Blinkscout Final Month of College Prospect Musings

I haven't had time to post something like this in recent years due to poor time management ... but I'm better this year so I want to post in this "in between" time ...
When people are mostly still using preseason rankings but we have seen enough to know that some players are rising, and watching them perform over the final month of the season will be important.

Mainly this is important because of two things.
Transfer portal ... and extra years of eligibility.

Having stable QB play changs opportunities for WRs. Being able to go where there are higher passing attacks matters (Keon Coleman) ... also as a RB, being able to pick a new backfield where you can be on your own matters (Kenneth Walker, Ray Davis)

Another wild card is NIL. This could keep QBs that would normally come out early, in school longer. I don't mind. But it could cause weird shakeups if say, someone like Caleb Williams decided to stay at USC and make more money ... it's also why I'm 99% sure Shed Sanders doesn't come out this year.

Anyway, Im looking for who you're digging on right now if you have time. Any list to help me navigate however long or short helps.

This is what I got ...

QB
Williams (might stay in school)
Maye I think he's ready to come and play.
Penix ... his freestylke rappoing on the sideline about the comeback against Oregon was super leadership move .. he jumps for me.

JJ McCarthy and Quinn Ewers are the next tier. I'd be happy with either. Will they stay in school?

Jayden Daniels is picking up steam for me. As is Cameron Ward.

Hartman, Rattler, and Nix are backups in my opinion. Haven;t seen Tyler Van Dyke yet and Riley Leonard needs another year.
Austin Reed is rated as the 492nd prospect on the page Im using. No idea why. 6-4 220 with a great arm.

RB
I like Rocket, but I really feel like the best RBs are coming out in 25'.

I'm looking at mid to late rounders ...
Benson, Estime, Miyan Williams (who will be underrated), Ray Davis, Marshawn Lloyd, Devin Neal.

WR (No longer a need, obviously)
Upper end would be Antwane Wells, Pearsal, maybe Leggette. Round 3?

Jermaine Burton is listed too low but that should change ...
What about Jamari Thrash? Xavier WEaver on CO? ... and one of my personal favorites, Austin Reed's top target Malachai Corley.

I'm looking for speed/deep threats.


TE
This is a weird class. Mostly not my type of player. Bowers would be my TE 0 but he has reports of being really immature, and after Bennett Im not into that.

So many of these guys are rated so low. CJ Dippre and Isaac Rex aren't even listed as draftable? Benjamin Yurosek is a target for me ... as are Ben Sinnott and Cade Stover.


OT
So this is a spot where we could potentially take a valued position in the round it should be taken. But? Some of the top rated OTs are ORTs.

Jon Alt is top 5 for me.
Fashano and Mims are teens.

Then the next tier is Patrick Paul, Suamataia and Graham Barton. Do we like them enough to trade down or up and snag one? Suamataia may need a redshirt, pretty raw, but I'm not averse to that. Also I haven't seen jordan morgan of MD, he was hurt.

Latham and Guyton play on the right side. Walter Rouse the Stanford transfer is interesting...

Thoughts?

OG
I like our guys, here.

That said, if Christian Mahogany starts dropping Im watching. Any late round guys you are liking? I like the Duke kid (Monk) and A and M kid (Robinson)


OC
Im separating these two because I am pretty sure we may need to draft a guy high here.

Van Pran is worth a second rounder.

Other than that Limmer (ARK) and Raym (OK) are on my radar.

Jake Majors is listed really low (Texas) for some reason.


DEFENSE

DL
Taking this more seriously, but honestly we've done well here I believe.

This is a good class. Lots of depth. I like guys down to the 400+ rating levels. Like Nwankwo of Houston, great run stuffer, is ranked 520. Darius Robinson on Mizzou in the 460s. Both Bama DTs in the 300s.
I don't think the differences are that large between the top guys and the bottom ... it's just a good class. And? I trust our scouting dept here. I don't think we'll have to spend high picks in this area.


Edge

Here is the next area besides OLT where we are looking at value over time. Byron Young is special. Getting him where we did is simply lucky on top of good scouting. I don't believe there is top end talent here, but the next tier is pretty vast, and has some interestingly different body types to choose from.

Early
There's a chance that Dallas Turner slides to mid round. I think Verse goes top ten.
I like Latu, but he has an injury history. Tuimoluao is a big dude, but he does drop in coverage sometimes. Bralen Trice is also bigger. Chop Robinson just got dinged, but he's also on the radar for here. Jack Sawyer is also listed here, though he's more the off the ball type ...

There is a player, 6th year senior, who isn't listed ... Payton Wilson of NC state. He is a game wrecker. He also logged in at 23 mph this season chasing a play from behind. Pass rusher AND off ball LB. He's 26 I think. But I'd still draft him. He's listed as a straight ILB but his pass rushing stats say otherwise.

Late
JJ Weaver Kentucky is listed low, so is Princely Umanmeilen of Florida. Morris-Brasch of UCF is also.

I figure regardless of what we do in FA, and I think we do something ... we will load up at this position.

Also, Edgerrin Cooper (A and M) is listed inside very late but is an awesome pass rusher.


LB
Replacing Rozeboom? Maybe late value?

So, Im looking outside the top 150 ... Maybe Tyron Hopper (UF, Mizzou) slides. Omar Speights? Michael Barrett? Steele Chambers? Ben Bywater of BYU is underrated, as is Trevin Wallace.


CB
Again, another one we could go first or second round for, or FA, or both. Thing is, I need help here because IM not seeing much difference between who they have listed high vs. low, so Ill just throw out a lot of names.

McKistry is the first, and watching his technique this year, and tackling, I think he's earned a top ten slot. After him it's really murky (for me)

The rest of the top 100 is K King (PSU), Denzel Burke (OSU), Wiggins (CLEM), Marshall (UF), Lassiter (UGA), Arnold (BAMA), Newton (TCU), and Max Melton (brother on Rutgers, who I haven't seen) ...

Those are all late second rounders to me, maybe 3rd. Am I missing on someone?

Other names that stick out to me outside that top 100
Cam Hart (ND), Kyree Jackson (ORE) ... everyone else ? No real thoughts. I feel like we have to FA splash here, which is a gamble with DBs in my opinion.


S
Here I'm pretty confident, and would honestly draft a guy here earlier than normal because while we have Yeast and Lake, I think we need an enforcer/playmaker.

The top few Im not messing with, Dejean and Kinchens ... and likely Nubin is out of our range as well. But the mid rounds get interesting.

Malachai Moore (Bama), Cole Bishop (Utah), Beau Brade (MD), Lathan Ransom (OSU), Demani Richardson (A and M), Kenny Logan (KAN) ... I'm a fan of these kids. Malachai Moore or Bishop in the 3rd would make me pretty happy.

Then there are lots of talented kids outside the draft parameters ... Mark Perry and Bud Clark have taken a hit on TCU, Evan Williams on Oregon. Billy Bowman on Oklahoma, Mickens on Clemson.

That's value.




Okay, so summing up, thoughts on any of these guys going into the last month? Thoughts on any teams? I have no time for smaller schools so I will just take any info there and store it.

Any thoughts on who I should focus on, teams I should watch?

Any questions?

Also, the realignment has changed the way Houston, UCF, BYU, and Cincinnati play. They're upgraded. Next year should be wild for the huge realignments.

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