plays at speed from a distance. He has a really promising all-round skill set that could see him as a top prospect at his position. To demonstrate his leadership qualities and ability in coverage, it was Brisker who read and stopped the final play of the night to seal the Penn State victory.
WEEK 5 – ARKANSAS AT GEORGIA
An early kickoff that featured two SEC teams both ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll. Georgia completely dominated and won 37-0. This was not a game to find out loads about the Arkansas squad, except the fact that they struggled throughout the entire afternoon.
Arkansas – Their starting quarterback K.J. Jefferson is an intriguing prospect and given that he has led the team to a couple of underdog wins this season, I was beginning to think he could declare early. He has a big, strong build while also possessing good running ability. In this game, however, Jefferson struggled and it was a bad day for the whole offense. Facing a top quality defense, there were too many QB runs early from Arkansas and none worked. There was one good run from Jefferson on an option play late in the first quarter, but it was called back due to a penalty. When managing to get throws off, his placement was a bit off and receivers had to try and make difficult catches.
Treylon Burks is the team’s best receiver. He has a nice blend of size and speed. In a difficult game, Burks was the only Arkansas player to register 3 catches and on occasions was having to reach for high passes when in close coverage.
There is some experience along the offensive line. Pre-season, I thought the most draftable was center Ricky Stromberg and this was a chance to see him in a big test versus a strong defense. On the very first drive, some pre-snap communication issues meant for two false starts, then another flag on Stromberg for being down the field as an illegible receiver. There were too many flags from O line through the duration of game. On short yardage runs up the middle, Stromberg showed he’s a good lineman to follow. He has a good first step when run blocking; able to react to blitzers, pull to set the edge and to get through gaps to reach the next level. At left tackle was senior Myron Cunningham. Like Stromberg, he looks a power run blocker. Cunningham showed a decent anchor in pass protection, but was getting moved around a bit when trying to sustain a block or getting his hand placement right. The whole line struggled with the constant pressure from Georgia’s interior and ended up allowing 4 sacks and 7 TFL.
The defense plays a 3-3 formation up front and it was not enough to stop the run game. Arkansas’ linebackers were getting a lot of the production and the leader in the middle was Grant Morgan, who had the most tackles with 12 and a tackle for loss. He showed good straight line burst when hitting gaps, but did get caught out of position a few times. That effort to always follow the ball is what got Morgan his stats and he showed he can complete a tackle, but he did miss a couple by going too low on running backs.
Flying around in the secondary was safety Jalen Catalon, who looks undersized but has a good football IQ. He reads plays well and can get into a play quickly. With all of the run plays he faced, Catalon was often in the shallower parts of the field and obviously enjoys taking down ball carriers; he has a physical style that is good to watch.
Georgia – Stetson Bennett was in at quarterback to replace the usual starter. He is the backup in Georgia now and it’s hard to give him draftable grades at the moment. Bennett did what was asked of him, posting 7/11 completed passes in a game that was not one for watching the Georgia receiving group.
I have enjoyed watching their offensive linemen over the years and Jamaree Salyer looked good at left tackle. He has a large frame for the tackle position and uses it to be a real people mover as a run blocker. In pass protection there was little trouble when able to redirect with his hands. Salyer did look a little static against a couple of speed rushes.
The defensive front was impressive for Georgia and the main reason for the huge blowout victory. Talent is all over the defense and the front seven kept racking up the plays in the backfield, using line shifts pre-snap to confuse the opposition. There are so many good prospects on Georgia’s defense! I’m just going to note here the ones who stood out the most from this game. D lineman Devonte Wyatt was the most productive and got a sack on the very first pass snap. He looks like he often lines up as more of an EDGE, but is moved further inside when in a 3 man formation and can handle that job with a powerful rush. Always involved from the middle was defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who is enjoying a good season. He is built like an NFL nose tackle with the ability to disrupt up the middle and affect run plays and has enough speed and movement to go side-to-side when chasing ball carriers. Davis was double-teamed often during his time on the field.
