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 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 article each week as a place to refer back to as you get ready 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.
#4 Michigan @ Iowa
Saturday, 10/1 | 12:00 PM ET, FOX
#4 Michigan
Blake Corum #2, RB 2023 (5’8, 210)
The player I’m focusing on for Michigan remains the same, and it is running back Blake Corum. Corum had a big day last week against Maryland. He’s in the mix for Day 2 NFL Draft capital, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if he returned to Ann Arbor for another year. Corum’s draft stock will largely depend on his testing numbers. But he’s looked good so far in 2022. I’ll be monitoring him closely throughout the year.
Iowa
Sam LaPorta #84, TE 2023 (6’4, 249)
For the Iowa offense, there’s only one potential NFL prospect I’m focusing on: senior tight end Sam LaPorta. This Iowa offense has been pretty awful for most of the year, but LaPorta is intriguing. We know Iowa is somewhat of a tight end factory, and LaPorta looks like he’s next in line. Expect to see him heavily peppered with targets this weekend.
#7 Kentucky @ #14 Ole Miss
Saturday, 10/1 | 12:00 PM ET, ESPN
#7 Kentucky
Will Levis #7, QB 2023 (6’3, 232)
Will Levis is the top prospect for this Kentucky team that I’ll be monitoring. Levis has been considered the potential QB3 in this class but was recently ranked as the QB2 by ESPN’s Mel Kiper:
I’m not sure I agree with that ranking, but the hype is growing. I don’t know that he’ll ever get higher than QB3 on my rankings, but regardless, he’s someone to know.
#14 Ole Miss
Zach Evans #6, RB 2023 (6’0, 215)
I have talked a lot about the battle for RB2 in the 2022 class, and one of the names in that ring is Zach Evans for Ole Miss. Evans is a former transfer who looked good for the Rebels in split duty with freshman Quinshon Judkins. We should see both of them on the field, but the name to know for 2023 is Evans. He does almost everything well. The only real question is if he will have any off-the-field issues.
Michael Trigg #0, TE 2024 (6’3, 240)
The other player I’ll be watching is tight end Michael Trigg. He transferred over with Jaxon Dart from USC. Trigg hasn’t done much this season outside of a three-score game against Central Arkansas. He still has another year prior to being draft eligible, but I had hoped to see a bit more from him this season.
#18 Oklahoma @ TCU
Saturday, 10/1 | 12:00 PM ET, ABC
#18 Oklahoma
Eric Gray #0, RB 2023 (5’10, 211)
The first of two players that I’ll be watching for Oklahoma is running back Eric Gray. He had a big day last week in the loss to Kansas State. Gray had 116 yards rushing and added 7 catches out of the backfield. I anticipate Gray being a Day 2 NFL Draft pick, but I think he’s a steal there. I’ll probably end up drafting him in a lot of rookie drafts.
Marvin Mims #17, WR 2023 (5’11, 184)
The other player I’ll be watching closely is receiver Marvin Mims. He has been gaining some draft hype as this year has played out, and deservedly so. But, at this point, he still looks like a value. If he continues to perform on the field, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his name shoot up draft boards.
TCU
Quinten Johnston #1, WR 2023 (6’4, 215)
TCU has two players that interest me. First and foremost, I’ll be watching Quinten Johnston. QJ has been incredibly disappointing in 2022. His 8 catches for 73 yards with zero scores is a bad week for him, but that’s his stat line on the season. Johnston has all the physical traits that profile to be a WR1 at the NFL level, but he will need to do more on the field if he wants to be drafted early.
Kendre Miller #33, RB 2023 (6’0, 220)
The other player on this roster I am watching this week is Kendre Miller. Unlike Johnston, Miller has looked good this season. I expect him to be heavily involved against Oklahoma. While I’m not sure how high-up draft boards he will make it, Miller is someone I’m monitoring.
Purdue @ #21 Minnesota
Saturday, 10/1 | 12:00 PM ET, ESPN 2
Purdue
Charlie Jones #15, WR 2023 (6’0, 188)
There are two players that we will likely see heavily involved in the Purdue offense. First, we have wide receiver Charlie Jones. Jones has kept up his strong production through the first four games of the season for the Boilermakers. The fourth-year WR has 41 catches, 533 yards receiving, and 7 scores. I expect to see Jones continue to be targeted heavily throughout the rest of the year.
Payne Durham #87, TE 2023 (6’5, 255)
The other player I’ll be watching is tight end Payne Durham. He has bounced back nicely since starting the season rather slow. It’s hard to project the TE position at the NFL level, but Durham certainly has the size to play. If he plays well the rest of the year and can show above-average athleticism, Durham could end up being a mid to late-round draft pick.
#21 Minnesota
Mohamed Ibrahim #24, RB 2023 (5’10, 210)
One of the best storylines of the 2022 season has been the return of Golden Gophers star running back Mohamed Ibrahim. He suffered a gruesome injury in the opening week of last season and has battled his way back. Not only has he made it back onto the field, but he’s also been dominating. The injury will likely play a role in how NFL teams evaluate him, but you can’t help but root for this guy.
#2 Alabama @ #20 Arkansas
Saturday, 10/1 | 3:30 PM ET, CBS
#2 Alabama
Bryce Young #9, QB 2023 (6’0, 194)
The main man to know for Alabama is still Bryce Young. Young torched the Vanderbilt defense last week for a cool 385 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. Young is my QB1 in the class, but several people think he’s QB2. Or, as we saw, some have him as QB3. I think by the time the draft rolls around, he’ll be one of the top two quarterbacks taken.
