#3 TEXAS (1-0) at #10 MICHIGAN (1-0); NOON ET; FOX … The second full weekend on the college football schedule kicks off Saturday afternoon with a huge intersectional battle between two teams that were in the CFP playoffs last year. Michigan, of course, ended up running the table and winning the national championship, while Texas Texas lost a heart-breaker to Washington in the semi-finals. However, while Michigan is the defending national champion, this is a very different looking Wolverines’ team. Gone are head coach Jim Harbaugh, who is now with the NFL’s Chargers, along with a slew of key players from last year’s title team including QB JJ McCarthy, alth cupboard isn’t totally bare for Michigan as the Wolverines return at least a couple of players with legitimate top ten potential for the 2025 draft in CB Will Johnson (#2, 6-2, 205) and DT Mason Graham (#55, 6-3, 320), both of whom are the consensus leading prospects at their respective positions. The Wolverines will also feature arguably the top TE prospect this year in Colston Loveland (#18, 6-5, 245), while DT Kenneth Grant (#78, 6-3, 340), who has some late first-round potential of his own, combines with Graham to give Michigan arguably the stoutest interior defensive front in the country. Pro scouts are also keen to see what RB Donovan Edwards (#7, 6-0, 215) can do as a full-time, feature now that Blake Corum has moved on to the pros. The big question for Michigan and whether they can challenge again this year is how they replace McCarthy at QB. Senior Davis Warren (#16, 6-2, 195), who won the job in camp, has a wonderful story as he is a recent cancer-survivor who beat the odds, but he’s only had one career start – last week against Fresno State – and this is a big, big stage.
For its part, Texas heads to the SEC this fall and while it’s a step up in class for the Longhorns, they have the class to step up. OT Kelvin Banks (#78, 6-4, 320), for example, is one of the prime 2-3 OL prospects for the 2025 draft with legitimate top ten potential, while QB Quinn Ewers (#3, 6-2, 210) is coming off a break out year last fall when he completed 69% of his passes for 3,500 yards and 22 scores against just 6 picks and is generally considered to be the #3 QB in this year’s draft class with top 10-15 potential. Ewers, though, can still be somewhat inconsistent at times and figures to be one of, if not THE most polarizing prospects at the upcoming draft. And, for him, Saturday’s road game against Michigan’s tough defence will be a huge test along those lines. In fact, Texas could lead the league in intriguing prospects as scouts are also intrigued to see DE Trey Moore (#8, 6-3, 245), who transferred from Texas-San Antonio after posting 14 sacks last fall, the second most in DI football, along with speedy WR Isaiah Bond (#7, 5-11, 180), an Alabama transfer who gives QB Ewers a big play target. Both have late first or more likely early second potential as does S Andrew Mukuba (#4, 6-0, 190), a Clemson transfer who figures to be one of the leading prospects at that position next April. Meanwhile, other Texas prospects include DT Alfred Collins (#91, 6-5, 320), DE Barryn Sorrell (#88, 6-4, 260), S Jahdae Barron (#7, 5-11, 200) and LB David Gbenda (#33, 6-0, 235).
Bonus coverage: As noted in the intro, the Texas-Michigan game is the only really BIG game on this weekend’s schedule, so in week’s like that we like to try and check out prospects that otherwise don’t necessarily show up a lot on national television. In that context, maybe start with Arkansas at #16 Oklahoma State on ABC also at Noon ET on Saturday as the Cowboys feature RB Ollie Gordon (#0, 6-1, 225), the leading rusher in college football last season and one of the top 2-3 prospects at the position for 2025. We are also interested to see Arkansas DE Landon Jackson (#40, 6-7, 280), one of the better pure 3-4 DEs with the potential to kick inside on passing downs in the country.
The other game to watch may be on Saturday evening when Colorado plays at Nebraska (7:30 PM ET on NBC). The Buffs with QB Shedeur Sanders (#2, 6-2, 215) and CB/WR Travis Hunter (#12, 6-1, 185), the consensus best all-around player in college football, were on TV a lot last year, before losing their final 8 games. And Colorado doesn’t look like it is going to be super competitive again this fall even with those two guys so there may not be as many chances to check them out. Meanwhile, Nebraska has a potential star QB of its own in Dylan Raiola(#15, 6-3, 230), the top-rated 2024 recruit and early – very early – favorite to be the first player selected in 2027.