Hello everyone and welcome back to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post! Yes, I know I'm posting this one a little bit later than usual but I do have my reasons, I was just kind of lazy. I know, I'm sorry, but it took me a little bit to get all the film watched and the descriptions written up for this post because I feel I have to explain this one more than others given how some of the games went on Saturday.
With some tougher match-ups that required some tougher scouting, please don't be too mad at me after reading this, I tried my best to explain everything so all I can say is sorry if you don't like it or just don't agree. If you want to hear me explain it in even more detail, listen to the latest Logan Blackman Show episode, there will be a link a little further down for you to listen.
So, without any further delays or interruptions, I present to you the latest Draft "Expert" blog post, revealing our week nine quarterback prospect rankings! Enjoy! (please)
Latest Podcast
Pictured: Cameron Ward, Washington State; Hendon Hooker, Tennessee; Will Levis, Kentucky
1. Bryce Young, Alabama
Wk 9 - BYE
Season - 146/221 1,906 yds 18 touchdowns 3 interceptions/26 carries 137 yds 3 touchdowns
This was a very well placed bye week for Bryce Young and the Alabama Crimson Tide. After having a fairly easy victory against Mississippi State, Alabama had a week to prepare for a tougher challenge in LSU. The Tigers have found themselves as of late, having one of the best scoring offenses in college football. Along with their offense, LSU's defense has been playing better, besides that loss to Tennessee a few weeks ago. With this game being at LSU, at night, Bryce Young will have a tough test come Saturday.
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 - @ no.15 LSU
2. CJ Stroud, Ohio State
Wk 9 - 26/33 354 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/6 carries 5 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.13 Penn State (44-31 W)
Season - 159/223 2,377 yds 29 touchdowns 4 interceptions/19 carries -4 yds 0 touchdowns
This game was a carbon copy of almost every Ohio State game so far this season. After, kind of, struggling to get things going early on offense, where they found themselves down 14-13 at halftime, the Buckeyes came out strong and ended up winning the game by 13-points. It's just a damn shame they couldn't score two more points to cover, but that's a different issue for another time. For Stroud though, individually, this was a fairly frustrating game, at times, especially early on. Like, on their first couple drives, the offense had a chance to seal the game early on, thanks to two early Sean Clifford interceptions, but only came away with one touchdown. Just think, if they came away with two touchdowns from those interceptions, they would've covered. Again, that's a topic for another time, but it's just been pretty standard for Ohio State over past couple games, like we said before. But damn, in the fourth quarter alone, Ohio State went on a tear, after being down 21-16, they managed to score 28-points to win the game 44-31. During this run, Stroud threw his first and only touchdown of the game, going to tight end Cade Stover, who caught it at the 18-yard line, breaking a couple arm tackles before punching it in to give the Buckeyes a 30-21 lead mid-way through the fourth. Now, apart from the touchdown, though Stroud didn't make a ton of insane throws, he had a couple here and there throughout the course of the game. Like his throw to Cade Stover late in the first half, hitting the tight end across the middle over the arms of the Penn State defender, all while a defender is draped on Stover back, a very well placed throw from Stroud. He then had a nice back shoulder throw to Marvin Harrison Jr. a few plays later. At first glance, you would think Stroud would want to hit Harrison over the top, as Harrison was past his defender, but with the safety coming into the picture late, Stroud made the smart decision to throw it back shoulder, avoiding the big hit and potential interception at the same time. Fast forward to the fourth quarter, and we see Stroud hit Harrison, again, this time over the middle. This one went for a longer gain then the previous passes, as it resulted in a 21-yard gain for the Buckeyes. With Harrison surrounded by two or three Penn State defenders, Stroud makes the smart decision to put the ball on Harrison's body, rather than try and lead him across the middle. Like the back shoulder throw earlier, this avoided a big hit by the Penn State defender and a potential interception. Ohio State would score a few plays later. Then, while up 30-24, Stroud hit, guess who, Harrison across the middle for a first down. With a defender draped on Harrison's back, Stroud throw the ball low, allowing Harrison to make a diving effort for the catch, picking up the first down. As the old saying goes, give your best players the chance to make plays, and Stroud did that, throwing it only where Harrison could get it. Well thrown pass and a well caught ball. Stroud then hit Emeka Egbuka down the near sideline for a massive gain, getting down to the Penn state two yard line, which set up a Henderson touchdown a few plays later. Ohio State would then score a defensive touchdown, making the score 44-24, before Penn State would score to make the final 44-31. To be honest, though Penn State is a solid team, I was expecting a bigger blowout by the Buckeyes on Saturday. Yes, they came away with a double digit point victory, but it came a little hard than expected, didn't it? All in all, they'll take the dub, and should have a much easier game this coming Saturday as they take on Northwestern, who has a bottom four defense in the Big 10.
