Hello everybody and welcome back to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post! Like I always like to say, as you can probably tell by the title this blog post will be covering my top 10 quarterback prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft based on their week 12 performances!
I'm pretty sure I said this the past two weeks but man, it's awesome yet upsetting that we just finished week 12 of the college football season. Like yeah, the games are starting to mean more and getting closer to bowl season but it still sucks that the season is almost over.
Throughout my entire life I've contemplated the question of which is truly better to watch, college football or the NFL. Though I love my Bills and love watching the NFL, I have to say that I can confidently say that I have enjoyed college football as much this year as I did when I was a wee pup back in the back. This season has really been enjoyable (and weird) to watch!
All that being said I Logan Blackman, host of the world famous Logan Blackman Show and the self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present to you my week 12 quarterback prospect rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft! Enjoy! (please)
Podcast Links
Pictured; Riley Leonard, Notre Dame; Carson Beck, Georgia; Drew Allar, Penn State
1. Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
Wk 12 - BYE
Season - 241/361 3,494 yds 32 touchdowns 6 interceptions/50 carries 182 yds 3 touchdowns
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - 1
Wk 9 - 1
Wk 10 - 1
Wk 11 - 1
Wk 12 - 1
Wk 13 - v Wake Forest
2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Wk 12 - 30/41 340 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/7 carries -9 yds 0 touchdowns v Utah (49-24 W)
Season - 280/384 3,222 yds 27 touchdowns 7 interceptions/77 carries -11 yds 4 touchdowns
This game had a little different feel to it a year ago vs this year. When Colorado traveled to Salt Lake City to take on Utah, the Buffaloes were 4-7 and were -21.5-point underdogs with a back-up quarterback, as Shedeur Sanders missed the game with a fracture in his back. Now, Utah wasn't necessarily lighting the world alight or anything, but with how Colorado was playing a -21.5-point spread didn't seem too outlandish. This year though, with the game being held in Boulder, the Buffaloes came in with a vastly improved 7-2 record and were -13.5-point favorites with Sanders back under center. In this game, Utah came in with a 4-5 record and were losers of their previous five games after starting the season 4-0. Given the expectations for both teams going into the season, I don't think many out there foresaw Colorado coming away with an emphatic 49-24 victory. To be honest, I'm still trying to fully grasp this Colorado turnaround. Obviously they have talent, but the mindset and the hunger is vastly improved from a season ago, as Colorado has won their last four games all by double digits. As for Sanders, he continues to put up really solid numbers as he accounted for 340-passing yards with three touchdowns and an interception, which actually came on Colorado's first play of their opening drive.
They always say football is a game of inches, and this is a prime example of that. Like, Sanders may not have been hit with the most force, but that bump that he took from the Utah defender caused the ball to go off target just enough to go in the path of the Ute linebacker. If he's able to avoid the hit, maybe he's able to get more on this pass which could've potentially led to a touchdown, as the safety to the near side of the field had his focus on the slot receiver. Again, that's one of the reasons why it's called a game of inches. Unfortunate for the offense, but thankfully the defense would be able to hold Utah to just a field goal, allowing just seven yards in the process while also picking up a massive 11-yard sack with Utah three yards away from the end zone. Sanders would make up for the early interception on their next offensive possession, hitting LaJohntay Wester for 18 on third and 24 before firing it down the field to Will Sheppard for a 40-yard touchdown on fourth and four.
I like this throw much more than the touchdown pass that came a play later. Sure it didn't pick up the full 24-yards needed for the first down, but it put them in position to make a play by getting them to fourth and manageable. This isn't necessarily the tightest window but it's far from an easy throw, especially the linebacker dropping back into coverage after showing blitz initially. The throw that came afterwards was a launch to the end zone after drawing Utah offsides. Sanders tossed it up towards Sheppard in the end zone who out muscled his defender for the score. Even told the Utah defender he was too small after coming down with it. A very solid drive following the interception as Sanders was able to register his first of three passing touchdowns in the game. Colorado would punt the ball away on their next three drives (going three and out twice) before fumbling the ball away midway through the second quarter, as Sanders wouldn't be able to corral the shotgun snap with Utah recovering it at the Buffalo 23-yard line. Much like his first turnover, the defense was able to come up big and hold Utah to a field goal before Sanders would respond with his second passing touchdown after an impressive 14-play 85-yard drive. Even more like their opening touchdown drive Colorado would decide to go for it on fourth and eight from the Utah 34-yard line. This time though, Sanders would toss it up to Travis Hunter down the near sideline, coming down with it at the Utah six, picking up 28-yards in the process.
As the old saying goes, let your playmakers make plays, and that's exactly what Sanders did on this play as he told Hunter to make a play on fourth and eight. This throw shows the trust that Sanders has in his number one weapon. Like, when you have a player like Travis Hunter on the offensive side of the ball you have to just let him make plays, which he did right here which helped set up Sanders' second passing touchdown of the game, hitting Will Sheppard on a fade from six yards out to give them a 21-6 lead with less than a minute to go in the first half.
What a way to respond after registering his second turnover of the first half. Much like the game last week against Texas Tech, Sanders is able to throw a really nice fade ball to Sheppard in the end zone for six. Apart from Travis Hunter, the receiver Sanders trusts the most to 'go up and get it' is Will Sheppard, who registered his second receiving touchdown of the game and his sixth in his last six games. Again, just a really well thrown ball by Sanders which helped Colorado grow their lead to 15 with less than a minute to go in the first half. Utah would register a field goal to end the half to make the score 21-9, but that scoreline wouldn't last very long as the Buffaloes would only need one play to register their first touchdown of the second half as Isaiah Augustave would take it in from 37-yards following a Utah interception on their opening drive, making it now 28-9. Colorado would be forced to punt the ball away on their next two drives, going three and out once before registering their next touchdown, which would come thanks to a 47-yard toss from Sanders to Drelon Miller at the start of the fourth quarter.
