As time goes by, I often realize it is flying at warp speed. This weekend marks game 4 for most colleges, which means their regular season is 1/3 done. Say what?! The number of quality games picks up a bit this week, but many conference schedules don’t get into full swing ’til next week. By the way an added feature for Draft Prospect watchers. If the player info is followed by a * it means they could be ranked as a Top 100 prospect for Draft purposes. Ineligible players for the 2019 Draft are excluded no matter how good they are, but I’m now listing a lot of quality underclassmen for your scrutiny.
SAT. Sept. 22 NOON/ET ESPN
GEORGIA by 7 @ MISSOURI
UGA is the clear favorite in this SEC battle, but one of the top QB prospects for the 2019 is at the helm for Missouri in DREW LOCK. He and UGA QB/JAKE FROMM could make this an exciting shootout, and when that scenario is in play college football can be at its best. But you gotta luv the balanced and talented Bulldogs.
Georgia players to watch include:
#13 ELIJAH HOLYFIELD RB 5’11/215 JR
#5 TERRY GODWIN WR 5’11/180
#18 ISAAC NAUTA TE 6’4/240 JR
#13 JONATHAN LEDBETTER DE 6’4/277
#15 D’ANDRE WALKER DE/OB 6’2/245
#6 NTREZ PATRICK LB 6’3/242
#18 DEANDRE BAKER CB 5’11/185*
MIZZOU prospects to watch feature:
#2 DREW LOCK QB 6’4/225*
#84 EMANUEL HALL WR 6’3/200
#77 PAUL ADAMS OT 6’6/315
#5 TERRY BECKNER DT 6’4/305*
#24 TEREZ HALL LB 6’2/230
#20 KHALIL OLIVER SS 6’0/210
SAT Sept. 22 3:30/ET CBS
TEXAS A&M @ ALABAMA by 10
This will be the best team ‘Bama has faced in the front end of their schedule. But A&M failed to beat Miss State in College Station, and ‘Bama is ‘Bama after all. I am finding the Crimson Tide to be a fascinating watch with an elite QB like TUA #13 running the O. A&M should be a tougher out than last season, but Alabama will only get better as last year’s back-up players get more action and hone their skills.
A&M prospects to watch include:
#36 DANIEL LaCAMERA K 6’4/230
#78 KEATON SUTHERLAND OG 6’5/315
#2 MICHAEL CLEMONS DE 6’5/270
#88 KINGSLEY KEKE DT 6’4/305
#42 OTARO ALAKA LB 6’3/240*
#6 DONOVAN WILSON SS 6’1/207
‘BAMA prospects to watch:
#34 DAMIEN HARRIS RB 5’11/215*
#84 HALE HENTGES TE 6’5/250
#71 ROSS PIERSCHBACHER OC 6’4/300*
#66 LESTER COTTON OG 6’4/325
#73 JONAH WILLIAMS OT 6’5/300 JR*
#99 RAEKWON DAVIS DE 6’7/307 JR*
#95 JOHNNY DWIGHT DT 6’3/300
#49 ISAIAH BUGGS DE 6’5/290
#33 ANFERNEE JENNINGS LB 6’3/262 JR*
#47 CHRIS MILLER LB 6’4/244
SAT Sept 22 7PM/ET ESPN2
MISSISSIPPI STATE by 3 @ KENTUCKY
Sniff, sniff, sniff… do I smell an upset here? Not quite, but I would not be surprised in the least if HC MARK STOOPS used the home field in Lexington to whip his team and their fans into a feeding frenzy. It will take a major effort given the quality of the Bulldogs roster that DAN MULLEN left behind. STATE QB NICK FITZGERALD is looking better each week, coming off that serious ankle injury from last season, but he’s still not 100% to my eyes running the ball. I’m not picking an upset, but you can see I am minimizing the spread.
State prospects to watch include:
#7 NICK FITZGERALD QB 6’5/230*
#22 AERIS WILLIAMS RB 6’1/220
#86 JESSE JACKSON WR 6’2/210
#74 ELGTON JENKINS OC 6’4/315*
#61 DEION CALHOUN OG 6’3/320
#9 MONTEZ SWEAT DE/ER 6’6/240*
#34 COREY THOMAS DT 6’5/310
#94 JEFFERY SIMMONS DT 6’4/300 JR*
#4 GERRI GREEN DE 6’4/255
#38 JOHNATHAN ABRAM S 6’0/210
#41 MARK McLAURIN S 6’2/215*
KENTUCKY players to watch:
#26 BENNY SNELL RB 5’11/225 JR*
#2 DORIAN BAKER WR 6’3/205
#98 TYMERE DUBOSE DT 6’5/315
#92 PHIL HOSKINS DT 6’5/306
#41 JOSH ALLEN DE/OB 6’5/252*
#8 DERRICK BAITY CB 6’3/190
#7 MIKE EDWARDS FS 6’0/200*
SAT Sept. 22 8PM/ET ABC
STANFORD by 6 @ OREGON
This may not be fair to put on this year’s team, but it seems to me that we are now into the time in their schedule where Stanford often stumbles and records their first Loss of the season. I am not projecting that, but it would not shock me. The Cardinal has been fighting some nagging injuries already to some key players, BRYCE LOVE for instance. Keep your eyes focussed on Oregon QB/JUSTIN HERBERT who has some serious talent and might turn pro if he has a stellar season. This is a good chance for fans to see some top notch PAC-12 football without having to stay up until past midnight.
STANFORD prospects to watch include;
#20 BRYCE LOVE RB 5’10/202*
#19 JJ ARCEGA-WHITESIDE WR 6’3/220*
#73 JESSE BURKETT OC 6’4/310
#75 A.T. HALL OT 6’5/305
#20 BOBBY OKEREKE LB 6’3/232*
#13 ALIJAH HOLDER CB 6’2/185
#9 BEN EDWARDS S 6’0/200
OREGRON prospect watch:
#10 JUSTON HERBERT QB 6’6/238 JR*
#27 JACON BREELAND TE 6’5/245 JR
#97 JALEN JELKS DE 6’6/245
#11 JUSTIN HOLLINS OB 6’5/237
$35 TROY DYE IB 6’4/235 JR*
#7 UGO AMADI S 5’9/200
The pace and quality of games is picking up folks. Get your viewing glasses on before the season flies right by you.
Pigskin
