2024 NFL Draft: College Football Game Recaps – Week 11

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers returned to the field against Ole Miss for was his first action since sustaining an ankle injury on Oct. 14th versus Vanderbilt. Bowers made a few receptions in the early going of this contest before going down the seam for an eight-yard touchdown. That ended Bowers night, and he finished with three receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown.

For the NFL, Bowers looks like a receiving weapon and a dynamic contributor in the passing game. He is superb after the catch with excellent feel, route-running, and recognition of coverage. While Bowers isn’t the biggest of tight ends, He is a tough competitor as a blocker. This tape will help him to be a first-round pick next April in the 2024 NFL Draft.

While a lot of attention had been paid to Bowers’ return from injury, Georgia also got back another first-round talent in right tackle Amarius Mims. Mims had been out for a long time with an ankle injury and returned to the field versus the Rebels. In the first quarter, Mims blasted open a hole for a chunk run, which set the tone for a dominant night. Mims had no issues locking down the Ole Miss edge rushers and consistently generated a push in the ground game.

Mims is a special talent for the next level. He has massive size alongside shocking speed and athleticism. Georgia has had some skill set freaks on the defensive line in recent years with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, and Mims is that type of specimen, but for the other side. Mims has a rare body type with very little body fat for an offensive linemen. Sources have said that physically, Mims is similar to Cowboys great Tyron Smith. Mims will probably be a workout star, but he also has superb tape, including a dominant performance against Ohio State’s highly hyped defensive ends at the end of the 2022 season. Getting back on the field and showing he was healthy were huge for Mims’ draft grade, and he could be a high riser during the leadup to the 2024 NFL Draft.

Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter continued his excellent season, providing blanket coverage on the Ole Miss receivers. Early in the first quarter, Lassiter had blanket coverage on a deep ball downfield and almost made a diving interception on the incomplete pass. In the third quarter, Ole Miss threw at Lassiter on a third down, and he knocked the pass away to get his defense off the field. Lassiter does not have big production, but that’s in large part because teams have avoided throwing at him. He is very consistent at running the route to prevent separation. Behind this season of good tape, Lassiter looks like a future first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Florida State wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson have battled some injuries this season, but they were both back for the rivalry game. Coleman missed last week’s game, and he did not look quite like his normal self versus Miami. Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis also was not locating passes as well in the early going of this contest.

In the first quarter, Wilson got open on a dig for a first down into Miami territory. Later in the second quarter, Travis tossed a pass behind Wilson, but the big wideout could not hold onto the ball while reaching behind him. It was not an easy thing to catch, but Wilson is a big possessional receiver and needs to make those kinds of plays. Later in the second half, Wilson had a chunk completion and then had an ugly dropped pass along the sideline. Wilson has had problems with dropped passes over his collegiate career, and tallying another drop will reinforce those concerns. Wilson finished with five catches for 82 yards.

Late in the first quarter, Coleman got open running a middle post for a 33-yard would-be touchdown, but Travis sailed the throw incomplete. A few plays later, Travis had a pass overthrown along the sideline in the end zone and Coleman twisted around to try to make a one-handed back-shoulder reception, but the ball was too tough to control. In the fourth quarter, Coleman made a huge play for Florida State with a 57-yard punt return to start the Seminoles at the Miami 10. Coleman soon drew a pass interference in the end zone, and a couple of plays later, he made a contested catch for a touchdown while drawing another pass interference. Against Miami, Coleman totaled four receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown.

Coleman looks like a first-round pick with the potential to go in the top half of the 2024 NFL Draft. Wilson has mismatch size, but his hands and likely separation issues versus NFL corners make him more of a prospect for Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Travis completed 19-of-31 passes against Miami for 265 yards and a touchdown. For the 2024 NFL Draft, he looks like a potential second-day or mid-round pick. Travis is a gritty competitor who can hurt defenses with his arm or legs, but he looks a little short of first-round ability as a passer or runner. Travis could end up being a nice mid-round pick who is underestimated but turns into a viable pro backup and spot starter.

The Miami safety tandem of Kamren Kinchens and James Williams have played really well for the Hurricanes this season, and both had mixed outings while taking on perhaps the best offense they will see all season. In the third quarter, Kinchens and Williams combined to make a touchdown-saving tackle on a 60-yard reception. A couple of plays later, Kinchens made a hard hit on Coleman at the two-yard line to knock the big receiver backward. Those tackles were key though, as they provided some big stops that led to Florida State settling for a game-tying field goal.

Kinchens returned to the field on the next Florida State possession, but this time the safety tandem did not make the play because Kinchens couldn’t get off a block in time and Williams took a bad angle to miss on a 38-yard touchdown run by Trey Benson.

Kinchens is a superb prospect who is a dynamic ball-hawking safety with excellent instincts, the speed to cover downfield, and tremendous ball skills. Williams could be a starting strong safety who also could be groomed to be a sub-package linebacker. Next April in the 2024 NFL Draft, Kinchens looks destined to go in the first round and Williams could go on Day 2.