This doesn't show the scoring play in full but Miller would fight threw a couple Utah defenders before taking it into the end zone for six. This throw from Sanders though is really impressive, getting it over the linebacker and in front of the corner, layering it into his intended receiver for the eventual score. That's the type of throw you love to see from the top quarterback prospects as that is again, a very impressive throw that resulted in six. Sanders would hit Will Sheppard on a very well thrown slant on second and eight on their next drive that would've resulted in a 12-yard gain, only problem is Sheppard would fumble the ball away, giving Utah the ball back at the Utah 45-yard line.
It may only be a slant route but again, this is still a very nice throw from Sanders to fit it into Sheppard for what would've been a 12-yard gain and a first down on second and eight. At first glance it doesn't really look like the Utah defenders gets much on the ball, as it seems like Sheppard more or less just dropped the ball. That being said the contact he made on Sheppard's arm caused the ball to pop free, gifting the Utes the ball back at the aforementioned 45-yard line. Following a Utah interception, Sanders would be able to find a wide ass open Drelon Miller down the middle of the field for a 49-yard gain. That mixed with a 15-yard completion to LaJohntay Wester helped set up a four yard run by Charlie Offerdahl to give the Buffaloes a 42-24 lead with about four and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Colorado would only need two plays to register their seventh and final touchdown of the game, with Travis Hunter taking it in from five yards out to give the Buffaloes a 49-24 lead with just over two minutes to go in the game. That touchdown would ultimately put the final nail in the coffin as the Buffaloes would register an emphatic double digit home win against the then top defense in the conference. Like I eluded to before, this Colorado team is much different then they were the season before, moving to 8-2 on the season and being joint first in the Big 12 with BYU. This weekend though the Buffaloes are taking on the giant killers known as the Kansas Jayhawks, a team that has beaten Iowa State and BYU the past couple weeks. Kansas is a much better team than their 4-6 record shows, so Colorado better not walk into Arrowhead Stadium thinking they can ease their way to another win. We should have a fun one on our hands come Saturday afternoon.
Preseason - 2
Wk 1 - 1
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - 2
Wk 9 - 2
Wk 10 - 2
Wk 11 - 2
Wk 12 - 2
Wk 13 - @ Kansas* (Arrowhead Stadium)
3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Wk 12 - 11/16 186 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries 43 yds 1 touchdown v Mercer (52-7 W)
Season - 160/237 2,232 yds 15 touchdowns 6 interceptions/120 carries 680 yds 17 touchdowns
On of the oldest and most frustrating traditions in all of sports, a highly ranked SEC team playing host to a random FCS team late in the season. I don't get it, really I don't. Maybe it's because I'm from Iowa and the SEC 'just means more' but this tradition or whatever you want to call it needs to stop. And before I get a bunch of SEC loyalists coming after me, I really do not care who you have to play in your illustrious conference, nor do I care if Indiana would be .500 if they played in the SEC (as every random fan is saying on Twitter), this thing is stupid. Like, when did this become a thing? Why was it ever a thing and why is it still allowed to happen? This game literally serves no purpose apart from the random FCS school getting paid a bag to get ass blasted for four quarters. The random FCS team in question is the Mercer Bears, who though were 9-1 on the season going into this game, had not played a single FBS opponent. What are we supposed to take away from this game? Alabama won by a predictable score of 52-7 with quarterback Jalen Milroe accounting for 186-passing yards with two touchdowns and a further 43-yards on the ground with another touchdown there to boot. Like, Milroe only played one drive in the second half, with back-up Ty Simpson seeing out the rest of the game with Bama already up 38-7. It was just an absolute ass kicking from start to finish, with Alabama needing just four plays to score on their opening drive (following a Mercer fumble) as Ryan Williams would take it in from 29-yards on the jet sweep to give the Crimson Tide their first lead less then five minutes into the game. Williams would register Alabama's second touchdown of the game on their next drive as Milroe would hit him on a little dump off pass behind the line of scrimmage for a 14-yard touchdown. Prior to the score, Milroe would pick up 16-yards using his legs as well as finding Williams and CJ Dippre for 17 and 11-yards respectfully, helping Alabama march down the field in nine plays for their second touchdown of the game. Milroe would register his second passing touchdown of the game on their next drive, hitting a wide ass open Robbie Ouzts for a 44-yard score on their opening drive of the second quarter.
I guess the only thing to really write home about here is that Milroe did a nice job at staying calm in the face of pressure before hitting his open tight end for the score. Like, sometimes an unblocked pass rusher can speed up a quarterbacks internal clock, leading them to miss their intended receiver, no matter how open he is. So again, nice job at staying calm and just floating it nicely to Ouzts for the 44-yard touchdown. The offense wouldn't really do too much after this touchdown as the defense would come through with a scoop and score touchdown on Mercer's next drive to make it 28-0 before they would be forced to punt the ball away after going three and out. Milroe would hit Germie Bernard for 45-yards on their following drive, but they would ultimately have to settle for a field goal, going into the locker room up 31-7. Milroe and Bernard would connect again on their first drive of the second half, this time going for 23-yards to get them down to the Mercer 21-yard line.
Nice pump fake to the flat before hitting Bernard down the sideline for a nice gain and a first down. It may not seem like that impressive of a throw initially, but Milroe does a nice job at making Bernard come back to the ball as there was a defender anxiously waiting to jump the route and pick off the pass had Milroe led his receiver more up the field. It's not the most insane pass of all time but it's a very smart throw and it again got them within striking distance of the end zone. Speaking of, a few plays later Milroe would call his own number, taking it in from three yards out to give Alabama a 38-7 lead just under five minutes into the third quarter. Like I mentioned before, that touchdown would be Milroe's final contribution to the game as Ty Simpson would come in and see out an easy 52-7 home victory. Again, I hate that these late season FCS match-ups are a thing. That being said you still have to come out and handle business, which is exactly what Milroe and co. did in this one. He may not have lit up the stat sheet, but Milroe still put forth a fairly solid performance in the win. This week Alabama travels to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the 5-5 Sooners who have lost four of their last five games, with their lone win coming against a now 5-6 Maine. Though Memorial Stadium can be a tough place to play, I just have a hard time believing Alabama will struggle in this one.