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 - @ Northwestern
3. Will Levis, Kentucky
Wk 9 - 16/27 98 yds 0 touchdowns 3 interceptions/5 carries -22 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.3 Tennessee (44-6 L)
Season - 130/191 1,733 yds 13 touchdowns 8 interceptions/49 carries -71 yds 2 touchdowns
Good lord, what a terrible ass game for Will Levis and the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from Kentucky, as they were playing the second best team in college football, in my opinion, especially with the game being played in Knoxville, but good lord, this could've all just been settled over an email or something. Tennessee just had their way with the Wildcats, holding them to around just 200 yards of total offense, and forcing Levis into three interceptions, not to mention less than 100 yards passing, which was the first time that had happened since Kentucky's upset win over Florida in early October of 2021. Now, with the interceptions, some were obviously worse than others. The first one, which came on a third and seven attempt from inside their red zone, was a play where the receiver just got absolute lit up. On this play, wide receiver Dane Key was running a slant route, Levis threw it, and the Tennessee defender timed it like Troy Polamalu timing a snap and just blew Key up. The ball then sputtered through the air and landed in the waiting arms of the Tennessee defender. The could've probably been thrown lower, if you want to nit pick, but this ball was placed right in Key's hands right at his face, this was just a great play by the Tennessee defense, and really unfortunate for Kentucky, who would not get a lot more opportunities to score as the game went on. Now, though the first interception wasn't 100% on him, the second one definitely was. Throwing essentially into triple coverage, Levis sees his throw on the hitch route jumped by the Tennessee defender. With that throw, everything just took too long to develop, throwing the ball as late as he did gave the defender enough time to sit and wait before making his move to jump in front of the receiver, intercepting the ball. Wouldn't matter though, cause Levis would throw his third, and final, interception on the very next drive, after he short armed deep ball down the far sideline. Like, if the throw was out in front, Dane Key could've had a touchdown, not 100% but there was a chance. Just a bad game for Levis. With so many out there watching this match-up to see two of the top quarterbacks in college football go up against each other, Levis laid an egg, whereas Hooker played another great game. Does this effect Levis' draft stock immensely? To me, not really. I mean, it does a little bit, don't get me wrong, but this was hopefully a blip for Levis, who doesn't necessarily have the most help around him, especially along the offensive line. Against Missouri this week, I fully expect Levis to have a 'normal' performance, but this game definitely put a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths in regards to his draft stock.
