Welcome back one and all to this week 12 addition of the Draft "Expert" blog posts! As you may have figured out by now, we go through each week of the college football season and reveal our quarterback prospect rankings for the 2023 NFL Draft! So much fun, right?
This one was a little different than previous ones because we had so many quarterbacks play some trash ass teams this weekend. Like, we saw Alabama take on Austin Peay, LSU take on UAB, BYU take on Utah Tech, and Washington take on Colorado. So if you wanted to see some quarterbacks put up some nice numbers, this was the week for you, but if you wanted to watch some fun games this week probably wasn't it. That being said, we did get some upsets too, which are always kind of fun.
I think that's all I'm going to say for the intro, I just hope you enjoy this weeks blog post! If you don't, I'll make you a promise that next weeks will be better, deal? Ok, good. With that out of the way I am proud to present to you the Draft "Expert's" week 12 quarterback prospect rankings! Enjoy!
Pictured: Hendon Hooker, Tennessee; Will Levis, Kentucky; Jaren Hall, BYU
1. Bryce Young, Alabama
Wk 11 - 18/24 221 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries -10 yds 0 touchdowns v Austin Peay (34-0 W)
Season - 210/329 2,664 yds 24 touchdowns 4 interceptions/41 carries 147 yds 3 touchdowns
I'm not going to say a whole lot here because it was Alabama v Austin Peay, of course Bryce Young had a solid game this past weekend. Now, this isn't saying Alabama played their best game, as this was probably a tiny bit harder than they were expecting but they still managed to come away 34-0 victors. As far as Young's individual effort went, he scrambled around well, making some plays with his feet in the pocket before delivering some strikes down the field. Realistically though, Young should've had a rushing touchdown in the win over Austin Peay, but that's just me being nit picky. Overall, Young played a solid game against an FCS opponent, and should be able to put forth another solid game against the Auburn Tigers, who are not having that fantastic of a season, though they have won their past two games. Bama won't be playing for a chance at a conference title on Saturday, but I'm they'd love to come away with a big win over their in-state rivals.
Pre-Season - 1
Wk 1 - 1
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 2
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - 1
Wk 9 - 1
Wk 10 - 1 (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 1
Wk 12 - 1
Wk 13 - v Auburn
2. CJ Stroud, Ohio State
Wk 11 - 18/30 241 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/4 carries -6 yds 0 touchdowns @ Maryland (43-30 W)
Season - 204/307 2,991 yds 35 touchdowns 4 interceptions/33 carries 77 yds 0 touchdowns
As we've said numerous times throughout the course of the season, this was just another typical Ohio State football game. As usual, the Buckeyes started slow, before eventually get the ball to roll their way before eventually winning by double digits. Like, going into halftime in their game against Maryland, the Buckeyes were losing by a score of 13-10, punting the ball three times in the first half. Then, we see the Buckeyes turn it on, as at the conclusion of the third quarter, we saw Ohio State take a 27-13 lead. Now, Maryland did try to keep the score close, but the Buckeyes were just too much and came out 43-30 victors last Saturday. As for how Ohio State managed that score, it was mostly down to the run game, as Dallan Hayden totaled 146 yards on the ground with three touchdowns. Now, Stroud, the current Heisman front runner, did manage to play a fairly decent game last Saturday, throwing for 241 yards and a touchdown in the dub. Now, I thought this game would be dominated by Stroud after the first play of the game, where he hit, guess who, Marvin Harrison Jr. down the near sideline for a nice 29-yard gain. It was a great catch by Harrison, who hauled it in with one hand, but Stroud did a nice job placing the ball towards the sideline which gave Harrison a chance to make the play. It could've been a bigger gain had Harrison not had his hand held all the way down the sideline, but we move. A few plays later we would see Stroud record his one and only touchdown of the game, hitting his running back, TreVeyon Henderson, on a little screen play to the far sideline, who managed to make a few defenders miss before finding the end zone from 31-yards out, giving the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead early on in the game. Stroud, honestly, wouldn't do a whole lot more in the first half, but near in the start of the third quarter we saw Stroud, again, throw a beautiful ball down the near sideline, this time to Emeka Egbuka. Different route, but Stroud again did a nice job at leading Egbuka to the sideline, away from the defender, picking up 35-yards on the pitch and catch. Now, could the throw have been more up the field than to the sideline? Maybe, because if he did that, Egbuka may have found the end zone, but still, it was a very nice throw from Stroud to set up an Ohio State field goal, extending their third quarter lead to 20-13. Like we hinted at before, Stroud wasn't really asked to do a whole lot after that as the Buckeyes led on the running game to close the game out, with Hayden and Henderson registering 38 carries between them. Though they may be only slightly above .500, Maryland is a tough team, especially at home, but the Buckeyes did just enough to come out on top. This week though, we've on 'The Game' between Michigan and Ohio State. This one gives me flashbacks to the 2006 match-up between the pair, as the teams were ranked first and second at kickoff. Though they're not the two top dawgs in college football, ranking wise, they do come in at second and third in the latest CFP poll. This is lining up to be a great match-up and I for one cannot wait, as the winner has the potential misfortune of playing the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big 10 Championship, which is absolutely hilarious to me.