Adam Anderson is the primary edge rusher. With the big defensive linemen taking on blocks he was able to cause problems from out wide. Anderson looks long and lean, and plays fast, so has the classic look of a good NFL 3-4 outside linebacker. Georgia were setting him deep on occasions, then his great acceleration was on show when blitzing and he got a sack and a hand in a couple of other tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
The linebackers were attacking too. Concern with where these extra rushers were coming from seemed to be what caused so many of the penalties on the opposing O line. Channing Tindall looks really athletic from the inside linebacker position. He can work quickly to all areas of the field and finishes with good tackling ability. Next to him, Nakobe Dean is another with an all-effort style and produced some great plays in the backfield. Dean looks stockier and has power to his game, also reads an offense very well and timed a pass rush perfectly when recording one of his sacks in the third quarter.
As mentioned earlier, due to a lack of positive passing from Arkansas, it was a quiet day for Georgia defensive backs. Cornerback Derion Kendrick has transferred from Clemson and looks to have settled in on his new team. He showed nice play recognition and burst to the football to break up a screen play in the second quarter. This was his only tackle in the game, but a good play. Lewis Cine has been rising up draft boards this season as Georgia’s top safety. He gets into good coverage positions when staying deep and likes to come up in run support to deliver a hit. This was best demonstrated when he spent drives in the second half stepping up to take away option plays.
WEEK 5 – BOSTON COLLEGE AT CLEMSON
A good ACC battle that came down to the final drive. Clemson are not the force of recent years and Boston College pushed them close, but a mistake cost them in a tense finish.
Boston College – This was a chance to watch wide receiver Zay Flowers, who is BC’s main weapon on offense. He is a quick, exciting player with good hands and showed up on the important drives, specifically when targeted on the last one that felt like being the game-winning drive. Flowers is skinny and uses speed and manoeuvrability to work through his routes. Facing a very good cornerback in coverage, he had a strong game.
One of the strengths of Boston College this season is their offensive line, which has a lot of experience throughout the group and players who chose to return as a unit for another year. The line played well and did not give up too much against a tough pass rushing defensive front. I wanted to see center Alec Lindstrom, who is now a three-year starter. I really liked his older brother Chris (drafted in the first round in 2019), who was a guard at BC. Alec Lindstrom appears to have a reliable blocking skill set. His footwork looks good and he was driving Clemson defenders to the ground when creating rushing lanes. There were issues though with botched snaps. I think this was down to playing with the backup quarterback and the unfamiliarity showed. It occurred a few times, most dramatically at the end of the game as BC were trying to win the game; Lindstrom snapped too early and Clemson fell on the loose ball to seal victory. Alongside Lindstrom at guard was Zion Johnson, who looks a solid prospect at the position. He gets set quickly in pass protection and is ready to meet power rushers. Johnson has a lot of upper body strength and there were instances of him pulling right and stopping defenders coming up the middle and easily clearing some space for his skill position teammates to work in. I look forward to watching the O line some more and focusing on the OTs.
Clemson – Unfortunately, wide receiver Justyn Ross was taken out of the game early with just one catch. He’s another I hope to see more of further into the season. The standout Clemson WR on this night was Joseph Ngata, who had some great plays showing off his route running and ability to create yards after the catch; he’s difficult to bring down and changes direction nicely. Ngata had to adjust to a couple of throws and was able to easily with soft hands.
On the defensive line Xavier Thomas had a strong game off the edge. Clemson used him in both 3 and 4 man fronts. For his size, Thomas needed a bit more power when engaged with blocks and was moved aside on some plays. Where he is good is using acceleration and bend to reach the backfield. Thomas was lined up further inside the line on some plays and his good timing showed up in these situations; he can really burst through a gap to hit the ball carrier and take the right angle to push away from a block. This got him a sack on the final play of the third quarter.
James Skalski has felt like the leader of the defense for a couple of years. He has a slightly awkward tackling style, but you cannot deny the effort and commitment in his game. He was following the ball to all areas from the middle linebacker spot. Skalski shows a willingness to fight blocks when blitzing and also had a couple of pass deflections when zeroing in on the quarterback. He reminds me of former Clemson LB Ben Boulware from a few years back, because they played very similar roles leading from the middle of the field. Boulware didn’t quite make it in the NFL, I think Skalski can with better tackling form and improvements in coverage.
