This section breaks down many college football games each week and highlights how 2019 NFL Draft Prospects have performed. Or look at the 2019 NFL Draft Stock page.
By Charlie Campbell.
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Virginia Tech 24, Florida State 3
On the first drive, Burns came unblocked and hit the quarterback to force an incompletion. Burns then fired into the backfield to help get in on a tackle for a loss. Just before halftime, Burns made a tackle on a third down to help get his defense off the field. Burns later read a counter play to make a tackle that saved the Seminoles from having the run broken downfield for a big gain. Later on the drive, Burns got his first sack of the season as he used a fast spin move to cut back to the inside and chase down the quarterback.
Overall, this was a good tape from Burns, as he showed his speed off the edge and was a contributing run defender. Given his leaner frame, he looks like he would be better off as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.
Early in the second quarter, Walker came unblocked to fire into the backfield and get a tackle for a loss. Shortly later, Walker was injured and had to be helped off the field as he couldn’t put any weight on his left leg. Fortunately, he returned to the game soon after and immediately made a tackle in run support. Walker got a number of pass pressure and disrupted the middle of the pocket. This was a quality start to the season for Walker.
In the early going, Francois made some good passes, but as the game progressed, things snowballed on him. In the second quarter, Francois threw a frozen rope in to a tight window for what should have been a touchdown but the receiver dropped the pass. Francois then aired a ball out up for grabs and the pass was overthrown for an interception. In the fourth quarter, Francois forced a bad pass into double coverage and had a safety undercut the pass for an interception. Later on, he had a pass tipped into the air and that led to another pick. Francois completed 22-of-35 passes for 233 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. Francois will have to show significant improvement in the weeks to come.
LSU 33, Miami 17
The Hurricanes tested him with a deep ball, but Williams maintained tight coverage to force an incompletion. Just after halftime, Williams was tested downfield again and used the sideline well to push a receiver out of bounds to prevent a reception. Williams had a solid start to the year against Miami.
Alabama 51, Louisville 14
In the first quarter, Davis pushed through the guard and center to get a tackle for a loss with edge linebacker Christian Miller. Shortly later, Davis shed his block to make a tackle near the line of scrimmage. Davis later got a push through the right guard to force the quarterback up in the pocket, and teammate Isaiah Buggs was there to clean it up for a sack. Davis was strong at the point of attack and showed the speed to collapse the pocket in the pass rush. It was a quality start to the year for him.
Having the heavy platoon of Alabama running backs could end up helping Harris, as it will help to keep him healthy and fresh throughout the season without entering the NFL with a lot of wear-and-tear. That rotation will hurt Harris’ production, but some team sources say they doesn’t bother them and they believe that Harris will end up going in the first few rounds of the 2019 draft.
Diggs came close to a leaping interception and had an impressive diving pass break-up. With size and speed, Diggs has the skill set to compete, and it will be interesting to see if he can develop the consistency and discipline to maximize his physical talent. This was a nice start to his season, as Diggs is a prospect to watch this year.
Ohio State 77, Oregon State 31
Late in the second quarter, Bosa found pay dirt recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. He then combined with teammate Chase Young for another sack. Bosa’s day was done at halftime but he totaled 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown, and he was constantly harassing the quarterback. It was a game of domination that illustrates why Bosa will be a high first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
In the second quarter, Jones recorded his second sack of the season as he used speed to the inside to come straight down the pocket and take down the quarterback. Shortly before halftime with Oregon State throwing out of their own end zone, Jones once again used his speed to start a sack and this time he forced the fumble that Bosa recovered for a touchdown.
Jones got his season started in excellent fashion with 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a lot of disruption behind the line of scrimmage. This game will help Jones’ draft grade and shows that he is an early-round talent.
Campbell (4-22-1) and Hill (6-82) contributed as well. Hill made some impressive plays showing good hands and some run after the catch skills. Campbell caught an eight-yard touchdown in the third quarter. With quarterback Dwayne Haskins showing a lot more passing potential than J.T. Barrett, Campbell and Hill could have big seasons.
Notre Dame 24, Michigan 17
Just before halftime, Winovich used power to shed the right tackle and then chased down Fighting Irish quarterback Brandon Wimbush for a sack with a hard hit to the midsection. Winovich later got a hit on Wimbush as he threw and that helped produce a floating pass that was intercepted by Michigan. In the fourth quarter, Winovich came off the edge unblocked and snuffed out a draw for a loss of five.
