Analysis
10/4/21
12 min read
College Football: Week 5 Draft Stock Watch
Top SEC Matchups
- LSU ED Ali Gaye vs Auburn RT Brodarious Hamm
Ali Gaye had his most productive game of the season matched up primarily against 2nd Team All-SEC selection Brodarious Hamm. Gaye lived in the backfield Saturday night, beating Hamm badly with his take off and developed rush game for 6 pressures (half of his 12 total). However, Gaye was unable to convert on all of the disruption – failing to record a sack. Pressures and QB hits can be as valuable as actual takedowns, but Gaye’s inability to finish on so many opportunities may raise questions.
- Kentucky ED Josh Paschal vs Florida RT Jean Delance
Paschal was key for Kentucky’s upset Saturday, playing his best against the Wildcats’ toughest opponent of the young season. Paschal lit up the box score, stuffing the stat sheet with his uncommon motor (6 defensive stops, 4 TFL/No Gains, 3 pressures). Paschal enjoyed particular success against Florida’s most athletic blocker, RT Jean Delance, beating him badly for 2 pressures and a TFL. The veteran Paschal did right by his draft stock - coming up big for a surging Kentucky team in a primetime win.
- Alabama RB Brian Robinson Jr. vs Ole Miss Front Seven
Brian Robinson Jr. tortured a resurgent Ole Miss front seven stocked with draft eligible defenders (LBs Chance Campbell, Lakia Henry, DL Sam Williams, among others). Robinson Jr. runs with outstanding balance, evidenced by his 137 yards after contact on Saturday alone. He is adept at absorbing contact without straying from his vertical path. Robinson Jr. is explosive off of one foot as a classic downhill, one-cut back. He grinded out tough yards against an improved defense, (12 first down runs), controlling the tempo of the game.
2022 NFL Draft Stock Up:
- Kentucky ED Josh Paschal
- Georgia LB Nakobe Dean: 1 TFL – 2 sacks – 3 total pressures
- Alabama RB Brian Robinson Jr.: 36 Att – 171 yards – 4 TD – 11 missed tackles forced
2022 NFL Draft Stock Down:
- Auburn OT Brodarious Hamm
- Alabama CB Josh Jobe: 2 rec allowed – 25 yards – 1 missed tackle – 1 pass interference
- Arkansas ED Tre Williams: 36.3 PFF defensive grade – 2 missed tackles – 0 pressures
Eyes On Next Week
Week 6: Notable Games
Alabama vs Texas A&M
- Alabama CB Josh Jobe vs Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith, TE Jalen Wydermyer
- Alabama DL Phidarian Mathis vs Texas A&M OL Kenyon Green
Georgia vs Auburn
- Georgia LBs Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker vs Auburn RB Tank Bigsby
- Georgia OT Jamaree Salyer vs Auburn ED Derrick Hall
Top PAC-12 Matchups
- Arizona State OT Kellen Diesch v UCLA ED Mitchell Agude
Diesch had the advantage in this matchup against Agude. Diesch looked comfortable in his pass sets and did a great job eliminating Agude from the game. Diesch showed good awareness in pass protection and showed good hand usage. He struggled with pad level in the run game.
- Stanford QB Tanner McKee v Oregon’s Secondary
McKee utilized the middle of the field very well. He moved around the pocket well and stood in there while under pressure to deliver some nice throws. He had some inconsistencies–missing some routine throws but for the most part showed good accuracy. Was hurt by a few drops and sometimes showed tunnel vision on his drop backs. Overall a good game against a very talented opponent.
- UCLA WR Kyle Philips v Arizona State CB Chase Lucas
Philips has Lucas’ number this game, catching multiple passes against the senior CB. His crisp route running gave Lucas trouble. He was able to create consistent separation and should have had a better stat line, but Thompson-Robinson missed him on a possible TD and on a few other short routes.
2022 NFL Draft Stock Up:
- Stanford ED Jordan Fox - 8 TOT, 2 solo, 2 TFLs, 3 stops, 89.3 PFF
- Washington RB Sean McGrew - 16 car, 104 yds, 2 TDs, 5 missed tackles forced, 79.8 PFF
- Stanford QB Tanner McKee - 20 of 36, 230 yds, 3 TDs, 9 car, 14 yds, 1 big time throw (BTT), 0 turnover worthy plays (TWP), 56.6 PFF
2022 NFL Draft Stock Down:
- California QB Chase Garbers - 14 of 30, 152 yds, 1 INT, 2 BTTs, 1 INT, 1 TWP, 61.8 PFF
- Arizona State CB Chase Lucas - 4 TOT, 4 solo, 5 rec allowed, 46 yds allowed, 2 first downs allowed, 1 missed tackle, 60.5 PFF
- UCLA ED Mitchell Agude - 4 TOT, 1 solo, 0.5 TFLs, 2 missed tackles, 2 pressures, 54.1 PFF
Eyes On Next Week
Week 6: Notable Games
Utah vs USC
- SAF Vonte Davis v QB Kedon Slovis
- LBs Nephi Sewell & Devin Lloyd v Andrew Vorhees
Stanford vs Arizona State
- ED Gabe Reid v OT Kellen Diesch
- WR Elijah Higgins v CB Chase Lucas
Top Big-12 Matchups
- Oklahoma St RB Jaylen Warren vs Baylor ED Cole Maxwell
Oklahoma State RB Jaylen Warren accounted for 36 carries on the day, working Baylor’s defense at 3.5 yards per carry en route to 2 TDs on the day. He earned a PFF rush grade of 62.5 in addition to pass blocking grades of 74.6 this week per PFF. Baylor's ED Cole Maxwell did his part in setting the edge, finishing with 6 tackles, 0.5 sack and earning the spot as top graded run defense player in the Big-12 this week with a rating of 89.2 per PFF.
