The Draft "Expert" - Wk 8 2027 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings
Hello one and all and welcome back to yet another exhilarating Draft "Expert" blog post! As I'm sure you can probably tell by the title, in this one we will be taking a look back at my week eight quarterback prospect rankings for the 2027 NFL Draft!
Though I'm sure I've said this a lot up to this point in the season, this week's blog post may go down as one of my favorites! Now that's not me trying to sell you on this, I genuinely excited for you all to read through this as so much has changed from last week to this week!
Following the announcement by Oregon head coach Dan Lanning that quarterback Dante Moore would likely sit out the rest of the season following his concussion against USC, he has been dropped from the rankings. Not because I don't think he's an awesome quarterback, I mean he was my top prospect going into the season, but I would just have a hard time justifying keeping a spot open for someone who won't suit up once the rest of the season.
With this announcement it begs the question, will Moore declare for this year's draft, or will he stay in college for another season? Also, how will this injury effect how some of the other quarterbacks feel about declaring? If you take yourself back to last season Moore was pretty much locked on to be the second overall pick in the draft before deciding to come back to school. Now with this injury and his suspect play beforehand, would he still even be considered a day one prospect should he wind up declaring?
For quarterbacks like Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker or Missouri's Austin Simmons (among others), two prospects who have a minimal number of career starts, does this change how they view things? Go back and continue to develop but risk tanking your draft stock (or improving I guess) or bite the bullet, declare, and become a first round pick? I'm intrigued how those types of prospects view the upcoming draft process.
With that all being said with Moore dropping out one new name has entered the top-10! Actually, scratch that, two new names enter the top-10 this week! It's now your job to see who those two prospects are, and which non-injured quarterback dropped out!
Now, let's just get right into it! I Logan Blackman, host of the Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed Draft "Expert" am proud to present to you my week eight quarterback prospect rankings for the 2027 NFL Draft! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
1. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Wk 8 - 21/36 386 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/8 carries 8 yds 0 touchdowns v Colorado (57-24 W)
Season - 157/239 2,326 yds 20 touchdowns 6 interceptions/29 carries 150 yds 2 touchdowns
If you turn on an Oklahoma State football game, you know that there is going to be a shit ton of points being scored. They are an absolute offensive machine, the Cowboys rank second in the nation in total offense, averaging an eye watering 529.1-yards per game, ranking just behind the top ranked Miami Hurricanes. They also boast the second best passing attack in all of college football, with quarterback Drew Mestemaker truly starting to separate himself (at least in my eyes) from the rest of the pack when it comes to the top quarterback prospects for the 2027 Draft. Sure the level of competition may cause some people to be hesitant when it comes to Mestemaker, but even in ranked match-ups against Oregon and Houston he still managed to put up fantastic numbers. Before anyone says it yes, Oregon is nowhere as good as everyone thought they would be prior to the season starting, but even if you were able to predict their downfall would you have still said Oklahoma State could beat them? No, probably not. I mean, this is a completely remodeled Cowboys team from the previous season, with head coach Eric Morris bringing over Mestemaker and a bunch of other North Texas transfers this offseason. Even if you throughout they would be better than they have been the previous two seasons (not too crazy of a prediction) I don't think you would have been able to guess that they'd be this high powered on the offensive side of the ball. With all that being said coming into this past weeks game against Colorado, everyone and their mom knew that they'd put up a shit ton of yards, as the Buffaloes rank in the bottom five in the Big 12 in every defensive category, apart from rush defense. Now they have played a decently tough schedule up to this point, which made this game even easier to predict, as the Cowboys would come out on top by the score 57-24, two points off their season high (59 v Murray State). In the win Mestemaker did his usual thing, going 21/36 for 386-yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, nearly setting new season highs in both yards and touchdowns in a game (389-yards v West Virginia; five touchdowns v Murray State). Just a typical day at the offense for the Oklahoma State offense, who made quick work of things on their opening drive as they only needed three plays to register their first points of the game with Mestemaker hitting on passes of 23 and 47-yards, with the latter going to Miles Coleman for the score.
After seeing nothing open initially to his right, Mestemaker flips his attention back to the left to find a wide ass open Coleman down the field, who he would hit in stride for the 47-yard touchdown. As easy of a touchdown as you could ask for if you're Oklahoma State, giving them a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the ball game. The Cowboys' next drive would be another short one, lasting just three plays but would ultimately end with them punting the ball away with 5:42 remaining in the first. In turn the Buffaloes would stack touchdown drives, giving them a 14-7 lead at the very end of the quarter. Mestemaker would hit on a few short to intermediate passes (with some screens thrown in there) to help get them down to the Colorado 25-yard line. From there kicker Sam Keltner would make his first field goal of the game, making the score 14-10 just over three minutes into the second quarter. Mestemaker would come out firing on their next possession, hitting Justin Bowick down the near sideline for a 52-yard gain before firing it into his from 14-yards out to give them a 17-14 lead midway through the quarter.
Two really strong passes here from Mestemaker, helping the Cowboys take their first lead since inside the first minute of the opening quarter. On the first one Mestemaker did an excellent job at manipulating the defense with his eyes, starting to the right to hold the deep safety before flipping back to his left and throwing a perfect ball right into the bucket of Bowick for a 52-yard gain. Despite the defender pulling on Bowick's jersey down the field, he was still able to bring this ball in. You really can't throw a much better ball than this, helping get them all the way down to the Colorado 10-yard line. Following a false start penalty and a one yard run by Caleb Hawkins, Mestemaker and Bowick would connect from 14-yards out to give them that aforementioned lead. Once again, Mestemaker did a great job at using his eyes to control the defense, starting to the right before flashing back to the left and firing it into Bowick for the score. Despite the Buffaloes sending pressure, Mestemaker remains calm and throws a perfect ball over the umpire and away from the defender, in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on it to give them a 17-14 lead with 8:48 to go in the second quarter. Mestemaker would come up with a couple more big time passes on their next drive, connecting with Bowick and Wyatt Young for gains of 38 and 28-yards, helping take them down to the Buffalo nine yard line.
Back-to-back plays, back-to-back big time throws from Mestemaker to take them deep into Colorado territory. Two very similar throws, the one to Bowick saw Mestemaker pull the ball from his back. With the linebackers sucking in, he knows that he'll have a window to hit Bowick for a potential big gain. Throwing it right over the out stretched arm of the Buffalo defender, Mestemaker hits Bowick in stride for what would result in a 38-yard gain. On the second one the defense slides to the left (their right), leaving Young wide open coming across the field. That being said with the safety playing overtop, Mestemaker knows that he has to place this ball right on his receiver's body, which he did to avoid any possible play by the defender, resulting in a further 28-yards. Two really strong throws from Mestemaker to help get them down to the plus nine yard line. Despite two massive plays to kick off the drive, the Cowboys would ultaimtely have to settle for a field goal, with Sam Keltner converting from 30-yards out to make it a 21-20 game in favor of the Buffaloes with 4:14 to go in the second quarter. Oklahoma State would ge the ball back with 2:23 to go in the half following a Colorado field goal. The run game would help get them down to the plus 32-yard line, but from their they would find themselves in a third and six situation, with Mestemaker buying time to his left and firing it down the near sideline to Wyatt Young for a 17-yard gain.
With Colorado dropping damn near everyone back into coverage, Mestemaker is forced to buy time as not only did pressure break through, but no one was open down the field. Buying time to his left he is able to find Young along the near sideline, ripping it down the field and over the defender in coverage for what would result in a 17-yard gain, getting them down to the Colorado 15-yard line. In the end they would ultimately be forced to settle for another Sam Keltner, this one coming from 41-yards out to make the score 24-23 (still in favor of Colorado) heading into the locker room. Things would start going Oklahoma State's way early in the second half, as Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson would cough up the ball on their very first play of the drive, with the defense recovering at the plus 13-yard line. From there it would only take two plays for the Cowboys to find the end zone, with Mestemaker hitting an open Morgan McPhaul from three yards out to give them a 30-24 lead less than a minute into the third quarter. Mestemaker would flash the athleticism on their next drive, picking up 17-yards with his legs to take them to the Buffalo 22-yard line. Speaking of 17-yard gains, Mestemaker would check it down to Caleb Hawkins in the middle of the field to help get them down to the three yard line. From there Hawkins would take it into the end zone, extending their lead to 37-24 with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter. The scoring would slow down for the time being their next time out, as they would be forced to punt the ball away after just five plays. Mestemaker would come out firing on their next drive, rolling to his right and hitting Justin Bowick along the far sideline for what would result in a 28-yard gain.