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 - @ Missouri
4. Anthony Richardson, Florida
Wk 9 - 18/37 271 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/11 carries 19 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.1 Georgia (Jacksonville) (42-20 L)
Season - 114/207 1,638 yds 7 touchdowns 7 interceptions/67 carries 414 yds 6 touchdowns
I don't think anyone was too surprised by how this game went on Saturday. Yes, we picked Florida to cover, and they did, but no one was really expecting Florida to come away with a victory, were they? Florida just couldn't really get anything going offensively, and, apart from a couple self inflicted Georgia turnovers, couldn't really stop anything defensively. Like, at halftime, this game was sitting at 28-3, before finishing with a final score of 42-20. It's just crazy to look at the box score after games like this, because Florida went three and out on their first four possessions of the game, then doing it another time in the half to make it five. Yes, Florida did manage to get a field goal, but even that drive was only six plays. That being said, on that field goal drive, Richardson did show off his talent by hitting Justin Shorter down the far sideline for a 41-yard gain. Just so effortless, Richardson put the ball only where Shorter could get it. It must be said though, great concentration by Shorter to see that ball in, as Kelee Ringo, one of the top corners in the upcoming draft, was right on him, potentially blocking his view of the ball. Richardson threw an absolute dime of a pass to Shorter, which was much needed as again, Florida couldn't get anything going in the first half. Fast forward to the second half, and Richardson would show off some of his athletic ability/physicality on a run on second and six. After probably making the wrong read, Richardson, with a helpful block from Ricky Pearsall, got the edge on the Georgia defense. After it seemed like Ringo had him wrapped up, Richardson dipped and spun underneath the tackle to pick up the first down. Florida would score a few plays later on an Etienne run. Richardson would then get his first, and only, touchdown pass of the day, hitting Xzavier Henderson for a 78-yard touchdown. This throw was just so impressive. With Henderson past his first man, Richardson put the ball on a frozen rope to hit his receiver in stride. Throwing it with enough power and accuracy to hit Henderson for the touchdown. It wasn't an insanely long throw or anything, but just the effortless power on that throw just made it very impressive, with Florida, somehow, making it 28-20 late in the third. Though they wouldn't score anymore points throughout the rest of the game, Richardson did manage to make one last fun throw before the game ended. It may have been behind Shorter, who was running across the middle, but after stepping up in a very congested pocket, and making a jump throw to Shorter, was very impressive, as not a lot of quarterbacks would even get it close to Shorter, let alone giving Shorter a chance to make a very nice catch. He would then have another nice run in the fourth, after being flushed out of the pocket, after a deep drop back, Richardson made up on a lot of lost ground by not only somehow managing to get back to the line of scrimmage, but managing to pick up a first down. For a dude as big as him, his ability to go from zero to 100 is sometimes mind boggling. Though they didn't get a dub, they managed to cover, which is sometimes all you can ask for when you play Georgia. Richardson made some very nice plays throughout the course of the game, it's just a shame Florida couldn't pull it through once they got the game to within eight. This week though is expected to be a little less tough as they're taking on an A&M Aggies team that has lost their last four games. Should be a fun one in College Station on Saturday.
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 - @ Texas A&M
5. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
Wk 9 - 19/25 245 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 23 yds 1 touchdowns v no.19 Kentucky (44-6 W)
Season - 156/219 2,338 yds 21 touchdowns 1 interception/73 carries 338 yds 4 touchdowns
Like I said with Will Levis before, this game really could've just been settled over an email or something because good lord, did Kentucky really even show up for this game? It wasn't even like it took a long time for Tennessee's high powered offense to get going, as Hendon Hooker hit a, guess who, wide open Jalin Hyatt on the fifth play of the game for a 55-yard touchdown. When I say wide open, I mean wide ass open, as there wasn't a Kentucky defender within 10-yards of Hyatt when he caught the ball. It was an interesting pass though from Hooker, who kind of under threw the ball, but that's one of the things you're taught relatively early in quarterback school, if a receiver is wide open, try to just get it on him because they can always work back to the ball. It doesn't make for a pretty pass or anything, but receivers can slow down, but once they reach top speed they can't speed up, so just make sure they can catch it and allow them to do the rest, like Hooker allowed Hyatt to do. Though there were a couple of drives that stalled out in the first half for Tennessee, they managed to score three more touchdowns, going up 27-6 at the half. Again, just easy. Though their second touchdown came way of death by 1,000 runs, Tennessee's next couple drives saw Hooker pass the ball a