Clemson 29, Florida State 13
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Florida State defensive end Patrick Payton had a slow start to the season, but he has heated up in recent weeks, and that continued against Clemson. While the Seminoles’ defense has struggled, Payton has improved his play and has shown growth in his ability for the next level. Last year, Payton benefited from the attention paid to Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, but this year, Payton is creating plays on his own.
Early in this game, Payton fired into the backfield to get a tackle for a loss on a zone run that was going away from him. While Payton was unblocked by design, most ends don’t have the speed to flatten down the line and get to the back. Late in the first half, Payton got low and skinny to get around the right tackle and make a tackle on a back to get his second tackle for a loss. In the third quarter, Payton got off his block to make another tackle near the line of scrimmage. Payton finished with four tackles and a few tackles for a loss.
While Payton did not record a sack in this game, he has given NFL teams evidence that his run defense is improved from last year. On his tape from 2023, Payton showed pass rush ability but had issues getting moved out of his gap in defending the ground game. Payton looks stronger, more stout, and a more well-rounded defender this season. This tape will help his draft stock.
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Clemson’s defense has some future pros and early-round prospects in linebacker Barrett Carter and defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart. Both of them were active and played well against Florida State. In the first quarter, Carter blitzed up the middle, and after being blocked initially, Carter adjusted to wrestle down the quarterback when he climbed the pocket for a sack. Throughout the night, Carter did a nice job reading his keys to chase down backs and limit runs in the ground game. Carter finished with ten tackles and the sack. Carter looks like a potential starting Will linebacker in the NFL, and he could end up being a day-two pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Capehart is not a player who will produce a big state line, but he is a big tackle who is a stout defender at the point of attack. All night, the Seminoles were incapable of moving him out of his gap. Capehart stands up run blocks and is able to plug up interior rushing lanes. In the second quarter, Capehart had a good interior push to get close to the quarterback, and he recognized the throw coming to bat down the pass. He repeated that play in the fourth quarter. With the NFL starting to feature more rushing on offense, Capehart could find himself in demand in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Georgia 31, Auburn 13
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There was the potential for a good draft matchup in this game, with Georgia safety Malachi Starks and cornerback Daylen Everette being challenged by a talented group of Auburn receivers led by KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Overall, the Georgia defensive backs did a good job of limiting Lambert-Smith, but their job was easy as the Auburn offensive line and quarterback Payton Thorne struggled throughout the game.
In the first quarter, Starks came through with a touchdown-saving tackle on Jarquez Hunter after Hunter broke into the open field. In the second quarter, Starks had a nice tackle in run support to stop a back for a gain of only a few yards. Early in the third quarter, Hunter broke free down the sideline, and Starks could not chase him down. Starks took some false steps toward the line of scrimmage, and that made it impossible for Starks to chase down Hunter. Midway through the fourth quarter, Starks had a good tackle inside the Georgia 20 and forced a throwaway on a safety blitz.
Overall, this tape won’t significantly hurt or help Starks. In the fourth quarter, Everette mugged a receiver and was called for pass interference, but aside from that play, this was a solid tape from him. Lambert-Smith had a solid game moving the chains on a few short receptions, and hauling in seven passes for 95 yards. Lambert-Smith looks like he could be a mid-rounder who has the potential to develop into a quality depth receiver.
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A week ago, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck led his team to a huge comeback that fell short against Alabama, but the cause of the Bulldogs losing that game was Beck’s interceptions and fumble. He also had some inaccurate passes downfield to miss some big plays. It would be interesting for NFL evaluators to see how Beck responds to a disappointing loss.
In the first quarter, Beck threw a couple of darts to move down the field and set up a short rushing touchdown for Trevor Etienne. After a hot start for Beck, the Auburn defense settled in to force some punts. Beck had a fortunate break go his way in the first half when he threw into a crowd, and the pass went to receiver Dillon Bell, and he dodged a tackler to get an 11-yard touchdown. After an ugly, inaccurate throw for an incompletion, Beck threw a tremendous pass to the deep sideline for a 27-yard gain. That set up another rushing touchdown, and early in the fourth quarter, Beck executed a play-action before throwing a quick slant to Bell for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Beck made some nice completions to help ice the win away for Georgia. Against Auburn, Beck completed 23-of-28 passes for 240 yards with two touchdowns and zero turnovers. Overall, this was a fine tape from Beck. He did not dominate but was solid and managed the game well. Beck threw some accurate strikes to move the ball and put points on the board. This tape will be a net positive to help Beck be a first-round pick next April. -
One Auburn player who has helped himself this season is senior running back Jarquez Hunter. Hunter is a tough downhill runner who has the power to break tackles and pick up yards after contact. He ran well against Georgia, with 91 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Hunter (5-10, 209) has a strong build with good body lean to run behind his pads. With his technique and running style, Hunter is hard to get a hold of for defenders, and he will bounce off a lot of tackles. Hunter has been one of the better backs in the nation this year, and he is helping his draft grade.
Texas A&M 41, Missouri 7
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Some good pro prospects were going head-to-head in College Station, but for a lot of the game, they were unable to impress as the Aggie’s ground game dominated the first half. Perhaps the top prospect in this game was held quiet as a result, and that player is Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III.
In the first quarter, Burden got behind busted coverage and was wide open about 25 yards past the line of scrimmage. Arter making the catch, Burden raced down the field for a 75-yard touchdown, but a questionable illegal blocker downfield on Missouri took away Burden’s score. Later in the second half, Burden caught a pass about six yards downfield and juked a defender to gain another half dozen and first down for Missouri. In the fourth quarter, Burden took a hard hit and seemed to be favoring his ribs. After some plays off, Burden came back and made a pretty back shoulder catch with an excellent adjustment to help his quarterback.
Burden finished catching six passes for 87 yards, but he easily could have had the 75-yard score added in. For the NFL, Burden is a dangerous route-runner with speed, athleticism, and agility. This tape will help him to be a first-round pick next April.
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After a slow start to the season, Texas A&M defensive lineman Nic Scourton has started to heat up for the Aggies. Against an outside zone run, Scourton powered through the right tackle and tripped up the back to get a tackle for a loss. Scourton added a second tackle for a loss when we went unblocked and took down the quarterback when he didn’t hand the ball off on a zone-read play. Early in the fourth quarter, Scourton helped set up a sack for a teammate as he pushed the right tackle and right guard toward the left side to let a looping defender come free for a sack. Shortly later, Scourton shook free from the right tackle to cause a throwaway from the quarterback.
For the NFL, Scourton is a thick-bodied defender who can contribute as a defensive end or move inside to rush as a defensive tackle. Scourton is strong to shed blocks and has a burst to eat up ground. He has not looked as special this year as on his Purdue tape from last year. Of course, the competition is better in the SEC, so that can explain why Scourton looks less dynamic. Still, Scourton looks like an first- or second-round pick next April.