Preseason - 6
Wk 1 - 6
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - 3
Wk 9 - 3
Wk 10 - 3
Wk 11 - 3
Wk 12 - 3
Wk 13 - @ Oklahoma
4. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Wk 12 - 27/47 260 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/9 carries -53 yds 0 touchdowns @ Florida (27-16 L)
Season - 262/422 3,126 yds 22 touchdowns 11 interceptions/28 carries -32 yds 3 touchdowns
I don't really know what's going on with the LSU Tigers. Since beating the then ninth ranked Ole Miss Rebels at home 29-26 in overtime the Tigers have dropped now three of their last four games, with that lone win coming via a 34-10 road win against Arkansas, in a game where quarterback Garrett Nussmeier registered zero passing touchdowns. After beating the Razorbacks, LSU sat with a calm cool 6-2 record and were ranked eighth in the nation. Despite being up 17-7 at halftime on the road against Texas A&M (which should have been more if not for a couple missed field goals) they fell 38-23, thus starting this rough run of form. Sure the teams they lost to (apart from this week) are good in the part of the aforementioned Aggies and the Alabama Crimson Tide, but how they lost them is the real problem. In a pair of top 25 match-ups, LSU came out on the losing end by an aggregate score of 80-36, with Alabama beating them in Tiger Stadium by a score of 42-13 (the rain did play a massive part in that game, but I digress). For a team that looked as if they could cause some real problems in the Playoff, losing to Florida this past weekend definitely put the kibosh on that, as they fell once again by the score of 27-16. It really doesn't make sense if you just solely look at the box score. Like, they had the upper hand in every single statistical category. Total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, first downs (25 to 13), time of possession (41:43 to 18:17), even penalties. You name it, they led it. As for quarterback Garrett Nussmeier he didn't have too bad of a day statistically, but the dude was sacked a whopping seven times throughout the course of the game. Like, in the previous games Nussmeier was sacked just six times while only getting sacked twice through LSU's first seven games of the season (both sacks coming against South Carolina). Overall this was just not a fun game for anyone wearing purple and gold on Saturday, with the 'good times' starting on LSU's opening drive as the failed to convert on fourth down, turning the ball over at their own 49-yard line. Their first drive seemed like it could have really been something, especially after Nussmeier's first completion of the day went for 15-yards and a first down. Things didn't really get much better on LSU's next drive as they'd be forced to punt the ball away after just four plays. They found themselves in a similar situation on their second drive as they did on their first drive, fourth and short from their own 46, only this time they again decided to punt the ball away. The Tigers were able to string a decent 13-play drive together their next time out, with Nussmeier helping extend the drive by hitting Mason Taylor for 11-yards on third and six.
Very nice accurate throw from Nussmeier to fit it in to Taylor for the 11-yard gain and first down. With a Florida defender playing tight against Taylor, and another one in the flat, the throw from Nussmeier needs to be as close to perfect as possible otherwise it's either getting broken up or picked off. Again, very accurate throw in a tight window for the first down. Unfortunately for the LSU offense the drive would end up stalling out, and kicker Damian Ramos would eventually miss a 51-yard field goal attempt that would have brought the game back to within four midway through the first. The Tigers would be able to string another long drive together their next time out, only this time it would result in six as Nussmeier would hit Aaron Anderson from 28-yards out to tie the game up at seven midway through the second quarter.
What a throw by Nussmeier to hit Anderson in the end zone for the score. He does an excellent job at standing tall and stepping up in the pocket before delivering an accurate ball down the middle of the field for a touchdown on third and nine. This would actually be the third third down conversion Nussmeier would make on this drive alone, hitting Josh Williams for 12 and nine yards respectfully. He would also find a relatively open Mason Taylor down the near sideline for a further 20-yards on second and seven but again, the best throw came to Anderson on the score. Again, credit to Nussmeier for standing tall and delivering a strike down the field while getting hit on third and nine. Just a really good overall play for the Tiger offense which again tied the game up midway through the second quarter. Nussmeier would help LSU pick up another first down on their following drive, connecting with Kyren Lacy for 13-yards on third and seven with just 47-seconds left in the half.
Nice throw on third and seven to help extend the drive and get them deeper into Florida territory. Though the throw may have been a little low and back inside, he still gave his best receiver a chance to make a play on the ball which of course he did, again helping extend the drive. Unfortunately the drive would pretty much stall out after that, as the Tigers would be forced to settle for three with just 10-seconds left. Unlike his last field goal try, Damian Ramos would drill the ensuing 50-yard attempt, tying the game up at 10 going into the locker room. The LSU offense would put together yet another long drive their first time out in the second half. Though they wouldn't come away with six, after finding themselves in a third and 12 situation from their own eight I'm sure any points would have sufficed. After gashing Florida's defense with the run, Ramos would make a 45-yard field goal to give the Tigers their first lead of the game with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter. LSU wouldn't have anywhere near the same amount of success on their next couple drives as they would fumble the ball away twice on their next drive, giving Florida the ball at the Tiger 34-yard line (Nussmeier was strip sacked and tackle Emory Jones Jr. gathered it and tried to pick up a first down before fumbling it himself back at the original line of scrimmage). Nussmeier would get sacked again on third down on LSU's next drive and though he didn't fumble, his sack forced the Tigers to punt the ball away from their own five yard line. LSU was able to put together a nice 15-play drive their next time out, with Nussmeier hitting CJ Daniels for seven yards on fourth and three from the Florida 49-yard line.