Pre-Season - 2
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - 2
Wk 9 - 2
Wk 10 - 2 (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 2
Wk 12 - 2
Wk 13 - v no.3 Michigan
3. Anthony Richardson, Florida
Wk 11 - 25/42 400 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/4 carries 25 yds 0 touchdowns @ Vanderbilt (31-24 L)
Season - 167/300 2,351 yds 14 touchdowns 8 interceptions/93 carries 613 yds 9 touchdowns
What the hell is going on? Like, I understand Vanderbilt isn't the absolute dumpster fire that it's been in the past but this is getting ridiculous. After beating Kentucky, on the road, last week 24-21, ending their 26-game conference losing streak, they come back the next week and knock off the Florida Gators? Beating them in Nashville for the first time since 1988? Again, what is going on? Maybe I'm just a cynical s.o.b. but I never thought Vanderbilt would go into Thanksgiving weekend on a two game winning streak, let alone wins against a then top 25 side in Kentucky and the Florida Gators. I know Florida have been really up and down this year but this takes the cake. Like, apart from a field goal in the first quarter, Florida was on the back foot the entire game, being down, at one point, 28-12. Just crazy. As for Anthony Richardson though, he had a fairly solid game, throwing for 400 yards and tossing three touchdowns, which ties a career high. He started off the game really well, hitting Ricky Pearsall on a 3rd and 25 play, which would pick up a much needed first, and hitting Daejon Reynolds for a nice 31-yard gain on 4th and seven. The throw to Pearsall wasn't crazy or anything, but he showed great awareness on the play. After seeing no one open after rolling out slightly to his right, Richardson double clutched it before hitting a fairly wide open Pearsall, who made a defender miss before picking up the nice gain. The later throw to Reynolds was much more 'impressive,' as Richardson showed great touch on the ball, hitting Reynolds in strike picking up the big first down. Though Florida would eventually settle for a field goal, Richardson made some nice throws which would set up Florida with some points early on in the game. Later on the the game, Richardson would help Florida pick up another big time fourth down, this time hitting Justin Shorter on a 28-yard gain. After beating the initial defender, Shorter found himself in between a couple Vanderbilt defenders, one behind him and one off to his right. A lot of the time, when a receiver has two defenders around him that can make a play, it results in an interception, so the throw would have to be near perfect, which it was. Could the defender over top possibly made a better play? I guess, but Richardson still threw a perfect ball down the far sideline, which set up his first touchdown pass of the day. After a fake pop pass, Richardson reverse rolled out to his right and hit Montrell Johnson Jr. for the three yard touchdown. The ball had to get out quick due to the defender in his face, and Richardson did just that delivering a touchdown. The next drive ended pretty differently, as Richardson would throw his first, and only, interception of the game. This is a situation of trying to do too much from the quarterback position, as Richardson should've just taken the sack and allowed the punt team to come on and switch the field. Instead, while getting sacked, Richardson decides to try and get the ball to one of his wide receivers, unfortunately it landed in the arms of a Vanderbilt defender, giving the Commadores the ball at the Florida 28-yard line. Vanderbilt would capitalize on the field position a play later. Now, it's not like he threw the ball right to the defender, as the receiver did have somewhat of a chance to make a play, but again, he should've just ate it. A couple drives later, Richardson would hit back, throwing his second touchdown of the game, this time to Daejon Reynolds for a 74-yard score. With a defender coming up the middle, Richardson stood tall and delivered a beautiful ball to Reynolds, who had about five yards between himself and the nearest defender. That's what scouts would considered an 'NFL throw,' as he was able to take the hit and deliver a strike for a touchdown. Though we wouldn't see it all too much throughout the game, Richardson broke off a nice run in the fourth quarter, running for 15-yards, picking up a first down. Saturday was a weird one for Richardson running the ball as he only logged four attempts throughout the game, his lowest since Florida's match-up against Eastern Washington back on October 2nd. A few