- Oklahoma S Justin Broiles vs Kansas St QB Skylar Thompson
Oklahoma S Justin Broiles was the fourth highest graded defensive player in the Big-12 this week, per PFF. He came in at a 81.6 defensive grade in addition to being the highest graded coverage player this week at 80.6. Kansas State QB Skylar Thompson had little to no issues with Oklahoma’s defense as he completed just over 70 percent of his passes and 3 passing touchdowns in route to being the second highest graded Big-12 offensive player for the week at 88.5, per PFF.
- Iowa St QB Brock Purdy vs Kansas Defense
This was the type of game that Iowa State QB Brock Purdy needed to put together, completing 77.3 percent of his passes en route to a 4 TD day and an offensive rating of 86.1 per PFF. Kansas defense struggled to step up and force Purdy into unfavorable positions as the Jayhawks team defense graded out at 48.9 with a coverage grade of 54.0 all the while allowing for 9 explosive passes allowed (over 15 yds).
2022 NFL Draft Stock Up:
- Oklahoma St RB Jaylen Warren 36 car 125 yds 3.5 avg 2 TDs long 21 yds. 2 rec 5 yds 1 fum
- Kansas St QB Skylar Thompson 29 of 41 320 yds 7.8 avg 3 TDs
- Iowa St QB Brock Purdy 17 of 22 245 yds 11.1 avg 4 TDs, 5 car 37 yds 7.4 avg long 15 yds
2022 NFL Draft Stock Down:
- Oklahoma St QB Spencer Sanders 13 of 23 182 yds 7.9 avg 1 TD 3 INT, 12 car 76 yds 6.3 avg
- Baylor RB Trestan Ebner 8 car 0 yds long 3 yds
- Baylor QB Gerry Bohanon 13 of 27 173 yds 6.4 avg, 9 car 13 yds 1.4 avg 1 TD long 9 yds
Eyes On Next Week
Week 6: Notable Games
Oklahoma vs Texas
- Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler vs Texas CB D'Shawn Jamison, Texas S B.J. Foster
- Oklahoma ED Nik Bonitto vs Texas OT Christian Jones, Texas OT Derek Kerstetter
TCU vs Texas Tech
- TCU OT Obinna Eze vs Texas Tech LB Krishon Merriweather
- TCU CB Noah Daniels vs Texas Tech WR Kaylon Geiger
Top Big-10 Matchups
- Minnesota OT Daniel Faalele vs Purdue ED George Karlaftis
This matchup features two of the top prospects in the Big 10 and both players did not disappoint. Karlaftis finished the game with two total pressures, and four total tackles. On the other side, Faalele only allowed one pressure all day. Although Karlaftis did not line up opposite of Faalele every play, there was a good amount of plays where we saw the two go head-to-head. Faalele’s feet and length were two things that really stood out. For someone as big as he is, he moves well and was able to seal off Karlaftis on a couple reach blocks. On the other hand, he needs to improve his punch timing and hand placement. These were two things that got him into trouble against Karlaftis. It is very evident that Karlaftis is a polished prospect who plays with a high motor and he was a clear mismatch against everyone not named Faalele. He attracted a ton of attention on every play and saw a lot of double teams, however, it is evident why he is a highly touted prospect. One thing that stuck out to us was his hand usage.
2. Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa & WR Dontay Demus Jr. vs Iowa CBs Riley Moss & Matt Hankins
Entering the game, Taulia Tagovailoa was one of the hottest QBs in the country and the Maryland receiving duo, especially Dontay Demus Jr., were producing at a high rate. On the other side, Iowa’s defense has been and still is one of the best in the country led by these two talented CBs. Unfortunately we did not get to see much of Demus in this matchup due to a gruesome lower leg injury he suffered on a kick return in the second quarter. He did get some reps against Hankins and he was targeted once, and had him beat, but Tagovailoa overthrew him. Demus caught his only target against Moss, a screen, and was able to get some yards after the catch. Moss intercepted Tagovailoa once when he was sitting in zone coverage. The combination of losing his security blanket in Demus Jr., a big deficit, and a stellar defense, made Tagovailoa very uneasy all night and he really struggled. He threw five interceptions in total, however, one was an end of half heave, and he was unable to get into any rhythm.
