SEC Championship (Atlanta): #3 Texas (11-1) vs #5 Georgia (10-2); 4 PM ET; ABC … The ‘Horns and Dawgs will hook up for a second time this year with a first-round bye on the line for the winner as both teams are already pretty much guaranteed a spot in the 12-team CFP field. And for the record, Georgia won their initial meeting 30-15 back in October in Austin to hand Texas its only loss of the campaign. The Dawgs will also technically have home field advantage with the SEC final set for Atlanta on Saturday. That may just add to the pressure felt by Georgia QB Carson Beck (#15, 6-4, 220) who entered the season considered to be the potentially THE #1 prospect overall, but has had a very up-and-down campaign which has included three games with 3 picks, the most of any QB in the country. Same story in a way for UGA DE Mykel Williams (#13, 6-5, 265) who if he ever could get healthy he could conceivably work his way into the top pick overall discussion as he has all the tools to be the next great pass-rusher in the NFL. Williams, though, has been dealing with a foot injury this year and like Beck has not really lived up to the billing this fall. On the other hand, ER Jalon Walker (#11, 6-2, 245), an athletic, versatile LB/ER who leads the team in sacks has been something of a revelation this fall. Those two could also be joined in next year’s opening round by safety Malachi Starks (#24, 6-0, 205), one of the most dynamic impact defenders in college football. The Bulldogs also feature one of the best offensive lines in the country including LT Earnest Greene (#71, 6-4, 320), OG Dylan Fairchild (#53, 6-4, 315), RT Xavier Truss (#73, 6-6, 320) and C Jared Wilson (#55, 6-3, 210); Fairchild and Wilson, in particular, are considered to be among the top prospects at their respective positions. Meanwhile, other Bulldogs to watch include RB Travis Etienne (#1, 5-9, 205), DT Nazir Stackhouse (#78, 6-3, 320), WR Dominic Lovett (#6, 5-10, 190), LB Smael Mondon (#2, 6-2, 235), and TEs Oscar Delp (#4, 6-4, 245) and Ben Yurosek (#84, 6-4, 245).
Whether Texas can avenge its mid-season loss to Georgia will in part come down to the health of two of the Longhorns’ best players. Texas QB Quinn Ewers (#3, 6-2, 210) will definitely play but he has been dealing with a tweaked ankle the past couple of weeks. Ewers has been all over the draft map this year as he just doesn’t make enough NFL type throws, although he is also still generally considered to be the #3 prospect at the position for 2025 if in fact he does turn pro this winter. Of more concern to the ‘Horns, and pro scouts, is LT Kelvin Banks (#78, 6-4, 320), arguably the top tackle prospect for 2025 with top 5-10 potential, is able to go after he suffered a lower leg injury in last week’s win over Texas A&M. He has been practising this week so Texas is hopeful; of course if is able to go it could set up some potentially terrific one-on-one duels with UGA’s Williams. Meanwhile, speedy WR Isaiah Bond (#7, 5-11, 180), an Alabama transfer who some think could give former UT WR Xavier Worthy’s record 4.21 40 clocking at the combine a run for its money, is a big play target who could get some mid-to-late first round interest this coming April. At the same time, other Texas prospects to watch include RT Cameron Williams (#56, 6-5, 335), TE Gunnar Helm (#85, 6-5, 250), S Andrew Mukuba (#4, 6-0, 190), a Clemson transfer who figures to be one of the leading prospects at that position next April, DE Trey Moore (#8, 6-3, 245), DT Alfred Collins (#91, 6-5, 320), DE Barryn Sorrell (#88, 6-4, 260), CB Jahdae Barron (#7, 5-11, 200) and LB David Gbenda (#33, 6-0, 235).
Big 10 Championship (Indianapolis): #1 Oregon (12-0) vs #3 Penn State (11-1); 8 PM ET; CBS: Speaking of big-time rematches, the Big Ten final was ‘supposed’ to a rematch of the Oregon’s one-point win over Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes became a cropper when they were upset – again – by Michigan which sent Penn State to Indianapolis this weekend. And while the top-ranked Ducks will be favored, #3 Penn State will not be an easy out especially if Lions’ QB QB Drew Allar (#15, 6-5, 245) plays to his potential. Allar, who may have the strongest arm in this year’s draft class, has emerged as a legitimate prospect at the position after a stumbling, bumbling start to his career at Penn State, but he has still been pagued somewhat by inconsistency when pressured. Allar, though, will benefit from one of the better RB combos in the country in Nick Singleton (#10, 6-0, 230) and Kaytron Allen (#13, 5-11, 220). The Lions offence also features arguably the top TE in the country in Tyler Warren (#44, 6-5, 265). Penn State’s top prospect overall. though, is DE Abdul Carter (#11, 6-3, 255) who has emerged as a top 5 prospect for the upcoming draft. Carter combines with DE Dani Dennis-Sutton (#33, 6-5, 270) to give the Lions a dynamic pass rush. Meanwhile, other Lions to watch include WR Julian Fleming (#3, 6-2, 210), S Jaylen Reed (#1, 6-0, 215), LB Kobe King (#41, 6-1, 2590) and DT Zane Durant (#28, 6-1, 290).
