This section breaks down many college football games each week and highlights how 2015 NFL Draft Prospects have performed. Or look at the 2015 NFL Draft Stock page (link coming soon).
By Charlie Campbell.
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Arizona State 26, Stanford 10
The Cardinal played a lot of zone with safety help over the top to try to limit Strong. His first reception was a nice play of concentration as a linebacker tipped the ball, but Strong adjusted and made the catch. His next reception was a short back-shoulder throw, and Carter was there immediately for the tackle. Later on the same drive, Strong made a tremendous 15-yard catch over a defensive back.
Just before halftime, Montgomery muffed a punt that Arizona State recovered inside the Stanford 20-yard line. Montgomery tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch and had the ball hit off his hands. It wasn’t an easy catch, and Montgomery should have let the ball go, but he’s probably frustrated with teams consistently kicking away from him.
On the ensuing third-and-goal after the fumble, Strong faked like he was blocking and Carter peeked into the backfield. Strong darted to the back of the end zone to get open for an easy touchdown.
In the third quarter, Carter had Strong covered and batted a pass away, but Carter was called for questionable holding penalty. It should have been a non-call. Later on the drive, Carter made a nice open-field tackle on Strong for a gain of only a couple of yards that forced the Sun Devils to settle for a chip-shot field goal. Strong came back to move the chains on a wide receiver screen, an out for 15 yards and a dig route for another 15 in front of Carter.
Late in fourth quarter, Strong looked open on a quick slant in the end zone with Carter close by, but the throw was inaccurate. The game against Stanford was another quality outing for Strong, who had eight receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. He showed the ability to move the chains as a possession receiver while also commanding a lot of attention from the defense. That opened up running lanes and other receivers as a result. Overall, this tape will help Strong and won’t do anything good or seriously bad to Carter.
Peat played liked like a high first-rounder against Arizona State. He didn’t allow any pressures on Kevin Hogan and was rock solid in pass protection. In the ground game, Peat got some movement out of defenders as well. He is big, long, quick and athletic. This was a good tape for him.
Oregon 45, Washington 20
Shelton entered the game with seven sacks on the season and going against him was perhaps the top center prospect for the 2015 NFL Draft in Oregon’s Hroniss Grasu. Trying to limit Kikaha was left tackle Jake Fisher, who has missed games with injuries. Thompson was also going against a good weapon in tight end Pharaoh Brown. With Mariota’s ability to make plays with his arm and legs, the Huskies defenders would be tested by the Ducks.
On Mariota’s first throw of the game, he was pressured by Sheldon and didn’t see a linebacker drop in the middle of the field. The ball went right to the linebacker, but he dropped the pass, so Mariota got lucky he didn’t throw his first interception of the year. On the very next play, Shelton got penetration by going through Grasu and the left guard to sack Mariota. Kikaha worked around the right tackle and joined Shelton to split the sack.
On a third-and-8 late in the first quarter, Mariota made a play that NFL evaluators are going to love to see for his development. He took a shotgun snap, looked to his left, worked his eyes across the field off his primary receiver and found his third option open on a cross. He fired a strike to set up a first-and-goal. That kind of pocket passing is the biggest question mark about Mariota, so showing that potential to operate in that manner is important for him. To end the drive, he got a pitch off on a option run on a fourth-and-goal with two defenders draped on him to let his running back score six.
Mariota came back to make a great throw into a tight window, dropping the pass into tight end Pharaoh Brown over one defender and before the deep safety. Brown broke tackles from the safety and Kikaha to explode down the field for 67 yards. The next throw was an overthrow, and Mariota was lucky that Peters didn’t intercept the pass after it hit off his hands. In the third quarter, Mariota hit a touchdown with a ball placed ball high and deep in the end zone where only his receiver could make a leaping catch.
Oregon did a good job of running the ball against Washington and didn’t need Mariota to produce as many big plays. He completed 24-of-33 passes for 336 yards with two touchdowns. This was a good tape for Mariota as he hung tough in the pocket against the Huskies’ pass rush and threw the ball accurately throughout the night. This performance should help Mariota’s draft grade.
In the third quarter, Shelton had a good tackle out of his gap in run support. He recorded eight tackles with 2.5 tackles for a loss, .5 sacks and drew a holding penalty. This tape should help Shelton’s bid to be a first-round pick and Grasu didn’t impress while going against an NFL caliber starting nose tackle.
For the next level, Kikaha could stand to add strength to hold up against runs that are coming straight at him. He totaled 10 tackles with 2.5 sacks versus the Ducks. Kikaha continues to have a strong senior season, and his stock should continue to rise.
This was a good tape for Ekpre-Olomu as he had four tackles with two passes broken up. Even though he’s undersized, the senior has some tackling ability.