Clemson’s leading tackler was Andrew Booth Jr, who has turned into one of the top cornerbacks in college football. He likes to be physical, albeit his reading of the game and excellent speed to the ball suggests a really promising zone defender. Booth Jr. often matched up versus Zay Flowers and when in closer coverage it felt like Flowers’ long speed was winning him a few battles down the field. There was a great play from Booth Jr. when the game was tied in the third and Boston College were trying to grab momentum, they handed it off to the running back and Booth Jr. stormed in from quite a deep spot to take the back down for a loss of at least 2 yards. A great play that showed why he is so valuable in the short area.
WEEK 6 – OKLAHOMA VS TEXAS
I had to watch the Red River Rivalry game given how it has played out in recent years and it lived up to my expectations. Big XII football… two of the best offensive minds in college football as head coaches… of course there was going to be loads of points. And what an incredible comeback by Oklahoma.
Oklahoma – Quarterback Spencer Rattler had a strong end to the 2020 season that put him among the top of the QB group going into this year. The concern now is there has not been enough progression and this became a tough one for him. Rattler has a reliable arm and there was a good example here of how well he throws on the move, completing to a tight spot on the sideline. Following a bad start, he got Oklahoma on the board by running in their first touchdown from a short way out. Too many things went wrong for Rattler before he was able to get into the rhythm of the game; he fumbled when trying to carry the ball and he threw an interception as his target turned a different route. This was obviously down to bad communication. Rattler was taken out, then put back in, the benched for the rest of the game all by the second quarter. Not good, and for the second year in a row versus Texas. To his credit, Rattler did come back in and fired (probably in anger!) a pass for a 2-point conversion that levelled the score in the fourth. Although it was a bad afternoon for Rattler, I do think the O line is causing problems. It felt like the tackles were playing at guard and the guards were playing at tackle. I’ll have to watch more of them later in the season.
The offense has a strong pair of running backs. It was a great day for Kennedy Brooks, who got the majority of carries and went for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. I really like watching his steady style of waiting for the right gap to hit. Once in a straight line he showed great contact balance to get out of tackles and he accelerates well, albeit he lacks top end speed. Eric Gray is a transfer RB from Tennessee and I like him a lot. He was used less in this game, but did get to demonstrate some nice hands in pass catches out in the flat. Gray got some nice first down runs with good burst and vision to get up field.
This was an opportunity for me to watch Jadon Haselwood, a wide receiver I like who is now draft eligible. He has good hands and moves well through his routes. Haselwood is part of a crowded WR group and had a quiet game. There were a couple of drops, one of which was in the end zone and should have been a score. Perhaps another year at Oklahoma will help him as I think Haselwood has more potential to realise.
There are some good prospects along the defensive line. Nik Bonitto is a fun watch at the EDGE position, with a fast and all-effort way of getting to the quarterback to apply pressure. He gets so low when pass rushing and likes to finish with a strong tackling style. Also making the opposing offensive line work hard was Perrion Winfrey, who was coming from the interior of the D line. Like Bonitto, there were plenty of times where he got through to the backfield; both recorded sacks and multiple tackles for loss. Winfrey has a nice speed/power combination that pro scouts will really enjoy seeing.
It was not a good outing for the secondary. Cornerback Jaden Davis was beaten on too many big passing plays. His tackling doesn’t look great as he goes low with his shoulder too often. Davis lost to good movement when in coverage. Delarrin Turner-Yell struggled from the safety position with the first offensive play of the game, which went for a long Texas touchdown. Turner-Yell took a really bad angle when he could have made the play-ending tackle. He exited the game in the first quarter with an injury.
Time to mention a punter. Why not! Michael Turk is a transfer from Arizona State and should be one of the top punters in college this season. Teammates let him down a bit when his first attempt was blocked. He followed this with a booming 85-yarder. One for the special team scouts of the NFL!
Texas – So many of the playmakers on this roster are young and not yet draft eligible. The future looks bright! Cade Brewer got a couple of catches at tight end and was really good throughout as a run blocker, most notably when setting the edge of the line on a short touchdown play in the first quarter.