Oregon is led by a transfer QB in Dillon Gabriel (#8, 5-11, 200), a gunslinger who came over from Oklahoma to take over the helm of the high-octane Ducks’ Oregon offence from Bo Nix, the 12th player selected at the 2024 draft. Gabriel, at barely 5-11, isn’t quite the prospect Nix was, but he’s still been productive enough this fall with a 78% completion %, although the overall Oregon offence has been inconsistent at times to date this season. Gabriel has a couple of excellent WR targets to work with in veteran possession receiver Tez Johnson (#15, 5-10, 165), speedy Evan Stewart (#7, 6-0, 175), and Traeshon Holden (1, 6-2, 205). For good measure, the Ducks also feature one of the better TEs in the country in Terrence Ferguson (#3, 6-5, 255). The Ducks also feature one of the best 1-2 OT combination in the country in LT Josh Conerly (#76, 6-4, 315) and RT Ajani Cornelius (#65, 6-5, 315), while Jordan James (#20, 5-10, 220) is an effective back. On the other side of the ball, pro scouts want to see more of DE Jordan Burch (#1, 6-5, 295), an immense physical talent who appears to have finally put it together this year as he has 8.5 sacks so far this year. Burch anchors a very good DL that also includes Derrick Harmon (#55, 6-3, 310) and Jamaree Caldwell (#61, 6-1, 340), although soph DE Matayo Uigalelei (#10, 6-5, 270) who won’t be draft eligible until next year, may be the Ducks’ D guy that the pros would really like to get a hold of. Same story at LB where the Ducks rotate Jeff Bassa (#2, 6-2, 235), Jestin Jacobs (#4, 6-3, 235) and Bryce Boettcher (#28, 6-2, 225), while CB Jabbar Muhammad (#7, 5-10, 185), a ball-hawking transfer from Washington, leads a talented secondary, that also includes S Tysheem Johnson (#0, 5-10, 200).
ACC Championship (Charlotte): #8 SMU (11-1) vs #17 Clemson (9-3); 8 PM ET: Clemson probably thought they were done, at least as far as the CFP playoffs this year when they lost to South Carolina in their season finale, but then Miami went out and lost to Syracuse which put the Tigers into the ACC championship game with a most improbably chance to sneak into the CFP playoffs against upstart SMU. Of course, this isn’t the Clemson team that dominated the conference in recent years as the Tigers appear to have hit something of dry stretch recently both on the field and at the draft. Clemson had, for example, a player selected with a top 10 pick in 6 of the 8 drafts in the latter part of the past decade, but haven’t had anyone taken earlier than very late in the opening round since QB Trevor Lawrence was the first overall selection in 2021. And that trend likely isn’t going to change dramatically this coming draft year as Clemson doesn’t appear to have any first round locks for 2025, although veteran LB Barrett Carter (#0, 6-0, 235) is generally considered to be the top prospect at the position, but is still more of a early to mid second day candidate. Same for rising LT Blake Miller (#78, 6-5, 310), while other Tigers to watch include RB Phil Mafah (#7, 6-0, 230), TE Jake Briningstool (#9, 6-5, 230), S RJ Mickens (#9, 6-0, 210) and OGs Walter Parks (#64, 6-3, 315) and Marcus Tate (#74, 6-5, 315). For SMU, players to watch include DE Elijah Roberts (#5, 6-4, 295), OG Logan Parr (#71, 6-4, 320) and RB Brashard Smith (#1, 5-10, 200).
Big XII Championship (Arlington): #15 Arizona State (10-2) vs #16 Iowa State (10-2); Noon ET; ABC: Championship Saturday actually kicks off with the Big XII conference title game between upstart Arizona State and Iowa State. Arizona State, in fact, was actually projected to finish dead last in the revamped Big XII this year, but shocked everyone by reeling off ten wins including 5 straight to finish the regular season. And ASU may not have anyone drafted all that early this coming April, but they do feature one of the most fun players to watch in throw-back RB Cam Skattebo (#4, 5-11, 215) who has run for just under 1,400 yards and 17 TDs this fall while adding another 470 yards through the air. In terms of pure numbers, though, Iowa State has more legit prospects than ASU as both of WRs Jayden Higgins (#9, 6-3, 215) and Jaylon Noel (#13, 5-11, 200) each of whom has over 1,000 receiving yards this fall, along with rangy CB Darien Porter (#10, 6-3, 200) have at least some second-day potential.
There are two other games on Saturday with Ohio meeting Miami of Ohio in the MAC championship on ESPN at Noon ET, while Marshall plays Louisiana in the Sun Belt title game at 7 PM ET also on ESPN. The latter game is notable in that it features a couple of teams with arguably the best names in college football in the Thundering Herd and Ragin’ Cajuns! It’s also notable though, in the context that Marshall has a very intriguing prospect in DE Mike Green (#15, 6-4, 250) who led the country with 16 sacks this fall.
