2021 NFL Draft: College Football Game Recaps – Early Bowl Games



This section breaks down many college football games each week and highlights how 2021 NFL Draft Prospects have performed. Or look at the 2021 NFL Draft Stock page.

By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
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Oklahoma 55, Florida 20
  • Floria was short-handed in this game, leaving quarterback Kyle Trask to play without his top four receivers, Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney, Trevon Grimes and Jacob Copeland, who were unavailable due to either preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft or testing positive for COVID-19. This game was a dud for Trask and could be his final collegiate game, but it was his only dud of the year after 11 straight excellent gamesa. Playing with backup receivers was a tough situation for Trask to be thrust into, but he also made his own mistakes unrelated to the loss of his playmakers.

    On the Gators’ first possession Trask telegraphed a pass on a deep out and had a cornerback jump the route for a 45-yard pick-six. Trask stared down the receiver, making it an easy interception for the Sooners defensive back.

    Trask had some bad luck on the next drive in that a deflected pass was picked off. The ball was a little behind the tight end, but it still should have been caught. Trask threw his third pick of the first quarter when he wasn’t on the same page with one of his new receivers, as the ball was located to the inside rather than the back corner of the end zone, and that resulted in an easy catch for the defensive back. Trask threw the ball before getting a good view, and that mistaken anticipation was costly for Florida.

    Trask came back to make some accurate passes downfield to help cut Florida’s deficit to four after falling behind 17-0, but Oklahoma pulled away and the Gators gave time to their backup quarterbacks. Trask completed 16-of-28 passes for 158 yards and threw three interceptions.

    This outing was Trask’s only bad game of the year. He absolutely dominated in the other 11. NFL evaluators are willing to give players a pass on one bad game, or even a couple. This season, Trask showed that he has the pocket-passing ability to be a starter in the NFL. Trask is an accurate passer who makes good decisions and has excellent ball placement. He is precise and efficient, which makes him utterly deadly from the pocket. Given a quality protection, Trask will carve a defense up. He has has very good pocket awareness, although some of that was developed by default because he simply lacks the physical gifts to be a running quarterback. Weeks ago, three directors of college scouting and a national scout told WalterFootball.com that Trask is a better pocket passer than Justin Fields, and there is no doubt about it. The lack of mobility hurts Trask for today’s NFL, but Trask could still end up being a second-day pick if he enters the 2021 NFL Draft.

  • Oklahoma running back Rhamondre Stevenson closed out the 2020 season continuing the quality play that he displayed after returning from suspension. Stevenson ran well from the get-go in this contest, including a 22-yard first-quarter run on which he used a spin move at the line of scrimmage and then bolted downfield. Stevenson helped produce points for Oklahoma on a couple of early drives, but in the second quarter, he had the ball punched out, losing a bad fumble that helped Florida get back into the game.

    Stevenson bounced back to run through a few tackles and convert a third-and-11, which illustrated his power and ability to pick up yards after contact. In the third quarter, he had a touchdown run called back on a penalty, but the big back ripped off a 49-yard run on the next drive, showing his quickness to get to the second level. Stevenson finished that drive by powering through an attempted tackle on a 15-yard touchdown run. Stevenson totaled 186 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown on the evening.

    While serving a suspension to open the season, Stevenson dropped weight and ended up playing in the 230s, but he still has power has very good quickness for his size. Stevenson shows the speed to hit the hole before it closes and a second gear to accelerate to the second level. At his size, Stevenson could be a power back who helps teams grind out wins and is a valuable back in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Team sources feel Stevenson could be a late third-round or early fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.




    BYU 49, Central Florida 23
  • It would be a shock if this wasn’t BYU quarterback Zach Wilson’s final collegiate game, and he went out in style, blowing out Central Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl. Wilson put his dynamic skill set on display, including his powerful arm, accurate passing, mobility, and special athleticism. This performance will definitely help Wilson’s climb up draft projections.

    Wilson showed his arm talent on the first snap of the game, firing a strike to the far sideline for a first down on a deep out. To finish that drive, Wilson took a quarterback draw to dart downfield for a 15-yard touchdown run. On the next drive, Wilson found a receiver wide open for a 36-yard touchdown as a flea-flicker end around led to busted coverage for Central Florida and an easy throw for Wilson.

    Shortly later at the end of the first quarter, Wilson showed his athleticism on a trick play on which he caught a 16-yard pass while picking up some yards after the catch. A couple of plays later, Wilson took a run to the perimeter on a sweep for an easy walk-in touchdown. Wilson’s next score was another easy six, as he threw down the seam to a wide-open tight end for a 27-yard score. Wilson made a fabulous pass in the second quarter, throwing deep down the field and dropping the ball right in the bread basket of the receiver for a 35-yard touchdown. The game was over by halftime, but BYU ran up the score and kept passing in the second half. Wilson finished completing 26-of-34 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns, plus rushed for two other scores.

    Wilson has the skill set to be a good starting quarterback in the NFL. He has a strong arm capable of making all the throws with good deep ball accuracy. Wilson shows the ability to fire strikes in the short to intermediate part of the field and has good ball placement to lead his receivers for more yards. Wilson’s timing, anticipation, accuracy, and field vision are on point to be an effective pocket passer.

    What makes Wilson special is his mobility and athleticism. He is a dangerous runner who has excellent feet and agility to dodge pass rushers in the pocket. With his feet and mobility, Wilson is able to extend plays, and he has the arm strength to make big throws off platform. Wilson is a threat to pick up yards on the ground as well, displaying some shiftiness in the open field. Wilson has a backyard baller style of play that brings energy to his team.

    Wilson also is an intelligent player who has good play recall, according to team sources. This season, he showed toughness and played with confidence. Wilson is a competitor who doesn’t get scared and won’t back down. Team sources have said that those are the strengths of his makeup, but Wilson has negatives as well. They say that he is a selfish, entitled rich kid, who us not a leader, but a know-it-all with parents who will be a pain for NFL staff to deal with. Thus, there is a wide range in terms of where teams are valuing Wilson, with some seeing him having the potential to go high in the first round and others thinking he will go a round later.







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