Florida State 31, Notre Dame 27
After Florida State fell behind, Winston went to his favorite receiver to move the chains. Senior Rashad Greene caught a slant for 23 yards before getting wide open in busted coverage for a gain of 56 more yards. Winston closed out the drive by lofting in a short touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, Winston made an uncharacteristically bad decision. He held the ball too long with rushers closing in on him. Winston should have thrown the ball away, but instead, he floated a pass off his back foot into double coverage, and it was easily picked off.
Winston tied the game at 17 early in the second half as he led a drive that finished off with a quick slant touchdown pass to Greene. Winston also made a great play when he was pressured and flushed out of the pocket, but threw a perfect strike to his receiver in stride running vertically along the sideline. That helped set up a short touchdown run by Florida State. In the fourth quarter, Winston made a clutch throw with a blitzer in his face as he lofted the ball into his receiver to set him up for a good run after the catch. He lofted in another pass to Greene, who made a great sliding catch to set up a short touchdown run for running back Karlos Williams.
Winston finished completing 23-of-31 passes for 273 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. With his arm, field vision, pocket presence and passing ability, Winston is a stud quarterback worthy of the first pick in the NFL draft. He just has to pass the character test over the months to come, but with some teams, he may have already failed it.
Golson had some good moments moving the ball. In the first half, he threw a short touchdown pass to Corey Robinson, but also had an interception after getting hit as he threw and having the ball float to a defender. Golson bounced back from the pick to make two excellent throws. The first, he lofted a well-placed ball into his receiver in a tight window for a good gain. The next throw, Golson tossed the ball perfectly up high on the sideline for Robinson, who made a great catch for six. It was high and away where only Robinson could make a play on the ball.
In the third quarter, Golson fired a perfect strike to let his receiver run with the ball to pick up about 30 yards. A few plays later, Golson did a great job of scrambling and flipping the ball to a receiver for another good gain. It was an impressive job of improvising by Golson after a play broke down.
Golson later made a huge throw to convert a fourth-and-18 as he scrambled and kept his eyes downfield to hit Robinson open along the sideline. Right after throwing that pass, Golson was drilled by a defender. A play later, Golson had a receiver running open into the end zone behind the coverage, but Golson sailed the ball incomplete. After Notre Dame had a game-winning touchdown taken away on a questionable call, Golson was hit as he threw and the pass was intercepted as time expired.
Against Florida State, Golson completed 31-of-52 passes for 313 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He has improved his passing skills and accuracy, but still is a work in progress who has to work on minimizing mistakes, including turnovers. Golson has to improve his field vision as he often stares down his receivers. Still, Golson is playing himself into a prospect worthy of consideration.
In the first quarter, Darby was called for a pass interference in the end zone. Darby was burned by William Fuller after halftime on a quick slant for gain of 30 yards. Darby got caught with some missed steps on a few plays to allow separation. This tape should hurt Darby, while for Williams, it will be neutral.
Late in the third quarter, Erving was beaten by Sheldon Day on a speed rush to allow Winston to be sacked. In the second quarter, Jackson was beaten badly in pass protection, and that pressure forced Winston into a bad throw that was intercepted. Matias all but allowed a sack in the second half before he was bailed out by Winston breaking the tackle. Jackson had a personal foul penalty in the third quarter. In the first quarter, Matias whiffed on a block to allow a tackle for a loss.
All three of those lineman hurt their draft grades against Notre Dame. With the way they’ve played this year, they really haven’t looked like players who should be drafted before the third round.
Michigan State 56, Indiana 17
In the second quarter, Cook had a third-and-5 and with rushers coming at him, but he didn’t let the pressure get to him and threw a strike to his tight end Josiah Price for a 10-yard score. Later on a third-and-17 deep in his own territory, Cook made a bad throw. The receiver was in blanket coverage with three defenders in the area. Cook didn’t see the middle linebacker underneath, and he made a leaping interception. After that, Cook played very well.
Cook bounced back to make a great throw to Price over a defender for a 67-yard gain. That set up a scoring run, and Cook ripped the ball through the secondary with a number of other well-thrown passes to lead to another touchdown on a 14-yard throw.
In the third quarter, Cook had a third-and-long and had nobody open. He scrambled to his right but had defenders closing in, so he ran back to his left. Cook then pointed for wide receiver Tony Lippett to go long and lofted in a 41-yard reception to his target. It was a very well-thrown ball on the run. Cook finished the drive with a short shovel pass for his third touchdown.
Cook finished completing 24-of-32 passes for 332 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. The junior needs to improve his footwork, and that could make him a more accurate passer. There are times when things break down and he makes some brilliant passes into tight windows, but then he can be off the mark on some routine easy throws. Cook has a lot of ability with his big arm, size, mobility and pocket presence. He just needs to improve his feet while getting more consistent with his accuracy and working through his progressions. Overall, this tape should help Cook’s draft stock.
