Eye on the Draft: The Top Players on the Field at College Football This Friday

Did the two games in the NFL’s Thanksgiving round this Thursday (26) make you uncomfortable? The solution is in College Football! This Friday (27), ESPN broadcasts five college football games, especially Notre Dame vs North Carolina at 5:30 pm and Oregon vs Oregon State at 9:30 pm, which will be shown on ESPN 2. The other games will be streamed on the ESPN Play app.

To make matches even more interesting for you, we’ve separated two highlights from each team that should appear in the Draft and can paint on your team in 2021. Check it out!

Notre Dame x North Carolina – 17h30 – ESPN 2
Notre Dame is one of the forces in College Football this year. An experienced and talented team. Liam Eichenberg and Jeremiah Owusu-Karomoah have been the subject and you can read about them here.

Ian Book – QB Notre Dame
He won’t come to the NFL with the expectation of Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields. But Book has the weapons to be worked on by a coaching staff and develop within the league. Athletic, experienced (it’s been four years as a Fighting Irish starter) and is mature in his last season at College Football. Book takes what the defense offers him, without taking too much risk or making too absurd decisions. He is a prospect who will be selected, with great luck, in the third round. But he could be a surprise in the future if he falls into the hands of a good offensive coordinator and a quarterback coach with the skills to develop him. At worst, it will be a useful backup.

Ben Skowronek – WR Notre Dame
Another player that should be selected on day 3 of the next Draft, even more in such a promising class in the position of receivers. Skrownonek isn’t the most polished lane runner, doesn’t have the speed to burn cornerbacks or his athleticism is eye-popping. However, the wide receiver is extremely competitive. In addition, Skorownek has good height for the position, being an interesting option for goal line plays, using his physicality to win the battle for the ball.

Dyami Brown – WR North Carolina
Pressing Brown on the line of scrimmage is asking to be burned in a lane at the back of the field. The player’s speed is impressive, as is his ability to locate the ball in the air, facilitating the act of receiving. Respect for the threat he is in passes makes cornerbacks give a lot of space on the line of scrimmage, opening up the possibility of making the reception in shorter passes. Brown is also very good at double moves, perfectly selling his lanes, thus making life difficult for defenders. If opting for the Draft, the player must show up on day 3.

Dazz Newsome – WR North Carolina
The expectation was that Newsome would take advantage of the good momentum he built in 2019 and shoot the boards this year. However, frustration was general. Newsome did not evolve as expected of him, showing mistakes that had not been noticed in the previous year. The player, today, is an end of day 2, start of day 3 option in the Draft. Newsome’s physicality and agility are a gimmick for his film. But the player stands out, mainly, for the ability to generate yards after the reception. Currently, he appears to be a player who will be limited to lining up in the NFL slot.

Bonus: Sam Howell, North Carolina quarterback, candidate for the top 5 of the 2022 Draft. Kyren Williams, running back of Notre Dame, is also an interesting talent already thinking about 2022. The player should compete with Breece Hall for the position of best RB in his class .

Oregon x Oregon State
Want to read about the talented Deommodore Lenoir from Oregon? Click here. See other options below.

CJ Verdell – RB Oregon
The Ducks running back should take advantage of a class not as dominant as previous years and nail a selection on the third day of the next Draft. Verdell should immediately fit into the NFL as an expert on special teams, and could even be the main kickoff and punt returner. In attack, initially, it should be an option for the obvious passing plays, bringing aerial threat. Even with height and weight below what an NFL franchise wants, Verdell doesn’t shy away from contact and demonstrates an interesting body balance, which allows him to break tackles and gain more yards.

Isaac Slade-Matautia-LB Oregon
The linebacker is a future project. He must be selected in the final rounds of the 2021 Draft if he declares for selection. His primary potential will be as a backup in the linebacker position and with obligations in the specialist teams. In fact, special teams can be the ideal way for him to gain more playing time in the NFL. Playing your role well in punt and kickoff coverage can yield a sporadic vacancy in defensive actions, especially from the second year onwards. At the moment, however, the smart thing for Slade-Matautia is to return another year to College and improve his technique and reading of the game even further.

Hamilcar Rashed Jr – DE Oregon State
The pass rusher will have, against the state rival, the best opportunity to increase his quote in the next Draft. Rashed struggles to earn a spot in the first two rounds and bringing trouble to the Ducks’ excellent offense is the way to get the NFL’s attention. Rashed has all the physical tools at his disposal, but the technique still needs to be developed. He usually wins his battles by being faster or stronger than the opponent. His 2019 productivity draws attention – 14 sacks and 22.5 tackles for lost yards. After three games this season, his performance is more discreet – no sacks and just one tackle for losing yards. Time to start changing that scenario.

Isaiah Dunn – CB Oregon State
There is little talent available to the Beavers other than Rashed Jr. Dunn is a player who struggles to show he has the ability to be drafted, which is perhaps difficult for him. Oregon’s good offense, however, is an excellent challenge to show that it deserves a chance in the NFL. One feature that draws attention in his game is his competitiveness. He loves to talk and provoke opponents, and with this he tries to get into receivers’ minds. Dunn, however, is not one of the fastest cornerbacks, having difficulty at times keeping up with receivers one-on-one.

Bonus: Noah Sewell and Kayvon Thibodeaux are two of the most talented players in all of PAC-12. I look out for them as they will be first round picks in the future.