Analysis
10/6/23
7 min read
2024 NFL Draft: Players To Watch In College Football Week 6
For the second year, our Reese’s Senior Bowl scouting team will be on 10-plus college campuses around the country every week during the 2023 college football season. This year’s scouting team includes 10 former NFL scouts with more than 200 years of league experience. The Senior Bowl has had 100-plus players drafted, accounting for more than 40 percent of the past three NFL draft classes.
Follow @JimNagy_SB on Twitter on Saturday to see up-close, field-level videos on the following players:
In heights/weights, "v" denotes verified, "e" denotes estimated.
Scouting College Football Week 6
Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
Height: 6004 (v)
Weight: 199 (v)
Arm: 31 1/8"
Matchup: @ UMass— Noon ET, ESPNU
We made a mental note about Rockets CB Quinyon Mitchell two years ago while scouting Cincinnati Bengals’ strong safety Tycen Anderson. Our staff will see him live for the first time on Saturday vs. UMass.
Mitchell had plenty of Power-5 interest offseason after finishing second in the MAC in interceptions and setting the school’s all-time single-season pass breakups record (20), but he opted to stay at Toledo.
Six-foot corners with ball skills are at a premium, so Mitchell will likely be one of the first Group-5 prospects to hear his name called next April. We’ll also be watching Mitchell’s teammate, safety Maxen Hook, who we have a draftable grade on right now.
William & Mary Edges John Pius and Nate Lynn
John Pius
Height: 6016 (e)
Weight: 234 (e)
Nate Lynn
Height: 6030(e)
Weight: 255(e)
Matchup: @ Virginia— Noon ET, ACCN
There hasn’t been a more disruptive pass rushing duo in all of college football, at any level, this season than the Tribe’s John Pius and Nate Lynn.
Through five games, the pair has combined for 17 TFL and 11 sacks. Saturday’s game at Virginia is a good “play-up” opportunity against a Power-5 program. It’s certainly a game NFL scouts in the Mid-Atlantic region are looking forward to seeing.
Pius made this year’s Senior Bowl Watchlist after finishing runner-up for the Buck Buchanan Award (nation’s top FCS defensive player) last year. Lynn has played his way onto our radar with this speed and effort these past weeks.
Virginia State DB Willie Drew
Height: 5113 (v)
Weight: 181 (v)
Arm: 31 5/8"
Matchup: @ Bowie State— 2 p.m. ET
This is a big weekend for our staff when it comes to getting live looks at small-school prospects. Virginia State CB Willie Drew is one of our highest-graded HBCU players.
Drew caught our attention this summer with his effort and ball skills. The way he flies around will help scouts with the special teams projection, which is critical since most rookie corners are counted as big contributors on fourth down. The James Madison transfer already has two interceptions and eight pass breakups this season.
Washington State WR Josh Kelly
Matchup: @ UCLA—3 p.m. ET, PAC12
Cougars QB Cam Ward has been lights-out so far this season, and he’s put receiver Josh Kelly on our radar in the process. The Fresno State transfer had his breakout game two weeks ago against Oregon State with eight catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns, including a highlight reel one-handed grab.
We’ll have a scout in the Rose Bowl on Saturday looking to see if Kelly looks as fast in person as he did on tape against the Beavers.
South Dakota State RB Isaiah Davis
Height: 5117 (v)
Weight: 227 (v)
Hand: 10 1/2"
Matchup: @ Illinois State— 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Running back is one position where scouts can find Sunday players at lower levels of college football. Jackrabbits’ Isaiah Davis, along with New Hampshire’s Dylan Laube, are the FCS backs whose names consistently come up on calls with NFL scouts.
Davis was the MVP on last year’s FCS championship team after rushing for 1,451 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those numbers put him on our radar while doing summer tape work. Davis is a natural runner with good patience, vision and contact balance.
He catches it well out of the backfield with his unusually large 10.5-inch hands, so he has the three-down value that NFL teams are looking for.
Florida State DB Jarrian Jones
Height: 6000 (e)
Weight: 189 (e)
Matchup: Vs. Virginia Tech —3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
The Seminoles are loaded with next-level talent this year, and one prospect who’s flying under most draft radars is DB Jarrian Jones. The fifth-year former Mississippi State transfer won FSU’s most improved defensive player award last year, and he’s putting out better tape this year.
Jones is a tough and alert short zone player who does some of his best work when aligned in the slot. It would not be surprising if NFL teams project someone with his aggressive nature to safety.
Mike Norvell’s team has many players who have helped themselves this season, and Jones is certainly one of them.
Kentucky OC Eli Cox (6042v, 309v, 32 1/8 arm)
Height: 6042 (v)
Weight: 309 (v)
Arm: 32 1/8"
Matchup: @ Georgia—7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Eli Cox has been on our radar for a while ever since we scouted current Jacksonville Jaguars starting center Luke Fortner for the game three years ago.
The Wildcats started Cox off at right guard this season, but he shifted back to center — where he played all of last season — a couple of weeks ago. Cox’s move back to center has shored up some issues the team was having with shotgun snaps, and it has also sparked a resurgent run game.
RB Ray Davis was named our Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week after last Saturday’s 280-yard effort against Florida. The stellar play of Kentucky’s offensive line also deserves to be recognized. Cox is one of the most dependable OC/OG interior swing prospects in this year’s draft.
Miami (FL) LT Jalen Rivers, LG Javion Cohen, and OC Matt Lee
Jalen Rivers
Height: 6050 (e)
Weight: 325 (e)
Javion Cohen
Height: 6042 (v)
Weight: 339 (v)
Arm: 33 7/8"
Matt Lee
Height: 6032 (v)
Weight: 300 (v)
Arm: 32 1/2"
Matchup: Vs. Georgia Tech —8 p.m. ET, ACCN
Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke has gotten off to a fast start, showing improved accuracy and more confidence in the first month of the season. A big reason for his success has been the improved play of the Canes’ offensive line.
The return of versatile LT Jalen Rivers from injury (missed the entire 2022 season) and two big-time portal pickups — LG Javion Cohen from Alabama and center Matt Lee from UCF — has been the biggest reason why this team starts October with a 4-0 record.
Coach Mario Cristobal is an offensive line coach by trade, so he’s obviously had an influence, but credit also goes to position coach Alex Mirabal. This unit has been holding Miami back in recent years and is suddenly a strength.
SEMO WR Ryan Flournoy (6020v, 197v)
Height: 6020 (v)
Weight: 197 (v)
Matchup: Vs. Central Arkansas— 5 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Ryan Flournoy got off to a fast start this year with 20 catches in his first two games before suffering a broken hand late in the game vs. Lindenwood. We reached out to the SEMO coaching staff this week to make sure Flournoy would play on Saturday, and they assured us their top playmaker would be on the field.
The double transfer from Central Missouri and Iowa Western CC was named to Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” over the summer. He’s undoubtedly one of the top “traits” wideout prospects at the FCS level in this draft cycle. There is late draftable love for Flournoy in NFL scouting circles.
Before taking over as executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl in 2018, Jim Nagy was an NFL scout for nearly two decades, having worked for five teams that won a combined four Super Bowls. Follow him on Twitter @JimNagy_SB.
