This section breaks down many college football games each week and highlights how 2014 NFL Draft Prospects have performed. Or look at the 2014 NFL Draft Stock page.
By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
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Arizona State 62, USC 41
This game ended up being Lane Kiffin’s last with USC, but that was the biggest shakeup for the Trojans. Marqise Lee, one of the top wide receiver prospects in 2014 NFL Draft class, suffered a knee injury that doesn’t seem as serious it first appeared. The junior has been limited by double-teams and spotty quarterback play in 2013, but the outcome of his injury could have the larger impact on his draft status.
Early in the game, Lee’s second reception went for about 20 yards running an out route. He dropped a catch in the middle of the field in the second quarter and the ball deflected high in the air for an easy interception by Arizona State. It was an easy catch and it was surprising to see Lee let it get away from him. If Lee had made the catch, he had room to break off a long run.
In the third quarter, Lee ran a go route down the sideline and the ball was dropped in to him for a 51-yard gain. He finished the evening with seven receptions for 92 yards. Lee made a nice punt return in the fourth quarter, but twisted awkwardly while being tackled. Lee sustained a significant knee injury and was done for the night. The injury is said to be a severe knee sprain. His timetable to play again is unknown, but it sounds like he could easily miss some time as he is being listed as doubtful right now.
If Lee’s injury is significant, it could really impact his draft stock. Robert Woods had his stock fall last year due to a down season in which he was banged up, drew extra coverage and didn’t produce as much as past seasons. Lee could have the same fate and fall lower than expected in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Lee wasn’t the only potential first-round pick in this game. Sun Devils defensive tackle Will Sutton could be a Thursday night pick next May. He had an active game against the Trojans, especially early on before the outcome was decided.
Sutton notched his first sack of 2013 on his first play from scrimmage. He shed the block from the right guard to explode down the pocket in an instant. Later in the first half, Sutton shed the left guard to dart by the center and tackle the ball-carrier in the backfield for a loss of three yards.
Sutton recorded a couple of drag down tackles in run defense. He had four tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack against USC. Sutton is at his best when he gets upfield. On plays where he has to hold his ground, he can get pushed around. Sometimes Sutton anchors well, but runs coming straight at him are his biggest weakness and that seems unlikely to change in the NFL. Sutton’s interior pass-rush ability is a tough commodity to find for pro teams, so a general manager could easily overlook the run defense concerns. Overall, this tape will help Sutton with evaluators.
Two other USC defensive prospects are worth mentioning. Outside linebacker Morgan Breslin is a tough pass-rusher who has been very productive for the Trojans since coming over from junior college. Arizona State largely held him in check.
Breslin picked up his first tackle for a loss when he fired behind the line of scrimmage on a stretch run. He grabbed another tackle for a loss came after coming unblocked off the right side. Breslins broke down and tackled the back for a loss of one. Those were his only tackles on the night. In the third quarter, Breslin was part of a group that was called for a roughing the passer penalty, but it was a bad call by the referee. Breslin also had a nice pressure in the fourth quarter on a third down to force an incompletion. Overall though, this tape won’t do much to help him.
Ditto for USC safety Dion Bailey, who recorded four tackles against the Sun Devils. He was late to react to a deep post route in the third quarter, and Arizona State took advantage for a 74-yard touchdown. A rushing-play fake helped draw Bailey out of possession. He has instincts and ball skills, but neither was on display versus the Sun Devils.
Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 24
Entering the 2013 season, Ohio State junior cornerback Bradley Roby was one of the top cornerback prospects eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft. The Buckeyes have an easy schedule that won’t have Roby seeing a lot of elite wide receiver talent this year. His best test of the regular season looked to be from Wisconsin senior Jared Abbrederis, a potential second-day pick. If Abbrederis could have success against Roby, it could boost the wide out’s draft stock for next May.
On the first third down of the game, Roby slapped a pass away from Abbrederis on a slant. The next possession saw Roby make a tackle for a loss on jet sweep, but Abbrederis got him on a nice reception for a gain of about 20. Abbrederis ran a nice route running a deep out to get separation from Roby. Abbrederis finished the drive by running down the field with Roby holding onto his jersey. The ball was dropped in to Abbrederis, who pushed Roby to the ground after making the catch. The senior receiver bolted five more yards into the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown.