little bit more. Like his throw to Bru McCoy on the near sideline. Though it was just a simple hitch route, the fact Hooker threw it from the far hash to the near sideline is very impressive, as that is one of the hardest and longest throws to make on the football, though it seems relatively easy since it's usually a five to seven yard route for the receiver. Then, after a rushing touchdown put them up 20-6, Hooker finds, again, a wide open Jalin Hyatt for a 31-yard touchdown just before the half to go up 27-6. Again, like the first one, there probably wasn't a defender within 10 yards of Hyatt when he caught the ball. Again, I don't think Kentucky wanted to play on Saturday, at least that's what it felt like, as their defense just let Tennessee do whatever they wanted. Hooker would then have a rushing touchdown later on in the third quarter on a nice speed option play to the near sideline, getting bumped around a few times before falling into the end zone. Then, in the fourth, Hooker would find, stop me if you've heard this before, a wide open Jabari Small in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown, putting the game away, making the score 44-6. I don't know which team showed up Saturday night, but Kentucky's defense was just non-existent, everything was just so easy for Tennessee. Like we said before the game, no one can really prepare for how fast Tennessee runs everything, which showed throughout the game. This week through, I'd imagine things will be a little harder for the Heisman favorite as the now top ranked Volunteers travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs, who once again boast one of the best defenses in college football. Though I respect the hell out of Georgia, I could see Tennessee coming in and pulling off the upset, which would really set the entire college football world on fire, and I'm here for it.
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 - v no.3 Georgia
6. Jaren Hall, BYU
Wk 9 - 18/25 144 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/8 carries 60 yds 0 touchdowns v East Carolina (27-24 L)
Season - 189/288 2,245 yds 21 touchdowns 3 interceptions/58 carries 182 yds 0 touchdowns
Yep, I'm done. I am no longer betting on BYU this season. Offensively, the Cougars are a solid unit, led by a very good quarterback, it's just that defensively that can't stop anybody. This game was an interesting one though, and a little bit different than some of their previous losses, as they weren't up big to start the game before blowing it, they just lost. Like, against Liberty, BYU was up 14-3 at one point, before losing 41-14. How does that happen? That's honestly more impressive than winning the game. But again, BYU didn't necessarily start off that fast on Friday night, only managing to come away with a field goal in the first quarter, before going three and out on their second drive. When they finally got their touchdown in the second quarter, the Cougars did it, pretty much, through a solid rushing attack, with Lopini Katoa breaking off two big runs, with one being for a touchdown. As for Hall, though he did make some impressive hand offs on the drive, he wasn't really asked to do a whole lot, just threw a couple of shorter passes here and there, just dink and dunking down the field before the score. Fast forward to the mid-way point in the second quarter, Hall would break off some impressive runs, picking up 15 and 23-yard carries on back-to-back plays, which ultimately set up his touchdown pass to Puka Nacua. His throw to Nacua was just very pretty. Didn't need to make an insane throw, as Nacua was wide open, but it was just a nicely thrown ball. Same thing as we mentioned with Hooker before though, it was a little under thrown, but when you have a receiver that wide open, it's better to under throw them than over throw them, because again, they can always work back to the ball. That drive, especially the last three plays, was very well run by Hall, who showed off his athleticism before showing off his arm talent for the touchdown pass. At the start of the third, BYU would manage to score again, thanks to a short two-yard touchdown pass between Hall and Chase Roberts. Before that though, Hall made a very nice throw to Brayden Cosper for a nice 22-yard gain. Cosper, who ran a nice post corner route, was in-between three ECU defenders, and Hall did a very nice job at having Cosper sit on his route, throwing the ball in the middle of the three Pirate defenders, setting up BYU on the East Carolina side of the 50. Hall would then show off his running ability, again, picking up a seven yard run, before hitting the aforementioned Roberts on a screen play to go up 24-17 in the third. After that though, BYU would turn the ball over on downs two times, once coming in the red zone, and couldn't get anything really going on the scoreboard, ultimately falling to ECU 27-24, at home, losing on a last second field goal. Tough way to lose a game, especially when it's a night game at home. Like I said before, I don't think I can bet on BYU anymore as it's been pretty tough sledding as of late, losing their last four games with three of those coming way of double digit losses. This week against Boise State, I can't really see them pulling out a result, especially with it being on the road. The Broncos have a very solid defense that should make things difficult for the Cougar offense, who will need a big performance from Hall if they want to pull off the upset Saturday night.