Jahmyr Gibbs #1, RB 2023 (5’11, 210)
Gibbs is the other player I’ll be watching, and I’m starting to raise an eyebrow at his play. He’s looked good as a receiver out of the backfield, but his lack of rushing production isn’t great. I think Gibbs is still a very good running back and will be in my second tier of RBs come draft day, but I’d like to see him do a bit more on the ground.
#20 Arkansas
Raheim Sanders #5, RB 2024 (6’2, 227)
For Arkansas, the player I’ll be watching is Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders. He is coming off his worst game of the season but still managed decent numbers against Texas A&M. I’ve seen Sanders ranked as high as RB2 for the 2024 class, behind Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson. Fortunately, we have a lot of time to iron out the running back rankings for 2024, but he’s someone you’ll likely hear a lot more about.
#22 Wake Forest @ #23 Florida State
Saturday, 10/1 | 3:30 PM ET, ABC
#22 Wake Forest
Sam Hartman #10, WR 2023 (6’1, 210)
There are two 2023-eligible players for Wake Forest of note. First, we have their redshirt junior signal caller, Sam Hartman. Hartman was a potential 2022 NFL prospect but decided to return for the 2022 season. He then missed time earlier due to a medical condition but has since returned to the team. I think Hartman has the talent to get a look at the next level, but his draft position will likely depend on how his medical checks go.
AT Perry #9, WR 2023 (6’5, 205)
The top weapon for Hartman has been AT Perry. He broke out last year with 71 catches, 1293 yards receiving, and 15 touchdowns. I expected Perry to go to the NFL, but he returned for this season instead. His production numbers this year are slightly down as we are seeing teammates Jahmal Banks and Donovan Greene produce as well. I’m a believer in Perry. He has good receiver skills and is a monster target at 6’5” tall.
#23 Florida State
Johnny Wilson #14, WR 2023 (6’7, 235)
If you are like me and are a big fan of AT Perry as a big target, then you should love Johnny Wilson. He is listed at 6’7” and looks the part. Wilson has been inconsistent for Florida State, but that size is unguardable at the college level. He’ll need to develop more skills to succeed at the next level, but he has eligibility remaining.
LSU @ Auburn
Saturday, 10/1 | 7:00 PM ET, ESPN
LSU
Kayshon Boutte #7, WR 2023 (6’0, 205)
For LSU, the leading player to watch is Kayshon Boutte. The third-year receiver sent the entire state of Louisiana into a frenzy after the opening week loss to Florida State when he scrubbed all his social media of LSU references. He hasn’t exactly looked great so far this year, with only 10 catches for 93 yards and no scores. I am not too worried about his on-field production, but it would be nice to see him do something more than we’ve seen this year. Boutte is currently my WR1, and I’m not sure it will change.
Auburn
Tank Bigsby #4, RB 2023 (6’0, 213)
The player to know for Auburn is junior Tank Bigsby. He had a promising freshman season in 2020, but his sophomore campaign was a bit up-and-down. I have been a fan of Bigsby and think he’s a bit undervalued. He currently is my RB2 in the class, but as I’ve mentioned, several players are vying for that spot. He hasn’t looked particularly good this season, so I’ll be paying close attention to how he does this week. Bigsby certainly doesn’t have the RB2 spot locked up.
#10 NC State @ #5 Clemson
Saturday, 9/24 | 7:30 PM ET, ABC
#10 NC State
Devin Leary #13, QB 2023 (6’1, 215)
Devin Leary is the player to watch for the Wolfpack. He came into the season hoping to climb into the discussion for the first day of the NFL Draft but hasn’t looked too great. I think he still has a chance to break into Day 2, but he will need to look good in this big game against Clemson. If he falters, he may see his draft stock tank.
#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 Will Shipley. He has been Clemson’s best weapon this year and had a big game last week in the OT win over Wake Forest. If you are unfamiliar with Shipley, he was the 32nd overall recruit and the RB2 in the 2021 recruiting class and is certainly a name to remember for next year.
Beaux Collins #80, WR 2024 (6’3, 210)
Beaux Collins is the other player for the Tigers to know. He isn’t having a particularly stellar year, but I think that’s more due to the mediocre quarterback play from DJ Uiagalelei. It wasn’t too long ago that DJU was a top devy prospect, but now he seems to be the cog holding back the Clemson offense. I like Beaux Collins a lot for 2024; we’ll see if he can continue to develop nicely.
Arizona State @ #6 USC
Saturday, 10/1 | 10:30 PM ET, ESPN
#6 USC
Caleb Williams #13, QB 2024 (6’1, 215)
The top two names to know for USC are still the same. Caleb Williams struggled quite a bit last week against Oregon State, so it will be good to see how he bounces back. Fortunately, he gets ASU this week which shouldn’t make it too difficult on the USC offense. Caleb Williams is still easily the QB1 for 2024.
Jordan Addison #3, WR 2023 (6’0, 175)
Jordan Addison is the other player to watch for USC. They have plenty of other names, but Addison is far and away the top 2023 prospect on this offense. He is challenging for the WR1 spot in the 2023 class. In fact, I’ve seen some people say they would take him over any other receiver. I’m not quite there, but I agree that the gap is closing.
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 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!