With nothing seemingly initially open down the field, Mestemaker decides to buy time to his right before connecting with an open Bowick along the sideline for what would result in a 28-yard gain. The velocity he gets on this ball while on the move with defenders giving chase is really impressive, absolutely ripping it to Bowick to help get them down to the Colorado 26-yard line. Mestemaker would hit Caleb Hawkins on a screen that would go for a further 15-yards, helping set up yet another Sam Keltner field goal to give them a 40-24 lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter. Mestemaker would register his fourth and final touchdown of the game on their next drive, hitting Wyatt Young down the near sideline for what would result in a 28-yard score with 9:29 to go in the fourth.
With the Colorado defender jumping offside Mestemaker knows that he has a free play. With that knowledge he launches it down the near sideline, hitting Young on a beautifully thrown ball for the 28-yard score. He really couldn't have thrown the ball much better, hitting Young with a perfectly placed back shoulder ball to register his fourth passing touchdown of the game, making the score 47-24 midway through the fourth quarter. That touchdown would really be Mestemaker's final contribution to this game, as the Cowboys would see out an impressive 57-24 home victory. It may have been a little hairy in the beginning, but in the end Oklahoma State just had too many ways to beat Colorado, ultimately wearing them down. As for Mestemaker he once again proved why he's the top quarterback in this year's class, making numerous big time throws while taking what the defense was giving him. This week the now 24th ranked Cowboys travel to Ames to take on the Iowa State Cyclones, who are coming off of a rough road loss to the Arizona Wildcats. Despite being on the road, I don't foresee Mestemaker and co. struggling too much in this one.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - 1
Wk 9 - @ Iowa State
2. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Wk 8 - 25/52 250 yds 2 touchdowns 3 interceptions/5 carries 7 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.19 Texas (34-27 L)
Season - 167/262 1,926 yds 16 touchdowns 7 interceptions/41 carries 134 yds 6 touchdowns
I really do not know what to make of this Ole Miss Rebels team. On one hand they have an insanely explosive offense that can score with the best of them, lead by one of the most electrifying quarterbacks in all of college football. On the other hand there are times where that same offense can go insanely cold, seemingly taking off some halves of football in recent weeks. To explain my point against Florida they scored six of their 28-points in the first half, against Vanderbilt they scored 10 of their 52-points in the second half, against Missouri they scored 10 of their 31-points in the second half, and most recently against Texas they scored three of their 27-points in the first half. Now I'm not stupid, I understand that in games against Vanderbilt and Missouri they may have taken their foot off the gas, but in their two losses so far this season they have failed to show up in the first half, putting them in a hole that they inevitably fail to climb out of. A big reason for that has been the inconsistent play of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who's accuracy has been waining in recent weeks. With that being said though despite the inconsistencies, he is still the main reason Ole Miss remain in football games. I mean in their 52-28 loss to Florida, the only reason it was that close was because of Chambliss as he registered 342-yards of total offense with three touchdowns, leading the team in rushing in the process. This game was no different, as Ole Miss would find themselves down 24-3 at the half, eventually clawing their way back only to lose by the score 34-27. In the loss Chambliss would go 25/52 (season high in pass attempts) for 250-yards with two touchdowns and a season high three interceptions, the first time he's registered more than one interception in a game so far this season. Things wouldn't start off the smoothest for the Rebel offense as they would go three and out on their opening drive. Their next time out though Chambliss would come out firing, hitting on a couple shorter pass for four and six yards before firing it to the near sideline from the far hash to Deuce Alexander (on a hitch) that would result in a 36-yard gain. Unfortunately not much more would happen following the big gain, as a pair of zero yard runs followed by a Chambliss incompletion forced them to settle for a 46-yard field goal, tying the game up at three with 6:01 remaining in the first quarter. The defense would come up big time on Texas' following drive, picking off Arch Manning and setting the offense up at the plus 32-yard line. Unfortunately from there, on the opening play of the drive Chambliss would register his first interception of the game, throwing away (literally) a potential scoring opportunity.
The linebacker just read Chambliss' eyes the entire time. Now I'm sure Chambliss thought that he'd stay more to the outside, leaving a window open to hit his tight end for what would have been a short gain on first down. Unfortunately again the linebacker read him like a book, jumping the route and out muscling Michael Smith to end what should have been at least a field goal drive for the Rebel offense. Things wouldn't get much easier for Ole Miss as they would punt the ball away on each of their next four drive, with two of those drives seeing them go three and out. Their final drive of the half would see them string together a very nice drive as the run game helping get them all the way down to the Texas two yard line. That being said that's where the drive would end, as Chambliss would register his second interception of the half, coming on fourtha and goal with 1:37 remaining in the second quarter.
Ideally, Chambliss is able to get the ball out of his hands quick, as the motion is setting up a screen pass to Horatio Fields. The problem is that is the Texas defensive end blocked the throwing lane, forcing Chambliss to pump fake it but with the two other receivers to the outside not really running routes he has to force the ball to Fields, and because it was so late due to the factors I just mentioned it lead to an easy interception. This play was just destined to fail from the jump, and with it being fourth down Chambliss needed to force the issue rather than take a sack or throw it away. Sure you hate to see your quarterback throw an interception here, but his hand was forced and he at least tried to make something out of nothing. Normally Chambliss is able to do that, but this time saw him register his second interception of the first half, ending yet another potential scoring drive with an interception. Down 24-3 going into the locker room, the Ole Miss defense would step up big time on Texas' opening drive of the second half, stripping Arch Manning of the ball and taking the loose ball into the end zone to make it a 24-10 game less than two minutes into the third quarter. The Rebel offense would take the field for the first time around the 11-minute mark in the third. Starting from their own 20, Chambiss and the run game would drive them 80-yards in 12-plays, with Chambliss ultimately hitting Fields in the end zone after rolling to his right from six yards out to get them back to within seven with 6:46 remaining in the third.
I know this was only a six yard pass, but the velocity and placement shown here by Chambliss is truly impressive, hitting Fields in a spot away from the defender while rolling to his right for their first offensive touchdown of the game. At risk of sounding ridiculous, I will always be impressed by how much aforementioned velocity Chambliss is able to get on his throws despite not being the biggest quarterback out there. While on the move he's able place this ball accurately and strongly away from the defender, making it a 24-17 game just past the midway point in the third quarter. Things would slow down a little bit for the Ole Miss offense as they would go three and out on their next possession. Their next drive would be another short one, only this time Chambliss would connect on passes of 17 and 11-yards before hitting Horatio Fields down the near sideline for a 27-yard score, tying the game up at 24 just over a minute into the fourth quarter.
I know I only highlighted two, but these were three big time throws from Chambliss helped get the Rebels down the field in a hurry before finding the end zone from 27-yards out. On the first one I highlighted Chambliss was able to hit Horatio Fields along the near sideline on a well thrown back shoulder-ish ball, with Fields doing a nice job at working his way back to the ball to see it in for a 17-yard gain. Now, if you want an inch perfect back shoulder ball, look no further than the second throw that I highlighted. You just can't place a ball much better than that if you're Chambliss, with Fields bringing this ball in through a lot of contact for the 27-yard score. It was literally just an inch perfect throw from Chambliss, with a fantastic catch from Fields to help Ole Miss tie the game up at 24 at the start of the fourth quarter. The offense would be forced to punt the ball away after six plays their next time out, as they were unable to take advantage of another Manning interception. Texas would take advantage of Ole Miss not taking advantage of the turnover, with Manning eventually registering a one yard touchdown run to make it a 31-24 game midway through the fourth. Thanks to a personal foul penalty on the following kickoff, the Rebel offense would start their next drive from their own 47-yard line. Despite the solid field position they would only manage to get it to the opposite 41-yard line, forcing them to settle for a 58-yard field goal attempt. Unfortunately kicker Lucas Carneiro would see his kick blocked, keeping the score at 31-24 with 6:21 to go in quarter. Texas would register a field goal on their next drive, taking their lead to 10 with 2:25 to go in the game. Chambliss would help get the offense down the field in a hurry, hitting on passes for seven, 12, 11, and 24-yards, setting up a Carneiro 39-yard field goal to make it a 34-27 game with 1:22 remaining.