plays later we'd see Richardson register his third and final touchdown pass of the day, hitting Daejon Reynolds, again, for the 16-yard score. Nothing crazy, just a nicely run crossing route by Reynolds with a well placed leading ball from Richardson to make it a one-score game. Richardson would throw a dart later to Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman to put Florida in Vanderbilt territory with 12 seconds left but unfortunately, Florida wouldn't find the end zone, and the Gators fell 31-24. Shocking loss, especially after coming off back-to-back good wins against A&M and South Carolina. This weekends match-up should be harder than Vanderbilt, as the Gators are traveling to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles, though Richardson is quoted in saying 'when we win this one it will definitely build momentum for us.' Calling your shot against your bitter in-state rival? Gotta love it, just hope Richardson and the rest for the Gators can bounce back from their loss to Vandy.
Pre-Season - 5
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - 4
Wk 6 - 4
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - 4
Wk 9 - 4
Wk 10 - 4 (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 3
Wk 12 - 3
Wk 13 - @ no.16 Florida State
4. Will Levis, Kentucky
Wk 11 - 20/31 206 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/5 carries 26 yds 0 touchdowns v no.1 Georgia (16-6 L)
Season - 174/264 2,218 yds 17 touchdowns 10 interceptions/67 carries -97 yds 2 touchdowns
How saw this one coming? After watching Kentucky play these past couple weeks, seeing them get ass blasted by Tennessee and beat by Vanderbilt, at home, who would've thought they could actually compete with Georgia? Like, Georgia opened up as -22.5 point favorites and I was under the impression that that was easy money, I was wrong. How the actual hell do you play better against Georgia than you did against Vanderbilt? Someone please help me make sense of this. All that being said, I'm not sitting here and acting like the Wildcats played an amazing game or anything, but they did enough to not get blasted by 50 points, so they can come away feeling somewhat positive. Now, as far as Will Levis is concerned, I'm not going to act like he played an amazing game or anything, but given the defense he was going up against, he played decently well, starting off with a nice throw down the far sideline to Barion Brown for a 31-yard gain. With their back against the end zone, at their own three yard line, Kentucky was faced with a 3rd and 11 situation. Most of the time, you'll see a team just try and make room for their punter, but Levis decided to do something a little different and make a deep throw down the sideline. Though it was a little behind Brown, the flight of the ball was enough to give Brown a chance to come back for the ball, making a nice catch over Kelee Ringo, of all people. Though their first drive ended up stalling out, as Kentucky failed to convert on a 4th and one attempt, it was still a nice throw from Levis, which should've set something up for the Wildcats offense. Kentucky's next drive though we'd see Levis make a not so good throw, as he threw his first and only interception of the game. Before the interception though Levis did make some nice throws, hitting Dane Key twice. Once on a little roll out to the left, while getting pressured by a defender, and the other coming on short hitch route which beat the outstretched arm of the Georgia defender, both picking up first downs. We'd even see Levis using his legs, picking up a first down on 3rd and seven, picking up eight yards on the quarterback draw. Levis' interception though would come shortly after on a 3rd and 12. To be honest, I don't really know what he was looking at. Though Barion Brown was in the area, the throw would've had to been similar to Ben Roethlisberger's throw to Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII, as Brown was sandwiched between two defenders in the end zone, one being Kelee Ringo, who was the one who intercepted the pass. Now, Levis did try to look off the defender by starting with his eyes to the left, but it didn't matter, as Ringo read him like a book and jumped the route, even returning it 45-yards afterwards. Kentucky wouldn't do anything offensively the rest of the half, as their next drive just resulted in a three and out, as so did their next two drives after that. Though they struggled moving the ball on their previous three drives, Kentucky would end up finding the end zone thanks to a Will Levis pass to Barion Brown from