In the third quarter, Calhoun came unblocked off right tackle and sacked the quarterback. Overall, he played well, but he needs to get stronger for run defense while improving his repertoire of moves.
Coleman totaled 132 yards on 15 carries against Michigan State. Considering this could be the best defense he’ll face all season, Coleman had a good tape to help himself.
Maryland 38, Iowa 31
Throughout the day, Scherff opened holes in the ground game. He pushed defenders out of their gap and rode them around the field. As a run-blocker, Scherff played really well as he simply mauled players at the point of attack.
In the first quarter, Scherff had his defensive end blocked, but eventually the defender worked free to get a coverage sack. Scherff gave his quarterback time to make a throw, and that sack was more on the quarterback. Early in the second quarter, Scherff was clearly beaten with a speed rush to the interior on a stunt from the defensive tackle. Scherff allowed another hit on the quarterback shortly later as he was beaten by a swim move with a speed rush.
In the fourth quarter, Scherff was rocked back on roller skates by the defensive tackle on a stunt. As Scherff was falling to the ground, he pulled the tackle down to the ground and was called for a holding penalty. A few plays later, Scherff allowed a hit on the quarterback, and that happened again on the next drive with an inside rush. Scherff was beaten on another speed rush, and the quarterback drew an intentional grounding penalty to avoid a sack. Late in the fourth quarter, Scherff allowed a hit on the quarterback, and that impacted the throw to almost lead to an interception.
This was a bad tape for Scherff as he really struggled to keep heat off his quarterback. He was beaten on bull rushes and speed rushes. This performance suggests that for the NFL, Scherff could be better placed at right tackle or guard. He did not look anything like a top-20 pick against Maryland
Diggs caught nine passes for 130 yards with two carries for 12 yards. This tape will help his draft grade as he showed the speed to get separation with run-after-the-catch skills.
Alabama 59, Texas A&M 0
On a reception, Yeldon made a nifty move in the flat to avoid a tackle and move the chains. Yeldon then darted into the end zone with a nice run, weaving by defenders. On the next drive, he split out wide and ran a slant for a nice completion of almost 20 yards against cornerback Deshazor Everett. He added another run, dodging through the defense and powering into the end zone from a yard out. By halftime, Yeldon had 114 yards on 13 carries with three receptions for 45 yards.
Yeldon wasn�t needed in the second half, but this was a great performance to help right his draft stock and season. The receiving ability that Yeldon showed will really get the NFL excited. This tape was Yeldon�s best of the year.
Cooper caught a 45-yard touchdown in the third quarter, as he ran by Everett to get wide open for the score. That ended his game. Cooper caught eight passes for 140 yards and those two scores. This was another impressive tape for Cooper and illustrates why he�s a top-16 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, assuming he declares as expected.
To start the third quarter, Ogbuehi was beaten on a bull rush to allow a sack of his quarterback. He later almost allowed a safety, as the defender got by him with speed to the inside, but the quarterback just got rid of the ball before the tackle.
Ogbuehi has really struggled in the past three games, and this streak is troubling. He has been beaten by bull rushes and speed, especially to the inside. The talk of Ogbuehi being a top-10 pick looks very premature, and he has a lot to improve upon. This is another tape that will send his stock down.
Everett looks like he should move to free safety in the NFL, as he is too slow and stiff to turn and run with receivers down the field. Everett should be a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.
West Virginia 41, Baylor 27
Shortly later, White got his feet tangled and fell down on a pass to let his cornerback intercept the ball. White then got open and made a pretty extended reception in the middle of the field. With the game tied in the fourth quarter, White got open running into the end zone and made a beautiful one-handed catch for a 12-yard touchdown even though he was being interfered with. It was a great play of concentration and hands.
White totaled eight receptions for 132 yards with two touchdowns. He also drew multiple pass interference penalties. This was a great tape, as White showed a unique combination with size and speed. He got separation and made contested catches. White really showed it all against Baylor. This tape could send his stock up and makes the argument for White to get first-round consideration.
In the second quarter, Goodley got open for about a 30-yard touchdown, but Petty sailed the throw for an incompletion. It was a throw that Petty has to make, and it illustrated his inaccuracy. Petty got a do-over, as Goodley got open along the sideline again; this time Petty hit the throw, and Goodley bolted down the field for a 63-yard touchdown.
In the third quarter, Goodley dropped a pass and also made some tough catches. Goodley caught nine passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. Petty was only 16-of-36 for 223 yards with two touchdowns. This was a solid tape for Goodley and a very ugly performance for Petty. Goodley looks like a second-day pick, while Petty is a day-three candidate, or even an undrafted free agent based on this tape.
Boise State 37, Fresno State 27
Early in the first quarter, Ajayi was rolling, as he ripped off yards in chunks and picked up ground after contact. He had a 9-yard touchdown after running through a tackle from Smith. Ajayi also showed his strength by pushing through two tackles and then reaching the ball over three defenders trying to tackle him for his second score of the game in the following period.