Defensive tackle Keondre Coburn is an interesting player. I enjoyed watching him as he’s big and strong, and also has the ability to move quickly. Coburn has great hands when fighting blocks up the middle. One to watch more of as the season progresses.
Talk about a defensive tone-setter. A guy who was everywhere early was linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who was making plays from the middle of the formation. He timed a blitz when facing the opening Oklahoma drive and fired through for a sack. Then on the next play, Overshown was in on special teams and got his hand up to block the punt. After such a fast start, I think Oklahoma schemed better to stop him as the game continued. Overshown played well against blocks, but most of his best moments came when he used speed out in space. He also recovered a fumble. The leading tackler in the game was LB Luke Brockermeyer, who reads plays well and was often around the ball. He doesn’t mind stepping back in coverage, although his better plays I think will come when allowed to chase forward. He showed good strength when hitting ball carriers; his tackles are not easily broken.
B.J. Foster brings experience at safety. Texas start him quite deep and he will break things up and make tackles when keeping the play in front of him. Foster was in position to get the interception early in the first quarter, which was mainly down to a mix up on the offense. He still had to be in place to produce the turnover. Foster needs to improve in coverage as he was outfought by a receiver too many times on long completions. His pursuit when brought in close to the line of scrimmage could also be better, however when given the chance I thought his tackling form was good.
WEEK 9 – TROY AT COASTAL CAROLINA
A good Friday night battle that had big implications in the East Division of the Sun Belt. Coastal Carolina held on to get the home victory by a touchdown.
Troy – The entire offensive line unit put in a decent performance, limiting a good opposing pass rush to only 3 sacks and helping their running backs gain 180 yards on the ground. Troy’s offense played with tempo. Many of its key players appeared to be underclassmen and I think the majority of the draftable talent is on the defensive side of the ball.
The senior on the defensive line is Will Choloh Jr, a defensive tackle who lined up wide in a 3 man formation. He displayed some good burst when attacking gaps and at least a couple of times was able to execute a nice shoulder-dip move to quickly get around a blocker; a move that on one play forced the quarterback out of the pocket and into a sack. Choloh Jr. has plenty of hand strength and when engaged in a block can shove his man either side depending on where he needs to be.
Coming off the edge out of a two-point stance was Richard Jibunor, a younger defender who was also placed more as an interior linebacker at times. I think he will stay at Troy for at least another season, but wanted to mention him here as he looks like a good player to keep an eye on in the future.
Carlton Martial is the stand out performer on this defense and once again led the team here, recording 14 total tackles. He has a noticeably good read of an offense and can follow plays to all areas of the field. Although he seems rather undersized for the linebacker position, Martial is solid in the tackle and has the ability to fight against blocks – he was in the trenches on some plays. He has the desired leadership qualities. Also shows patience to read and react, even if it means dropping backwards to cover passing plays. Those movement skills show why he’s been so productive for more than two years.
Coastal Carolina – Starting quarterback Grayson McCall is in his first year of draft eligibility and it’s difficult to guess if he will declare. He has spent two seasons playing strong, efficient games and he can throw accurately to all types of targets. McCall rolls out quickly when he needs to and delivers the ball well when on the move, three nice examples of this came when firing to his top receiver along the right sideline. This is an exciting offense and McCall leads the group well; he is comfortable communicating under center. He threw his teammates open to where they could run the rest of the way on a couple of long scoring plays. I’d like to see him return to Coastal for another season.
A nice surprise was running back Shermari Jones, who was the lead rusher for the team in this game. He has good acceleration and follows his blocks nicely when looking to make yards. Jones flashed some toughness on plays around the goal line, including banging his way in for a score. I like his style and quick-footed ability to jump cut, he also showed good speed on a long touchdown run where he also had to weave through defenders in the secondary.
Jaivon Heiligh is Coastal Carolina’s number one wide receiver and he had a strong game, with 5 catches for 116 yards. This included a 66-yard touchdown that put his team in front in the second quarter. On that play he got himself open early and was not caught once behind the defense. Heiligh does not look the fastest through his routes, but has a knack for getting open and helped his quarterback with three catches on the right sideline, displaying good feet to stay in bounds to complete the play when one was fired a little off-target.