3. Michigan ED Aidan Hutchinson vs Wisconsin OTs Tyler Beach & Logan Bruss
Aidan Hutchinson is must watch tv, and is no doubt one of the top prospects in the country. There was a lot of hype entering this game and a big part of that was due to this matchup. Tyler Beach has had a disappointing season so far, but at 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, he is still someone that people should be keeping an eye on. Logan Bruss has had the better season of the two so far, coming in at 6-foot-5, 316 pounds. Hutchinson was all over the place in this game and he was clearly the best player on the field. Whether it was Beach or Bruss, no one was able to contain Hutchinson. Hutchinson finished with a 90.2 PFF grade, three total tackles, one TFL, and five total pressures. Unfortunately, Beach and Bruss both struggled in this game. Bruss had a 35.4 pass blocking PFF grade, while Beach had a 34 pass blocking PFF grade. Beach allowed two sacks and three total pressures, and Bruss allowed two total pressures. Both Beach and Bruss were much better in the run game, finishing with the two highest PFF run blocking grade on the team.
2022 NFL Draft Stock Up:
- Ohio State WR Chris Olave - 6 targets, 5 catches, 119 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Michigan OT Andrew Stueber - 0 pressures allowed, 0 sacks allowed, 0 beaten by defender, 77.4 PFF Grade, 86.7 pass blocking PFF grade
- Michigan State WR Jayden Reed - 5 targets, 4 catches, 127 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 punt ret TD
2022 NFL Draft Stock Down:
- Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa - 16 for 29, 157 yards, 2 TDs, 5 INTs, 49.8 PFF Grade
- Wisconsin OT Tyler Beach - 2 sacks allowed, 3 pressures allowed, 34 pass blocking PFF Grade
- Indiana RB Stephen Carr - 15 carries, 50 yards, 3.3 YPC, 40.8 pass blocking PFF Grade
Eyes On Next Week
Week 6: Notable Games
Iowa vs Penn State
- Penn State WR Jahan Dotson vs Iowa CBs Matt Hankins & Riley Moss
- Iowa OC Tyler Linderbaum vs Penn State DL PJ Mustipher
Ohio State vs Maryland
- Ohio State ED Zach Harrison vs Maryland OTs Jaelyn Duncan & Spencer Anderson
- Ohio State OL Thayer Munford & Nicholas Petit-Frere vs Maryland DL Sam Okuayinonu
Top ACC Matchups
- Clemson EDs Myles Murphy, Xavier Thomas vs Boston College OT Tyler Vrabel, Ben Petrula
Tyler Vrabel was extremely poor in this game, registering a 45.7 PFF Grade and an 11.1 percent pressure rate allowed before leaving with an injury. Petrula was much better, notching a 73.4 PFF Grade and only a 2.2 percent pressure rate. On the Clemson side, Murphy and Thomas combined for 3 sacks and 8 pressures, making life difficult for Boston College QB Dennis Grosel.
2. Notre Dame DB Kyle Hamilton vs Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder
Kyle Hamilton had a pretty average game this week, not making a huge impact overall. His biggest moment was allowing a TD to Tre Tucker on which he failed to pick up the ball in the air. His coverage on the play wasn’t terrible, but he misjudged the flight of the ball at the key moment and that sealed his fate. Hamilton’s biggest impact at this level continues to come from the fact that teams quite frequently avoid targeting him, but Ridder and Cincinnati showed that picking spots to do so can be valuable.
3. Clemson CB Andrew Booth Jr. vs Boston College WR Zay Flowers
Clemson CB Andrew Booth had a great day in coverage as he was targeted 3 times and only allowed 1 catch for 0 yards. He also chipped in a season high 8 tackles while helping his team defeat Boston College. Zay Flowers broke out of his slump with 70 yards, but was only able to catch 5 of his 12 targets. He earned a measly PFF grade of 48.8, his lowest of the season.
2022 NFL Draft Stock Up:
- Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett: 23 of 36 (63.8%) 389 yards 4 TD 0 INT (90.6 PFF Grade)
- Virginia SAF Joey Blount: 8 tackles, 0 missed tackles, 2 catches allowed, 5 yards allowed, 0 penalties, 5 stops, 1 pass defended (80.6 PFF Grade)
- Clemson OT Jordan McFadden: 0 pressures allowed, 0 hurries allowed, 74.9 PFF Grade
2022 NFL Draft Stock Down:
- Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong: 25 of 44 (56.8%) 268 yards 1 TD 1 INT (51.2 PFF Grade)
- North Carolina State WR Emeka Emezie: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 67 yards, 0 TD (53.2 PFF GRADE)
- Miami SAF Bubba Bolden: 5 tackles, 1 missed tackle, 3 catches allowed, 26 yards allowed, 1 penalty (54.4 PFF Grade)
Eyes On Next Week
Week 6: Notable Games
Notre Dame vs Virginia Tech
Notre Dame DB Kyle Hamilton vs. Virginia Tech QB Braxton Burmeister
Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer vs. Virginia Tech LB Dax Hollifield
Virginia vs Louisville
Virginia SAF Joey Blount vs. Louisville TE Marshon Ford
Virginia LB Noah Taylor vs. Louisville QB Malik Cunningham