eight yards out. Now, this drive was actually really impressive, as Levis led the Wildcats on a nine play 99-yard drive to get Kentucky their first score of the game. This drive was started, essentially, by Levis picking up a first down using his legs, which is nice to see him do. A few plays later, we'd see Levis hit Barion Brown down the field for a nice 42-yard gain. Though he kind of short armed it, since a defender was in his face, it was still a nice throw from Levis to pick up a big first down. We'd then see Levis hit his tight end, Josh Kattus, for a 16-yard pitch and catch on an RPO style play, picking up another big first down. Levis would get his touchdown a few plays later, hitting Brown on a slant route on 4th and three to finally get Kentucky on the board with just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Though Levis would miss Brown on the two-point conversion, it was still a very impressive drive that saw Levis show off his full arsenal of skills. Fast forward to their next drive and we'd see Levis hit Barion Brown, again, on a deep ball down the middle of the field. With pressure in his face, and Brown double covered, Levis threw a very nice ball to Brown to pick up 47-yards. What I liked about Kentucky in this game was that they hit their big plays early on in drives, catching Georgia's defense off guard, to a certain extent. Levis showed off his arm talent a few times throughout the game, but almost all of their 'big hitters' came on the first or second play of a drive. Unfortunately though, Kentucky wouldn't be able to capitalize on the big first play as they'd miss a field goal, which would've put them within six of Georgia. Kentucky would turn it over on downs on their next drive, ending the game with a final score of 16-6. Like I said before, was it an insanely impressive performance from Levis? No, but given the situation and the team he was playing I thought he played well. The interception was bad, but some of the deep balls he threw to Barion Brown were impressive. I think this game helped Levis regain some fans, especially after his bad performances against Tennessee and Vanderbilt. This week, Levis and Kentucky are taking on the Louisville Cardinals, a game in which they won by a final score of 52-21 last year, with Levis totaling 100+ yards in the passing and running game. I don't know if we'll get the same rushing output, but I think Levis should be able to put forth a solid game and come away with another dub against Kentucky's instate rival.
Pre-Season - 3
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - 3
Wk 8 - 3
Wk 9 - 3
Wk 10 - 3 (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 4
Wk 12 - 4
Wk 13 - v Louisville
5. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
Wk 11 - 25/42 247 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 25 yds 0 touchdowns @ South Carolina (63-38 L)
Season - 229/329 3,135 yds 27 touchdowns 2 interceptions/104 carries 430 yds 5 touchdowns
Talk about things no one was expecting, how many people out there actually thought South Carolina would not only beat Tennessee, but beat them as handily as they did? I don't think even the most die hard Cock fan out there would've said South Carolina had a chance in hell at winning this game. Like, if we just look back to the previous week, Tennessee was coming off a 66-24 drubbing of Missouri, in a game where they account for 724 yards of total offense. South Carolina, on the other hand, was coming off a 38-6 loss to the Florida Gators, not to mention their 23-10 loss to the Missouri Tigers a couple weeks before that. Good Lordy, this game was messy, but I don't think South Carolina will care all too much. Though the loss was surprising enough, the biggest news coming out of this game was that Hendon Hooker, Tennessee's star quarterback and Heisman finalist, tore his ACL early on in the fourth quarter. You never want to see major injuries happen in football, but they become even worse when the player who was injured is having a very special season, putting themselves, again, in the Heisman conversation as well as becoming a potential first round draft pick. Hooker will obviously be out for a while, but I hope that doesn't effect his draft stock too much as dude is a very talented player. Now, Hooker would manage to throw three touchdowns in this game, but other than that we was pretty much held in check, completing less than 60% of his passes for the first time this season. All being said I just hope the recovery process goes smoothly for Hooker and we see him fully bounce back at the next level.
