Boise State at #10 Washington; 3:30 PM ET; ABC … Interesting game on the west coast between a couple of teams with lofty post-season expectations. Washington, in particular, has visions of a possible CFP playoff berth with a loaded lineup, while Boise State is one of the favorites to earn the non-Power 5 New Year’s Day Bowl invitation. Boise State is led by emerging 3rd year QB Taylen Green (#10, 6-6, 225), who still needs to improve his touch and accuracy, but otherwise has all the tools, including size, arm strength and terrific athleticism, to be the next great dual-threat QB in the pros. Green is supported by solid RB George Holani (#24, 5-11, 215), who ground out 1,200 yards and 10 TDs on the ground last fall, while veteran MLB DJ Schramm (#52, 6-0, 230), who isn’t all that big, but usually finds a way to the ball.
For the Huskies, this could be something of a trap game given their high expectations. However, there is nothing cheap about those expectations as Washington has as many first-round prospects as any program in the country. It starts with QB Michael Penix (#9, 6-3, 215) who had a breakout year last throwing for over 4,600 yards and 31 scores after a so-so 4-year tenure at Indiana. But put up those kind of numbers again this fall and Penix will be very much in the Heisman picture. He’ll also be very much in the picture to be the next QB selected after USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye. And it certainly won’t hurt Penix’ chances that he’ll be throwing to one of the better receiver corps in the nation featuring Rome Odunze (#1, 6-3, 215), who could also be in the mix to be one of the first 2-3 receivers off the board next April, and Jalen McMillan (#11, 6-1, 195). For good measure, the Huskies also have one of the better rush-end pairs in college football in DEs Bralen Trice (#8, 6-4, 275) and Zion Tupuola-Fetui (#4, 6-4, 255), while OT Troy Fautuna (#55, 6-4, 320) could get some early second-day consideration.
Colorado at #17 TCU; Noon ET; FOX … Its not that there hasn’t been much buzz about the Colorado program over the past couple of decades; its that there hasn’t been any buzz at all for a team that has had just one winning record in the past 17 years and is coming off a dismal on-win campaign last fall. However, that all changed literally the instant that Colorado lured former NFL star Deion Sanders away from Jackson State to take over the program. And while no one really expects the Buffs to be serious contenders this fall, Sanders has managed to transform the culture, not to mention the talent base, by bring several top players along with him from Jackson, while attracting a number of quality transfers from other programs. Most prominent, at least in the short term, of the newcomers to the team is QB Shedeur Sanders (#2, 6-2, 215), Deion’s younger son, who tore up the FCS ranks the past couple of years throwing for a total of over 7,000 yards and 70 TDs versus just 14 picks, along the way completing 68% of his pass attempts. The JSU transfer that pro teams really want to get their hands is true sophomore CB/WR Travis Hunter (12, 6-1, 185) who figures to be a pro prospect for the 2025 draft. NFL teams, though, will have to figure out where to play him as he is one the few players in the country slated to play both ways this fall. For the record, Sanders not only was able to recruit Hunter, the top CB in the 2022 recruiting class, he also got the top prep CB in the country last year in true freshman Cormani McClain (#1, 6-2, 165).
Change is also the name of the game at TCU after last year’s dream run to the national championship game. Gone are QB Max Duggan, RB Kendre Miller, WR Quentin Johnston, C Steve Avila, CB Tre’Vius Tomlinson and DE Dylan Horton among others, although the Horned Frogs’ do return enough to talent to at least make a run at this year’s conference title. QB Chandler Morris (#4, 6-0, 190), who actually started ahead of Duggan last fall before being injured returns to run the offence that also includes freakish WR Savion Williams (#3, 6-5, 225) and rising OT Brandon Coleman (#77, 6-6, 320), while CB Josh Newton (#2, 6-0, 190), the Frogs’ best prospect overall, and active ILB Johnny Hodges (#57, 6-2, 240), a Navy transfer, anchor the defence, although pro scouts want to see more of LB Shad Banks (#0, 6-1, 250) another freakish athlete who also runs back kicks and was once a national junior Olympics champion in the triple jump.
#20 North Carolina at South Carolina, 7:30 PM ET; ABC … Scouts get a two-fer in this game which features two of the top QBs for the 2024 draft in UNC’s Drake Maye (#10, 6-4, 230) and SC’s Spencer Rattler (#7, 6-1, 220). Maye, of course, is QB2 in the 2024 draft class just behind Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams, while Rattler was in a similar position at this time a couple of years back when he was at Oklahoma. However, it didn’t work out for Rattler at OU where he had lost his job by the end of that season, although he has bounced back somewhat at South Carolina. Meanwhile, if offence isn’t for everyone, check out UNC LB Cedric Gray (#33, 6-3, 235), one of the top 4-5 prospects at the position for the upcoming draft after posting 145 tackles last fall.