Ajayi had a nice reception with yards after the catch in the third quarter as he weaved his way around defenders. He also made an extended leaping reception that illustrated his athleticism and body control, and this was followed by a nicely run screen pass. In the fourth quarter, Ajayi took a fourth-and-1 and broke two tackles short of the first down before falling for the necessary yards. That set up the game-winning touchdown. Ajayi carried a defensive lineman on his back for about five yards on his next carry.
To finish the night, Ajayi ripped off a 54-yard run as be bounced to the outside and exploded down the sideline. Ajayi concluded with 30 carries for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He had four receptions for 37 yards. It was an excellent performance for NFL evaluators, as Ajayi (6-0, 216) was a physical runner who picked up yards after contact with the speed to hit the hole. He also was excellent as a receiver. Ajayi is a skilled route runner and catcher. If he can fix his fumbling issue, he could be a second-day pick.
Utah 29, Oregon State 23 OT
On Mannion’s first pass of the game, he threw an interception as he didn’t see the middle linebacker drop into the throwing lane. The linebacker read Mannion’s eyes and dropped in front of the receiver. Mannion was unable to move the ball in the first half as his offensive line was terrible. He had no time to throw the ball before the pass rush would get to him.
The third quarter saw an interesting sequence in which Mannion ran a bootleg in the end zone and showed off his strong arm by throwing a bomb to an open receiver for a gain of 52 yards. A few plays later, Mannion overthrew a wide-open receiver on a slant that could have gone for a touchdown. Then on fourth-and-4, Mannion didn’t see an open receiver and threw incomplete to a double-covered wide out to squander the opportunity following the long completion. Mannion showed a strong arm in those throws, but was off with his ball placement and field vision.
Early in the fourth quarter, Mannion laid out a well-placed deep ball and his receiver Jordan Villamin made a reception over the defensive back. He then bolted into the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown.
After Utah took the lead with four minutes remaining, Mannion had a job to do to force overtime. He made a few completions to move the chains before he tossed a pass that was almost intercepted, but it tipped to a receiver – Mannion got lucky. However, soon Mannion took a bad sack on a third down to make a field goal attempt of 49 yards harder, but the kicker drilled it. In overtime, Mannion had a well-placed fade pass for a touchdown on a fourth-and-goal to send it into double overtime.
Versus the Utes, Mannion completed 21-of-37 for 272 yards with two scores and an interception. This was a mixed outing as the senior showed a big arm and pocket-passing potential, but his lack of mobility makes his offensive line’s job harder. Mannion is rather ineffective when he has to move off his spot from his drop. His accuracy, ball placement, and field vision all need improvement, too. If given a good offensive line, Mannion can pick a defense apart, but those weaknesses are the reason why Mannion looks more like a second-day pick rather than a first-rounder.
In the first quarter, Orchard made a tackle for a loss and batted a pass away. In the second quarter, he got a step on the left tackle with a speed rush and used his hands to slap away the blocker to get to Mannion. In the final seconds before the half, Orchard split a double-team to almost sack Mannion, but ended up just forcing an incompletion.
Orchard was mostly held in check during the third and fourth quarters as Oregon State made some good halftime adjustments to limit him. The Beavers ran plays away from Orchard with rollouts the other way, misdirection, and extra blockers against him. In overtime, Orchard used his speed to chase down Mannion for a sack.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Orchard is a quick and athletic defensive end. It would help him to add 10-15 pounds for the NFL if he can maintain his speed. Orchard is a bit of a sleeper prospect to watch, and he could rise in the months to come.
At the beginning of this game, Anderson had a missed opportunity when he caught a pass in the end zone, but couldn’t hold onto the ball when the defender slapped it out of his hands. It was a play that Anderson should have made. It got worse in the second quarter as he dropped a screen pass and it deflected into an Oregon State interception. Anderson was a non-factor as he had only four receptions for 35 yards. It hurts Anderson that Utah’s quarterbacks are struggling, but he needs to produce more with the chances he has.
Pittsburgh 21, Virginia Tech 16
Clemmings’ run blocking is clearly ahead of his pass blocking. With his strength, he can drive block defenders and open holes at the point of attack. In the fourth quarter, Clemmings blasted Nicolas out of his gap to open up James Connor for a 13-yard touchdown run.
In the pass rush, Clemmings has potential with length and athleticism. He has agility and moves pretty well, but needs to improve his feet and get faster with shuffling his feet. There were times that he was reaching after his defender and got away with not giving up a sack. However, reaching after NFL pass-rushers won’t be good enough.
Some have touted Clemmings as a first-round prospect, but that could be a stretch. He looks more likely to have second-day potential, and he will need some development to become a starting right tackle in the NFL. That isn’t surprising considering his position change.
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