Pre-Season - 10
Wk 1 - 8
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - 6
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - 5
Wk 8 - 5
Wk 9 - 5
Wk 10 - 5 (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 5
Wk 12 - 5
Wk 13 - @ Vanderbilt
6. Jaren Hall, BYU
Wk 11 - 23/35 456 yds 5 touchdowns 1 interception/5 carries 13 yds 1 touchdown v Utah Tech (52-26 W)
Season - 241/365 3,078 yds 29 touchdowns 6 interceptions/75 carries 277 yds 2 touchdowns
Like we did with Bryce Hall before, I don't really want to spend too much time on Jaren Hall's analysis after this game. Against Utah Tech, a quarterback as good as Hall shouldn't struggle all that much. Now, throwing five touchdowns and rushing for another is very impressive but again, it's against a Utah Tech team that yes, has won it's past three games, but was 1-6 before than, BYU shouldn't have any problems. Now, it did take BYU a little while to really get going in this game, but the offense was really in sink in the second quarter, with Jaren Hall throwing four touchdowns in the quarter alone. In general, Hall was just on one. He was placing throws beautifully down the sideline, whether he led the receiver or hit them on a back shoulder, he was just looking really good. Like, Hall's first three touchdowns of the game came on beautifully thrown deep balls. His fourth was a short four yard pass and his fifth came on a nice little roll out to the right for a 32-yard score. His rushing touchdown came midway through the third quarter on a read option play from about 10-yards out. Again, Utah Tech is a team BYU shouldn't really struggle with, and though they let the Trailblazer stay in the game longer than they should've they still came away 52-26 winners. BYU will have a decently tough test this weekend against the Stanford Cardinal, on the road. The Cardinal can be frustrating at times, but they can be a tough outfit from time to time, which should make for an entertaining game.
Pre-Season - 8
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 6
Wk 8 - 6
Wk 9 - 6
Wk 10 - 6 (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 6
Wk 12 - 6
Wk 13 - @ Stanford
7. Bo Nix, Oregon
Wk 11 - 25/37 287 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/2 carries -3 yds 0 touchdowns v no.10 Utah (20-17 W)
Season - 244/337 3,062 yds 25 touchdowns 6 interceptions/80 carries 513 yds 14 touchdowns
Throughout the years, Oregon has been known, really, for two things. Those things are having a fun offense and a shit ton of different uniform combinations. Though they have some nasty combos, like their brown-ish green-ish uniforms, I actually kind of dig these ones. Maybe because they kept it a little more simple than they usually do, but whatever the reason, these are pretty nice. Though the uniform game was up on Saturday night against Utah, the game itself was a pretty grimy affair, with Oregon coming out on top 20-17, upsetting the visiting Utes. Now, this game could've been completely different had Bo Nix not played in this game, as he suffered a ankle injury against Washington and was questionable coming into this outing. Though Nix didn't have an insane statistical performance, like we've seen from him up to this point in the season, the fact he played made Oregon's chances of winning this game go up tenfold. On Oregon's first drive of the game we saw Bo Nix come out throwing the ball, hitting throws in some fairly tight windows, leading the Ducks down the field to score on their first drive making it 7-0. He didn't throw a ton of extremely deep passes on their first drive, but hit some shorter passes that would eat up a lot of yards after the catch, i.e. his throw to Kris Hutson on the little out and in route that ended up picking up 20-yards and a first down on 3rd and four. Though Oregon struck first in the game they would run into some issues on their next few drives, going three and out on one drive and fumbling on the next. The fumble came on a nice throw by Nix to Dont'e Thornton, who picked up 27-yards on 3rd and 17. Unfortunately, while trying to fight for extra yards, Thornton fumbled the ball, which Utah of course jumped on. Thankfully for Thornton and the Ducks offense, the defense would pick off Utah quarterback Cam Rising on the very next play. After back-to-back turnovers by both teams, Oregon would get their second touchdown of the game, courtesy of a four yard Bo Nix touchdown pass to Troy Franklin, who ran a nice little slant route to gain some separation from the defender to get open for Nix to find him for the score. Apart from a little screen play to Dont'e Thornton