I don't know if this is crazy or not, but Nussmeier really is one of the best quarterbacks when it comes to rolling out to his left. Most right handed quarterbacks struggle with that, especially when they're getting chased on fourth and three, but Nussmeier is able to stay calm and deliver a nice ball against his body for a seven yard gain for the first down. It may not have been a dart down the sideline but this play helped keep LSU in this game, at least for the time being. Though he would connect with Mason Taylor for 15-yards on another much needed fourth down conversion, the Tigers would ultimately have settle for three with Ramos making the eventual 38-yard attempt to bring it back to within four with just over five minutes to go in the game. Unfortunately for LSU Florida would score thanks to a 55-yard run by Jadan Baugh to go up 27-16. On their next drive we'd see Nussmeier connect with Kyren Lacy for 24-yards on third and 20 but the Tigers would ultimately turn it over on downs as Florida would see out the aforementioned 27-16 home win. Like I mentioned before, I don't really know what's going on with LSU, losing each their last three games by double digits. For whatever reason they just can't seem to show up in the second half, as that's where these teams have started to pull away from them. Now at 6-4, LSU is in a very weird spot as they host the also 6-4 Vanderbilt Commodores. For their sake, I hope the Tigers are able to bounce back at home against a solid team coming off a bye.
Preseason - 10
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - 8
Wk 5 - 7
Wk 6 - 7
Wk 7 - 6
Wk 8 - 4
Wk 9 - 4
Wk 10 - 4
Wk 11 - 4
Wk 12 - 4
Wk 13 - v Vanderbilt
5. Drew Allar, Penn State (+1)
Wk 12 - 17/19 247 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 22 yds 0 touchdowns @ Purdue (49-10 W)
Season - 166/231 2,253 yds 16 touchdowns 5 interceptions/51 carries 194 yds 3 touchdowns
As expected, Penn State absolutely had their way with the Purdue Boilermakers this past Saturday, coming away from West Lafayette with a 49-10 ass whopping. I know many out there, including myself were expecting Penn State to have their way with Purdue, but what I didn't expect was that it would be this easy as quarterback Drew Allar registered 247-yard through the air with three touchdowns all while only missing on two passes. As a team, the Nittany Lions out gained the Boilermakers 539 to 302 in regards to total yards, with 234 of those 539-yards coming on the ground. Following Purdue's 45-0 loss to Ohio State the previous week, this kind of game really isn't too surprising, especially given the fact that the Boilermakers have won just one game this season, which came week one against a now 4-7 Indiana State Sycamores team. Though they've only registered one measly win, Purdue has played somewhat of a murderers row type schedule, going up against Notre Dame, Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State who are all currently in the College Football Playoff top 10 to go along with Illinois and Wisconsin, the latter of who almost upset the top ranked Ducks this past weekend. I just kind of feel bad for Purdue as not a lot of teams would have been able to make it to this point of the season with more than one win, it's a ridiculously hard schedule given the Boilermakers talent. As for Penn State, when going up against teams like Purdue you have to take care of business and not play with your food, which is exactly what they did. Sure Purdue is brutal on paper but any team can be beaten, so in game where you're supposed to dominate you need to dominate, which of course they did. Things started off pretty smoothly for the Nittany Lion offense with Allar connecting with Tyler Warren for 17 and 27-yards, helping them get down to the Purdue two yard line where he would hit an open Kaytron Allen in the flat for the score. Allar would orchestrate a nice 10-play 93-yard drive Penn State's next time out, which was partially kicked off with him smartly hitting Nicholas Singleton at the line of scrimmage on the far sideline that would go for 13-yards and a first down.
I know it's not an insanely impressive pass but I think this type of throw shows how much Allar has developed over the course of the season. Keeping his eyes down the field while stepping up in the pocket, Allar is able to draw the attention of the Purdue linebacker which frees up Singleton on the sideline who can pick up 13-yards after making the catch. This is not the first time Allar has done that this year, which again shows how he's improving overall as a quarterback. It's not all about deep balls down the field, sometimes it's about sucking the defense in and getting the ball to your playmakers in space. Allar would then flash the athleticism a few plays later, picking up an impressive 14-yards on the ground to get the offense to the Purdue 33-yard line.
Allar may not be the most fleet footed athlete in the world but like I've mentioned numerous times before whenever he needs to pick up yards with his legs he's more than capable. Mixing his 'sneaky' athleticism with his size and you've got a real problem on your hands as a defender because stopping him is a lot easier said than done. Brushing off multiple would be tacklers while picking up 14-yards on the ground is pretty impressive stuff and it would help set up his second passing touchdown of the game which would come on a back shoulder throw to Warren from 15-yards out to double their lead with two and a half minutes to go in the first quarter.
This may not be the prettiest back shoulder throw of all time but the result remains the same as Allar and Warren would connect for the 15-yard score. With Warren beating his defender off the line Allar really could have just led him up the field rather than put this on his back shoulder, but the pair have such good chemistry that even when there's a semi-miscommunication they're still able to come away with points (I'm being really nit picky here). Like I said before, they all count the same. Though they'd be forced to punt after going three and out on their next drive Allar and Warren would connect again, this time for 38-yards on a double pass that saw Warren toss it back to Allar who would hit him in the flat for the nice gain. Nicholas Singleton would take it in from 10-yards out a play later to give the Nittany Lions a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Though Penn State would punt the ball away after four plays on their final drive of the half they would come out swinging to start the second half, only needing three plays to register another touchdown with Tyler Warren taking it in from 48-yards out to put the Nittany Lions up 28-3 less than five minutes into the third quarter. Allar would register his third passing touchdown on Penn State's next drive which was set up by him flipping it to Kaytron Allen who would take it 20-yards down the field on second and 14.
Much like I brought up before with his dump off to Singleton that went for 13, this is just a really smart play from Allar. Keeping his eyes down the field while stepping up in the pocket, he's able to pitch it forward to his running back who is able to pick up a really nice gain after making the catch. Again, it may not be a 50-yard piss missile or anything but it was effective and picked up a good amount of yards and a first down in the process. Allar would register his third passing touchdown on the very next play, hitting a wide open Harrison Wallace III in the end zone from 48-yards out to give Penn State a 35-3 lead with just under five minutes to go in the third quarter.
