2027 NFL Draft: College Game Recaps – Week 7

Florida 27, Texas 24

• Texas quarterback Arch Manning has put his draft stock in question with underwhelming play this season. Manning has a first-round skill set with a strong arm, size, and running ability. However, he has had struggles with field vision, shaky decision-making, and inconsistent accuracy. After losing the game for his team against Oklahoma with two terrible second-half interceptions, Manning did not rebound against Florida versus a secondary that has been lit up recently by Missouri and South Carolina. Tigers’ quarterback Austin Simmons and Gamecock’s trigger man LaNorris Sellers were much more effective in recent weeks against the Gators than Manning was. And Florida’s backup quarterback outplayed Manning to deal Manning his first home loss as the Longhorns starter.

  In the first quarter, Manning showed the issues he’s been having when he stared down a screen pass that was well covered and threw the ball up for grabs. It was a dangerous throw that could have been picked off. Later in the first half, Manning threw a ball deep down the field into double coverage, and he was lucky it was incomplete because the Gators cornerback knocked the ball out of the hands of the Florida safety. Those plays illustrated his struggles. Manning was not getting into any rhythm as a passer and kept his throws short and safe. He could not get the ball to his first-round talent receiver Cam Coleman. Entering the fourth quarter, Manning was only 10-of-14 for 77 yards. Texas had 17 points with a rushing touchdown and a touchdown on special teams.

  In the fourth quarter, Manning rolled out and took a bad sack when he could have thrown the ball away instead of trying to outrun multiple Gator defenders. Late in the fourth quarter, Manning was in a fourth-and-7 down by 10 with less than six minutes remaining. Manning made a great play to shake off a sack, then stepped up and threw a deep ball strike while taking a hit in the face for a 62-yard completion. Two plays later, Manning threw a bullet to Cam Coleman for a touchdown to cut the Gators’ lead to 27-24. Those two throws were the best plays of the day for Manning, but the comeback vibes didn’t last long.

  In the After getting the ball back near midfield down by three, Florida sent a blitz up the middle at Manning. While getting spun to the ground, Manning had poor ball security and fumbled the ball away. The Gators recovered to take over in Texas territory with two minutes remaining. It was an ugly play as Manning had a receiver wide open in the flat early in the play, and he didn’t make the throw while holding onto the ball too long and then making a game-losing turnover. Manning finished completing 14-of-20 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown.

  Regarding the NFL and the 2027 NFL Draft, Manning should probably return to Texas next season for his football development. If he enters the draft, he still could be a first-round pick, as plenty of teams are in need of a young starter and Manning has a good skill set and family pedigree. However, as a player, he needs to improve his field vision, accuracy, and decision-making. Given the family history, it would not be surprising if Manning does return to school and looks to improve before taking on the NFL.

• Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons has been among the best players in college football this season regardless of position, and he entered this game as the nation’s leader in sacks. Simmons was active in the first half, getting in on tackles and causing some disruption in the backfield. In the third quarter, Simmons came up with a clutch sack using speed to get upfield and then ducking under the right tackle to get to the quarterback for a third-down sack that got his offense back on the field. However, early in the fourth quarter, Simmons went down with a leg injury. He ended up limping to the sideline and then was carted into the locker room. Hopefully the injury is not serious, as I have Simmons as one of the first players off the board in my latest 2027 NFL Mock Draft. If Simmons avoids a major injury, he looks like a lock for the top-10 next April.

• Another high first-round pick next April for Texas is left tackle Trevor Goosby, and he was going against some really good young defensive linemen from Florida who will be early-round picks in the 2028 NFL Draft. Goosby has been really good this season, and that continued versus the Gators. Goosby put on a clinic and was superb.

  As a pass blocker, Goosby is hard to get around due to his massive size and length. He shows the athleticism to slide his feet and get depth in his drop to cut off the edge from speed rushers. With quality quickness, Goosby can get to his spot and negate the speed rushers' ability to blow by him. With his mass, he is also tough to beat with a bull rush, as Goosby is a load for defensive ends to get moving backwards. Goosby has the talent to be an effective pass blocker.

  In the ground game, Goosby is special. In the passing-driven game, there are many finesse left tackles that are good in pass protection but struggle to create any push or movement in the ground game. Goosby is a well-rounded blocker as he is reliable in pass protection and an absolute bull in the ground game. At the point of attack, Goosby is a mauler that has the power to drive block and push his defender back. He can reset the line of scrimmage and create space for his back to run behind him. Goosby shows the strength to sustain blocks, and he will bury defenders with violence. Goosby is also good at crashing down on defensive tackles and sealing the backside for his back. Goosby looks like he will be a real asset as a run blocker in the pros. Goosby looks like a legit top-10 pick next April and a potential franchise left tackle.

• Florida running back Jadan Baugh was dominant in the early going of the season before getting slowed in recent weeks by Missouri and South Carolina. Baugh ran hard against the Texas defense and had some critical yards in the second half to help give the Gators a lead. Midway through the fourth quarter, Baugh showed his vision and burst when a run looked stopped, but he saw a defender overpursue, and he busted it to the outside with a burst to accelerate into the open field for an 11-yard touchdown. Baugh finished with 91 yards on 25 carries with the game-winning score. Baugh is a legit first-round pick as he is an excellent runner with power, vision, quickness, instincts, and versatility. This tape will help him to be an opening-night pick in the NFL Draft.

• Texas safety Jelani McDonald had a good tape against the Gators. McDonald had a great open-field tackle on Florida speedster receiver Eric Singleton to get his defense off the field. McDonald also had a big hit on Baugh downfield on a chunk run. That hit briefly knocked the big and strong Baugh out of the game. McDonald is a well-rounded safety who helps cover deep, in the middle of the field, and make tackles in the ground game. This tape will help McDonald to be an early-round pick next April.