early on in the drive, Oregon's second touchdown drive most came via the run game, with Noah Whittington breaking off some nice runs to set up Nix's touchdown pass. Going to their next drive we see Nix hit his best pass of the day, hitting Thornton down the near sideline for a 58-yard gain. It was a beautifully thrown ball that led Thornton up the field. Good weight and touch on the pass from Nix, which would set up a Ducks field goal just before halftime, going in leading 17-3. Unfortunately though, the lead would shrink on Oregon's first offensive drive of the second half. On this play, Oregon brought in back-up quarterback Ty Thompson, who is used mostly in running sets for Oregon. Thompson would motion Dont'e Thornton aned would try to pitch it back to him. Unfortunately the pitch never really got to Thornton, and Utah would pick up the fumbled ball and return it all the way for the score, making it a 17-10 ball game. We wouldn't see a whole lot more from Bo Nix and the offense after that, as they didn't do a whole lot in the second half apart from making a field goal early on in the fourth quarter, which would prove to be the winner. That being said, Nix would throw his first and only interception of the game after that made field goal, which came after a very well thrown ball to Thornton down the near sideline. While on the move, Nix threw a very nice ball to Thornton for a 50-yard gain, which really should've helped Oregon see out the game, but again, we would see Nix throw an interception on the next play. When you're throwing a ball to the opposite sideline, you've got to get it out fast, on this play, Nix kind of double clutched it and threw the ball a lot later than he should've. Because he threw it so late, Clark Phillips, one of the top corners in next year's draft, had enough time to regather himself and make a break on the ball, picking it off. Really, the Ducks should be thanking the football gods that this wasn't returned all the way for six, but Cam McCormick made a very nice tackle preventing the house call. The game was pretty much over after that though, Rising would throw his third interception of the game and the Utes would stall out on their last drive trying to steal the win away from the Ducks. This was by no means a pretty game, but it was fun to watch because you had no idea what was going to happen at any time. After a big play, a turnover kind of seemed to follow. I'm sure the Ducks won't mind though, as they came out on the right side of the game, winging 20-17. This week the Ducks are traveling to Corvallis to take on the Oregon State Beavers. With both teams in the top 25, and both winning four of their last five, this one promises to be a pretty fun one Saturday afternoon.
Pre-Season - H/M
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - N/R
Wk 7 - N/R
Wk 8 - N/R
Wk 9 - N/R
Wk 10 - 7 (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 7
Wk 12 - 7
Wk 13 - @ no.21 Oregon State
8. Tanner McKee, Stanford
Wk 11 - 29/45 271 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/3 carries -12 yds 0 touchdowns @ Cal (27-20 L)
Season - 233/386 2,634 yds 12 touchdowns 8 interceptions/69 carries -87 yds 2 touchdowns
I essentially just found this out, was it common knowledge that Stanford v Cal was known was the 'Big Game?' Like, I know these are two storied universities and everything but do people in California consider this a 'big game?' Rivalry? Sure, but I can think of a couple games that are 'bigger' than Stanford v Cal, especially this year, as both Stanford and Cal, going into this game, sat at 3-7. In all honesty, this is a game that Stanford should've won. Up 17-6 going into the fourth quarter, the Cardinal allowed the Golden Bears to score 21 unanswered points to take home the 27-20 victory. Hell, the only reason Stanford scored 20 was because they decided to take a 61-yard field goal with no time left. Why did they kick the field goal when they're down by 10 with relatively no time left, I hear you ask? I have no idea, but it's always cool to see someone drill a 60+ yard field goal, even if it means nothing to the grand scheme of the game, apart from hitting the over mark I guess. But yeah, this was a strange game that saw Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee throw 45 passes, which is the second most amount of passes he's thrown in a game this season, throwing 57 against Arizona State back on October 22nd. Now, a lot of McKee's passes, especially early on, were not big hitters, as most of them would go somewhere between five and 10 yards, which some YAC coming into play on some of