I love when quarterbacks are fearless when it comes to throwing the ball down the middle of the field. In need of a decent gain in order to get into field goal range. Chambliss fired it through the teeth of the defense to his big tight end, placing the ball through the defender's hand right on Odom's body for what would result in a 24-yard gain. Like I mentioned before, this pass would help set up another Lucas Carneiro field goal attempt, with this one going through the uprights to make it a 34-27 game with just over a minute to go in regulation. Needing to recover an onside kick in order to stay alive, the special teams would do the unthinkable and come away with the ball on the ensuing kickoff, giving the offense a chance with 1:15 to go in the game. Gifted a chance to either tie or win the game Chambliss would go out and do his thing, completing passes for 13, nine, and 15-yards, with two of those coming on third and/or fourth down. Unfortunately Chambliss would ultimately be picked off on a last second heave to the end zone, ultimately ending the game and seeing Texas hold onto a 34-27 home victory.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time going over this interception, as heaves towards the end zone are literal prayers, and it's unfortunate that this one wound up in the hands of the opposing team. Like I mentioned before I just wish Ole Miss would play a complete game, as their three point first half performance put them in a hole that they were ultimately unable to climb out of. As for Chambliss no game is truly done with him under center. Did he have his best game? No. Did he register three interceptions? Yes, but context is everything, and some of the plays he was able to make kept the Rebels alive in this game. Like even when they were down 24-3 at the half, everyone out there knew Chambliss would help bring them back, making a few drive extending plays on their final drive of the game. It wasn't his best performance, but it wasn't as bad as the stats may show. This week Chambliss and co. are back at home, playing host to a 4-3 Auburn Tigers team that beat the then no,1 Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges a couple weeks ago (though they lost by double digits this past week to LSU). I'm sure Ole Miss would love to extend their winning streak against Auburn to three with a win this week, getting things back on track after this tough road loss to Texas.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - 2
Wk 9 - v Auburn
3. Austin Simmons, Missouri
Wk 8 - BYE
Season - 132/209 1,773 yds 14 touchdowns 2 interceptions/20 carries 18 yds 0 touchdowns
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - N/A
Wk 3 - N/A
Wk 4 - N/A
Wk 5 - 7
Wk 6 - 7
Wk 7 - 3
Wk 8 - 3
Wk 9 - @ Arkansas
4. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Wk 8 - BYE
Season - 129/163 1,639 yds 16 touchdowns 1 interception/23 carries 82 yds 3 touchdowns
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - 4
Wk 9 - v Navy (@ Gillette Stadium)
5. Darian Mensah, Miami (FL)
Wk 8 - 31/37 387 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries -12 yds 0 touchdowns v Pitt (52-23 W)
Season - 166/204 2,151 yds 22 touchdowns 1 interception/20 carries 73 yds 2 touchdowns
Prior to the season starting this game seemingly had the chances to be a very good one. Everyone out there had a pretty good idea that the Miami Hurricanes would be a good football team, and most people would have assumed that the Pitt Panthers would be right up there as one of the best teams in the ACC. As things stood before the game Miami came in with a pretty unsurprising undefeated record, with Pitt coming in with a solid enough 5-2 record. The thing is though that record doesn't look as strong when you see who their two losses came against, losing to the likes of North Carolina and Boston College, two really weird that rank first and second in total defense but last and second to last in total offense. Prior to those two loses, the Panthers were coming off of a tight 35-33 win against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Had it not been for a field goal that went just wide up the upright, Pitt would be coming into this game fresh off of three loses. With quarterback Mason Heintschel going down for the season in that game, the national view of the Panthers seemingly changed drastically (which is understandable) especially since the defense can't seem to stop anybody up to this point in the season. So, coming into this game with a back-up quarterback, two straight losses, and a leaky defense, I think everyone out there saw the writing on the wall, knowing damn well that Miami would have their way in this one. That throughout process would prove correct, as the Hurricanes would come away with a dominant 52-23 home victory, with quarterback Darian Mensah putting forth yet another Heisman worthy performances. In the win Mensah would go 31/37 for 387-yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, his best statistical showing since Miami's 45-6 week one victory against Stanford (401-passing yards and five touchdowns). With that though things start off a little weird for the Hurricane offense, as the first play they'd run would come from a first and 15 situation following a false start penalty on their first officially official play from scrimmage. The penalty wouldn't matter too much to Mensah and co., as they would pick up the first down and more, ultimately getting them down to the Panther 22-yard line where kicker Jake Weinberg would convert to give them a 3-0 lead with 7:21 to go in the first quarter. It really could have been a 7-0 lead there but a holding penalty took a touchdown off the board, with a 10-yard sack and incompletion on third down forced them to settle for the aforementioned field goal. Mensah would take another big sack on their next drive, this one going an eight yard loss to push them to a third and 19 situation. Thankfully for them Mensah would be able to find an open Elija Lofton in the middle of the field, going for a 20-yard gain and picking up a much needed first down. A few plays later Mensah would hit Malachi Toney on a screen to the flat, with the receiver taking it 19-yards into the end zone for the score, giving them a 10-0 lead with exactly two minutes remaining in the quarter. Mensah would register another big time completion on third down their next time out, hitting Daylyn Upshaw along the near sideline for a 19-yard gain on third and seven. Mensah would then find Cooper Barkate for a further 16-yard gain, helping set up a 16-yard touchdown run by Javian Mallory to make it a 17-0 game early on in the second quarter. Mensah show nice pocket awareness and mobility on their next drive, sliding up in the pocket and dumping it off to Lofton for what would result in a 24-yard gain. Unfortunately the drive would wind up stalling out, with Upshaw dropping a pass from Mensah for what would have resulted in a first down on fourth and one. Miami would get the ball back with 4:29 to go in the half following Pitt's first touchdown of the game, with Mensah connecting on passes of 12 and 21-yards (the latter coming on third and 18) before hitting Toney on a screen along the far sideline that would result in a 53-yard score, extending their lead to 24-7 with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter. The Hurricanes would get the ball back in a hurry thanks to the defense forcing a Panther fumble on the opening play of their drive, gifting the offense the ball back at the plus 33 with 1:33 to go in the half. A fews plays into the drive Mensah would hit Gavin Mueller in the end zone from three yards out, giving them a whopping 31-3 lead with 39-seconds to go in the first half.
I know this was only a three yard passing touchdown, but I love Mensah flashing the pocket awareness and mobility, avoiding the sack and finding Mueller in the end zone for the score. Also nice job by Mueller at knowing where he was on the field, able to get a foot down in bounds to further extend their ever growing lead late in the second quarter. Mensah would come up with a couple big time pass attempts to kick things off in the second half. That being said only one of them would ultimately count, as a holding call would take away a 48-yard pass to Malachi Toney. That being said Mensah would again come back with another big time throw, the second time hitting Vandrevius Jacobs down the far sideline for a 44-yard gain, helping get them down to the Pitt two yard line on third and six.
Unfortunately the hold on the edge negated an awesome pass between Mensah and Toney, but I don't think that should take away from how impressive of a throw it was. While rolling to his right Mensah is able to drop this ball perfectly in the bread basket for Toney. Again just placed it perfectly down the field, just a shame that it ultimately would not count for anything due to the aforementioned holding call. If anything though that penalty motivated Mensah to keep firing it down the field, catching the Pitt defense trying to rotate their players while throwing a nice back shoulder ball to Jacobs who was able to adjust his body and bring the ball in through the contact for the 44-yard gain on third and six. Only one of these throws counted, but they were both impressive from Mensah. The play following the pass to Jacobs, running back Mark Fletcher Jr. would take it into the end zone from two yards out to make it a 38-7 game two minutes into the third quarter. Mensah would flash the athleticism early on their next drive following a Pitt touchdown, picking up 13-yards on second and 13 with a late hit out of bounds penalty helping take them to the 50-yard line after coming from their own 22. He would then hit on a few short to intermediate passes to help drive them down the field, ultimately helping set up a two yard touchdown run by Javian Mallory to give them a 45-14 lead with 4:33 to go in the quarter. Miami would struggle to move the ball their next time out, going three and out with Mensah registering back-to-back incompletions on second and third down. That being said it wouldn't take long for them to find the end zone on their following drive, needing only four plays before Mensah would hit Malachi Toney in the end zone from 11-yards out to further extend their lead early on in the fourth quarter.