Just as easy as you'd like really. Rolling out to his right, eyes down the field, finding a wide ass open receiver in the end zone for the score. When a receiver is that open you're only real task as a quarterback is just to not miss him, which of course Allar didn't and it resulted in six points for the Nittany Lions. That would be Allar's final contribution in this game, as Beau Pribula would come in and help see out a convincing 49-10 road victory for the Nittany Lions. Much like that last touchdown this game was as easy as you'd like, as Allar would agin only miss on two passes while registering almost 250-yards through the air to go along with three touchdowns. Allar continues to show growth with each passing game, making him start to re-rise up draft boards. This week Allar and co. are taking on a Minnesota Golden Gophers team coming off a bye and a loss to Rutgers, though they won their previous four prior to that aforementioned loss. Minnesota ranks near the top of the conference in regards to total defense and points per game, this should be a tough road test for Penn State come Saturday afternoon.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 6
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 7
Wk 8 - 7
Wk 9 - 7
Wk 10 - 7
Wk 11 - 6
Wk 12 - 5
Wk 13 - @ Minnesota
6. Carson Beck, Georgia (+1)
Wk 12 - 25/40 347 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries 32 yds 1 touchdown v no.7 Tennessee (31-17 W)
Season - 235/361 2,835 yds 19 touchdowns 12 interceptions/41 carries 71 yds 1 touchdown
Well well well, if it isn't the quarterback many of us expected to see at the start of the season. Like I brought up last week, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has really had a rough go of things as of late. If you look at the last six games Back has played in, he has registered 10-touchdowns and a whopping 12-interceptions, throwing three against Alabama, Texas, and Florida all on the road or at neutral sites. Again, these past few weeks have been really rough for Beck, with some out there even discussing the possibility of him slipping all the way past the third round in this upcoming draft, that's how bad it's been. This week though Beck looked like his old self, throwing for 347-yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions (for the first time since October 15th) to go along with 32-yards and another touchdown on the ground in a 31-17 home win against the then seventh ranked Tennessee Volunteers. I'm not going to spend much time talking about the 'ref ball' that took place, as we are here to focus mainly on Carson Beck's vastly improved performance. Now, I must say before we really kick things off, this performance alone doesn't get all the way back into first round conversations. He's going to have to string together a few more solid performances throughout the rest of the season to change my mind on that front. That being said, it's definitely a good start. Though the game as a whole turned out positively for those wearing black and red, things didn't necessarily start off the smoothest as they were forced to punt on each of their first three possessions of the game, going three and out on their opening drive. Finding themselves down 10-points at the start of their final drive of the first quarter, Beck would need to make a play to help the offense convert on third and eight which he would, drawing a defender offsides before firing a strike to Dominic Lovett between two Tennessee defenders for a 38-yard gain.
Thanks to the defender jumping offsides Beck knows he has a free play to send the ball down the field regardless of the consequence. With that, he fires a strike up the seam to Lovett who's able to bring it in despite getting hit by the Tennessee safety. Now, I must say that Jermond McCoy should have done better on this play as instead of trying to make a play on the ball he just throws his shoulder into Lovett's back, not really causing a ton of issues for the Georgia receiver who is able to bounce of the hit and turn it up field for a nice gain after the catch. Beck would flash the athleticism on Georgia second play of the second quarter, breaking through a couple of arm tackles while picking up 14-yards and a first down on the ground.
Beck isn't a complete statue in the pocket by any means but still, seeing him make this type of play is pretty weird to see. Like, he's able to make two arm tackles before he even gets past the line of scrimmage, then he goes out and lowers his shoulder into the Tennessee defender past the first down marker. Now, I'm sure his coaches would rather see him not do that, but it was still a very nice play from someone who is not known for making those plays. Following the first down run on second and 10, Beck throws a strike to Oscar Delp in the back of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown to give the Bulldogs their first points of the game less than two minutes into the second quarter.
This is a fantastic throw from Beck to find his tight end in the back of the end zone for six. Just finding the gap in the secondary between the two split safeties, getting it over the linebacker in coverage to hit Delp for an excellent touchdown pass. Beck was really feeling himself on that drive and he looked like he was having fun celebrating with one of his offensive linemen after the score, which is something I don't think I could say about Beck throughout these past few weeks. Beck would orchestrate another touchdown drive their next time out, kicking it off by hitting Lawson Luckie up the seam for a nice 23-yard gain.
Much like his last seam shot Beck was able to get the Tennessee defense to jump offsides, giving him a fee play once again and a shot to throw it down the field free of consequence. That being said I would say this throw to Luckie is better than the one to Lovett in the first quarter. Sure the defender laying on the ground helps, but Beck still had to put this on his tight end's body to avoid him getting lit up while also avoiding a potential pass breakup or turnover. Just a really solid throw from Beck and it helped get Georgia to the Tennessee side of the 50. Beck would make another strong throw a couple plays later, this time hitting Arian Smith along the far sideline for 11-yards on third and six to push them deeper into Tennessee territory.
