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

Did the two games in the NFL Thanksgiving round, this Thursday (26), get you spoiled? College Football is the solution! This Friday (27), ESPN broadcasts five college football matches, with a highlight on Notre Dame vs North Carolina, at 5:30 pm, and Oregon vs. Oregon State, at 9:30 pm, which will be aired on ESPN 2. The remaining games will be streamed in the ESPN Play app.

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

Notre Dame x North Carolina – 17h30 – ESPN 2
Notre Dame is one of the forces at College Football this year. An experienced team full of talents. Liam Eichenberg and Jeremiah Owusu-Karomoah were once the talk and you can read about them here.

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

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

Dyami Brown – WR North Carolina
To press Brown on the scrimmage line is to ask to be burned on a route at the back of the field. The player’s speed is impressive, as is his ability to locate the ball in the air, making the act of reception easier. Respect for the threat he is in passing makes the cornerbacks give a lot of space in the scrimmage line, opening up the possibility of making the reception in shorter passes. Brown is also very good at double moves, selling his routes perfectly, thus making life difficult for defenders. If you choose the Draft, the player must appear on day 3.

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

Bonus: Sam Howell, North Carolina quarterback, top 5 contender for the 2022 Draft. Kyren Williams, Notre Dame running back, is also an interesting talent already thinking about 2022. .

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

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

Isaac Slade-Matautia-LB Oregon
Linebacker is a future project. Must be chosen in the final rounds of Draft 2021, if declared for selection. His primary potential will be as a backup in the linebacker position and with obligations in the specialist teams. By the way, special teams can be the ideal way for him to gain more playing time in the NFL. Playing your role well in punt and kickoff covers can yield a sporadic wave in defensive actions, especially from the second year onwards. At the moment, however, the smartest thing for Slade-Matautia is to return another year to College and further improve his technique and reading of the game.

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

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

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