Good luck guarding Toney in a one v one situation, especially if you're a safety as that gives him more room to work with before inevitably putting a move on you to free himself up. The route from Toney gave Mensah a nice window to work with, hitting his receiver right over the top of the defender (with Toney making a nice hands catch) in the end zone for the 11-yard score. There's just really nothing you can do about that as a defender, helping the Hurricanes grow their led to 52-14 just over two minutes into the fourth quarter. That touchdown pass would be Mensah's final contribution to the game, as Miami would eventually see out a 52-23 home victory. Another week, another double digit win for the top ranked Hurricanes. For Mensah he put forth yet another Heisman worthy showing, flashing excellent decision making with nice ball placement all around the field to help them secure the win. Him and Toney are just an insane duo, and we'll get to see the pair link up again this coming week as they travel to Chapel Hill to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are coming off of a disappointing overtime loss to the Syracuse Orange. Many out there will be expecting yet another dominant Miami win, and maybe it will happen but I could see North Carolina cause some issues for the visiting team. Not saying they're going to pull off the upset, but it may not be as clear cut as some of Miami's more recent victories.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 6
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 5
Wk 8 - 5
Wk 9 - @ North Carolina
6. Arch Manning, Texas
Wk 8 - 18/30 212 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/8 carries 2 yds 2 touchdowns v no.7 Ole Miss (34-27 W)
Season - 124/196 1,507 yds 12 touchdowns 7 interceptions/57 carries 110 yds 2 touchdowns
As I've stated probably a thousand times throughout these blog posts, Texas quarterback Arch Manning is the single most polarizing quarterback prospect in this year's draft. Hell, forget quarterback prospect, the dude is the most polarizing player in all of college football. Like it doesn't matter how high or low you reside on the college football food chain, everyone and their mom seems to have some sort of opinion regarding Manning, and this past week saw countless droves of people hovering around the corpse of what looked to be his NFL career. Following a disappointing loss against bitter rivals Oklahoma, Manning and co. came back home to take on a Florida team that was coming off of two rough losses against the likes of Missouri and South Carolina. With this game being at home, many though Texas would get off the snide and remind everyone that they're still one of the top teams in America. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, as they would fall again by the score 27-24, weirdly enough the second consecutive loss by that exact score. To make matters worse unless like 27-24 loss to Oklahoma, Manning could get nothing going. Sure against the Sooners he threw a couple interceptions, but I thought his performance was much better than what seemingly everyone else out there thought. I could not defend anything against Florida. Barring an otherworldly pass to Emmett Mosley Manning couldn't get anything going. His anticipation was off and him holding onto the ball too long in the pocket lead to a season high five sacks. Despite registering two less interceptions, his performance agains the Gators was much worse (in my eyes) than it was against the Sooners. That lead to a bunch of negative press throughout the college football world, with some suggesting that he should transfer to his families school in Ole Miss rather than declare for the draft. Those opinions only grew louder following Steve Sarkisian announcing that back-up quarterback Karle Lacey Jr. would start receiving more first team reps at practire. More than ever Manning's back was firmly against the wall, and people needed to see some sort of sign from him in Texas' next home game against the aforementioned then seventh ranked Ole Miss Rebels. Despite throwing a couple of picks, I thought Manning played well, helping the Longhorns secure a 34-27 home victory. In the win Manning would go 18/30 for 212-yards with one touchdown and two interceptions while also registering his first two rushing touchdowns of the season. Speaking of Mosley, Manning would come out firing on Texas' opening drive of the game, connecting with the receiver on a slant for what would result in a 23-yard gain to help get them down to the Ole Miss 33-yard line.
As I alluded to before one of the things Manning has been struggling with as of late is holding onto the ball too damn long. Sure this is a quick slant that usually requires you to get the ball out quick, but Manning hasn't been doing that recently. With that I like seeing Manning stand tall in the pocket in the face of pressure before throwing the ball where the defender once was into the path of Mosley for a 23-yard gain. Really strong and quick throw to again help them get down to the Ole Miss 33-yard line. Eventually the Longhorns would get the ball all the way down to the five yard line, but they would fail to get it across the goal line ultimately settling for a 23-yard field goal from Gianni Spetic to give them a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter. The Rebels would respond with a field goal of their own to tie the game up at three, but the Longhorns would fail to respond as Manning would register his first interception of the game, coming at the 4:47 mark of the quarter.
As I've spoken about numerous times before throwing from the near hash to the far sideline (and/or vice versa) is a lot farther of a throw than the general public thinks it is. That being said this throw was late, which allowed one of the two Ole Miss defenders in coverage to break on the ball and come away with a diving interception. There was a lot of confusion between the two in coverage, with both ultimately deciding to go to the flat, leaving Ryan Wingo unguarded further down the field. Overall it was just a poor throw and decision from Manning, but thankfully the Longhorn defense would come away with an interception of their own on the following play, actually giving the offense better field position than they did when Manning through the interception. Unfortunately nothing would come from the turnover, as Texas would punt the ball away after going three and out with Manning seeing two of his passes hit the ground. The offense would be set up with solid field position on their next drive, with Manning connecting with Ryan Wingo on a short pass that would go for 43-yards, taking them to the Ole Miss 25-yard line. From their they would only need two plays to find the end zone, with a 23-yard rush by Ryleek Brown setting up a two yard touchdown run by Manning to give them a 10-3 lead with less than a minute to go in the first quarter. Manning would come up massive for the Longhorn offense on their next drive, picking up 19-yards with his legs on third and 17 before hitting Wingo down the middle of the field for what would result in a 50-yard touchdown.
With the linebacker coming in on the blitz and no one else in behind, no one on the Ole Miss defense is prepared to deal with Manning's legs. With a bunch of room to work with, Manning is able to run right down the middle of the field before being hit forward to pick up a much needed first down on third and 17. Two plays later Manning would hit Ryan Wingo for the score. With Cam Coleman coming across the field on a deep crosser, he occupies the safety in the middle of the field, allowing for Wingo (who beats his defender with ease) to get in behind for Manning to hit for the score. You really couldn't have asked for a better look if you were Texas, with Manning able to stay calm and tall in the pocket before making a strong throw down the field (off his back foot) while taking a hit to help the Longhorns gain a 17-3 advantage just over two minutes into the second quarter. Texas would be able to find the end zone again on their next drive as Manning would only complete one pass (10-yards to Michael Masunas) before Michael Terry III would take it into the end zone for a two yard score to make it a 24-3 game midway through the second quarter. Not much else would happen the rest of the first half for the Longhorn offense, as they would take a 24-3 lead into the locker room. That being said things would start off a little hairy for the offense, as Manning would be strip sacked on the fourth play of their opening drive, with Ole Miss' Kam Franklin taking it back 23-yards the other way for a Rebel touchdown, making it a 24-10 game less than two minutes into the third quarter. Texas would struggle moving the ball their next few drives as well, punting the ball away on each of their next three drives (going three and out once) before Manning would register his second interception of the game, this one coming less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.