Again, really strong throw by Beck to fit it into Smith along the sideline to pick up a first down and get them into the red zone. This ball really has no business being completed as the Tennessee defender makes a pretty good break on the ball once it leaves Beck's hand. But as the old saying goes, you can't defend a perfect throw, and that one was as close to perfect as you could ask for in that situation. A couple plays later Beck would find a wide open Oscar Delp in the back of the end zone for his second touchdown of the evening, this one coming from about four yards out to give Georgia their first lead of the ballgame midway through the second quarter. Beck and Delp would connect again on Georgia's next drive, this time for 25-yards down the near sideline on the opening play of the drive. Just an easy throw down the field after pumping faking to the flat to hit his tight end up the field for the nice gain and first down. Though he'd find Delp for eight more yards on second and 10 and pick up eight yards on the ground to pick up a first on third and two the drive would ultimately stall out with the Bulldogs having to settle for a 36-yard field goal attempt by Peyton Woodring to tie the game up at 17 going into the locker room. Georgia's offense would come out swinging on their opening drive of the second half with Beck orchestrating a nice 12-play 85-yard touchdown drive to take the lead once again early on in the third quarter. On third and nine, Beck would avoid the blitz by stepping up in the pocket and firing it down the middle of the field to Arian Smith who would pick up 16-yards and get the Bulldogs down to the Volunteer 37-yard line. A few plays later, Beck would take it into the end zone himself from 10-yards out, registering his first rushing touchdown of the season while giving Georgia a 24-17 lead with five and a half minutes to go in the third quarter.
Much like I brought up before, this just isn't something you see Carson Beck do all too often. Hell, you could actually that this is something that you never see him do as this was in fact his first rushing touchdown of the season. Regardless this is still a really nice play from Beck as he's able to get around the oncoming edge rusher by kicking it outside before cutting upfield and getting to the end zone untouched to again give Georgia their first lead of the game. Though the Bulldogs would be forced to punt the ball away after just four plays on their next drive they would register another touchdown on their first drive of the fourth quarter, as they would put together another nice long drive to find the end zone with two and a half minutes to go in the game. To kick things off Beck would hit an open Ben Yurosek for 21-yards up the seam to get them out of the shadow of their own end zone before he'd hit London Humphreys down the far sideline for 28-yards to get them to the Tennessee side of the 50.
I know I said I wouldn't spend too much time talking about it but I must say, Beck probably should have been called for a false start penalty as he's stumbling back before the ball was snapped. Regardless of if there should've been a penalty or not, this is still a very solid throw from Beck to fit it into his receiver for the very nice gain on third and two. I honestly don't know how this ball was caught, as there's no real logical way to describe how this ball was fit into Humphreys as the defender really gave him no room to breathe. I don't know if I'd classify this as a back shoulder throw as the broadcast alluded to, but it's still a solid throw for a very nice pickup for the Bulldog offense. Beck would then connect with Dominic Lovett on a screen pass for seven yards on second and seven before hitting an open Ben Yurosek a few yards past the line of scrimmage for a 16-yard gain that would get them down to the Volunteer two yard line. A play later, Nate Frazier would punch it into the end zone to give Georgia a 31-17 lead with about two and a half minutes to go in the game. Georgia would ultimately seal up the game following a Nico Iamaleava fumble on fourth and six, giving them a nice 31-17 home victory to get them back to winning ways. I must say, this is arguably Carson Beck's best performance so far this season. Given what we've seen from him these past few weeks it looked like he was seeing ghosts and that his confidence was in the gutter, so coming back and throwing for 347-yards and two touchdowns with a further 32-yards on the ground to go along with his first rushing touchdown of the season is truly remarkable. I expect to see more of the same this coming week as Georgia plays host to the Massachusetts Minutemen who currently sit at 2-8 but did put up some solid performances against Mississippi State and Liberty these past couple weeks (lost to Liberty 35-34). I expect no issues from the Bulldogs in this one.
Preseason - 1
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 4
Wk 6 - 4
Wk 7 - 3
Wk 8 - 5
Wk 9 - 5
Wk 10 - 6
Wk 11 - 7
Wk 12 - 6
Wk 13 - v Massachusetts
7. Quinn Ewers, Texas (-2)
Wk 12 - 20/32 176 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries -5 yds 0 touchdowns @ Arkansas (20-10 W)
Season - 169/247 1,898 yds 21 touchdowns 6 interceptions/28 carries -55 yds 1 touchdown
Is it bad when I say I was expecting a little bit more from quarterback Quinn Ewers and the Texas Longhorns last Saturday? Don't get me wrong, a double digit win on the road in conference play is impressive, but again, I just thought Texas would do it in more style. Like, a couple weeks ago Ole Miss came away from Razorback Stadium 63-31 victors, with quarterback Jaxson Dart throwing for 515-yards and six touchdowns to go along with 47-rushing yards in the win. It was an absolute demolition that many out there, including myself were waiting to see from Ole Miss. They had the talent and skill to put up a ridiculous amount of points and yards, but they hadn't really done that since the early portion of the season. So for me, watching Texas beat Florida 49-17 at home, with Ewers throwing for 333-yards and registering a whopping five touchdowns, I thought they would absolutely wipe the floor with Arkansas. Long story short they didn't, though I'm sure many Texas fans won't complain too much as they were still able to come away with a 20-10 road victory, with Ewers registering 176-yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers, which is the first time he's gone two games without registering an interception all season (obviously discounting the games he missed). Though he may not have registered any turnovers the game didn't really start the smoothest for the Longhorn offense as they'd punt the ball away on both of their first two drives of the game, with Ewers nearly throwing an interception on the former (which ended up being a 17-yard completion to Isaiah Bond) before going three and out and registering zero yards on the latter. Texas would finally get things going on the third time of asking, as Ewers would connect with Silas Bolden for 17-yards to get them to the Arkansas 33-yard line (no threat of an interception on this one).
Nice calm throw from Ewers to find Bolden past the first down marker for a really nice gain to get the Longhorns to the Razorback side of the 50. Ewers sees that Arkansas is playing zone, as no one followed the receiver across the formation. Because he sees this he now knows that he will have a receiver open in the middle of the field in the gap of the zone, which he fires for a nice gain and a first down. Ewers would nearly throw an interception/touchdown a couple plays later trying to hit Ryan Wingo by the front pylon down the far sideline, but would come up big on the following play by hitting an open Matthew Golden for a 20-yard touchdown to give the Longhorns their first lead of the game midway through the first quarter.
