We are nearing the end of the college football season, which is probably the most depressing thing you’ll read all day. On the flip side, because we are so close to the end of the season, I will have some special articles dropping from now on instead of just this one once a week. Stay tuned in to my social media and The AOSN social media for those announcements. Moving on, let’s dive into this week’s recap.
Draft Risers:
1. Daniel Jones, QB, Duke:
The 2019 QB class is looking weaker with each passing week, especially as we’re hearing Justin Herbert and Dwayne Haskins might return to school. Daniel Jones is emerging as a high riser and a potential top QB selection. Jones looks the part at 6’5” and 220 pounds, and scouts are raving about his upside and character. He has a great arm and displays the touch on passes you want to see. He needs to work on his progressions and reads, but the upside is there. Also, Jones broke his collarbone earlier this season and was only out for two weeks, I don’t even know how that’s possible. So we know he’s tough. 5 months out from the draft now, Jones could see himself sitting at QB one come April.
2. Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame:
This cornerback class has some top end talent, but it isn’t very deep. Love has climbed out of that second tier and into the first tier with his play this season. Love excels at tackling, a rare trait at cornerback which NFL teams love. He also has great instincts and a nose for the ball, being able to close quickly and make a play on it. Love is the type of cornerback you can throw out on an island and feel comfortable, knowing he can hold his own against the pass and help out in the run game.
3. Antoine Wesley, WR, Texas Tech:
Wesley has been thrust into the receiver spotlight this year at Texas Tech and he has handled it well. Coming into this season he only had 10 receptions, and this year he has 78 for 1,347 yards and 9 touchdowns. This past week against Texas, Wesley had 8 receptions for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is a great route runner who attacks the ball in the air due to his size and height at 6’5”. There is still a lot of jostling at the top of this receiver class, so Wesley has a chance to make some serious noise.
Draft Fallers:
1. Isaiah Prince, OT, Ohio State:
After starting the year well and actually rising up some draft boards, Prince has been underwhelming the past couple of weeks. Prince has struggled in pass protection, often getting beat quickly and giving up a sack. He looks like he’s not ready for the play to begin and just looks slow. The Ohio State offense has struggled recently, and Prince is a big reason why, failing to protect Haskins.
2. Jaquan Johnson, S, Miami:
Johnson was one of my favorite players heading into the season, but I have been severely disappointed with his play so far. He lacks the ball skills and instincts, most notably biting on run fakes and getting beat over top by receivers. Johnson has the athleticism to make up for it on occasion, but that won’t work at the next level. This Miami team is struggling this year, but Johnson takes a share of the blame.
3. Michael Deiter, OT, Wisconsin:
Before the season began, Deiter was looked at as a first-round prospect along with offensive line teammate David Edwards. While Edwards has maintained expectations, Deiter has fallen short. There haven’t been any huge blunders by Deiter. He doesn’t have the skills in either the pass or run game than were expected. Deiter looks more like a second or third round prospect at this point, but we still have a long time before the draft for things to swing back for him.
Small School Prospect Spotlight:
Chris Johnson, S, North Alabama:
This week’s small school prospect comes in the form of ball-hawking safety from a North Alabama program that is in it’s first season as a D1 program. Johnson is tall and rangy, standing at 6’2”, and can cover the field exceptionally well. He is a good athlete that can be placed deep and asked to be a blanket over the top due to his length and speed. Scouts have been impressed with him this year, and he could be a late round gem in this draft.
Top Match-Ups This Weekend:
1. Notre Dame vs Syracuse:
Unfortunately, most top teams have fairly easy games scheduled for this week as they prepare for the tough end stretch for the year. Fortunately, this game pits two top 15 teams against each other for us to enjoy. Notre Dame is led by cornerback Julian Love, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, linebackers Te’Von Coney and Drue Tranquill, offensive lineman Alex Bars, and running back Dexter Williams. Syracuse displays the talents of defensive tackle Chris Slayton, tight end Ravian Pierce, and offensive linemen Cody Conway and Aaron Roberts.
2. Clemson vs Duke:
This is another good match-up in a weekend full of duds. Clemson has the top talent in defensive linemen Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Austin Bryant, linebacker Kendall Joseph, offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt, and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. Duke has the hot-hand quarterback Daniel Jones, along with linebacker Joe Giles-Harris and cornerback Mark Gilbert.
3. Texas vs Iowa State:
This match-up pins two top 25 teams together in continuance of a dreadful college football weekend. Texas is led by defensive linemen Breckyn Hager and Charles Omenihu, wide receiver Collin Johnson, cornerbacks Kris Boyd and Davante Davis, linebacker Anthony Wheeler, and running back Tre Watson. Iowa State displays running back David Montgomery, wide receiver Hakeem Butler, cornerback Brian Peavy, and linebacker Willie Harvey.