With the safety to the weak side of the field tucking inside, Manning thinks that he'll have a chance to drop this ball right in the bucket of his tight end for what would have been a really nice gain. Unfortunately right as he lets the ball go the aforementioned safety reverses back to the outside, with Manning's pass ultimately sailing on him after taking a shot from the defender, landing in the safeties waiting arms like a punt for an easy interception. Overall it just wound up not being a great decision from Manning, and he has to be able to anticipate the safety reversing back out like that, especially when they're in two high. I think this can be looked at him forcing it, as Texas saw their 24-3 halftime lead turn into a 24-all game early on in the fourth quarter. With that Manning would make up for the interception on their next drive, with the run game taking them 80-yards in six plays with Manning ultimately taking it into the end zone from a yard out to make it a 31-24 game midway through the quarter. Texas would continue using the run game to their advantage following a missed field goal by Ole Miss, with Raleek Brown registering a couple 10+ yard carries (12 and 23-yards) to ultimately help set up a 33-yard Gianni Spetic field goal to give them a 34-24 lead with 2:25 to go in the game. That would ultimately be Texas' final offensive contribution as Ole Miss would register a field goal to make it 34-27 before recovering an onside kick and taking it all the way down to the Longhorn 29-yard line, only for Trinidad Chambliss' last second heave to be picked off in the end zone, sealing a 34-27 Texas home victory. Given Texas' second half struggles as of late, watching them nearly blow a 21-point halftime lead is far from surprising. As for Manning he still needs to work on his anticipation, as both interceptions truly could have been avoided. That being said when everything is lined up he can make some ridiculous plays, as his arm talent and ability to throw with a defender in his face is impressive (again, when everything is lined up). The wow plays are keeping him in that first round conversation, now it's just a matter of finding that consistency as a passer overall. This week the Longhorns play host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who will be without star quarterback Kamario Taylor due to a foot injury he suffered against Oklahoma. Last season against the Bulldogs on the road Manning put forth one of his best showings, let's see if he can do the same thing this time around.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 2
Wk 7 - 6
Wk 8 - 6
Wk 9 - v Mississippi State
7. Aidan Chiles, Northwestern (NEW)
Wk 8 - 19/25 219 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/12 carries 83 yds 2 touchdowns v Rutgers (42-14 W)
Season - 117/164 1,617 yds 12 touchdowns 1 interception/72 carries 181 yds 9 touchdowns
Welcome to the officially official Draft "Expert" top-10 Aidan Chiles! Out of all of the quarterbacks featured in this week's blog post, this one to me is the craziest. Not because I don't think Chiles isn't insanely talented, but because of the fact I just had a hard time envisioning him ever fully tapping into the talent he had. After transferring from Oregon State to Michigan State, following then head coach Jonathan Smith, Chiles was viewed as one of the more talented quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Possessing a live arm with good size (6'4" 225 lbs.) and plus athleticism, every sign seemingly pointed to the Spartans landing themselves a solid head coach and a potential program changer at quarterback. The only problem is that none of that came close to reality, as Smith bored the pants off of everyone in East Lansing before being fired at the conclusion of last season, with Chiles inevitably entering the transfer portal after being benched for current Michigan State starter Alessio Milivojevic throughout portions of last season, as they ended with a disappointing 4-8 record. Throughout his time there Chiles would flash the talent he clearly possessed, but would register some sort of crazy turnover soon after, constantly leaving you scratching your head on whether or not you felt he was truly good or not. Despite again being periodically benched Chiles still put up some solid numbers, registering 10-passing touchdowns to just three interceptions to go along with six rushing touchdowns. After entering the aforementioned transfer portal Chiles wound up at Northwestern, a continuously improving team but just didn't really move the needle for me in regards to hype coming into the season. Now, I still mentioned him in the honorable mention section in my insanely early quarterback rankings blog post, but I again didn't really expect to see the performances we have from him so far this season. Under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, Chiles has become one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten, already surpassing his numbers from last season despite registering 39-less pass attempts. Through seven games Chiles has thrown for 1,600+ yards with 12-touchdowns and just one interception (more on that later), while also registering a further 181-yards on the ground with nine more touchdowns there to boot. This week Chiles put forth yet another solid showing, going 19/25 for 219-yards with three touchdowns and one interception to go along with 83-yards and two touchdowns on the ground as Northwestern beaten down the Rutgers Scarlet Knights by the score 42-14. Things would start off as good as they could have for the Wildcat offense, with Chiles capping off a 10-play 75-yard drive by hitting Griffin Wilde in the end zone while rolling to his right from 13-yards out to give them a 7-0 lead with just under 10-minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Nice and easy throw here from Chiles. Rolling to his right, he's able to hit Wilde in the end zone who beats his defender with ease to come away with the 13-yard score. With the safety giving Wilde everything to the outside, Chiles knows that all he'll have to do is not miss his favorite receiver and they'll come away with their first score of the game. Obviously did not miss him here, with Wilde going up to get it to give them a 7-0 lead with 9:54 to go in the first quarter. Northwestern would make quick work of things their next time out, with a 56-yard run by Caleb Komolafe and a 16-yard pass by Chiles eventually helping set up a one yard touchdown run by Chiles to make it a 14-0 game with 1:32 remaining in the first.
Really nice job by Chiles at using his eyes to manipulate the defense. Starting with his eyes to the right, he darts back to the middle of the field and fires a low ball into Wilde who would go down to get it for a 16-yard game. Though the pass was low, I do actually like the placement here from Chiles, as Wilde's route was carrying him into the path of the safety, with the ball placement keeping it away from the defender and in a spot where only his receiver could get it. A few plays later Chiles would take it into the end zone from a yard out, doubling their advantage later on in the first quarter. Following a Rutgers fumble on the opening play of their next drive, it would only take Northwestern two plays to find the end zone with Chiles firing one into Alex Honig from eight yards out to give them a 21-0 lead with 49-seconds left in the quarter.
I wish they showed a back angle of this throw, because the broadcast angle really doesn't do it justice as you really could not have asked for a better placed ball from Chiles on this one. With Honig tightly covered in the end zone, there was not a lot of room for Chiles to fit this ball in, and yet he did, firing low and on the outside shoulder of the defender in coverage, giving them a 21-0 lead with less than a minute to go in the first quarter. Chiles would come out firing again on their next possession, hitting Griffin Wilde along the near sideline for a 26-yard gain on the opening play of the drive.
First off, I love that Chip Kelly is doing some arena football like formations, with receivers sometimes lining up 10-15-yards behind the line of scrimmage. Keeping the defense honest, Chiles was able to float a perfectly weighted ball into Wilde along the sideline for a 26-yard gain. Just dropped perfectly right over the head of the defender in coverage and into the path of Wilde for the big time gain to kickoff the drive. Things would ultimately slow down a little bit after that pass, with the Wildcats eventually having to settle for a 47-yard field goal from Jackson Kleather. The only problem is that Kleather would send the ensuing effort wide, keeping the score at 21-0 with 11:35 to go in the second quarter. Chiles would come out with a couple big plays to kick off their next drive, picking up 12-yards with his legs on the opening play of the drive before hitting Griffin Wilde down the middle of the field for a further 32-yards on the following play, taking them from their own 27 to the Rutgers 29-yard line. Despite the plus field position, Northwestern would ultimately be forced to punt the ball away after Chiles took a nine yard sack on third and eight, putting them in a fourth and 17 situation. Chiles would come out firing once again on their next drive, hitting Alex Honig on a crossing route for 15-yards before escaping the pocket and firing it down the far sideline to Drew Wagner for a further 17-yard gain to get them (once again) to the Rutgers 29-yard line.
With seemingly nothing open initially down the field, Chiles would escape the pocket to the right and fire the ball to Wagner who did a nice job at working his way back to give his quarterback an option to throw to down the field. Along with that, Chiles did a nice job at holding onto the ball as long as possible, sucking in the defense before firing it down the field for the 17-yard gain, taking them to the Rutgers side of the 50. Things would look to head in the direction of another punt after a false start penalty and a negative two yard run on the two following plays. Though they would pick up two yards on the ground on second down, they would ultimately find themselves in a third and 14 situation from the Scarlet Knight 33-yard line. That being said from there, running back Caleb Komolafe would take it into the end zone from 33-yards out to give the Wildcats a 28-3 lead with 1:46 remaining in the second quarter. Things would start slowing down for the Northwestern offense as things kicked off in the second half, as they would punt the ball away after seven plays on their opening drive before Chiles would register his first interception of the season with 50-seconds remaining in the third quarter.