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 - @ Boise State
7. Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (FL)
Wk 9 - 0/0 0 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/0 carries 0 yds 0 touchdowns @ Virginia (14-12 W) (OUT injured)
Season - 152/237 1,737 yds 10 touchdowns 4 interceptions/29 carries -27 yds 0 touchdowns
I wasn't too surprised when Jake Garcia was named the Hurricanes starter before the game against Virginia on Saturday. After injuring his shoulder against Duke, Van Dyke's health going into the Florida State game on Saturday is still up in the air. So far, reports are saying that Van Dyke's health is 'improving,' but time will tell if he'll actually suit up or not. If he does play, a good performance against a good FSU pass defense would surly get Van Dyke back in the conversation as one of the top quarterbacks in the class.
Pre-Season - 4
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - 8
Wk 6 - 8
Wk 7 - 7
Wk 8 - 7
Wk 9 - 7
Wk 10 - v Florida State
8. Tanner McKee, Stanford
Wk 9 - 13/29 115 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/9 carries 3 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.12 UCLA (38-13 L)
Season - 170/278 1,972 yds 11 touchdowns 7 interceptions/49 carries -64 yds 1 touchdown
Was anyone really surprised by this result on Saturday? Like we've talked about pretty much all season, Stanford's offense, usually, can keep up with teams, but their defense is just awful. With UCLA boasting one of the best offenses in college football this season, I don't think a lot of people expect Stanford to cover, let alone come out victors in this game. After a long 11-play drive, that resulted in a field goal, saw the Cardinal go up 3-0 early on, not much went right in the following drives, especially on the very next one, as Tanner McKee threw an interception that never really made it past the line of scrimmage. He had a receiver in the area, but the Bruin defender just made a nice leaping catch before the ball could get to the receiver, just a terrible play for Stanford. The thing that made it even worse is that it happened on the very first play of the drive, so you go from an 11-play drive to a one-play drive in very quick succession, not great. UCLA, unsurprisingly, scored one-play later, going up 14-3 in the first quarter. Not a lot went Stanford's way after that, though McKee did make some decent throws throughout the course of the game, like his throw to Benjamin Yurosek mid-way through the first quarter. With a UCLA defender hitting McKee in the gut, dude threw a pretty nice ball to Yurosek across the middle, picking up 19-yards in the process. It was a very nice throw, which hit Yurosek in stride. While getting hit, that's pretty impressive. Then his throw to Brycen Tremayne in the third quarter. After feeling pressure up the middle, McKee rolled slightly out to his right and delivered a damn near perfect ball to Tremayne down the near sideline for a 30-yard gain. With two defenders around Tremayne, the pass had to be perfect, and it was, with McKee throwing it towards the sideline and away from the defenders, allowing Tremayne to make a nice catch towards the boundary. McKee's lone touchdown wouldn't come until later on in the fourth quarter, where he made a couple of fakes in the backfield before hitting Benjamin Yurosek for the two-yard touchdown. Though it was only two-yards out, it was still a very well thrown ball by McKee, who placed it over top the UCLA defender, placing it only where his big tight end could get it. He allowed Yurosek to make a play on the ball, and utilizing his size, he was able to come down with it. Though it ultimately didn't matter, as UCLA again won 38-13, it was still nice to see the Cardinal come away with at least one touchdown on Saturday. This was a tough match-up for Stanford, and though McKee didn't play his best game, he still made some nice throw throughout to give Stanford somewhat of a chance in this game. This week will be another tough one as Stanford are hosting Cameron Ward and the Washington State Cougars. Given Ward's skill and the lack of defense Stanford has, this could be a barn burner on Saturday, at least that's what I'm hoping for. Should be a very fun match-up against two solid quarterbacks.
