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.
KENTUCKY AT NO. 6 OLE MISS 12:00 P.M. EST ABC
The Kentucky Wildcats head to Oxford to take on the unbeaten Ole Miss Rebels to kick off the action on Saturday. The Rebels have a high-flying offensive attack, and Kentucky will be relying on DL No. 0 Deone Walker to slow them down. Walker is a mammoth in the middle of the Wildcat defense, standing 6-6, 345 pounds with the size and strength to plug up the middle against the run. Walker has also shown the athleticism to get after the passer at his size, posting 7.5 sacks last season. He has yet to record a sack in 2024, but the potential top 15 pick will be looking to break his dry spell this weekend.
For the Rebels, keep an eye on WR No. 9 Tre Harris. The 6-3, 210-pound senior has been dominating to start the 2024 season, posting 38 receptions for 628 yards and 4 touchdowns through four games. Harris has great size to win contested jump balls in the end zone and over the middle of the field, but also has some juice with the ball in his hands, having multiple plays over 50 yards on his resume thanks to his YAC ability. The Steelers need to look at beefing up their wide receiver corps next season, and Harris is a guy to keep an eye on in this draft class.
NO. 15 LOUISVILLE AT NO. 16 NOTRE DAME 3:30 P.M. EST PEACOCK
The Louisville Cardinals travel to South Bend to take on the Notre Dame fighting Irish Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals have several draft prospects on their roster including DB No. 3 Quincy Riley. The 6-0, 195-pound six-year senior has been with Louisville since 2022, previously playing at Middle Tennessee, and has logged 24 pass deflections and 13 interceptions. He is skilled in his coverage technique, having the footwork to match his hand placement in his jam along with the ball skills to make plays when the ball is in the air.
The Fighting Irish have their own star-studded cornerback in CB No. 2 Benjamin Morrison who lit up college football as soon has he stepped foot onto the field as a true freshman, logging 6 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Morrison has no picks so far in 2024, but the 6-0, 190-pound junior is a physical coverage defender that competes at the catch point and brings the right mentality as a run defender. Notre Dame needs Morrison to play up to his caliber, as does Morrison, who is considered a fringe Day 1 prospect at this juncture.
NO. 2 GEORGIA AT NO. 4 ALABAMA 7:30 P.M. EST ABC
The top matchup of the week takes place at Bryant-Denny Stadium as the Georgia Bulldogs come into town to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Georgia has a slew of prospects on their roster, but the matchup that you need to watch in this one is the battle between QB No. 15 Carson Beck and QB No. 4 Jalen Milroe. Beck is considered the favorite to be the first quarterback drafted in this year’s class and possibly first overall, having the height, size, and arm talent you want in a traditional passer. He can make every throw in the book and has shown more of his mobility in 2024, making the 6-4, 220-pound junior an enticing prospect.
Milroe is more of a polarizing prospect, being a dominant player on the ground with his legs as he can tear apart opposing defenses when he keeps it himself or on designed quarterback runs. He has shown progression as a passer in 2024, currently completing 67.3% of his passes for 590 yards and 8 touchdowns with no interceptions. A fringe Day 1 prospect, Milroe can do a lot for his draft stock if he were to successfully out-duel Beck and lead Alabama to an upset win at home.
NO. 19 ILLINOIS AT NO. 9 PENN STATE 7:30 P.M. EST NBC
The Fighting Illini head into Happy Valley to battle the Penn State Nittnay Lions in primetime on Saturday night. For Illinois, watch out for WR No. 13 Pat Bryant. The 6-3, 200-pound senior is off to a strong start this season, having 20 catches for 309 yards and 6 touchdowns through four games thus far. Bryant has good play speed and demonstrates the body control and hands you need in a wideout, having the subtleness to make a double move on a defender to get vertical or come down with a catch along the sideline. He will face a strong Penn State defense, making his case that the start to his season has been no fluke.
For the Nittnay Lions, keep an eye on RB No. 10 Nicholas Singleton. The 6-0, 227-pound junior is quite the package as a runner, possessing feature back size as well as the speed and burst to hit the home run if he gets into the secondary. Singleton has been extremely efficient on a per carry basis in 2024, averaging 8.5 per tote while rushing for 314 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding another 2 scores through the air. Should Pittsburgh decide to move on from Najee Harris this offseason, Singleton could be a name to target that is close to home.