With Rutgers sending a disguised blitz on third and 10, Chiles had to get the ball out sooner than expected, throwing this ball too far inside and right into the path of the defender in coverage. Just a poor throw here from Chiles, which would again be his first interception of the season, coming with 50-seconds remaining in the third quarter. With that being said Chiles would make up for the interception on their following drive, hitting on a few short to intermediate passes before escaping the pocket and hitting Drew Wagner in the end zone from four yards out to make it a 35-14 game with 10:32 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Yes it was technically only a four yard pass, but Chiles' ability to escape pressure to his right before finding the open Wagner in the end zone for the score. Before breaking the pocket Chiles did an excellent job at scanning the entire field, eventually deciding to roll to his right and breaking a potential shoelace tackle with Wagner adjusting his route to give his quarterback an option to give them a 35-14 lead less than five minutes into the fourth quarter. Chiles would flash the athleticism on Northwestern's next drive, keeping the ball on the read option and taking it into the end zone from 37-yards out with 4:33 to go in the fourth.
Probably the easiest 37-yard touchdown run in Chiles' career every literally every Rutgers defender following the running back on the zone read, only for Chiles to pull it and walk into the end zone from 37-yards out to continue growing their lead with 4:33 to go in the fourth quarter. That touchdown run would ultimately be Chiles last contribution to the game, with the Wildcats seeing out an impressive 42-14 home victory. One of the hottest teams in the country, Northwestern have been on a tear as of late, boasting one of the top offenses in the Big Ten, ranking third in total and scoring offense. A big reason for that is the play by Chiles, who continues to flash the potential many felt was there but never fully saw while he was at Michigan State. Making numerous big time plays throughout the game, Chiles proved a real threat with both his arm and his legs, registering five total touchdowns in the process. This week Chiles and co. travel out west to take on the Oregon Ducks. If you would have said one of these teams would be 6-1 and the other 4-3 before the seasons started, I don't think many would have guessed that Northwestern would be the better of the two teams. Let's see if they're up to the task this coming week.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - N/A
Wk 3 - N/A
Wk 4 - N/A
Wk 5 - N/A
Wk 6 - N/A
Wk 7 - N/A
Wk 8 - 7
Wk 9 - @ Oregon
8. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (+2)
Wk 8 - 18/32 210 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/18 carries 96 yds 2 touchdowns v no.11 Tennessee (27-24 W)
Season - 133/219 1,548 yds 13 touchdowns 5 interceptions/85 carries 507 yds 4 touchdowns
Crazy thing college football, isn't it? I mean hell just over a month ago we were talking about the downfall of the South Carolina football program. Literally everything was a mess, from players getting ejected to coaches losing their grip on authority, even seeing reports suggesting that quarterback LaNorris Sellers could see his first team reps split between himself and back-up Cutter Woods. Seemingly everything that could potentially go wrong was going wrong, with head coach Shane Beamer's seat getting warmer and warmer with each passing day. Now it's not like he wasn't on some sort of hot seat already, but given how things were going following their 49-18 loss to Alabama, it seemed like he could be ejected from said seat sooner rather than later. Along with Beamer, when it comes to South Carolina football a lot of attention goes to the aforementioned Sellers, as people out there can't seem to make sense on whether or not he's truly one of the better quarterbacks in the country. I would say following their 41-34 loss to Mississippi State, a game that saw Sellers throw a couple really bad interceptions, that most people would lean towards the side of he's just not very good. The thing is though, since that Alabama game the following week, things have started picking up for Sellers and co., even after a 35-34 home overtime loss to Kentucky. Maybe the reports of him getting potentially benched lit a fire under him, because these past few weeks Sellers has re-entered the conversation as one of the top quarterbacks in this year's draft (in my opinion). Like against a then 16th ranked Florida team, Sellers registered his second ever five touchdown game, with four of those coming through the air as he put forth his best passing display of the season as the Gamecocks pulled off an impressive double digit road victory, their first win in Gainesville since 2014. Like many out there, I was intrigued to see how Sellers would do coming off the bye, facing then 11th ranked Tennessee at home. Despite the Volunteers boasting the better record and higher ranking, the Gamecocks came in as -2.5-point favorites. In the end they wound up proving the bookies right, taking home a 27-24 victory, with Sellers going 18/32 for 210-yards with one touchdown and one interception while also registering 96-yards and two more touchdowns on the ground (season high in rushing touchdowns). Sellers would come out the gates firing for the Gamecock offense, connecting on a few short to intermediate passes while also registering a 12-yard run on third and seven before hitting Mazeo Bennett Jr. on a screen for what would result in a 17-yard score, giving them a 7-0 lead with just over 10-minutes to go in the first quarter. Sellers would continue to make plays on their next drive following a three and out by Tennessee, hitting DJ Black in the face of pressure for what would wind up being a 27-yard gain before calling his own number and taking it into the end zone from 31-yards out to make it a 14-0 game midway through the quarter.
Though the first play I highlighted only saw the ball techincally travel 10-or so yards down the field to an immobile target, the ability to get this ball out and around the defender providing pressure is what makes this play go. The pump fake got the defender in the air, before quickly going back to the inside and firing it to Black who would secure the ball then turn up field for what would result in a 27-yard gain. The touchdown run was just defensive malpractice shown by Tennessee, as why the hell would you give a quarterback like Sellers that much room to work with in the middle of the field. With the pass rush not getting home, Sellers saw nothing but green grass in front of him and decided to take off, racking up 31-yards and finding his way to the end zone to double their lead with 8:17 remaining in the first quarter. Their next drive would be just as quick as this one, the only difference is that instead of ending with a Sellers touchdowns, it would end with a Sellers interception, coming less than two minutes into the second quarter.
This was just a really poor decision here by Sellers. Like, I think this is one of those situations that we can chalk up to "arm arrogance," as though Mazeo Bennett is seemingly open along the sideline, getting the ball to him in time while getting hit and falling away is a damn near impossible task, as we saw on the play. Sometimes as a quarterback living to fight another day is the best option, even if that means taking a sack or throwing the ball out of bounds, especially when it's only second down. He just wasn't able to get anything on this throw, leading to a very easy interception. To make matters worse Tennessee would capitalize on the turnover, registering their first touchdown of the game to tie the game up at 14 midway through the second quarter. Things would not start off the greatest for South Carolina on their next drive, as a fumbled exchange would push them back to a third and 13-situation. Thankfully for them the drive would stay alive after Sellers would hit Maurice Brown III on a tunnel screen that would not only pick up the first down, but rack up a very nice 28-yards to take them to the Tennessee 40-yard line. Sellers would help the Gamecocks convert on fourth and six a few plays later, hitting Bennett on a hitch for a seven yard gain to help extend the drive. He would continue connecting on short to intermediate passes before they would ultimately have to settle for a field goal, with kicker Malik Orsan converting from 22-yards out to make it a 17-14 game with 1:44 to go in the quarter. The Volunteers would close the first half with another touchdown, taking a 21-17 lead going into the locker rooms. That being said prior to the end of the half, Sellers would show off his absolutely insane arm strength, launching the ball from their own 34-yard line and through the back of the end zone while trying to come away with some more points before the half.
Did this need highlight? Yes and no, because even though it fell incomplete, it was an absolutely insane display of pure arm talent. I mean, that's a 75+ yard throw, and he did that in a game? I don't care if it was completed or not, that's unnatural and ridiculous (in all the best ways). Now South Carolina would really struggle to move the ball early on in the second half, going three and out on their first two possessions before turning it over on downs after seven plays, failing to convert on fourth and three from the Tennessee 41-yard line. Their next drive would also last just seven plays, though this time they would punt the ball away after Sellers took back-to-back sacks on second and third down for losses of two and five yards. Tennessee would turn the ball over on downs on their next possession after failing to convert on fourth and one from the South Carolina 38, giving the Gamecocks the ball back down seven with 3:25 to go in the game. Sellers would come out firing on said drive, connecting with DJ Black for a 14-yard gain before calling his own number and picking up 22-yards with his legs on first and 15, taking them down to the Volunteer 10-yard line. A few plays later on third and goal Sellers would take it into the end zone from four yards out, showing insane will power to reach it over the line for the score.
