Welcome back! The college football season is nearly half completed. If you’re new to this article, the goal is to bring you the top upcoming dynasty prospects to watch in nationally televised college football games. It’s never too early to take a look forward. Who will be the sleepers of upcoming rookie drafts? Check back here every week for my ‘Weekly Watch’ series before you head into the weekend. Use this weekly article as a place to refer back to as you prepare to watch each game.
How this article works:
I’ll give you the network, time, and teams playing in nationally televised games. Below that, I’ll list the respective schools’ prospects that are, in my opinion, worth mentioning, their position, the year they are eligible to enter the NFL Draft, and their listed heights and weights.
Feel free to reach out on Twitter (@THEtristancook) if you have players you think deserve to be mentioned in next week’s article.
#3 Michigan @ #2 Ohio State
Saturday, 11/26 | 12:00 PM ET, FOX
#3 Michigan
Blake Corum #2, RB 2023 (5’8, 210)
The main player for Michigan remains the same, running back Corum. He hurt his knee last week, so the biggest question is how much he’ll be able to play. He’s been pushing for Day 2 NFL Draft capital, and deservedly so. However, Corum’s draft stock will largely depend on his testing numbers. But he’s looked good so far in 2022. He’ll probably head into the pre-draft process around RB5 for me in the class.
#2 Ohio State
CJ Stroud #7, QB 2023 (6’3, 218)
When the Buckeyes have the ball, the players to watch haven’t changed. The top 2023 prospect to know is their Heisman frontrunner, Stroud. I have him as my QB2 in this class, but he’s not very far behind Alabama’s Bryce Young for the top spot.
Marvin Harrison Jr. #18, WR 2024 (6’4, 205)
One of the most exciting players on the field for Ohio State this season has been standout-sophomore receiver Harrison. He seems to outdo himself each week, including a spectacular twisting catch along the sideline a couple of weeks ago. If you aren’t already, get used to hearing his name until the 2024 NFL Draft.
TreVeyon Henderson #32, RB 2024 (5’10, 214) ***INJURED***
The next player to watch is Henderson, but only if he is playing. He’s been dealing with some nagging injuries all year but is my RB1 for 2024. However, I’m not concerned about his long-term outlook. Barring anything major changing, he’ll be the top running back in his class.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11, WR 2023 (6’1, 200) ***INJURED***
Well, the return of Smith-Njigba was rather short-lived. He injured himself again, and at this point, I would be surprised if we see much of JSN for the rest of the year. He will have to show that he’s healthy in the pre-draft process and will likely have a bit of an ‘injury-prone’ label, but I’m still expecting him to be a first-round NFL draft player. There are several future receiver prospects to know for OSU, but the one for this year is JSN.
South Carolina @ #8 Clemson
Saturday, 11/26 | 12:00 PM ET, ABC
South Carolina
Spencer Rattler #7, QB 2023 (6’1, 215)
There is only one player I’ll be paying attention to for South Carolina in this game. Rattler has seen his stock plummet since the start of the 2021 season and hasn’t done much to rebuild it despite transferring. He’s had a bit of a resurgence of late, but at this point, Rattler’s stock is capped for me. He did lead the Gamecocks to a surprising upset over Tennessee last week, so maybe there’s a little bit of magic left in him this week against Clemson.
#5 Clemson
Will Shipley #1, RB 2024 (5’11, 205)
For Clemson, I’m mostly going to be focused on a pair of 2024 draft prospects, the first of which is Shipley. He has been Clemson’s best weapon so far this year but hasn’t exactly looked spectacular. Shipley is in the discussion for RB2 in the 2024 class after Ohio State’s Henderson, so I’ll be watching him closely this week.
Beaux Collins #80, WR 2024 (6’3, 210) ***INJURED***
Collins is the other player for the Tigers to know. It appears he will suit up and play this week against South Carolina. I like Collins a lot for 2024 but have been a bit underwhelmed by him in 2022. I hope he’ll rebound a bit next year with a better quarterback play. That is a pretty big ‘if,’ so I’m not holding my breath. But Collins is a player I’ll be watching closely going into 2023.
Auburn @ #7 Alabama
Saturday, 11/26 | 3:30 PM ET, CBS
Auburn
Tank Bigsby #4, RB 2023 (6’0, 213)
The player to know for Auburn is junior Bigsby. He had a promising freshman season in 2020, but his sophomore campaign was up and down. I have been a fan of Bigsby and think he’s a bit undervalued. He has dropped down to my RB3 in the class. I seem to be higher on Bigsby than most, but he’s in the group with Alabama’s Gibbs and Ole Miss’ Zach Evans for RB2 for me. He has rebounded a bit in the last few weeks, and I expect to see him slowly rise up draft boards in the next few months.
#6 Alabama
Bryce Young #9, QB 2023 (6’0, 194)
The main player to know for Alabama is still Young. I’ve been shocked by how many people have Young as QB2 or even QB3 in this class. He’s firmly my top quarterback and has been for a while. Bryce can make all the throws on and off-platform. Watching him make plays when the play breaks down is one of my favorite parts of each Saturday.