Winovich showed serious speed off the edge with the athleticism to dip underneath blockers and the strength to fight off the hands of blockers. Winovich is able to use his hands and feet at the same time while seeing the field well. With a non-stop motor, Winovich pursues plays all over the field.
This was a phenomenal game from Winovich. His physical look and style of play resembles Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. This tape will definitely help Winovich in his draft grade.
Throughout the night, Tillery was pushing through the Michigan interior line to get pressure and was stuffing runs at the point of attack. With multiple sacks showing speed, power, length and size, Tillery really impressed. He could be a 4-3 defensive tackle or an end in a 3-4. This tape illustrated that Tillery has a day-one or day-two potential for the 2019 NFL Draft.
In the third quarter, Patterson connected downfield for a 52-yard gain as wide receiver Nick Collins laid out for the ball. If Patterson had the pass placed better, it could have gone for a long touchdown as Collins was running free. Patterson then broke a tackle in the backfield before taking off on a run of about 10 yards, but the next play, Patterson was pressured and threw a ball up for grabs that was intercepted by Notre Dame.
Patterson was pulled from the game early in the fourth quarter, and it wasn’t clear if it was for injury or performance. However, after sitting on the bench for awhile Patterson went into the locker room, but then came back onto the field and replaced Dylan McCaffrey with five minutes remaining. The break seemed to do Patterson some good as he started to move the ball by using his feet to by time and then throw some receivers open. That drive ended in a short rushing touchdown. On the final drive, Patterson moved the ball some, but then he had poor ball security when he fumbled the ball away. Tillery hit and grabbed his chest and that caused Patterson to drop the football because he was holding it loose away from his body as the rush was closing in on him.
Patterson completed 20-of-30 passes for 227 yards with an interception and a fumble. Patterson showed a bad habit to retreat and backpedal in the pocket rather than getting the ball out. He felt the rush when it wasn’t there at times and held the ball too long when the pocket was collapsing. This is not a tape that makes Patterson look like a first-round pick.
Auburn 21, Washington 16
Early in the first quarter, Stidham threw a well-placed pass high to the back corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. Wide out Sal Cannella leapt to make the catch over a defender, but it was a perfect pass where only the 6-foot-5 Cannella could make the catch.
Stidham then made a series of nice plays, including showing his athleticism to escape a sack and then throw on the run for a first down, throwing a dart to get his receiver open for a back-shoulder reception, and then a slant for about 20 yards. That led to an Auburn field goal. Throughout the first half, Stidham moved the ball with accurate passes, but Washington’s defense came up with red zone stops.
In the second half, Auburn’s offense stalled as Stidham had some plays where he was indecisive and failed to find any open receivers. There were also some plays where Stidham held the ball too long. In the fourth quarter, he came back to make some good throws and used his legs to move the ball as Auburn took the lead for good midway through the final frame. Stidham finished completing 26-of-36 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. This tape won’t blow NFL evaluators away, but it also shouldn’t hurt him considering the quality of his opponent, as well as the fact that Stidham led his team to a win despite the offensive line really struggling with Washington’s defense.
Brown did a nice job of stuffing runs at the point of attack and holding his ground throughout the game, and he helped the Tigers to keep dangerous Washington running back Myles Gaskin from getting loose. Overall, this tape shouldn’t hurt or help Brown significantly.
In the third quarter, Gaskin found some running room to rip off a run of 25 yards. Aside from that play, Auburn’s tough defense did a nice job of stifling Gaskin. He ran for 50 yards on his other 16 carries to total 75 on 17. This game could bolster the view that Gaskin being a thinner, smaller, and fast back is better as part of a platoon in the NFL. He may not have the size or power to be a three-down starter as a pro.
Oklahoma 63, Florida Atlantic 14
On his first run, Singletary broke two tackles on an impressive carry for just a few yards. That set the tone as Singletary ran hard on proceeding carries, but Oklahoma controlled the point of attack, so it was difficult for Singletary to find any running lanes. Late in the third quarter in garbage time, Singletary ran a good route to get open for a 13-yard reception that set him up for a short touchdown run. Singletary totaled 69 yards on 18 carries with the score.
As a runner, Singletary is put together well for being a short back. NFL scouts measured him at 5-foot-7, 199 pounds. He has 29 7/8-inch arms, 8 3/4-inch hands, and a wingspan of 69 3/8 inches. He is said to run the 40 in 4.58 seconds. At that size, Singletary could be better as a platoon back, and he could be too undersized to be a three-down starter. He was durable in 2017, and that will be important for him to prove again in 2018.