Again, just a nice and easy throw from Ewers to Golden for the score. After the Arkansas defenders bit ridiculously hard on the fake to the bubble screen, all Ewers needed to essentially do was not miss his open receiver, which of course he didn't as again Texas would take a seven point lead midway through the first quarter. The Longhorn offense would be forced to punt the ball away after going three and out on their next drive, though they would be able to come away with a field goal on their first drive of the second quarter with Ewers throwing another near interception along the way as he tried to hit Matthew Golden up the far sideline. Ewers would have another pass broken up in the end zone trying to hit Golden from 21-yards out, which would ultimately be the final offensive play of the drive before the 39-yard field goal from Bert Auburn to go up 10-0 less than five minutes into the second quarter. Texas would be able to put together a 12-play drive their next time out, with Ewers connecting with Isaiah Bond for 10 and Gunnar Helm for 12, with the latter coming on third and six from their own 28. Unfortunately the drive would stall out and they'd be forced to punt the ball away again with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter. They'd follow that punt up with another one as they'd go three and out again to end the first half, ultimately going into the locker room up 10-0. Their first drive of the second half wouldn't result in a touchdown, but they'd be able to come away with points thanks to another Auburn field goal midway through the third. Prior to the field goal attempt Ewers would hit Quintrevion Wisner out of the backfield who would pick up 30-yards after the catch to get them down to the Arkansas 13-yard line. Texas wouldn't really move the ball much after that, as they'd settle for the aforementioned field goal just a few short plays later to go up 13-0 in the third. The offense would go three and out on their next possession (though Ewers would nearly make a massive play to Silas Bolden on third and 12) before Ewers would register his second passing touchdown of the game midway through the fourth quarter. Before the touchdown, Ewers would hit an open Isaiah Bond between three or four Arkansas defenders for a 20-yard gain on their opening play of the drive. After an eight yard completion to Juan Davis and a three yard run by Quintrevion Wisner, Ewers would hit Matthew Golden from a yard out to give Texas a 20-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Though this was ultimately just a one yard completion from Ewers to Golden, it was still a really nice play that resulted in six. Down in the red zone the windows are smaller which in turn makes it harder to hit a receiver for the score, especially when the defender has pretty good positioning on the play. So again yes this is ultimately just a one yard pass, but the window was much smaller and the defender was in pretty good position initially, making this a pretty impressive throw from Ewers to give the Longhorns back their double digit advantage. Ewers would connect with Jaydon Blue out of the backfield for 17-yards on third and 13 which would pretty much put the final nail in the coffin, with Texas coming away with a 20-10 road victory. Like I mentioned before, this may not have been the ass kicking I may have thought it would be, but a win is a win so I'm sure they'll take it. As for Ewers I thought he put together a solid performance, minus the near interceptions that came a little too close for comfort early on in the game. This weekend Ewers and co. travel back to Austin to host the Kentucky Wildcats, a team who have lost four of their last five games since beating Ole Miss back in September, with their lone win coming against the now 1-10 Murray State Racers. Though they aren't on the greatest run of form I don't think Texas can just sleep walk past them in this game as Kentucky can boast a top three passing defense that held Jaxson Dart to only 261-yards through the air (his lowest total of the season prior to last week). I'm intrigued to see how Ewers and co. handle the Wildcats this Saturday afternoon.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - 5
Wk 8 - 6
Wk 9 - 6
Wk 10 - 5
Wk 11 - 5
Wk 12 - 7
Wk 13 - v Kentucky
8. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
Wk 12 - BYE
Season - 171/238 2,410 yds 21 touchdowns 4 interceptions/30 carries 17 yds 2 touchdowns
Preseason - N/R
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - H/M
Wk 6 - H/M
Wk 7 - N/R (bye week)
Wk 8 - 9
Wk 9 - 9
Wk 10 - 9
Wk 11 - 8
Wk 12 - 8
Wk 13 - @ no.2 Ohio State
9. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Wk 12 - BYE
Season - 211/298 3,409 yds 22 touchdowns 4 interceptions/85 carries 304 yds 3 touchdowns
Preseason - 9
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - 8
Wk 6 - 8
Wk 7 - 8
Wk 8 - 8
Wk 9 - 8
Wk 10 - 8
Wk 11 - 9
Wk 12 - 9
Wk 13 - @ Florida
10. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Wk 12 - 22/33 214 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/8 carries 32 yds 0 touchdowns v Virginia (35-14 W)
Season - 167/258 1,789 yds 12 touchdowns 4 interceptions/104 carries 641 yds 13 touchdowns
Another week, another double digit win for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I'm not going to lie, I don't know what I was really expecting when I saw this game pop up on the schedule. Like, I am aware that the Virginia Cavaliers aren't the best team in the world, but they're certainly no push overs. Despite their now 5-5 record, the Cavaliers have played in some tough games against highly rated opponents. Obviously the main game to look to would be their 24-19 road win against the Pittsburgh Panthers, but they also kept it relatively close for portions of the game against Clemson on the road and only lost by four against Louisville, even taking the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Sure their record may not be the greatest but again, they're not a team you can just look past because they will make you pay if you let them. All that being said, Notre Dame may just be a little different than those teams I mentioned before as they came out 35-14 home victors against their ACC foe. Like, unlike the previous games this one was never close, as the Fighting Irish found themselves up 28-0 at halftime, scoring 21-points in the second quarter despite going three and out on four of their first five drives of the game. I was a weird one but you'll certainly take another to double digit win if you're the Irish. As for quarterback Riley Leonard he put forth yet another solid performance, registering 214-yards through the air with three touchdowns (and an interception) to go along with 32-yards on the ground. Those three touchdowns match a season high for Leonard with this also being the first time he hasn't registered a rushing touchdown in a game since week one against Texas A&M. For the Irish as a whole things started off as smoothly as they could as following a turnover on the opening kick off by Virginia, they only needed four plays to find the end zone on their open drive, curtesy of a four yard run by Jeremiyah Love. Following four straight three and outs Leonard would find Jayden Harrison on a slant from eight yards out to register his first passing touchdown of the game. Leonard would complete passes to Jaden Greathouse and Kris Mitchell for 17 and eight yards respectively before hitting Harrison for the score, putting them up 14-0 midway through the second quarter. The Irish would go three and out on their next possession but would quickly find the end zone again their next time out, as after the defense brought an interception all the way back to the Virginia two yard line, Leonard would hit an open Cooper Flanagan in the end zone for the score. Notre Dame would only need to run three plays to find the end zone following yet another Virginia turnover, with Leonard hitting Mitchell Evans for the 18-yard score to put them up 28-0 with less than a minute to go in the second quarter.