Abbrederis went past Roby in zone coverage on the next drive to get open in the middle of the field. He sprinted down the field for a 64-yard gain before getting pushed out of bounds. A few plays later, Abbrederis had a step on Roby in the end zone, but the ball wasn’t thrown on time. That was a missed opportunity for the Badgers. The next play saw Roby slap a pass away from Abbrederis on a short slant.
Abbrederis later beat Roby for another nice gain, but a holding call on Wisconsin’s offensive line canceled it out. Late in the first half, Abbrederis had Roby burned on a double move. The throw was terribly underthrown, but Abbrederis made a tremendous adjustment to come back to the ball and leap above Roby for the reception. Abbrederis had six receptions for 159 yards by halftime. Roby was holding Abbrederis’ jersey non-stop and seemed incapable of running with him cleanly.
In the third quarter, Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave threw the pass into no-man’s land and the ball floated into the midsection of Roby. It wasn’t a good play by Roby; it was just a horribly thrown pass by Stave. A little bit later, Roby was finally flagged for a pass interference on an incompletion to Abbrederis. The Badgers worked the pass to Abbrederis for a few more receptions before time ran out on their comeback attempt.
Abbrederis finished the game with 207 yards on 10 receptions with a touchdown. He was superb showing the ability to get open with quickness and route-running. Abbrederis looks like a dangerous slot receiver in the NFL. This game definitely helps his draft stock.
This matchup definitely hurts Roby’s draft stock. Abbrederis is a good college receiver, but if he can destroy Roby like this, what would Clemson’s Sammy Watkins do to him? Much less a good NFL wide out. Roby had coverage problems a few weeks ago in the California game as well. Adding a in run-in with the law before training camp and Roby has done a lot to damage his draft stock. If the junior doesn’t close out the season in better form, he should consider returning to Ohio State for 2014. Roby isn’t playing anything like a first-round pick right now.
Another good draft matchup from the Badgers’ offense versus the Buckeyes’ defense was Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier taking on Wisconsin junior running back Melvin Gordon and senior running back James White. In the first quarter, Shazier fired through the line to get a tackle for a loss. The junior showed nice instincts with the burst to close. He added another tackle for a loss on a screen pass that he read well.
Against the Badgers, Shazier had good tackle total defending their ground game. Gordon (15-74) left the game early with a knee injury, while White (8-31) never got into a groove. Shazier is a good pursuit linebacker, but he can get washed out on runs that come straight at him. That happened on a touchdown run by White as Shazier got pushed inside while White bounced the run to the outside. Shazier could use more strength for the NFL and should work on his ability to shed blocks.
Wisconsin inside linebacker Chris Borland showed once again that he is a tremendous run-defender. Borland stuffed runs all night including a critical fourth-and-short in the third quarter. In the same period on the goal line, he stood up the power back Carlos Hyde short of the end zone. Borland is an old-school inside linebacker who is a thumper in the tackle box. For the NFL, he is a mid- to late-rounder because he lacks the speed and athleticism to be a passing-down linebacker.
Alabama 25, Ole Miss 0
Alabama senior quarterback A.J. McCarron had a typical game for his college career. The Crimson Tide’s tremendous defense and running game allowed him to have an easy night while getting a victory.
McCarron spent the night completing a lot of dink-and-dunk passes with some wide-open receivers. He had one pass thrown into traffic that bounced off his receiver. Ole Miss was able to catch the ball for the interception. Against the Rebels, McCarron completed 25-of-32 passes for 180 yards. He didn’t show arm strength or play-making ability, but didn’t need to for his team to win. If anything, McCarron’s draft stock will be dinged by this performance.
Crimson Tide junior left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio was virtually dominant. He did allow a pressure when he lost his feet while backpedaling and fell down, but aside from that play he was very reliable in pass blocking. Kouandjio made up for that mistake with clutch fumble recovery at midfield when Alabama was up by only a field goal. He was moving bodies and opening up holes in the ground game throughout the night.
This tape will help Kounadjio to be a first-round pick. He showed off excellent speed to get deep in his pass drops and hit blocks on the second level of the defense. As Kounadjio continues to refine his fundamentals and technique, he should become even better.
Aside from Kouandjio, the Crimson Tide players who were very impressive against the Rebels were senior linebacker C.J. Mosley and junior safety HaHa Clinton-Dix. Mosley snuffed out a third-and-2 down run for no gain. The next play saw Clinton-Dix stop the back short on a fourth down.