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Rome Odunze have put up huge numbers this season, and they were taking on a gritty Utah defense that has a number of players who will play on Sundays. While the weather made for difficult passing conditions, Penix was not as sharp with his ball placement against the Utes compared he had typically been in other games this season.

On the first drive of the game, Penix had a receiver open on a corner route for a first down, but Penix sailed the pass too high for an incompletion. On the next drive though, Washington kept the ball on the ground and Penix ran the ball into the end zone from a few yards out. During the next drive, Penix threw some impressive posts, lofting in a deep one and then firing a missile into a tight window. However once again, Penix sailed a pass too high this time in the end zone, going over the head of Rome Odunze.

Eventually, Penix made the Utes pay by connecting with Odunze for a touchdown from 35 yards out. Odunze ran a vertical from the inside hash, and Penix laid out a beauty to throw his receiver open in the back of the end zone to beat tight coverage. However on the next drive, Penix’s accuracy struggled again, as he sailed a few more passes incomplete.

Penix got very fortunate early in the third quarter after he fumbled a shotgun snap. He fumbled the ball again on the play while getting sacked, but a Washington teammate fell on the ball. Penix came back to loft into a completion to Odunze, who outfought the cornerback for a 44-yard gain. That led to a field goal that put Washington within one point. On the next drive, Penix had a pass off the mark, but his tight end made a leaping, spinning one-handed catch to convert a fourth-and-1. A few plays later, Penix found Odunze for a score to put the Huskies in front. Odunze got open running a slant, and the Utes safety blew the coverage to let Odunze open for the score. Penix finished completing 24-of-42 passes for 332 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

For the NFL, Penix could end up grading out as a starter by some team evaluators. He has a strong arm with pocket presence, mobility and toughness. It will be interesting to see if NFL teams feel Penix is worthy of being a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Odunze finished catching three passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Around the NFL, don’t be surprised if Odunze is a love/hate prospect. I know some evaluators who feel he could be a first-rounder, and I know others who don’t like him and do not think he is starter for the NFL. Those latter evaluators point to Odunze struggling to generate separation, as he makes a lot of his plays on contested catches. It will get more difficult for Odunze to do that at the pro level, and Odunze reminds this analyst of Josh Doctson, N’Keal Harry and Laquon Treadwell. They were both good college receivers who won on making contested catches, but like Odunze they weren’t overwhelmingly big and being unable to create separation led to them being NFL busts. Still, there are probably enough evaluators who believe in Odunze that he could end up going late in the first round or in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is in the running to be the third quarterback taken in the 2024 NFL Draft behind only USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye. This season, the Wolverines have dominated and blown out a string of weak opponents, so it was interesting to see how McCarthy would handle his first real challenging test of the season. Penn State’s defense did a nice job of defending the pass, so Michigan turned to a ground-based offense.

After some punts, McCarthy converted a third-and-long by using his legs to get down the sideline and pick up the necessary yardage. He showed nice athleticism and speed on the play. That helped set up a rushing touchdown for Michigan. In the third quarter, McCarthy used his legs to get a gain of nine on a fourth-and-1. That play set up a field goal. Early in the fourth quarter, McCarthy made a poor read, not getting his eyes to a wide-open receiver. McCarthy made a poor throw behind his receiver, but a pass interference flag, provided a first down and yardage. Against Penn State, McCarthy only attempted eight passes and had seven completions for 60 yards.

Overall, this tape is not going to help McCarthy, but it won’t significantly hurt him either. He showed his running ability with athleticism and toughness. McCarthy has a quality arm and can throw the ball accurately. Quarterbacks can get pushed up in NFL drafts because there are always teams desperate for a starter and aren’t picking high in the first round. McCarthy has the potential to be a quarterback who rises into the first round during the 2024 NFL Draft process. He also could return to Michigan for next season. If McCarthy doesn’t go in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, he will be a second-day pick.

The Nittany Lions have two cornerbacks who will be playing on Sundays in Johnny Dixon and Kalen King. Dixon has been very good this year, but King has really struggled. Thanks to Michigan staying committed to the ground game, Dixon and King were not thrown at very much. In the first half, King made a good open-field tackle downfield at the six-yard line. In the fourth quarter, King reacted late to a route, which led to him being out of position. King also ran into the chest of the receiver to draw a pass interference. Overall, this tape won’t hurt or help either defensive back significantly.

Penn State’s defense stifled the Michigan passing attack, but Michigan had workhorse back Blake Corum available to carry the load. Corum stepped up and did the heavy lifting for the Wolverines, churning out tough yardage. He had a short rushing touchdown in the first half and helped Michigan win the time of possession. Late in the fourth quarter, Corum put the game away with a 30-yard touchdown run. He finished the day with 145 yards and two touchdowns over 26 carries.

Corum looks like a potential NFL starter. He has good vision and patience to let plays develop. With a strong build, Corum can pick up yards after contact and is able to push through tacklers. Corum will need work in pass protection and receiving for the next level, but he could be a starter and steady back as a pro. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Corum could be a second-day pick.