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.
#12 Oklahoma vs. #3 Texas 12:00PM EST ABC
The Sooners and the Longhorns will take part in the Red River Rivalry game as members of the Big 12 Conference for one final season before moving to the SEC. For the Sooners, LB #28 Danny Stutsman is the name to watch. Stutsman burst onto the scene last year as a sophomore and has taken college football by storm in 2023, already having 49 total tackles (21 solo), two sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception returned for a touchdown. Stutsman has ideal size for the off-ball linebacker spot (6-4, 241 pounds), having a similar frame and athletic profile to former first round pick Leighton Vander Esch. Stutsman has been a fast riser in the draft process and a strong performance Saturday will only help his case.
For the Longhorns, one player that Stutsman may have to cover in the passing game is TE #0 Ja’Tavion Sanders. The 6-4, 243-pound junior had a strong season in 2022, going over 600 yards and five scores. He was relatively quiet in last week’s win over Kansas, but Sanders did go over 100 receiving yards against both Baylor and Alabama, showing the weapon he can be in the passing game. He in-line blocking needs work, but Sanders is an athletic tight end that could declare early and hear his name called somewhere in the middle rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
#23 LSU at #23 Missouri 12:00PM EST ESPN
The Tigers of LSU square off against the Tigers of Missouri in Columbia in SEC action Saturday afternoon. DL #0 Masson Smith was supposed to be a top player in the country last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury early in the year, causing a lot of optimism for his return in 2023. The 6-6, 315-pound redshirt sophomore has the size, length, and athleticism for what you are looking for at the position. However, Smith hasn’t been very productive to start the season, tallying just seven total tackles and a pass breakup. He needs to get going if he wants to have his draft stock high enough to justify declaring early, and a big game against Missouri would help.
Across the line of scrimmage for Missouri is OT #76 Javon Foster who you should keep an eye on. Foster is an experienced tackle with the measurables (6-5, 319 pounds) to match as a quality NFL prospect. He was named the Tigers’ starting left tackle back in 2021 and hasn’t looked back, using his long arms and strong punch to stun defenders at the line on first contact. He is a powerful run blocker and anchors well in pass protection but isn’t the fleetest of foot when it comes to working in space or redirecting when defenders try to cross his face. The LSU defensive line will represent a good test for Foster who is looking like a Day Two prospect at this stage of the process.
Syracuse at #14 North Carolina 3:30PM EST ESPN
The Orange suffered their first loss of the season last weekend to Clemson and look to rebound against an undefeated Tar Heels squad in Chapel Hill. For the Orange, keep an eye on redshirt junior LB #2 Marlowe Wax. The Baltimore native has average size (6-1, 230 pounds), but is a playmaker all over the field for Syracuse, totaling 38 tackles, two sacks, and three forced fumbles thus far in 2023. Wax shows good pursuit of the football and is aggressive coming downhill, looking to lay a big hit on ballcarriers as well as quarterbacks as a pass rusher. He’s a name flying under-the-radar, but should he continue to stack strong performances, you could see him declare and gain some traction this spring.
The Tar Heels have their own playmaker at linebacker in LB #33 Cedric Gray. Gray had a phenomenal season last year for North Carolina, posting 144 total stops as one of the top tacklers in the country. He has 34 total tackles this season along with 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, and two pass deflections. Gray has the size (6-3, 235 pounds) as well as the athleticism you want in an NFL off-ball linebacker, being able to play chase to the sidelines as well as fill gaps near the line of scrimmage. He is shaping up to be one of the top linebacker prospects in this draft class and could help his case on Saturday.
#20 Kentucky at #1 Georgia 7:00PM EST ESPN
The Wildcats go into Athens Saturday night in attempt to knock off the #1 team in the country on their home turf. For Kentucky, watch out for OT #69 Marques Cox. He’s a 6-5, 311-pound senior that transferred from Northern Illinois and has represented himself well in the jump of competition level. He only allowed three total sacks across 33 starts during his time in the MAC and has taken that steady play to Kentucky as the team’s starting left tackle. Should Cox have a shutout performance against the Bulldogs, that could go a long way in helping his name receive more national recognition with the other tops names in the class.
For the Bulldogs, keep your eye on C #63 Sedrick Van Pran. Van Pran is considered one of the top center prospects in the class, having the size, mobility, and strength to be a quality run blocker at the next level. He also has the fluidity to be a solid pass blocker but needs to work on his core strength and avoid overextending into his punches. The Bulldogs will look to control the line of scrimmage against Kentucky’s defensive front, and Van Pran will be relied upon to help lead a Bulldogs’ offense that was shaky last week against Auburn to avoid a home upset.
#2 Michigan at Minnesota 7:30PM EST NBC
The second-ranked Wolverines walk into the Twin Cities Saturday night looking to avoid the upset against the Golden Gophers. For the Wolverines, watch out of DL #94 Kris Jenkins. The 6-3, 305-pound senior is a stout run defender in the middle of the defense, having the strength to hold gaps as well as the power to collapse the pocket and push blockers back to stuff running backs in the backfield. He’s not the most productive pass rusher, but he displays burst and quickness to be disruptive on the interior. He is one of the top interior defensive line prospects in this draft class and can continue to improve his standing with a strong performance against Minnesota.
The Minnesota, the name to watch is S #27 Tyler Nubin. Nubin has the size you look for in a defensive back, standing 6-2, 210 pounds with the length to challenge pass catchers as well as the size to provide quality run support. He’s been a ballhawk for the Gophers during his time in college, picking off 11 passes including three this season. Nubin can play close to the line of scrimmage, but does well further off the ball where he can have his instincts and his eyes take him to the football to make splash plays.