Tight end Isaiah Likely is among the most productive in college at the position. This was a relatively quiet game for him, although he did get to show good route running and hands on a quick slant completion from out wide. Likely demonstrated good body control to adjust and bring in a catch on a longer play over the middle. An early miscommunication with the QB that saw a short pass thrown behind Likely set the tone for his night as I was hoping to see a lot more from him in this game.
The team’s best draft prospect on defense is edge rusher Jeffrey Gunter. He has the required strength and speed that can be developed in the pros. Gunter displayed his power on plays when running at blockers on the inside and earned a sack when accelerating between the tackle and guard, his hit on the QB forced a fumble that was recovered by the offense. He can be lined up from different starting points and does take quite a wide path to the quarterback, this I think showed on running plays too as the defense gave up a lot of running yards in the game. Gunter’s strength when hand fighting was giving the opposing linemen some problems.
D’Jordan Strong has been one to watch at cornerback since grabbing a handful of interceptions last season. The opposition stayed away from testing Strong too often, although he did have a nice pass break up early in the first quarter in man coverage. His defense gave up a long pass play for a touchdown in the second and Strong slowed early when chasing the receiver. It may be a bit picky as there were other defenders around, I just don’t like seeing defenders pull up before the 20-yard line! With the opponent choosing to mainly run the ball, Strong had a quiet second half.
WEEK 9 – SMU AT HOUSTON
The American Conference has some fun teams this year and this was a great back-and-forth encounter. One of those games that flew by and went down to the final play. Of note was the large number of transfers all over this game! Many of the players below have transferred from elsewhere.
SMU – I have enjoyed watching Tanner Mordecai at quarterback this season. His draft stock is growing as he leads a very productive offense. He shows a good feel for pressure and will move out of the pocket when needed, albeit he doesn’t seem to have great athletic ability to make yards quickly on the ground. Mordecai has a good demeanour about him and he was not fazed by coming back from an early 17-point deficit. There is some nice touch and timing on medium and deep throws, as seen on his first touchdown of the night. This is a pro-style offense that plays at a good pace and I think Mordecai’s stock will continue to rise.
At running back, Ulysses Bentley IV had a difficult game. It was mentioned during the broadcast that he is carrying an injury. He did break off one big run, cutting well and finding the open space in the defense for a large gain, but this play was called back for a penalty.
SMU has one of my favourite wide receiver groups in college football. Rashee Rice brings some speed and his movement skills allow him to get open early in his routes. Good hands too and he was mainly used in shorter passing situations; a nice play using Rice out of the backfield resulted in a short touchdown. On one play when Rice went deeper in close coverage, the pass was intercepted. Perhaps the team’s highest regarded WR is Reggie Roberson Jr. During his time at SMU he has proved to be a challenge for defenders on the perimeter and his long speed allows him to beat man coverage. Targeted less here, Roberson Jr. still showed nice catch radius and the ability to move well through routes. With the ball in hand he dodged tackles to get extra yards. Danny Gray had the most productive game of the receivers; he was getting open often from the outside with smooth change of direction and good acceleration. Gray showed good tracking and body control to bring in a deep catch in the third quarter.
Oregon transfer Isaac Slade-Matautia had a really good game on defense and showed a bit of everything. The middle linebacker can play on the front foot to attack the backfield and sit in coverage. Slade-Matautia is willing to take on blocks, but his best work came when timing his rushes to the football. These smarts showed up on a turnover when he forced and recovered a fumble when tackling a receiver. He also showed great athleticism on one particular play – hurdling a would-be blocker on a pass rush and jumping up to bat down the attempted throw. A great play.
Houston – Quarterback Clayton Tune put in a strong performance. I like his throwing motion and he can fire passes between defenders. Tune made good decisions and ended the game with a nice stat line, which included over 400 yards for 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. He can sit in the pocket and set himself before delivering the ball and was comfortable leading a drive to retake the lead at half time. A couple Tune’s deep throws fell short. On one, the receiver came back to make the catch, but I think it could have been a long score had he been able to keep running.