those throws. Apart from Stanford's first two drives, where they would score a touchdown and a field goal, Stanford's offense was relatively inept throughout most of the half. Just to emphasize that, Stanford punted on their next four drives, going three and out on two of them. Now, we did see McKee hit Brycen Tremayne for a nice 21-yard gain on one of those drives, but that was about all that happened. Now, it was actually a pretty nice throw, as McKee was rolling out to his right and hit Tremayne near the far sideline with a defender a few yards in front of him, which could've blocked McKee's sightline, but still managed to make the throw. McKee would then find Benjamin Yurosek across the middle on Stanford's next drive, which was more impressive than his earlier throw to Tremayne. This throw needed to be near perfect, as Yurosek was coming across the middle on a shorter dig route and had three to four Cal defenders around him. McKee did a nice job placing the ball right in the center of the Cal defenders, picking up 13-yards and a first down, though the drive would stall out after that. Fast forward to the midway point in the third quarter and we see McKee's first and only touchdown of the game, finding Elijah Higgins from nine yards out to extend their lead to 17-6. McKee would fin Higgins, who was running an out route, after rolling to his right. Higgins would then make a few defenders miss before punching his way into the end zone. This was a nice sight to see for McKee as this was only his second touchdown in his past five games, and his first one since Stanford's loss to UCLA back on October 29th, so damn near a month later. McKee would have some nice throws as the game went one, with one of his more impressive ones going to Colby Bowman for an eight yard gain and a first down. Though this pass didn't go for a bunch of yards, McKee's arm strength was on display here as he rolled out to his right and threw the ball back to the left side, finding Bowman for the first down. Now, this isn't something you should make a habit of doing, as throwing across your body tends to lead to turnovers, but again, McKee has the arm strength to make that throw. Stanford would be forced to punt after that play. Later, McKee would hit Elijah Higgins on a nice throw across the middle for a nice 14-yard gain, though that drive would stall out too. The next drive though, we would see McKee throw his first interception of the game. Trying to find his receiver across the middle, McKee threw the ball into, essentially, triple coverage, which saw Cal come away with the football. Look, I get it, you want to make something happen on 3rd and 10, but you cannot throw the ball into that location, it was always going to end up in the hands of a Cal defender. The Golden Bears would score three plays later and that would pretty much be it, apart from the 61-yard field goal of course. Like I said before, this is a game Stanford probably should've won, but they shot themselves in the foot every chance they got and came out on the wrong side of this game. Against BYU this week, Stanford's going to have a nice little test on their hands, let's hope McKee can do enough to pull off the upset for the 3-8 Cardinal.
Pre-Season - 6
Wk 1 - 6
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - 8
Wk 5 - 9
Wk 6 - 10
Wk 7 - 9
Wk 8 - 8
Wk 9 - 8
Wk 10 - 8
Wk 11 - 8
Wk 12 - 8
Wk 13 - v BYU
9. Jayden Daniels, LSU (+1)
Wk 11 - 22/29 297 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/12 carries 112 yds 1 touchdown v UAB (41-10 W)
Season - 217/312 2,377 yds 15 touchdowns 2 interceptions/162 carries 740 yds 11 touchdowns
This game was a stark difference from what we saw from LSU and Jayden Daniels last weekend. Now, that may have something to do with the level of opponent, but it was still a much better game from Daniels and the Tigers offense, scoring 41-points in a 41-10 victory. As for Daniels, he was his usual efficient multi-dimensional self, throwing for damn near 300 yards and rushing for 112 with two touchdowns on the day, leading the LSU Tigers offense in rushing. But again, this is another one of those late season SEC dumpster fire games where they play a team they should absolutely batter, and surprise surprise, they do. This weekend though the Tigers are taking on the Texas A&M Aggies, which should present them with a few more challenges than the Blazers of UAB did, no offense of course, though the Aggies have won once once in their past seven games. We should expect Daniels to put forth another solid outing before the SEC Championship against Georgia on December 3rd.