Jahmyr Gibbs #1, RB 2023 (5’11, 210) ***INJURED***
Gibbs is the other player I’ll be watching. He has an injured ankle, and it’s not entirely clear if he will play this week. If he doesn’t play, it wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t see him suit up again before his first NFL game. Gibbs has shown well above-average skills as both a rusher and receiver. He gets overshadowed quite a bit by Texas’ Bijan Robinson, but Gibbs is really good.
Minnesota @ Wisconsin
Saturday, 11/26 | 3:30 PM ET, ESPN
Minnesota
Mohamed Ibrahim #24, RB 2023 (5’10, 210)
This game will be one of my favorites to watch of the week. Not because it is impactful for the College Football Playoff but because it has two of my favorite running backs. First, for Minnesota, I’ll be watching Ibrahim. He is coming off a 39-carry game last week against Iowa in which he gained 263 yards rushing. Ibrahim has now carried the ball AT LEAST 30 times in each of his previous five games. I’ll be rooting for him at the next level.
Wisconsin
Braelon Allen #0, RB 2024 (6’2, 235) ***INJURED***
The player for Wisconsin I’ll be watching is Allen. He’s one of the players vying for the RB2 spot in the 2024 class but is currently dealing with an injury, and it is unclear if he’ll play. I have Allen as my RB2 in the 2024 class. Allen seems to be slipping a bit in the “consensus” rankings, but he still has the entire 2023 season to play.
#5 LSU @ Texas A&M
Saturday, 11/26 | 7:00 PM ET, ESPN
#5 LSU
Kayshon Boutte #7, WR 2023 (6’0, 205)
For LSU, the main player to watch is Boutte. The third-year receiver hasn’t exactly looked great this year. I’ve started seeing some people suggest that he might return for another season in Baton Rouge. I would be very surprised if that happened, but anything is possible. Boutte is still my WR1, and I fully expect him to declare for the NFL Draft following this season.
Texas A&M
Devon Achane #6, RB 2023 (5’9, 185) ***INJURED***
For A&M, the main guy to watch is junior running back Achane. However, he may or may not play in this game. However, I’m still very interested to see how he is valued as the NFL draft gets closer (assuming he declares) because he doesn’t have the size to be an NFL running back. Achane has speed for days, but his size might hurt his draft stock.
#15 Notre Dame @ #6 USC
Saturday, 11/26 | 7:30 PM ET, ABC
#15 Notre Dame
Michael Mayer #87, TE 2023 (6’4, 265)
The only player I’m interested in for Notre Dame is their star tight end, Mayer. He is the top tight end in the 2023 class and is the focal point of the Notre Dame offense. He has more than double the catches, yards, and touchdowns of the player with the second-most on his team. Mayer is a force to be reckoned with, so be ready to hear his name early and often. I think he’ll probably be a player picked around the end of the first round or early in the second round of rookie drafts.
#6 USC
Caleb Williams #13, QB 2024 (6’1, 215)
The Trojans have a ton of talent on their roster, but I will focus on their top two guys. First, we have their sophomore QB. He is already the top QB in the 2024 class, which is shaping up to be a better class than some people expected. Williams has all the tools you want in a quarterback, and watching him play is a lot of fun. He is a special player.
Jordan Addison #3, WR 2023 (6’0, 175)
Addison is the other player I’ll be watching for USC. He hardly did anything last week against Colorado, but I’m not concerned. Addison is my WR3 in the 2023 class and likely a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. The top five receivers are much closer than when the year started, so it’ll be interesting to see who can separate during the pre-draft process.
#13 Washington @ Washington State
Saturday, 11/26 | 10:30 PM ET, ESPN
Washington
Michael Penix Jr. #9, QB 2023 (6’3, 214)
The two players I’ll be watching in this game are the pair of starting transfer quarterbacks. First up, for Washington, the player to know is Penix. He has quietly had a strong season up in the Pacific Northwest for the Huskies. I would say there’s a decent likelihood that Penix will declare this year, but he’s listed as a junior, so he apparently could return for another season. Penix has been in college since 2018, so I think he may end up going pro. I would be surprised if he gets picked before the third day of the draft, but some people think he’ll go earlier.
Washington State
Cameron Ward #1, QB 2023 (6’2, 220)
I’ve talked about Ward quite a bit so far this year. He’s a very intriguing prospect that has been dynamic at times for Washington State. Statistically, Ward has put up big numbers, but he’s also made some head-scratching plays. Ward loves to throw the ball to his big outside receivers, Donovan Ollie and De’Zhaun Stribling. I firmly expect Ward to come back for another season.
That’s it for this week’s games. As I previously mentioned, if there is anyone you’d like me to take a look at or want to share your thoughts on anything dynasty related, hit me up on Twitter ( @THEtristancook ). Also, check out the tape on some of these guys in the Dynasty Nerds Film Room. It’s an amazing tool that I plan to take full advantage of. You can use the code “tcook” for 15% off a membership of any kind!