Clinton-Dix had a diving pass breakup in the third quarter. On a fourth-and-2 a bit later, Mosley dropped into pass coverage and knocked a pass down for an incompletion. He read Bo Wallace’s eyes perfectly to get into the throwing lane. Mosley led the way in the fourth quarter to stuff Wallace on a run and produce a safety for the Alabama defense. Both Mosley and Clinton-Dix were very good in this contest, and this performance helps validate an early-round grade for each of them.
One player who Clinton-Dix helped limit was Ole Miss junior wide receiver Donte Moncrief. He caught six passes for 60 yards versus the Crimson Tide. Moncrief converted a third-and-long after he was left alone in the middle of the field. The gain went for 26 yards. In the fourth quarter, Moncrief had the corner beat for a long gain, but after getting hit, he dropped the pass. Moncrief has hinted that he will enter the 2014 NFL Draft, but his junior season has been underwhelming. It might be a good idea for Moncrief to return for his senior year to try to improve before going pro.
Three other prospects are worth mentioning. Alabama junior safety Vinnie Sunseri had an active night making plays in the run game. He had some good and bad moments in pass coverage. On the first play from scrimmage, Sunseri tipped a pass, but it was still caught for a long gain for Ole Miss. He got caught out of place and was lucky that the Crimson Tide didn’t allow a touchdown. Meanwhile, Alabama defensive end Ed Stinson recovered a fumble and was tough at the point of attack all night. Senior guard Anthony Steen was opening up holes in the ground game with some big runs by T.J. Yeldon coming behind Steen.
Georgia 44, LSU 41
This game between two top-10 teams featured plenty of talent destined for the NFL. Georgia senior quarterback Aaron Murray and LSU senior quarterback Zack Mettenberger are former teammates who are on the radar of NFL teams. Both quarterbacks helped themselves in this shootout.
Murray picked the Tigers’ secondary apart all day. His first drive ended when he laid out a well-placed ball thrown to a receiver who beat LSU junior safety Craig Loston for a five-yard touchdown. Shortly later, the Tigers’ talented defensive front got the better of Murray. Defensive tackle Anthony Johnson backed off the center and was able to intercept a short dump off pass intended for Todd Gurley. Aside from a few run tackles, Johnson struggled against the Bulldogs. His pass rush was a non-factor.
Murray came back to throw a perfect strike for a 25-yard touchdown in the back middle of the end zone. The senior had another excellent drive at the end of the first half and capped it by diving into the end zone from a yard out. In the third quarter, he made some throws that beat some tight coverage.
The next touchdown toss from Murray came on a third-and-11. LSU had busted coverage that left a receiver standing alone in the end zone. Late in the fourth quarter, Murray simply picked apart a weak Tigers defense and connected with a receiver wide open along the sideline. Murray used eye control to get Loston to take an inside receiver. That put was the winning score for Georgia as Murray completed 20-of-34 passes for 298 yards with four touchdowns passing, one running and an interception. This performance will definitely help him.
Mettenberger has two NFL-bound receivers in Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, Jr. Matching up against them was Bulldogs cornerback Damien Swann. It turned out to be an ugly day for Swann as the Tigers’ receivers got the better of him.
Swann had tight coverage on Beckham for a pass breakup, but got away with pass interference. When Mettenberger hit a wide-open Kadron Boone for a 48-yard touchdown, it was because the receiver had burned Swann on a deep post; it was an easy score. Swann was also beaten by Landry for a first-down reception on the next drive. A few plays later, Mettenberger threw his second touchdown pass to Boone, who beat one-on-one coverage with a dig route.
Landry fell quiet for a while before catching a short crossing route that he turned upfield for a gain of about 25 yards. That connection finished the drive with a beautiful touchdown down the middle of the field from 39 yards out. Landry ran down the middle seam and Mettenberger threw a dart to lead him into the end zone and tie the game at 27. Beckham gave the lead back to Georgia when he muffed a punt that was recovered by the Bulldogs at the Tigers’ 20-yard line.
Beckham bounced back to make some big plays, including when he beat Swann for a 17-yard gain. On a third-and-10, Mettenberger fit a ball between three defenders and Landry stretched out for a 25-yard gain to the Georgia six-yard line. The pass couldn’t have been better thrown. That set up a short touchdown run to tie it at 34.