Pre-Season - H/M
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - N/R
Wk 7 - N/R
Wk 8 - N/R
Wk 9 - N/R
Wk 10 - 10 (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 10
Wk 12 - 9
Wk 13 - @ Texas A&M
10. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (-1)
Wk 11 - 19/31 229 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/2 carries 6 yds 0 touchdowns v Colorado (54-7 W)
Season - 305/457 3,869 yds 26 touchdowns 6 interceptions/30 carries 52 yds 2 touchdowns
After coming off a very impressive win against Oregon last week, Washington needed a game they could breeze through with relative ease. They needed a team that wouldn't pounce on them if they happened to make a mistake after coming off such an emotional game. Thankfully, not only did Washington get a team they could bully, they got a team that wouldn't make them pay for any mistakes in Colorado. Now that being said, Washington didn't really make any mistakes throughout the course of the game, as they came out 54-7 victors, but there usually seems to be some sort of drop off after a tough game like the one they had against Oregon, but Colorado is so bad that it probably wouldn't have mattered all too much had Washington actually made any mistakes. Like, you just look at the drive summaries for this game, in the first half, Washington scored a touchdown four of their first six drives, and would've managed to score points on every drive had they not missed a field goal late in the second quarter. It was just an utterly dominant performance from the Huskies in this one, which saw star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. throw for 229 yards with a touchdown in the win. For Penix, those 229 yards in his lowest mark of the season, with it being only the second time he's thrown for less than 300 yards in a game, but even then he threw for 298 yards. Though he didn't put up any mind blowing numbers, the Huskies came away with the dub. The thing that really 'depleted' Penix's numbers was that Washington just killed Colorado with the rushing attack, totaling 280 yards on the ground, with Wayne Taulapapa hitting the century mark with 107 yards. For Penix though, he still managed to come away with some impressive throws, like his one to Ja'Lynn Polk on Washington's first drive. Though it didn't end up counting, as Polk couldn't get a foot inbounds, it was still an insanely impressive throw as Penix, a lefty, rolled out to his right and flung the ball to Polk in the end zone on an absolute frozen rope. It's a shame that it didn't end up counting but it was still an impressive throw. Do not be afraid though, Penix would get his touchdown on the next drive, though it was a lot less impressive than the almost touchdown on the previous drive. Somewhat of a flee flicker play, Penix dumped it off to Jalen McMillan on a screen play, which McMillan would run in from 27-yards out to make it 14-0 in the first. This play was 100% on McMillan as he made multiple defenders miss on his way to the end zone. After that, a lot of Penix's passes would come on hitch routes and slants, with the receivers being wide open almost every single time. Not to mention they pulled Penix late in the third quarter with the Huskies up 47-7. This was just a dominating game from the Washington Huskies, as most would've expected. This week though they're traveling to Pullman to take on the Washington State Cougars, which should be a fun match-up against two extremely talented quarterbacks in Penix and Cameron Ward. I'm very excited to see how this one goes come Saturday night.
Pre-Season - N/R
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - H/M
Wk 4 - H/M
Wk 5 - H/M
Wk 6 - H/M
Wk 7 - H/M
Wk 8 - H/M
Wk 9 - H/M
Wk 10 - H/M (didn't post)
Wk 11 - 9
Wk 12 - 10
Wk 13 - @ Washington State
Others
Max Duggan, TCU
Wk 12 - 24/35 327 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/8 carries 50 yds 1 touchdown @ Baylor (29-28 W)
Season - 204/308 2,858 yds 26 touchdowns 3 interceptions/94 carries 291 yds 5 touchdowns
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
Wk 12 - 17/22 168 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/8 carries 47 yds 0 touchdowns v no.14 Ole Miss (42-27 W)
Season - 165/244 2,149 yds 20 touchdowns 3 interceptions/125 carries 472 yds 6 touchdowns
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Wk 12 - 30/37 438 yds 6 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 16 yds 0 touchdowns v no.5 Tennessee (63-38 W)
Season - 210/314 2,420 yds 14 touchdowns 9 interceptions/60 carries 24 yds 2 touchdowns
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Wk 12 - 23/38 309 yds 4 touchdowns 3 interceptions/14 carries 81 yds 2 touchdowns v no.7 USC (48-45 L)
Season - 229/328 2,694 yds 24 touchdowns 7 interceptions/98 carries 544 yds 9 touchdowns
Cameron Ward, Washington State
Wk 12 - 25/36 193 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/8 carries 59 yds 1 touchdown @ Arizona (31-20 W)
Season - 265/413 2,772 yds 21 touchdowns 8 interceptions/80 carries 67 yds 4 touchdowns
Previous Rankings
Pre-Season - https://www.theloganblackmanshow.com/post/the-draft-expert-insanely-early-2023-nfl-draft-prospect-rankings
Wk 2 - https://www.theloganblackmanshow.com/post/the-draft-expert-2023-nfl-draft-wk-2-prospect-rankings
Wk 10 - Didn't post
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