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 - v Washington State
9. KJ Jefferson, Arkansas (+1)
Wk 9 - 16/24 234 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/10 carries 45 yds 2 touchdowns @ Auburn (41-27 W)
Season - 125/185 1,697 yds 15 touchdowns 1 interception/101 carries 389 yds 6 touchdowns
This game ended up being a pretty big win for Arkansas on Saturday, but it definitely didn't start off like that. After going three and out on their first drive of the game, receiver Jadon Haselwood would fumble on their second drive of the game, after three plays again no less, with both drives setting up Auburn field goal attempts, with only one making it through the uprights. That being said, Arkansas had a couple of scoring drives in a row on their next two drives, with KJ Jefferson scoring on two touchdown runs. Leading up to the first touchdown, Jefferson would hit Warren Thompson across the middle for a nice 29-yard gain. On a very well placed, and overall well thrown ball, Jefferson stood tall in the pocket and delivered the ball to Thompson, who made a nice play after the catch to get the ball down to the seven-ish yard line. KJ would later punch it in from the one-yard line to give Arkansas the 7-3 lead late in the first quarter. The second drive though was more impressive, as while he was getting hit, Jefferson, again, managed to stand tall in the pocket and deliver a strike to the aforementioned Jadon Haselwood, who picked up the first down on third and five. Though he was fairly wide open, it can make a throw 1,000x harder when you're getting hit in the legs, because that is where most, if not all, of your power comes from. Thankfully for Arkansas, KJ Jefferson has one of the strongest arms in the county, so though it wasn't the prettiest ball, it got there, which is all that matters. Jefferson would then have a 'get off me' run later on in the drive, as he stepped up in a congested pocket, broke away from a shoe lace tackle, before stiff arming one Auburn and carrying another into the end zone to give Arkansas a 14-3 lead. Again, that one was a little more impressive then the one-yard touchdown on the previous drive, not that he cares, I'm sure, because they all count for the same number of points. Later on in the second, Jefferson would hit Matt Landers for a 56-yard gain, setting the Razorbacks up at the Auburn nine yard line. Though it was a nice throw, what a play by Landers, right? Dude initially got stopped at the 16-yard line, but then carried three Tiger defenders seven more yards, pulling them down to the nine yard line. Really effortless throw from Jefferson, but just a great play by Landers, which set up an Arkansas field goal just before the half. Jefferson would then get his first and only passing touchdown of the game mid-way through the third quarter, hitting Haselwood on a well run slant route for a touchdown. This was a very easy throw and read from Jefferson, as Auburn left the entire middle of the field wide open, essentially begging Jefferson to hit a receiver over the middle, which he did. I love when strong armed quarterbacks just stand still in the pocket, it's very cocky and I absolutely love it, it's just very funny to see. Arkansas would score on rushing touchdowns on their next couple drives, before kicking a field goal to make the final 41-27, picking up a nice road victory. Though it was kind of expected, it was still a fun game to watch for Arkansas. This week though, weirdly, should probably present a bigger test, as Liberty, though a smaller school, are playing some very good football at the moment, sitting a 7-1 and ranked 23rd in the latest AP poll (though that poll doesn't matter anymore). Both teams took it to BYU a few weeks ago, so this should make for a fun match-up on Saturday.