Mettenberger converted a third-and-23 midway through the fourth quarter after Beckham slipped open in zone between a few defenders. Following a good throw to Landry, Mettenberger hit Landry on a dig for about 20 yards inside the 10. A short run later let LSU take a 41-37 lead with 4:14 remaining. The defense then let the Tigers down, and a final chance to take the lead fizzled.
Mettenberger completed 23-of-37 passes in this contest for 372 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Landry caught 10 passes for 156 yards with a touchdown. Beckham had six receptions for 118 yards. Both Landry and Beckham showed that they are early-round talents. Landry is an excellent route runner who is very sure-handed. Beckham has the speed to get separation with the ability to stretch a defense vertically. This tape definitely helps both wide outs.
Ditto for Mettenberger. When given time to throw, he will pick a defense apart. His arm strength can destroy zone coverage. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has really improved Mettenberger’s footwork and accuracy. The senior is a dangerous pocket passer with the arm to make all the throws. This performance will send his stock up for NFL teams.
A couple other prospects are worth mentioning. Loston had an open field tackle to prevent a touchdown, but he struggled in pass coverage all day. This tape will hurt him. Georgia defensive tackle Ray Drew had an impressive sack beating the left guard with a speed rush. The junior Drew has a lot of potential and is a player worth keeping an eye on.
Oklahoma 35, Notre Dame 21
A year ago, the Notre Dame defense led by Manti Te’o dominated Oklahoma for a road win. This season, the Fighting Irish defensive studs were mostly neutralized by the Sooners. Notre Dame’s senior defensive tackle Louis Nix and junior defensive end Stephon Tuitt flashed at times, but Oklahoma was able to get around them to produce enough points for a win in South Bend.
Charged with the task of taking on Nix was Sooners senior center Gabe Ikard. It was a tough battle between two players who will be playing on Sundays. Ikard was getting double-team help via a guard or fullback Trey Millard, who played really well for Oklahoma. Ikard had some success with cut blocks to take out Nix’s legs. Ikard also used his speed to get to spots in order to keep Nix out of plays.
Nix stuffed some runs but overall the Sooners were successful in their scheme to prevent him from causing a lot of disruption. Oklahoma did a good job of attacking the perimeter of the defense. This performance shouldn’t impact Nix’s draft stock significantly while Ikard could impress teams, especially those that run a zone-blocking scheme.
After being quiet in the first half, Tuitt came alive in the third quarter when he split two linemen to make a tackle for loss on a third down. That forced a Sooners field goal. Tuitt soon had another good run tackle after shedding the left tackle to drop the back for a loss of one. Tuitt laid a hard hit on Blake Bell in the fourth quarter just after the ball was thrown.
Tuitt is a tough run-defender this year, but playing at a heavier weight has robbed him of some speed and has hurt his pass-rush ability. He could consider returning for his senior season, but the junior also could still go in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, especially to a 3-4 defense in need of a big defensive end to set the edge.
Oklahoma senior cornerback Aaron Colvin had an impressive day against Notre Dame. He made a great play to drive on the football with a receiver running a slant. Colvin tipped the pass into the air and a teammate snatched the pass for the Sooners’ second interception in the first two minutes of the game.
A pass for 11 yards beat Colvin in the first quarter. A 10-yard out beat him in the fourth quarter, too, but those were the only completions that Colvin allowed. Later on, he had a nice burst to eat up the cushion and slap a pass away. This tape will help Colvin’s chances of receiving an early-round grade with NFL evaluators.
Fighting Irish senior left tackle Zack Martin had a mixed performance. Right off the bat, he made a mental mistake not to pick up an outside linebacker and that led to his quarterback getting hit. The ball fluttered in the air and was intercepted by Sooners senior linebacker Corey Nelson, who chugged into the end zone for a quick six point. Generally Martin won his blocks, but he did allow some pass pressures. This tape shouldn’t have a big impact on him.
The final player worth mentioning is Nelson. He had an excellent performance against Notre Dame. Nelson blew up a run in the backfield to set up a big loss and a punt. He set up another punt by tipping a pass for an incompletion. In run defense and pass coverage, Nelson made his presence felt as he helped himself with a huge performance against the Fighting Irish.
West Virginia 30, Oklahoma State 21
Oklahoma State has a few defensive prospects for the NFL in cornerback Justin Gilbert, defensive tackle Calvin Barnett and linebacker Caleb Lavey. They had the challenge of taking on West Virginia senior running back Charles Sims, a transfer from Houston.