Helping to give Tune the time to complete throws was center Kody Russey. He did not appear to have any problems snapping to his quarterback in shotgun formations and getting set to block quickly. It was tough for the defense to put pressure up the middle, Russey showing a solid anchor. His hand placement seems fine, but he was pushed around a bit by counters. Footwork and movement can be better and this showed on run plays.
The Houston cornerbacks were challenged by the WR group facing them and they held their own throughout. Damarion Williams looks a tough player who mirrors routes nicely. Houston seemed to drop him into deeper zones at times. In closer coverage he won’t give his man anything easy and got a pass break up. Williams showed good tackling on a blitz to drop the running back for a loss. The other cornerback who showed well was Marcus Jones. He’s quick and positions himself well. Also had a read on passing plays and accelerated in to intercept a pass thrown down the middle of the field. Jones’ skills work best as a zone defender. He was beaten deep a couple of times when in closer and needing to stay physical at the catch point. Jones is a dangerous kick returner and it was here he became the hero of the night. The game had just been tied and was looking at overtime, but Jones used his speed and manoeuvrability to take a kickoff over 100 yards for a touchdown with less than 20 seconds left on the clock. This sealed an exciting 44-37 victory.
WEEK 10 – LIBERTY AT OLE MISS
I had this one circled since the beginning of the season and was not going to miss watching it. With the upcoming quarterback draft class still uncertain at the top, this was a chance to see two players who can rise at the position go head-to-head.
Liberty – Anyone putting on the tape of Liberty is doing so to see quarterback Malik Willis. He is getting round one buzz and there is a bit of everything to his skill set – he can make good plays throwing and as a runner. The main area of his passing game that I would like to come together is consistency, in terms of both physical attributes when throwing the football and keeping a drive on schedule. It is evident that Willis is hindered by a poor O line, he was also not helped here by a game plan that realised too late how well the running plays were working. Perhaps this was a case of trying to give Willis some passes early. The strength in his arm is clear and he can place the longer passes well. Willis works in an up-tempo offense, which pro scouts will like to see. He processed the defense quickly to find open receivers. However, when needing to delay and extend a play, Willis was not given time throughout the game and was sacked 9 times. I sensed often that Willis could create more with his feet and despite running on quite a few occasions, the big play didn’t quite happen. He showed poise and leadership to get his team back into contention after being shut out in the first half, including a short running touchdown that was his only score. Willis’ ability to throw long-distance across the field to out wide was on show plenty of times, but he failed to see a defensive back on one such throw and was picked off. An earlier interception was due to the receiver losing the ball in a scramble and was not down to the accuracy or arm strength of Willis. He’s simply a bit raw. Having said that, declaring this year may work best.
Ole Miss – Matt Corral continues to lead at quarterback and a solid season has aided a rise in his draft stock. He may be the most polished thrower to enter the 2022 draft. When releasing, I like his style and his mechanics; given the time to settle and pass from the pocket, he sets a strong base and the ball flies nicely out of his hand. For this game he had a number of receivers out, but wasn’t fazed and got the ball quickly to those who were playing. Accuracy does not seem a problem and Corral plays in an offense that asks him to throw to all levels. There is a confidence about him that enables teammates to go out and make plays as they trust in his abilities under center. Corral had an efficient game and on his sole touchdown throw, found his receiver at the perfect time for him to be able to go and work to the end zone. Perhaps a bit more touch is needed on some throws as a couple of his incompletions were just too high – no need to sling it hard every time. Corral can run with good speed and move out of trouble; on one play in the second quarter, he was able to spin away from an edge rusher, set his feet quickly and complete a pass.
Running back Jerrion Ealy had a good game with not many carries. On only the second offensive play he showed his speed to run through a big hole in the line and take it all the way for a 70-yard touchdown to give Ole Miss an early lead they would not relinquish. Dived into the corner on a much shorter second score. He was targeted on pass plays out of the backfield where he could use his acceleration, but lacked the vision to find the extra yards. Ealy is a willing pass blocker, although due to his small statue was getting moved back quite a bit.