Anderson totaled 100 yards on five carries with two touchdowns. The real question for Anderson is how fast he is. If he runs well, he could be a first-rounder, but if his speed is average, then Anderson is more of a second-day prospect. Against very weak competition, that concern was not resolved.
In the second quarter, Brown torched Florida Atlantic for a 65-yard touchdown, as Brown burned the corner deep down the field to haul an over the shoulder catch before coasting into the end zone. That ended Brown’s day, totaling six receptions for 133 yards with two scores. Brown tore up the easy competition and he probably will do that all year against the weak Big 12 defenses. While this wasn’t a real test, Brown showed well using his dynamic speed to make plays. He also tracked the ball well, and surprisingly showed some nice fight to beat defensive backs for a few contested catches. This was a strong start to the 2018 season for Brown.
Northwestern 31, Purdue 27
Thorson started the game well, going 6-of-7 for 51 yards on his first two drives, both of which finished with short rushing touchdowns. Most of his throws were quick passes and screens to the outside. He did make one superb play on which he read a linebacker stepping out of a lane and fired a bullet behind him to a slanting receiver between a corner and safety. That excellent throw illustrated Thorson’s arm, field vision, and accuracy.
After that scoring drive, Thorson was pulled from the game due to being on a “pitch count.” Northwestern planned to play both Thorson and the backup T.J. Green – son of Trent Green – extensively, but pulling Thorson disrupted his and the offense’s rhythm. In the second quarter, Thorson came back into the game after Green had two drives. Thorson connected on a deep pass that led his receiver open for a gain of 40 yards. Thorson threw one more strike near the goal line to set up another short touchdown run.
In the second half, Thorson showed some nice field vision to work through progressions, and threw some well-placed passes to move the ball. Once again, he split playing time with Green. Thorson finished the evening having completed 16-of-27 passes for 172 yards. Overall, it was a solid start to the season. Thorson does not look 100 percent yet as a runner, but he showed some improved ball placement and mechanics in his season debut.
Hall made a great play in the second quarter. The senior from Toledo dropped into zone coverage and made a leaping one-handed catch for an interception. Late in the second quarter, Hartage snatched his first interception of the year. He was in zone coverage and had a weak pass float right to him for an easy pick.
Hall was active beyond those plays, showing some speed to close and physical tackling in the ground game. He could fit on the outside of a 4-3 or the inside of a 3-4. Hartage, meanwhile, is a tough corner who could be short on twitch and speed. He looks like more of a zone corner for the NFL.
Wyoming 29, New Mexico State 7
Midway through the first quarter, Granderson made his presence felt with a safety. He fought off blockers to knife into the end zone and start a tackle of the back to give Wyoming two points. Later in the third quarter, Granderson got upfield and showed some awareness to get his hand up to slap down a pass attempt. Aside from that, Granderson had the game go away from him. New Mexico State’s offense struggled all night, and the Aggies’ drives ended quickly while Wyoming controlled the ball on offense to eat up a lot of the clock. Granderson totaled two tackles with .5 for a loss, one pass batted and the safety.
Granderson has the look of a NFL player. He has some size, speed and athleticism, plus he plays hard. This tape was that of a second-day prospect, but obviously this is very early in the season, so he could definitely rise.
In the third quarter when Hanks was matched up as a slot corner, a Wyoming wide receiver ran by him and had a few yards of separation deep downfield, but an inaccurate pass saved Hanks from giving up a long touchdown. Hanks has some speed for a linebacker, but is not a Myles Jack type who had the speed to play some corner in college football. A few plays later, Hanks had a nice run fill and tackle in the ground game. He showed some speed running from the far side of the the field to help push a running back out of bounds on the opposite side.
Against Wyoming, Hanks notched 11 tackles with one for a loss. He looks like a fit as a potential Will linebacker in a 4-3 defense for the NFL. In a 3-4, he could be one of the inside linebackers, and would be better as the run/chase backer rather than the one who is taking on a lot of blocks. Hanks is willing to take on blockers and doesn’t run around them, but he can get washed out and pushed around by offensive linemen. He is quick to read his keys and has the speed to be a pursuit linebacker. Hanks put together impressive production in the passing game over his first three seasons – five interceptions and 12 passes broken up -, and showing better pass-coverage skills in the weeks to come will be critical for Hanks to end up getting selected in the top half of the 2019 NFL Draft.
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