While Sims didn’t find much running room, he made plays through the air. Sims had a nice gain on a reception in the flat. He gave proof of some serious receiving ability as he split out as a wide receiver. Sime beat a cornerback running a go route down the sideline and showed nice concentration to haul in a pass for about 35 yards with a safety coming over the top. Later in the first half, the back plunged into the end zone from a yard out.
Sims later ripped off a nice spin move just in front of his own end zone to avoid a tackle for a loss and explode for a gain of four. He also had a superb run to pick up 25 yards and move the ball away from West Virginia’s end zone. The recent transfer made a few defenders miss with nice cuts.
Sims didn’t find many running lanes as Barnett, Lavey and the Cowboys front seven did a good job of preventing running lanes. Sims totaled 60 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. He also caught five receptions for 82 yards. This tape will help the senior as it illustrated his ability to contribute to a NFL passing offense as well as being a tough runner. Sims could be a second-day pick next May.
Cornerback Justin Gilbert had an eventful game for Oklahoma State. At one point, he was on an island running with his receiver down the sideline. The pass by Clint Trickett was a little short and Gilbert did a superb job of leaping to intercept the pass at the highest point. He used the sideline well to box in the receiver and eat up the space to make the pick.
Gilbert was beat for a 17-yard touchdown on the next possession while in man coverage. He allowed separation after the receiver used a jab step and cut to run by him. Gilbert couldn’t recover to break up the well-thrown ball by Trickett.
The Mountaineers went after Gilbert again. The receiver ran a deep post and Gilbert ran stride for stride into the end zone and batted the ball away. In the third quarter, he had a rough series where he was beaten on an out route for a gain of about 12. Gilbert followed that up by missing a tackle on Sims.
At the end of the third quarter, Gilbert had a pass breakup in the end zone and was close to his second interception. He showed a lack of discipline late in the fourth quarter by getting into a scuffle while being blocked. It looked like Gilbert threw a punch, so he was ejected from the game. Overall, Gilbert had a quality day in pass coverage, but he hurt himself by not being able to control his emotions. This tape will be a beauty in the eye of the beholder from the standpoint of a NFL evaluator.
Barnett and Lavey played the run well against West Virginia. Lavey had a few good tackles in the box, including a third-and-4 on which he fired into the backfield to drop the running back for a loss of four yards. Barnett and Lavey had good gap integrity in this game and were strong at the point of attack. Barnett didn’t show much in the pass-rush department.
Miami 49, South Florida 21
One of the top senior quarterbacks in the nation is Miami’s Stephen Morris. South Florida has had an awful start to the 2013 season, but still has some defensive line pro prospects in defensive ends Aaron Lynch and Ryne Giddins to disrupt Morris. Tasked with taking them on was Hurricane senior right tackle Seantrel Henderson. It didn’t take long for Miami to blow out South Florida.
In the first quarter, Morris made a beautiful rainbow bomb for 52 yards to wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. Morris showed his strong arm and dropped in the throw nicely. Morris then threw a strike on third-and-long for a 19-yard touchdown.
Morris later made a great throw for a 34-yard touchdown. He dropped back to pass on a play-action. With Lynch bearing down on him, Morris planted his back foot and laid out a well thrown ball to his receiver running through the end zone.
In the second quarter, Morris was hit hard and left the game with an aggravated ankle injury that was initially hurt last week. Miami was blowing out South Florida, so Morris was held out for the remainder of the day. He finished completing 11-of-16 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns. This tape will help Morris’ draft grade.
Lynch beat Henderson in the third quarter with a speed rush, but the quarterback got rid of the football. Lynch later had two goal-line run stuffs for no gain. He got off a block on the first play and fired through his gap for the second stop.
Lynch was quiet aside from those two instances. He looks a lot lighter than how he played as a freshman for Notre Dame in 2011. He also takes some plays off. He didn’t have a real impact in the pass rush department. He hasn’t been impressive during his time with South Florida, and right now he should definitely come back for the 2014 season.
Overall, Henderson had an uneventful game. He rotated out of the lineup during the first three quarters until Miami emptied the bench. Henderson opened up a hole near the goal line for a short touchdown run.
Henderson was solid but unspectacular. He’s a better run blocker than pass protector. He could contend to be a second-day selection with his athletic upside.