As mentioned with Matt Corral, there were some key receiving players missing from the team for this contest. It gave an opportunity for Dannis Jackson to be the primary weapon and he did well. Good hands and yard after catch ability, although not great catch radius as shown on a wide open drop in the first quarter. Soon after, Jackson went deep and held onto a long completion despite a big hit between two defenders. He scored a nice touchdown running across the field into open space, then making the last defender miss with a juke to get to the end zone untouched. John Rhys Plumlee is a former QB now converted to wide receiver. He stood out on a few receptions; a quick and busy style getting him some yards. Plumlee runs simple routes with the athleticism making him effective. Still learning as a WR, so lacks positional awareness to extend plays further.
The offensive line had a strong day, doing a good job of protecting the quarterback and giving him time and space to put drives together. Nick Broeker stood out, especially on the rushing touchdown at the start, where he got on the front foot and used strong arms to easily move his man and clear a lane for his running back. Broeker was quick enough to set the edge with a block on the second running touchdown. Playing the left tackle position, he looks solid in pass protection too – using good movement to get set and mirror edge rushes. Strength and anchor look good and there were also some powerful combo blocks in here.
The team’s top edge rusher is Sam Williams and he had a productive day using quickness and body control to get around the corner and reach the quarterback. He finished with 2 sacks and 2.5 TFL. Williams looks more of a speed-over-power type EDGE and was finding it hard to disengage blocks when trench fighting. This may be more of a technique thing as he is well built and does show initial hand strength at the point of attack. The defense mostly used a 3 man defensive line and were happy lining Williams at both ends. Playing against an athletic QB, he showed a lot of effort to follow the direction of plays. On one of Williams’ sacks he used pure acceleration to hit the backfield and bring down the quarterback.
Chance Campbell was causing problems for the opposition. The linebacker enjoyed being a constant threat to the offense and recorded 10 tackles, 2 sacks and 2.5 TFL. So far this season he is the team’s leading tackler as evident in his relentless chasing of plays. Campbell needed to be accounted for in many pass rush situations and he was getting through gaps quickly. Doesn’t seem to be much of a coverage linebacker as he’s always looking to shoot forward and break up plays for a loss. Campbell reads things well; he delayed some of his pass rushes nicely and was also unlucky not to get an interception when moving to get his hands on an attempted screen pass. Tackling is reliable. There is a lot to like in Campbell’s game.
BOWL SEASON – I really wanted to close the Scouting Notebook for the season by checking out some players during Bowl Season. As has become the norm, a large number of NFL draft prospects opted out and so I knew there would not be the same volume of eligible players to scout as with the games earlier in the year. I decided to include a few noteworthy players looking to help their draft stock from the couple of Bowl games that I watched with the notebook in hand.
BOCA RATON BOWL – WESTERN KENTUCKY VS APPALACHIAN STATE
Western Kentucky – Time to talk about Bailey Zappe! The productive FCS transfer did not slow down playing quarterback at his new school. The way this game developed into a shootout certainly helped his dynamic style, in fact Zappe set two major FBS college football records by the end – Most passing touchdowns in a season and most passing yards in a season. This super production is why he became such a fun watch throughout 2021. Zappe is a smart QB who recognises defensive coverages and processes at pro-quick speed before throwing the ball. He can fire the short and medium throws well from the pocket. Zappe’s a bit undersized and deep passes can be inconsistent; some here were delivered well as were a couple of throws making it across the field. Running an up-tempo offense, it did take a few plays on some drives to get in rhythm. He trusts his O line and stood strong in the pocket. There are some good things to work with and I’m really interested to find out how the NFL views Zappe. I’ll likely be higher than most on him come draft time.
The leading wide receiver this season has been Jerreth Sterns and he had another solid performance here. He followed Zappe in transferring from Houston Baptist and it’s clear they have a good connection. Sterns was lined up from a number of places, including some pre-snap movements. He is quick and athletic, able to run different routes well and use speed to get open. There were some nice plays where he adjusted his body well to bring catches in. Even though Sterns is short for the position, he still challenges close defensive coverages out wide. Was the go-to target of the day with 13 catches for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns. On his last score, Sterns showed ability to move out of tackles and the awareness to run to the open parts of the field on his way to the end zone.