Nice job by Leonard at getting outside the pocket once he saw nothing open down the field. Being forced out to his right with the defender coming around the edge, Leonard is able to draw another defender in before dumping it off to Evans who takes it in for the score. Just a simple play and an easy score following yet another Virginia interception. The Notre Dame offense really had it made thanks to the efforts by the defense. Speaking of, the offense would get one more chance to come away with points following another interception, only this time they'd fail to come away with any points as Marcello Diomede would miss the ensuing 54-yard field goal attempt, keeping the score at 28-0 going into the locker room. Leonard would throw his first interception of the game on Notre Dame's opening drive of the second half, trying to pick up the Irish's first third down conversion of the game.
Just not a great decision here by Leonard. I don't care how strong your arm is this is a damn near impossible throw to make as he's trying to fit it in a really small window between two Virginia defenders. An easy interception for the defense, stopping Notre Dame on yet another third down attempt. That being said the Irish would be able to find the end zone again rather quickly their next time out as Jeremiyah Love would take it up the middle for a 76-yard touchdown, making it 35-0 with less than 10-minutes to go in the third quarter. Following Virginia's first touchdown of the game, the Notre Dame offense would come out and find themselves in a precarious third and 13 situation. Thankfully for them, Leonard would come through and make a big time throw to Jayden Harrison that would ultimately go for 25-yards and get them to within five yards of the 50-yard line.
This is a really strong throw down the middle of the field by Leonard to hit Harrison for the aforementioned 25-yard gain. Getting it over the top of the linebackers outstretched hand and fitting it to his receiver before the safety could make a play on the ball. Just a really good overall play that helped extend Notre Dame's drive. Leonard would come up with another nice completion on the following play, finding Aneyas Williams after rolling out to his right for a 17-yard gain, getting them to the Virginia side of the 50.
If nothing else, one skillset Leonard possesses is being able to make plays both on the run and outside the pocket. With the threat of him running always at the forefront of the defense's mind, he's able to suck them in before throwing back across his body and finding an open Williams who is able to pick up a decent amount of yards after the catch, picking up 17 in the process. I really like how Leonard was able to stay calm once he broke outside the pocket despite there being two or three defenders either giving chase or in his face. A good play for a decent gain, which Leonard would follow up by picking up 14-yards on the ground, getting Notre Dame near the red zone with less then five minutes to go in the third quarter.
Very nice job by Leonard at sliding up in the pocket after the Virginia defender burst off the line to get into the backfield. Then once he steps up he's able to cut upfield and pick up a decent amount of yards with his legs, something he's very good at doing as I mentioned before. Eventually the Irish would get the ball all the way down to the Virginia five yard line, only for Leonard to throw back-to-back incompletions on third and fourth down, turning it over on downs within striking distance of the end zone. The offense would put together another nice long drive at the start of the fourth quarter, only for them to come up empty once again with Zac Yoakam missing a 36-yard field goal. Virginia would be able to find th end zone with 18-seconds left but the game was already done and dusted, with Notre Dame coming out 35-14 home victors. It may not have been the prettiest win, as the offense wasn't exactly fully clicking but a win is a win. Individually for Leonard he had himself a decent game (minus the interception), setting new season highs in completions and attempts while also registering three passing touchdowns, his joint most on the season. Again, this was solid win for Notre Dame who take on the undefeated Black Knights of Army at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Boasting the nation's second best defense in regards to points allowed per game and fourth best in regards to yards allowed per game, this will be a tough test for the one loss Irish who come into this game ranked sixth in the nation. I'm very much looking forward to this Saturday night match-up.
Preseason - 7
Wk 1 - 8
Wk 2 - H/M
Wk 3 - H/M
Wk 4 - 10
Wk 5 - 10
Wk 6 - 10
Wk 7 - 10
Wk 8 - H/M
Wk 9 - 10
Wk 10 - 10
Wk 11 - 10
Wk 12 - 10
Wk 13 - @ no.19 Army* (Yankee Stadium)
Others
Noah Fifita, Arizona
Wk 12 - 20/35 224 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/11 carries -9 yds 0 touchdowns v Houston (27-3 W)
Season - 217/357 2,548 yds 15 touchdowns 11 interceptions/57 carries 29 yds 1 touchdown
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Wk 12 - 22/31 218 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/11 carries 7 yds 0 touchdowns @ Wisconsin (16-13 W)
Season - 259/351 3,066 yds 22 touchdowns 6 interceptions/54 carries 155 yds 6 touchdowns
Will Howard, Ohio State
Wk 12 - 15/24 247 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/1 carry 0 yds 0 touchdowns v Northwestern* (31-7 W) (Wrigley Field)
Season - 186/255 2,484 yds 24 touchdowns 5 interceptions/63 carries 122 yds 6 touchdowns
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Wk 12 - 27/41 288 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 41 yds 1 touchdown @ Pittsburgh (24-20 W)
Season - 222/350 2,563 yds 26 touchdowns 4 interceptions/78 carries 341 yds 5 touchdowns
Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Wk 12 - 29/46 323 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/5 carries 16 yds 0 touchdowns @ California (33-25 W)
Season - 304/475 3,476 yds 24 touchdowns 12 interceptions/52 carries -45 yds 2 touchdowns
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