Miami junior linebacker Denzel Perryman has been a force to open the season. He had a great game against Florida to help lead Miami to an upset win. However, Perryman didn’t have his best game this week. He had a missed tackle on running back Marcus Shaw on a pickup of 20 yards. If Perryman had made the tackle, the gain would have gone for only two yards. He had a nice run fill in the second quarter. A blitz by Perryman caused a bad throw that was intercepted by Miami. Otherwise, it was a modest performance for the Hurricane middle linebacker.
Virginia Tech 17, Georgia Tech 10
The most impressive draft prospect in this game was Virginia Tech senior cornerback Kyle Fuller. He was all over the place for the Hokies as they used him as a cornerback and a linebacker. They lined him up over the guard or center to have Fuller fire into the A gap or B gap. He did a tremendous job of avoiding blocks from offensive linemen and causing havoc for the Georgia Tech ground game.
Fuller made his presence felt right away when he fired the A gap to slap the ball out of the quarterback’s hands at the mesh point. Virginia Tech recovered the fumble inside Georgia Tech territory. Throughout the game, Fuller was causing a ton of disruption by knifing behind the line of scrimmage.
Fuller fired into the backfield on a toss sweep to make a tackle for a loss. Fuller gave the yards right back when he jumped offsides. On a corner blitz, Fuller came close to a sack but couldn’t get a good hold of the signal caller. Fuller got in on a few tackles in pursuit and was very physical against the Yellow Jackets.
Fuller definitely helped his stock against Georgia Tech. He showed the versatility to be used in a variety of ways. Fuller had good coverage all night, but his run defense and ability to mix it up with offensive linemen really stood out. Fuller is having a superb senior season and has really helped himself.
Georgia Tech defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu had the task of defending Virginia Tech senior quarterback Logan Thomas. Even though Thomas has been an erratic and inconsistent passer, he has the ability to hurt a defense with a strong arm and running ability. Attaochu didn’t play poorly, but he didn’t stand out.
After being blocked by the left tackle, Thomas took off to run and Attaochu turned to track him down a couple yards short of a first down. He had a good run tackle after beating the block from the tight end.
In the second half, Attaochu got a pressure on Thomas after he looped to the inside off a stunt. Attaochu later dropped into pass coverage and almost made a diving catch on a poorly thrown pass by Thomas. Aside from those plays, Attaochu didn’t make a big impact and this game won’t help his draft stock.
A few years ago, Thomas was viewed as a potential top-five pick. He had a terrible junior season where he threw a lot of interceptions and was horribly inaccurate. As a senior he hasn’t started particularly strong and needs to play better down the stretch.
On his second throw of the night, Thomas dumped off a short pass to his tight end who coasted into the end zone for a 21-yard score. Thomas then threw a great pass across the field on the far sideline. He dropped in a perfect throw over the defensive back’s helmet to hit his receiver for a 28-yard gain. On the same drive, Thomas made a lot of short to intermediate throws to move the chains inside the 10-yard line. He took a quarterback draw up the middle for a touchdown. It was a great drive from Thomas, who showed improved accuracy and decision-making.
After starting strong, Thomas began to miss on throws. His footwork and fundamentals were inconsistent. That caused his accuracy to be off on a number of throws with some easy completions being lost to underthrows and overthrows. He was fortunate that a throw or two weren’t intercepted, but he still showed progress against Georgia Tech compared to his season opener against Alabama.
Thomas completed 19-of-25 passes for 221 yards with a touchdown. He ran for 58 yards on 16 carries. Overall this tape definitely helps Thomas. He could end up getting second-day consideration, but will be a developmental project in the NFL.
Two Virginia Tech defensive linemen are worth mentioning. Senior defensive end James Gayle had a strong outing. Gayle had a nice play where he took on the right tackle, shed the block and stuffed the quarterback for a short gain. The next play, Gayle and Fuller almost recorded a sack. Throughout the first half Gayle did a super job of defending the option runs of Georgia Tech. He stayed disciplined and kept containment. This tape helps his stock to show his run defense.
Last but not least, Virginia Tech senior defensive tackle Derrick Hopkins was awesome. All night he was causing havoc at the line of scrimmage and knifing into the backfield. Hopkins controlled the middle and prevented the Yellow Jackets from running success. He’s having a strong senior season and definitely helped his stock against Georgia Tech.
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