Every week leading up to the slate of college football games, we will highlight several prospects in each matchup who project to be sought after in the 2025 NFL Draft. Specifically, we’ll examine how the Pittsburgh Steelers may view them.
NO. 3 TEXAS AT ARKANSAS 12 P.M. EST ABC
The Texas Longhorns look to take care of business on the road Saturday as they travel to Fayetteville to play the Arkansas Razorbacks. For the Longhorns, be sure to watch OT No. 78 Kelvin Banks Jr., who has played himself into the conversation of being a potential top-10 pick this spring. The 6-4, 320-pound junior lacks ideal height for the position. Still, Banks has looked great thus far through the 2024 season, playing with great fluidity and athleticism relative to his size.
He flashed last season as a sophomore but has come into his own in 2024, having the talent and upside at the position that scouts desire as a big man who can move in pass protection and in the ground game. He had a tough time against Jalon Walker of Georgia, but Banks will look to bounce back against Arkansas’ aggressive defensive front.
For the Razorbacks, keep your eye on DL No. 40 Landon Jackson. The 6-7, 280-pound senior is a Texas native and will have a lot invested in this game as he looks to help the Razorbacks pull off the upset. Jackson started his career at LSU before transferring to Arkansas and has become one of their most disruptive players, having plus athleticism at his size to chase down ball carriers as a run defender as well as rush the passer. He has the juice to rush from the edge, but also can kick inside, having that size and length that make him an enticing prospect should he prove that he can handle more weight on his frame at the NFL level.
NO. 23 MISSOURI AT NO. 21 SOUTH CAROLINA 4:15 P.M. EST SEC NETWORK
The Missouri Tigers travel to Columbia to battle the South Carolina Gamecocks in an SEC Conference bout. For the Tigers, keep an eye on WR No. 1 Theo Wease Jr. who doesn’t get the same national attention as WR Luther Burden III, but Wease actually leads the team in receiving yards with 552 on the season along with three scores.
Wease has good size, standing 6-2, 192 pounds as a fifth-year senior started his career with the Oklahoma Sooners before transferring to Missouri. He has good hands and leaping ability to be a red zone threat as well as the athleticism to uncover as route runner and make plays in space, making him an interested prospect to consider in the later rounds in this year’s upcoming draft.
For the Gamecocks, keep your eyes on DL No. 90 T.J. Sanders who profiles as a base 3-4 defensive end in Pittsburgh’s scheme. The 6-4, 290-pound senior fits most of the measurables of an NFL interior defensive lineman, having the size and strength to clog up running lanes and some juice as a pass rusher to push the pocket and put pressure on the quarterback. Sanders has three sacks on the season and is more known for his run defense, but he can convert speed to power as a bull rusher, making him a guy to look at in the middle rounds this upcoming spring.
RUTGERS AT MARYLAND 6 P.M. EST FOX SPORTS 1
The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers travel to Maryland to take on the Terrapins in Big Ten Conference play. For Rutgers, keep your eyes on OT No. 72 Hollin Pierce. It won’t be hard to spot Pierce as the 6-8, 345-pound senior is a giant on the field, having the height, size, and length to overwhelm defenders at the point of attack as a run blocker. He also has the tools to develop into a nice pass protector, but his footwork and lateral quickness are weaknesses that he needs to refine in this area of his game.
Still, there aren’t many men build like Pierce, who projects to be a developmental piece that has the traits and upside to possibly develop into a quality NFL starter down the road.
For Maryland, keep your eyes on WR No. 10 Tai Felton who is in the midst of a breakout campaign. The 6-2, 181-pound senior has 80 receptions for 979 yard and six touchdowns on the year, giving the Terrapins a go-to target that can work the intermediate quadrants of the field as a route runner while also stretching the field vertically and make contested catches as a big play threat. A legit YAC threat with the ball in his hands in the open field, Felton will look to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career against Rutgers.
NO. 7 TENNESSEE AT NO. 12 GEORGIA 7:30 P.M. EST ABC
The Tennessee Volunteers look to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive and simultaneously end the Georgia Bulldogs’ chances at a playoff berth when they travel to Athens to take on the Dawgs Saturday night. For the Vols, be sure to watch WR No. 1 Dont’e Thornton Jr. who is coming off a 100-yard effort against Mississippi State last week.
The 6-5, 214-pound senior has the size you desire in an outside receiver, having the frame and leaping ability to make combative catches in tight coverage. He also has the speed to take it the distance is he gets green grass ahead of him, making him an intriguing big-play threat scouts are going to love evaluating this spring.
For the Bulldogs, keep an eye on QB No. 15 Carson Beck who’s had a disappointing season to say the least. He entered the year as the potential QB1 of the draft class, but has struggled taking care of the football, throwing 12 interceptions to just 17 touchdowns. Still the 6-4, 220-pound senior has flashed the talent that made him a highly sought-after prospect entering the season, having the arm talent to deliver passes on a rope and the velocity to fire passes down the field from the pocket.
He may no longer be in contention to go in the first round, but Beck can help regain some positive momentum to close out the season and play himself into position to be a potential value pick on Day 2 for a team that has a better infrastructure in-place to develop him as a pro.
