Every week leading up to the slate of college football games, we will be highlighting several college football prospects in each matchup who project to be sought after in the 2025 NFL Draft. Specifically, we’ll examine how they may be viewed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan, Noon EST on FOX
The Longhorns head to Ann Arbor to face off against the Wolverines in a top 10 battle. Texas will rely on QB #3 Quinn Ewers to captain their offense to a win against a stout defense. Ewers dominated against Colorado State last weekend, completing 74.1% of his passes for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns with an interception. Ewers was a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school and has earned that ranking in college, showing off his poise in the pocket as well as the arm talent to hit nearly any throw on the field. He does a great job manipulating defenses with his eyes to get his receivers to open up underneath, and will look to do the same against a traditionally disciplined Wolverine defense.
One of the Michigan defenders tasked with shutting down Ewers and the Texas passing game is CB #2 Will Johnson, who had a game himself last weekend, recording 3 total tackles, a pass deflection, and a pick six, jumping an underneath route and taking it to the house. Johnson as the prototypical size, length and speed you desire in an outside corner, and also possesses the lateral speed and quickness to change directions quickly when in coverage. He is a willing tackler in run support and will be tasked with holding one of the best offenses in college football in-check for the upset win.
Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa, 3:30PM EST on CBS & PARAMOUNT +
The in-state rivalry between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones is set to take stage yet against in Kinnick Stadium on Saturday. For the Cyclones, keep an eye on WR #9 Jayden Higgins, who is a big-bodied threat at receiver for Iowa State. Higgins stands 6-4, 215 pounds and utilizes that size to his advantage, bodying up defenders along the sideline and over the middle of the field to make combative catches while having the athleticism to win vertically down the field as well. He also runs decent routes relative to his size and figures to be the pass catcher the Hawkeyes will have to slow down in this game.
For the Hawkeyes, DB #29 Sebastian Castro will be one of the defensive backs tasked with slowing down Higgins and the rest of the Iowa State passing attack. Castro stars as a safety/dime backer in Iowa’s defense, standing 5-11, 205 pounds with the skill set to operate well in zone coverage as well as be a force in run support. He forced a fumble against Illinois State, but also has been a playmaker in coverage as well, deflecting 8 passes and intercepting 3 more in 2023. Castro is a playmaker who seems to always be around the ball and will look to keep that trend going against the in-state rival.
No. 14 Tennessee at No. 24 NC State, 7:30PM EST on ABC
The Tennessee Volunteers travel to North Carolina to face the NC State Wolfpack in a SEC/ACC showdown Saturday night. The main man to watch for the Vols is EDGE #27 James Pearce Jr. who is considered to be one of the top pass rush prospects in this draft class. Pearce set the scene in 2023, posting 27 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and an interception for a touchdown in the team’s bowl game. He’s a freak athlete who can convert speed to power as a bull rusher, win with speed/finesse off the edge and even drop into coverage. He poses a threat to opposing blockers in a multitude of ways and will be the guy who the Wolfpack need to circle as a potential game wrecker.
The man who will look to slow Pearce and the rest of the Vols pass rush down for NC State is OT #74 Anthony Belton. The 6-6, 336-pound blocker has tremendous size and good length for the position, being a strong run blocker that has developed as a pass protector during his time with the Wolfpack. He was in-line to get drafted in the middle rounds last year, but decided to go back to college to boost his draft stock. A player who is thought to be a potential convert to guard thanks to his run blocking prowess, Belton can do a lot to boost his stock with a strong performance against NFL-caliber competition.
Boise State at No. 7 Oregon, 10 PM EST on PEACOCK
The Boise State Broncos travel to Eugene to play the Oregon Ducks in the late showing exclusively on Peacock. The Broncos will rely heavily on RB #2 Ashton Jeanty who had himself a day last week against Georgia Southern, toting the rock 20 times for a whopping 267 yards (13.4 YPC) and six rushing touchdowns. Jeanty broke out in 2023 to the tune of 1,347 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns along with 43 receptions for 569 yards and five scores, and he looks to be in-line to match and surpass those numbers in 2024. The 5-9, 215-pound junior has a great blend of strength, burst, and vision, making him a strong lead back that should finish near the top of college football in total rushing yards this season.
Oregon will be relying on their own high-powered offense to overwhelm the Broncos’ defense and one weapon to keep an eye on is WR #7 Even Stewart who was quiet in the Ducks’ first game against Idaho (3 receptions for 15 yards), but he has the skill set that NFL scouts are going to love. Stewart is lean as a pass catcher (6-0, 175 pounds), but he possess great body control and spatial awareness, being able to break down in his routes and get to the football separation from coverage. He has a great vertical leap to high point the ball as well as the speed to operate as a vertical threat, making him a name to watch in this game as WR #15 Tez Johnson had the big game last week.
