As the calendar flips to November, the stretch drive in college football is heating up, giving prospects just a few more games to showcase their abilities to NFL teams.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are taking advantage of one college team with elite-level talent playing in the city Saturday. According to a report from the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat’s Amanda Godsey, who is a beat writer for the Pittsburgh Panthers and Steelers, the franchise has four scouts in attendance for Saturday’s Pittsburgh-Florida State matchup at Acrisure Stadium, taking advantage of the location.
Along with the Steelers, the Arizona Cardinals have four scouts present, according to Godsey, while the Buffalo Bills have one.
Florida State is loaded with NFL talent, led by standout wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, along with defensive linemen Jared Verse and Fabian Lovett, not to mention quarterback Jordan Travis — who is a Heisman Trophy candidate — and running back Trey Benson.
Coleman has burst onto the scene in 2023 after transferring from Michigan State. He’s quickly become one of the top receivers in the country and has put himself in the same conversation as Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. at the position in the 2023 NFL Draft. Coleman (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) has 38 receptions for 538 yards and nine touchdowns on the season.
Wilson (6-foot-7, 237 pounds) is a great size/speed combination at the position with an absurd catch radius. He is a big-play threat, hauling in 25 passes for 415 yards and two touchdowns on the season and is projected as a Day Two pick. He is out today with an injury, though.
Travis takes advantage of his weapons on the outside. The veteran starting quarterback has thrown for 2,109 yards and 18 touchdowns to just two interceptions this season and has added 205 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 57 carries for the Seminoles. Travis’ frame is a concern as he checks in at just 6-foot-1, 212 pounds.
Trey Benson has had a big year for the Seminoles, quietly pushing himself into the conversation as one of the top running backs in the country and in the draft class. Benson has rushed for 544 yards and eight touchdowns on 85 carries this season and has added 16 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown, hauling in an 80-yard catch-and-run touchdown last week against Wake Forest.
Verse is the top defensive piece for the Seminoles. A transfer from Albany two years ago, Verse stunned the NFL Draft community last year by staying in school after nine sacks a season ago and was in the discussion for the best EDGE defender in the 2023 NFL Draft alongside Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. So far this season, Verse (6-foot-4, 250 pounds), has 4.5 sacks and continues to look quite impressive on tape.
Defensively lineman Fabian Lovett is a run-plugging defensive lineman at 6-foot-4, 318 pounds who has 10 tackles on the season. He’s flashed as a pass rusher at times, too, but plays his role very well for the Seminoles.
Elsewhere on Florida State, tight end Jaheim Bell and defensive back Fentrell Cypress are names to watch for the 2024 NFL Draft.
For Pittsburgh, cornerback and Aliquippa native M.J. Devonshire is a prospect to know moving forward, while the Panthers also boast the likes of offensive tackle Matt Goncalves, tight end Gavin Bartholomew, and wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, among others.