As I've spoken about thousands of times before, Sellers may be the single hardest quarterback to bring down in the open field. Though this was technically only a four yard run, the amount of effort and will power shown by Sellers here is truly impressive, as he's able to fight through two to three would be tacklers before putting his hand on the ground and falling into the end zone for the score. That's just something you can't teach, as it helped the Gamecocks tie the game up at 24 with 1:17 to go in the fourth quarter. Looking destined for overtime, fate would be on South Carolina's side as Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre would be strip sacked at their own 38-yard line, with the Gamecocks jumping on it to set the offense up at the plus 34. Following a nine yard by Sellers on third and 15, kicker Malik Orsan would be set up with a chance to steal the game from 48-yards out. As fate would have it he would convert as time expired, giving South Carolina the victory over then 11th ranked Tennessee. What a way to end a game, am I right? I mean according to ESPN's win probability meter, the Volunteers had a 96.3% chance to win the game with 4:28 to go in the fourth, only for the Gamecocks to steal it (literally) as time expired. As for Sellers he started this game on fire, with his accuracy starting to wain on his a little bit following the interception. He's just so physically gifted, and if he continues to improve as the season progresses he could be back in those first round conversations. I don't know if we're there yet, but it's definitely not out of the realms of possibility. This week Sellers and co. travel to Norman to take on the Oklahoma Sooners, a team with an equal record to that of South Carolina as they're coming off of a 23-15 road victory against Mississippi State. As of right now the series between the two schools is split right down the middle (1-1) meaning Saturday is the chance for someone to take hold of this vicious rivalry. The third ranked offense in the SEC taking on the second ranked defense, which one will fold come Saturday?
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - 10
Wk 4 - N/A
Wk 5 - N/A
Wk 6 - 10
Wk 7 - 10
Wk 8 - 8
Wk 9 - @ Oklahoma
9. Jayden Maiava, USC
Wk 8 - 31/50 258 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/5 carries -57 yds 0 touchdowns @ Wisconsin (24-7 L)
Season - 183/274 2,302 yds 19 touchdowns 5 interceptions/25 carries -62 yds 2 touchdowns
Out of all the games that happened this past weekend, this one was probably the one that left me scratching my head the most. Now before I really start getting into things I must say, Wisconsin are a much better football team than they were last year, and are playing the best football they have since Luke Fickell took over as head coach. They may not have the most explosive offense in all of college football (though I do like quarterback Colton Jospeh) but they play a tough brand of football on the defensive side of the ball that's really hard to break down, ranking inside the top-10 in every single defensive category so far this season in the Big Ten (fifth best scoring defense). Now, to play devil's advocate, they haven't necessarily gone up against the most explosive offenses in college football, with their two wins in conference play coming against two bottom six offenses (Michigan State and Penn State). Their lone loss in conference play came against UCLA, who can boast the second best statistical offense in the conference, though they were without quarterback Nico Iamaleava due to a knee injury he suffered against Oregon the week before. So this game against a fully fit and firing USC Trojans team was a real big test for them. Lead by quarterback Jayden Maiava, the Trojans boast a passing offense that ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally, with Maiava currently ranking third in the nation in passing yards behind Oregon State's Braden Atkinson and Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker (two orange and black state schools, weird, right?). With that all being said I really didn't think USC would struggle too mightily, and maybe that was just me sticking my nose up at Wisconsin rather than actually thinking about the situation critically. Since joining the Big Ten in 2024, the Trojans have lost to the likes of Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, and Illinois all on the road, and that's not to mention games they've struggled in against the likes of Nebraska and Purdue last year and Rutgers and Penn State this season, the former seeing them win by the score 42-35 in front of like 10-people. If I was taking my black and gold glasses off maybe I would have looked at this game a little differently, but truth be told USC does not travel well in traditional Big Ten country, regardless of if they are expected to win or not, so seeing them fall by the score 24-7 to Wisconsin isn't that big of a surprise as I once thought it would be. Maiava struggled in the loss, going 31/50 (season high for attempts) for 258-yards with one touchdown and a season high two interceptions while taking a season high five sacks, resulting in a grand total of -57-rushing yards. That all being everything was placed on Maiava's shoulders as the Trojans failed to get any semblance of a run game going, with his aforementioned -57-yards on the ground bringing their team total down to -17-yards on 25-attempts. Just brutal. Things really could not have started off any worse for the USC offense as they would go three and out to open things up before Maiava would register interceptions on back-to-back drives, both coming on third down situations.
Just two ill-advised throws here from Maiava, with both of them again coming on third down situations. The first one Maiava tosses the ball down the sideline to a tightly guarded Wyatt Dixon-Wyatt, with the defender batting the ball away and into the surprised arms of the second defender in coverage. It would have taken an inch perfect pass for this ball to be completed, and unfortunately the pass was under thrown with the defender making a really good play on the ball to come away with the interception. The second one Maiava just forced the issue. Incredibly unsettled in the pocket with pressure barreling down on him on third and five. Ultimately he again just forces the issue, trying to pick up a much needed first down. Unfortunately his pass was easily intercepted by the linebacker in coverage, as Maiava just flat out didn't see him. Two very unfortunate throws from Maiava, but thankfully for him and the USC offense the defense would step up massively, with Wisconsin only able to come away with three points despite having plus field position after both interceptions. Maiava would come back on their next drive and make up for the pair of turnovers, helping the Trojans drive 67-yards on 15-plays while converting on a couple third and fourth downs before finding a wide ass open Taniela Tupou in the back of the end zone from four yards out to give them a 7-3 lead with 9:44 to go in the fourth quarter. USC would start their next drive from their own seven yard line following a fumble on the ensuing kick return after a Wisconsin touchdown. Face another third down situation, this time from their own nine yard line, Maiava would fire one down the far sideline to Dixon-Wyatt for a 10-yard gain on third and eight.
This was just a really strong throw from Maiava, fitting it into Dixon-Wyatt along the sideline seemingly through the defender in coverage for a 10-yard gain on third and eight. Really good ball placement on this throw, putting it in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on the ball, just past the outstretched arm of the Wisconsin defender. That would really be the final play of note in the first half as Maiava would get sacked on the following play before handing the ball off to King Miller to take a 10-7 deficit into the locker room. Maiava would lead another extended drive on USC's opening possession of the second half, connecting on a few 10-15-yard passes throughout, with his best one coming on a 14-yard pass to Tanook Hines to pick up a much needed first down on third and 10.