DeAngelo Malone has been the team’s best EDGE defender for a couple of years. He accelerates well off the snap and does so from either side of the defensive line. Early in the game Malone started from a two-point stance, which backfired when he was eased aside by his blocker on a big run play. As a pass rusher, he showed his strengths by using burst to get around a lineman and close in to hit the quarterback and pop the ball out. Does seem to play better the wider his starting position. Malone was not used for the entire contest and I think he has solidified his draft grades as good day three prospect.
Appalachian State – I was interested to see linebacker D’Marco Jackson, who has now accepted a Senior Bowl invite. He mainly played the middle linebacker role and was asked to both pass rush and drop back to cover, where a lack of speed and movement was giving him trouble in keeping up with routes. Jackson looked a bit in no-man’s land when dropped back to defend passes and was sometimes not affecting the play. Better against the run where strength and timing got him some tackles.
DUKE’S MAYO BOWL – NORTH CAROLINA VS SOUTH CAROLINA
North Carolina – An opportunity to watch Sam Howell as UNC quarterback for the last time. I wanted to see improvements from Howell in certain areas throughout this season; I don’t think they have come and his draft stock may have regressed compared to last year when he had a lot more talent around him at the skill positions. There is a toughness and strength to Howell as a player, which showed early in this game when he escaped from a defender hitting him in the backfield. He was still sacked a moment later as he moved out of the pocket, but it’s a good example of the sort of effort you get from Howell. The strength in his arm also showed here as deep throws got to where they needed to be and at times leading his receiver nicely. Accuracy is not bad with Howell, just inconsistent, often when throwing across his body. A short screen throw to the running back was off target. The NFL will like Howell’s ability to run and improvise to gain yards and he had some good plays on the ground in this game. There are always times when he moves around too much and it makes for a problematic play. This was a good throwing performance from Howell.
Tennessee transfer Ty Chandler is a good running back and has done well in this new offense, but was not used enough in the Mayo Bowl. He runs strong and can hit holes quickly. On some plays he was trying to make something happen behind an offensive line that struggled, especially in the first half. There were quite a lot of QB runs and Chandler’s blocking in these situations did no stand out. He showed sufficient speed when getting to the outside to convert a 2-point attempt.
The defense had a tough day and could not slow down the opposition. This was perhaps best encapsulated by linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel, who was in and out of the game due to a slight injury and therefore could not get going. When on the field, Gemmel’s effort to chase plays, whether coming downhill or running side-to-side from his LB position, was evident. He is quick to read and follow a play, showing good movement. This was not Gemmel’s best tape for his tackling, but I would put that down to his time in the game getting limited.
There is a lot of youthful talent on the defensive side; one senior making eye catching plays has been EDGE Tomon Fox. He leads the team in sacks and got another one here, demonstrating good acceleration and play IQ to burst through a gap late to reach the quarterback. The play also came at a moment in the game when North Carolina were on top and trying to close the gap on the scoreboard. Fox lined up out wide from a two-point stance as more of an outside linebacker and was occasionally dropping back into coverage, where he did not look as comfortable. At the line of scrimmage he pursued plays in the wrong direction too many times. I think his TFL and sack statistics show you want to use Fox as more of a blitzing defender.
South Carolina – It was a mixture of opt outs and players returning for next season in this win for South Carolina. The highlight performance was running back Kevin Harris. He’s had some good games this year and was asked to carry the offense here, doing so with 31 carries for 182 yards and a touchdown. Harris is a powerful runner who is difficult to tackle; there were some nice plays early where he gained extra yards through defenders before getting brought down. He showed good feet to work through gaps and spin out of high arm tackles. When not using his strength, Harris has good speed to take advantage of open space. There is some interesting depth at RB in the 2022 draft and Harris appears to have quite a bit to offer NFL teams.
During an enjoyable and unpredictable season, this was a fun project to work on throughout. There’s also a few tweaks and interesting directions to explore if I decide to put together another Scouting Notebook in the future.
I will continue to work excitedly towards the NFL draft. The work will include a Top 100 for The Huddle Report and getting to know as many of the players as I can in the latest class. This will culminate in April when I publish my annual mega deep dive – 2022 NFL Draft Position Rankings!
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Thank you for reading. Follow me on Twitter – @Liam66NFL.
Liam Lodge NFL 
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