Following the slate of games on Saturday, we will be highlighting several college football players and their respective performances as well as how they could be viewed going into the 2026 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
IOWA STATE QB ROCCO BECHT
The Iowa State Cyclones defeated the Kansas State Wildcats in Ireland on Saturday, and QB #3 Rocco Becht was the difference maker for the Iowa State offense. Becht completed 15-of-30 pass attempts for 183 yards and two touchdowns and zero interceptions while rushing for 12 times for 18 yards and a score on the ground.
Becht struggled with accuracy throughout the game due to the weather conditions as well as being under pressure by the K-State pass rush rush, but he still showed good poise in the pocket and had some great passes down the field where he showed nice touch, dropping the ball in the bucket for scores. Iowa State’s passing attack will need to tighten things up as they get into conference play, but Becht showed that he can still deliver with his top weapons gone to the NFL.
UNLV RB JAI’DEN THOMAS
The UNLV Rebels held off the Idaho State Bengals in a 38-31 shootout Saturday and RB #9 Jai’Den Thomas stole the show for UNLV, carrying the ball 10 times for 147 yards (14.7 YPC) and three touchdowns along with two receptions for 16 yards. Thomas found the end zone three times on just 12 total touches with his longest carry of the day going for a 70-yard house call.
Thomas combined a blend of power, evasiveness, and burst on his touchdown, sneaking out of a gang tackle near the line of scrimmage and managed to break through the defense to get up the sideline and into open space for the score. Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas is only a junior, but his strong performance should garner attention from scouts as UNLV gets their season underway.
WESTERN KENTUCKY QB MAVERICK MCIVOR
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers bested the Sam Houston Bearkats 41-24, and QB #7 Maverick McIvor dominated through the air in this contest, completing 33-of-51 pass attempts (61.7%) for 401 yards and and three touchdowns with zero interceptions while also rushing for another score on the ground.
McIvor starred at Abilene Christian prior to transferring to Western Kentucky this past season, having thrown for 3,847 yards and 30 touchdowns to just seven interceptions a season ago. The 6-2, 214-pound senior has the size, experience, and arm talent to be a later round pick or potential UDFA this coming spring and his upcoming performances this fall will go a long way in determining his draft stock after a fantastic first showing.
WESTERN KENTUCKY WR MATTHEW HENRY
McIvor’s top target, WR #17 Matthew Henry, had himself a day as well for the Hilltoppers in this contest, catching seven passes for 147 yards and a score on a play where he managed to track a ball over the shoulder from McIvor and get his feet in-bounds along the sideline to secure the touchdown.
Henry started his college career at Livingstone before transferring to Western Illinois in 2024, opting to go to Western Kentucky this season to try and help boost his draft stock while playing against better competition. The 6-0, 183-pound Henry posted 1,179 yards and six scores last season for Western Illinois, and should he match those numbers this season at the FBS level, he will surely draw a lot of attention from scouts.