Maiava just absolutely ripped this ball into Hines. Prior to the throw, Maiava did an excellent job at scanning the field, nearly flipping it off to King Miller out of the backfield before flipping back to his left and firing it into Hines through a few Wisconsin defenders for a 14-yard gain on third and 10. Just a really good showing from Maiava on this play, helping extend the drive while pushing them deeper into Badger territory. Eventually Maiava would lead the offense down to the plus 13-yard line, before taking an unfortunate 15-yard sack on third down which forced them to settle for a 44-yard field goal attempt from Caden Chittenden with 4:10 remaining in the third quarter. Unfortunately the ensuing attempt from Chittenden would be blocked, keeping the score at 17-7 in favor of Wisconsin later on in the aforementioned quarter. A similar story would be told on USC's following drive, as Maiava would connect on a few short to intermediate passes to help get them down to the plus 33-yard line. Much like the previous drive Maiava would take a massive sack, this one going for 10-yards on second down to push them into a third and 20-situation from the 43-yard line. Eventually the field goal unit would trot out there as they would ultimately fail to pick up a first down, with Chittenden's ensuing 58-yard attempt would fall well short of the mark to keep the score at 17-7 less than two minutes into the fourth quarter. I would love to say things would get better for the USC offense but that'd be a lie, as they would the ball over on each of their next two drive after failing to convert on fourth 18 and five situations as Wisconsin would take home an impressive 24-7 home victory. This really just wasn't USC's night, as a pair of Maiava interceptions and a pair of missed field goals really put them in a hole they could not climb out of. Like I said before this wasn't Maiava's best game, but the real lack of a run game did him no favors in this one. I'm intrigued to see how him and the rest of the now unranked Trojans do this coming week as the welcome the second ranked Ohio State Buckeyes to Los Angeles. With this only being the fourth time the two schools have met since the start of the 21st century, there should be a whole lot of buildup. Let's just hope Maiava and co. are up to the task.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 9
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - 10
Wk 6 - 9
Wk 7 - 9
Wk 8 - 9
Wk 9 - v no.2 Ohio State
10. Conner Weigman, Houston (NEW)
Wk 8 - 19/35 282 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/8 carries 20 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.10 Utah (21-13 L)
Season - 153/233 2,053 yds 20 touchdowns 2 interceptions/67 carries 249 yds 6 touchdowns
Welcome to the top-10 Conner Weigman! What a crazy story this one is, right? Something I've spoken about numerous times before is Weigman's fall from grace. Once upon time seen as one fo the top quarterback prospects in the country, Weigman's career was really hanging in the balance when he announced his decision to transfer to Houston. Entering college as a five star prospect coming out of high school, Weigman saw time early on in his collegiate career, starting each of the last four games of the season while at Texas A&M. After beating out Max Johnson to the starting job the following season, Weigman flashed even more of the talent that we saw during his true freshman season. Unfortunately his first season as the full time starter would be cut short due to a foot injury he suffered in 27-10 win against Auburn. Despite only starting eight games up to that point in his career, Weigman entered the 2024 season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, that was until an insanely disappoiting week one performance against the then seventh ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. You could tell he hadn't played in a while as he looked lost, as if the moment was too big for him. Eventually Weigman would find himself benched for then freshman Marcel Reed, ending his final season in Aggie land with three passing touchdowns and five interceptions in just five starts. With his stock now at an all time low, Weigman ultimately entered the transfer portal, winding up with his hometown Houston Cougars. After putting forth a solid showing last season, Weigman came in with some newfound confidence, though not really near the top of many people's minds when it comes to being a pro prospect. That was until now, as Weigman has been a production machine so far this season, totaling 26-touchdowns (20-passing six rushing) with just two interceptions. The arm talent and athleticism have always been there, it was just a matter of him playing with some consistency, which is what he's been finding since landing in Houston. The performance that really got people talking was his five passing touchdown performance in a 35-32 victory against then 18th ranked Oklahoma State, meaning damn near everyone out there turned their attention to this past weekend's game as the Cougars travelled to Salt Lake City to take on the 10th ranked Utes of Utah. In the end things would ultimately not go Houston's way, as they would fall by the score 21-13. For Weigman, though he didn't register a touchdown he still put forth a solid showing, making strong throws while using his legs to pick up a couple nice gains throughout the game. Though they were forced to punt the ball away after six plays on their opening drive, Weigman would come out firing on their second drive, hitting Amare Thomas on third and five for what would result in a 56-yard gain, taking them down to the Utah 12-yard line.
Though damn near every single yard of this play comes from the legs of Thomas, the throw from Weigman was still a strong one, springing his receiver for the massive gain. With the crossing and the go routes clearing up a throwing lane, Weigman is able to fire it right onto Thomas' body, allowing him to get his head up quickly before turning up field for a 56-yard gain. Unfortunately that would be the final positive play of the drive, as the Cougars would ultimately turn the ball over on downs with Weigman's pass on fourth and one from the three yard line falling incomplete with 3:45 to go in the first quarter. Houston's defense would come up big time on Utah's following drive, picking off quarterback Devon Dampier in the end zone to set the offense up at the 20-yard line. Weigman would help the Cougars offense convert on a few third downs on their next possession before flashing the athleticism and picking up 33-yards with his legs to take them down to the plus seven yard line.
Could Weigman have come away with a touchdown on this run? Maybe, but with the defensive back having the much better angle (mixed with more speed) seemingly caught Weigman in two minds, continue heading towards the far sideline and try to beat the defender to the pylon, or use the defender's momentum against them and cut back for a potential score. Obviously he chose the latter, and if he was able to keep his feet maybe he could have scored. In the end that run would help set up a 24-yard field goal attempt from Jonathan Dimas, which he could convert on to give them a 3-0 lead with 3:44 remaining in the second quarter. Weigman would connect with Luke McGary for an 18-yard gain on the opening play of their next drive (following a false start penalty), but unfortunately they would be forced to punt the ball away after just four plays, taking a 3-0 lead into the locker room. Weigman would hit on a few short to intermediate passes on their next drive, converting on multiple third down attempts to help lead them down the field and eventually leading to a two yard touchdown run by Makhi Hughes to give them a 10-0 lead with 6:46 to go in the third quarter. Weigman would come out letting it rip following Utah's first score of the game, hitting Amare Thomas down the field for a 45-yard gain, taking them from their own 33 to the plus 22-yard line.
Really strong throw here from Weigman. From a clean pocket, dude just rips it down the middle of the field to an open Thomas who is able to take it all the way down to the Utah 22-yard line. Though he was open on the play I still like the ball placement from Weigman, putting this ball more on Thomas' back shoulder to keep him away from the defender where his route would have carried him. Overall just a really good play, helping get the Cougars deep into Ute territory. Unfortunately they would not be able to fully capitalize on the big play, ultimately settling for another Jonathan Dimas field goal, this one from 47-yards out as Houston would grow their lead to 13-7 with 2:17 to go in the third quarter. The offense would start to struggle moving the ball on their next few drives, punting the ball away after four and three plays before Weigman would get strip sacked on the opening play of their following drive, with Utah jumping on it and taking over at the Houston nine yard line. Now down 21-13 with just over two minutes remaining, Weigman would launch one down the far sideline to Koby Young who would be able to bring it in for a 41-yard gain.
Given the situation, this was a crazy throw from Weigman. Yes Young had a step or two on his defender, but with pressure barreling down all around him Weigman was able to remain tall and calm in the pocket, delivered a perfect ball to Young for the aforementioned 41-yard gain. Also great job by Young at adjusting to the ball, just an overall great play given the circumstances, helping the Houston offense get from their own 36 to the Utah 23-yard line. Unfortunately Weigman would fail to replicate the success he had on the throw just mentioned, with his next four passes would fall incomplete as they would ultimately turn the ball over on downs, thus sealing a 21-13 home victory for the Utes. Such a hard fought game from start to finish, with the Cougars ultimately falling just short in the end. For not registering a passing or rushing touchdown I thought Weigman played a solid game, making some big time plays when needed (with both his arm and his legs) while also playing smart and taking what the defense gave him. It may have not been equal to his five touchdown performance a week ago, but I still felt as though he did enough to warrant a spot in the top-10. This week Houston is on a bye, but will be back at home on November 7th as they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats, a team coming off of an impressive 37-24 victory against then eighth ranked Texas Tech. Despite the big time win, I ultimately do think Weigman and co. will just have too much for them come November 7th.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - N/A
Wk 3 - N/A
Wk 4 - N/A
Wk 5 - N/A
Wk 6 - N/A
Wk 7 - N/A
Wk 8 - 10
Wk 9 - BYE
Others
Kevin Jennings, SMU
Wk 8 - 16/23 223 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/7 carries 26 yds 0 touchdowns v California (59-20 W)
Season - 156/215 2,062 yds 19 touchdowns 5 interceptions/43 carries 121 yds 2 touchdowns
DJ Lagway, Baylor
Wk 8 - 20/31 236 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/11 carries 47 yds 0 touchdowns @ Kansas (25-24 L)
Season - 113/217 1,352 yds 9 touchdowns 4 interceptions/26 carries 19 yds 1 touchdown
Sam Leavitt, LSU
Wk 8 - 32/45 387 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/8 carries 54 yds 1 touchdown @ Auburn (38-17 W)
Season - 180/256 2,163 yds 17 touchdowns 8 interceptions/72 carries 324 yds 8 touchdowns
Drake Lindsey, Minnesota (8)
Wk 8 - 14/26 137 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/7 carries -11 yds 0 touchdowns v no.15 Iowa (13-10 W)
Season - 141/222 1,472 yds 9 touchdowns 6 interceptions/19 carries -24 yds 0 touchdowns
Caden Veltkamp, Florida Atlantic
Wk 8 - 29/37 339 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/11 carries 5 yds 1 touchdown v Rice (51-49 W)
Season - 190/260 2,084 yds 18 touchdowns 4 interceptions/34 carries -52 yds 2 touchdowns
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