Pre-Season - H/M
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 10
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - 10
Wk 5 - H/M
Wk 6 - N/R (injured)
Wk 7 - 10
Wk 8 - 10
Wk 9 - 9
Wk 10 - v Liberty
10. Cameron Ward, Washington State (NEW-ish)
Wk 9 - 27/31 222 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/12 carries 28 yds 1 touchdown v no.14 Utah (21-17 L)
Season - 202/308 2,184 yds 17 touchdowns 8 interceptions/62 carries -4 yds 2 touchdowns
Though nothing really happened early on in the Washington State vs Utah game on Saturday, it was still a pretty fun watch. When I say early on, I guess I should say not a lot happened throughout the course of the entire game, but where's the fun in that, right? Though no points were scored until early in the second quarter, Cameron Ward still made some nice throws, with one of them coming towards the end of the first where he hit De'Zhaun Stribling on a post route, picking up a first down. Though it's not a throw that'll blow you away, necessarily, it was just how fast Ward went from faking the handoff, to flipping his hips, and hitting Stribling across the middle that was impressive. Not to mention Ward hit him in stride too. Sure, that drive stalled out after Ward got sacked on third and two, but it was still a nice play none the less. Fast forward to the start of the second quarter and we see our first points, with Ward hitting Stribling, again, but this time for a 29-yard score. With pressure in his face, Ward stood tall and threw a perfect ball to Stribling in the end zone for the touchdown. Did the defender falling over make this play a little easier? Sure, but it was still a very well thrown ball by the Washington State quarterback. What makes this throw interesting is that it was seemingly all upper body. With most throws, like we mentioned before, your power comes from your legs, but for Cameron Ward, dude has such a strong arm that, while leaning back, can hit receivers in stride with relative ease. Very nice touchdown for Washington State to go up early on in the second quarter. Now, though Ward didn't throw an interception, he did fumble the ball on fourth and 11 mid-way through the second. With all of Ward's attention going to the left side of the formation, Utah's pass rush from the right came relatively un-noticed by Ward, who never even felt the defender closing in on him. Because he didn't feel the pressure coming, he didn't have the best control on the ball, which saw the ball pop out on first contact, which Utah recovered. Though the Utes didn't capitalize after that turnover, they did after a punt hit an unsuspecting Cougar player, which Utah recovered and score on a few plays later, making it 14-7 before the half. Fast forward to the start of the third quarter, and we see Cameron Ward showing off his athletic ability, as he was able to break away from a Utah edge rusher coming from the left, before spinning around and rolling back out to his right and hitting Dylan Paine for a 21-yard gain. Though they would turn it over on downs, that play was very nice from Ward, as it was similar-ish to the fumble that he had in the first half, except this time, he felt the pressure, was able to escape before delivering a nice ball down the field for a first down. Ward would then have a very well thrown ball, as the third quarter expired, hitting Tsion Nunnally for a big gain down the far sideline, which set up a rushing touchdown for Ward a few plays later. A well run route by Nunnally and a very well placed ball by Ward, which led Nunnally past the defender, making a nice diving catch to set up the soon to be touchdown, which was just a straight quarterback run play up the middle for the touchdown. Washington State would later kick a field goal but couldn't get anything else as they fell short to Utah 21-17. Well fought game by the Cougars, just a shame they came out on the wrong side of it. This week they're taking on Stanford, and given how the Cardinal defense has played this year, I am kind of expect Ward to have a nice game on Saturday. Should be a fun one.
Pre-Season - H/M
Wk 1 - H/M
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - H/M
Wk 4 - H/M
Wk 5 - 10
Wk 6 - 9
Wk 7 - H/M
Wk 8 - H/M
Wk 9 - 10
Wk 10 - @ Stanford
Others
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Wk 9 - 13/24 121 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/11 carries 12 yds 1 touchdown @ Marshall (24-13 W)
Season - 150/218 2,061 yds 19 touchdowns 1 interception/70 carries 158 yds 4 touchdowns
Aidan O'Connell, Purdue
Wk 9 - BYE
Season - 209/315 2,270 yds 15 touchdowns 8 interceptions/22 carries -42 yds 1 touchdown
Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Wk 9 - BYE
Season - 230/339 2,934 yds 22 touchdowns 4 interceptions/24 carries 18 yds 2 touchdowns
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
Wk 9 - BYE
Season - 258/380 2,555 yds 23 touchdowns 4 interceptions/21 carries -95 yds 0 touchdowns
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Wk 9 - 18/29 199 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/13 carries 50 yds 1 touchdown v Stanford (38-13 W)
Season - 167/231 1,971 yds 17 touchdowns 3 interceptions/63 carries 319 yds 5 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
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