Every week in lead up to the slate of college football games on Saturday, we will be highlighting several high-profile games as well as several college football prospects in each matchup that project to be sought after in the 2024 NFL Draft and specifically how they may be viewed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Virginia at #12 Tennessee 11:00AM CST ABC
The Virginia Cavaliers head to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers at Nissan Stadium to kick off the Saturday action.
For the Cavaliers, #15 EDGE Chico Bennett Jr. is the player to keep note of, but he won’t be playing in the game due to an injury suffered in practice. For the Vols, keep an eye out for #15 WR Bru McCoy. The former five-star recruit started his college career at USC before transferring to Tennessee, finding a home in their high-flying passing attack. McCoy has great size, standing 6-3, 220 pounds and caught 52 passes for 667 yards and four touchdowns last season. With WR Jalin Hyatt off to the NFL, McCoy could be Tennessee’s new star receiver who has the profile to be a quality receiver at the next level.
#3 Ohio State at Indiana 2:30PM CST CBS
The Buckeyes travel to Memorial Stadium in Bloomington to face off against their Big Ten Conference foe Indiana Hoosiers Saturday afternoon.
The Buckeyes are loaded with NFL talent yet again this season, but none are as talented as WR #18 Marvin Harrison Jr. The son of HOF Marvin Harrison Sr., Harrison Jr. is considered far-and-away the best wide receiver draft prospect in the class. He has the size (6-4, 205 pounds), speed, explosiveness, and route running savvy that make him a viable NFL receiver right now. Harrison posted 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 TDs last season, becoming one of the most dominant receivers in college football. A likely top five pick, look for Harrison to get going early with the Hoosiers secondary as his first test.
For the Hoosiers, keep an eye on C #55 Caleb Murphy. Murphy appeared in 12 games with two starts last season. He is projected to be the team’s starting center this season. He stands 6-4, 292 pounds and is a fluid mover in space, having good hand placement on his punch and gives great effort in the running game. His size and lack of experience are his biggest knocks, but should he put together a strong campaign, he could see himself become a Day Three pick this coming spring.
West Virginia at #7 Penn State 6:30PM CST NBC
The West Virginia Mountaineers travel to Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley to battle the Penn State Nittnay Lions on Saturday night.
The Mountaineers have C #54 Zach Frazier as their top draft prospect that fans should have their eyes on during the contest. The 6-3, 306-pound senior has been playing heavy snaps since his freshman campaign, starting 34-of-35 career games, including 25 straight at center. He is a 4x high school state wrestling champion and you see that in his play how he can leverage blocks and use his core strength to win in pass protection and in the running game. Frazier stacks up to be one of the top interior offensive linemen in this draft class and could be a nice developmental center for a team looking for a long-term solution at the pivot.
The Nittnay Lions are stacked with NFL talent on their roster and CB #8 Kalen King is one of their first-round hopefuls for next spring. King played alongside current Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. in the Penn State secondary last season, making 30 total stops, three INTs, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and had a passer rating when targeted of 59.3. He racked up a gaudy 15 pass deflections as well, having a good feel for staying sticky in coverage and making plays on the ball. King stands 5-11, 191 pounds and is looking to cement himself in the first-round conversation this season with a strong 2023 debut against the Mountaineers.
#21 North Carolina at South Carolina 6:30PM CST ABC
The battle of the Carolinas commences Saturday night as the Tar Heels and Gamecocks square off in a neutral site battle in Charlotte.
One prospect that Steelers fans should keep an eye on for North Carolina is LB #33 Cedric Gray. The 6-3, 233-pound senior has the frame of an NFL off-ball linebacker as well as the production over the last two seasons in college. He racked up 144 total tackles last season for the Tar Heels while also posting a sack, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, six pass deflections, and two INTs. Needless to say, Gray is all over the field for the Tar Heels defense, being one of the top tacklers in college football last season. The quarterback of the defense, Gray will be tasked with keeping a lid on the South Carolina offense as he looks to improve his draft stock.
A name to watch for on South Carolina’s squad is TE #1 Trey Knox. The 6’5, 237-pound senior transferred from Arkansas where he started his career as a quarterback prospect and converted to wide receiver, finding a home as a tight end. He caught 26 passes for 295 yards and five TDs last season for the Razorbacks, showcasing speed in the open field as well as a big-bodied target that can excel in the red zone. Knox needs to continue to progress as a blocker in order to improve his draft stock, but his athletic profile and flashes on tape will get him recognized by NFL scouts.
#5 LSU at #8 Florida State 6:30PM CST (Sunday) ABC
The headliner of the weekend in college football comes Sunday night as the LSU Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles face off in a top ten showdown out in Orlando, Florida.
The Tigers have several draft prospects on their roster, but DL #0 Maason Smith could be the player with the highest NFL ceiling. Smith has been projected to the Steelers in previous mock drafts, boasting an impressive 6-6, 310-pound frame along with long arms and the strength and explosiveness to overwhelm opposing offensive linemen. He looked to be on his way to having a great season last year before he suffered a knee injury in the season opener while celebrating a play, costing him the season. Smith has the freaky tools you can’t teach, and if he comes out strong against the Seminoles Sunday night, he could firmly plant himself in the top 50 conversation for next April.
For the Seminoles, keep an eye on EDGE #5 Jared Verse. The 6-4, 260-pound edge rusher transferred from Albany prior to the 2022 season and had a great first year in the ACC, posting 47 total tackles, nine sacks, and a fumble recovery. He vaulted his draft status into the first-round conversation, but he decided to go back to school and try and elevate his stock into the top ten conversation. He has the strength and power you look for to set the edge against the run as well as win with power as a pass rusher. Should Verse get his season off to a good start with a sack or two Sunday night, he very well could make going back to school look like a great decision for his draft stock.
