College Football 2023 Stock Up Conference Championship Weekend: Troy Fautanu, Braden Fiske, Adonai Mitchell & More

Let's check out a dozen prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft who dominated college football Conference Championship Weekend

I’m sure everyone is happy with the College Football Playoff Committee’s decision. What you really want to hear about are the top 2024 NFL Draft prospects who had excellent performances during Conference Championship Weekend. Let’s check out a dozen stock up selections.

Only draft-eligible players appear in this series. I tried to avoid picking prospects from blowouts or “tune-up” games against lesser competition. All heights and weights are unofficial unless specified.

Feel free to tell me in the comments or on Twitter @Sam_Teets33 if you saw a player that deserves to be on this list.

Stock Up: Troy Fautanu, LT Washington

Fautanu caught the internet’s attention on Friday night. He was clean in pass protection and a menace in the run game. Fautanu recently appeared at No. 25 in the first round of Dane Brugler’s November mock draft for The Athletic. Brugler is well-connected, so that mock hints that NFL teams are buying into Fautanu’s value.

Fautanu has the arm length to play tackle in the NFL, but he looks leaner than his unofficial listed measurements (6'4", 317 lbs.). He will likely kick inside at the next level, but I wouldn’t be stunned to see him taking snaps on the outside because of injuries. Attrition along offensive lines is a serious issue for many NFL teams.

Fautanu made several key blocks on Washington touchdown runs in the Pac-12 Championship Game. He led the way on a Dillon Johnson touchdown, clearing out the cornerback five yards downfield. Here’s a view from the stands that shows how much movement the block generated. Fautanu shoved the corner five yards or so out of the way. He also cleared Oregon nose tackle Taki Taimani out of the way for a short Johnson touchdown run with this powerful down block.

Add this block and eventual pancake of Oregon’s Casey Rogers on a gap run to Fautanu’s highlight reel. He also made a good block on a short Germie Bernard touchdown, moving the defender a few yards off the line immediately.

Fautanu is also an asset in pass protection. He has excellent mobility and range to carry wide-alignment rushers up the arc. On this rep, he jump sets the defender to take the air out of the rush and just mirrors him up the arc. Fautanu attacks the defender’s hands with own active and precise hand usage, as shown against Matayo Uiagalelei. He also has a unique counter to spin moves.

Fautanu’s biggest flaw, which will likely force him inside to guard, is his inconsistent play against power rushers. Oregon’s Brandon Dorlus got him twice on Friday. Dorlus drove him back into the pocket on the Khyree Jackson interception and bull rushed him to open the B-gap for what almost turned into a strip-sack.

Stock Up: Ajani Cornelius, RT Oregon

Cornelius has been money for Oregon this season. Some view the 6'5", 308 lb. Rhode Island transfer as a guard at the next level, but he has the arm length and athletic ability to be a tackle. Cornelius allowed no pressures against Oregon, building on an All-Conference resume featuring just 11 pressures and no sacks allowed this year.

Cornelius has powerful hands to halt pass rushers in their tracks. His hand usage and sturdy frame were too much for Zion Tupuola-Fetui to handle. ZTF had arguably his least productive game of the season, finishing with one pressure.

On this rep, Cornelius lands the initial punch, stunting ZTF’s pass rush, and the Huskie had no chance of reaching Bo Nix before the ball got out. Later in the game, ZTF spun back into the B-gap after failing to win the edge, but Cornelius followed him and shoved him downfield to prevent any chance of the pocket being penetrated.

Cornelius gains good depth in pass protection and has the footspeed to carry defenders up the arc. He has good range too, which he showcased as he rolled out with Nix and overtook ZTF’s position on this touchdown pass. Cornelius is developing and perfecting his feel for passing off and picking up stunts.

Cornelius is also a high-level impact run blocker who creates displacement on combo blocks and overpowers defenders in space.

Stock Up: Braden Fiske & Jared Verse DL Florida State

In a game where the Seminoles played their third string quarterback and couldn’t move the ball through the air, their defense stepped up and took over. Players like Tatum Bethune, Renardo Green, and Jarrian Jones had good games, but Fiske and Verse were on another level.

Fiske finished the game with nine tackles, including 4.5 for loss with three sacks. All three of his pressures converted to sacks. Verse produced a season-high nine pressures, including two sacks, to accompany an additional tackle for loss. The former Albany transfer has 4.5 sacks over the past two games and is applying pressure on 27.42% of his pass rush attempts during that time.

Verse is up to applying pressure on 17.8% of his pass rush attempts in 2023, topping his 17.56% from 2022. Fiske applied pressure on 12.2% of his rushes with Western Michigan in 2022 but is down to 10.23% in 2023.

Let’s start with Fiske, who had a career night. He made several key stops in run defense against Louisville, including this rep that showed off his impressive burst and fast hands. Here’s the wide view of the same play that helps you get an appreciation for Fiske’s incredible first step. He works hard to split blockers and penetrate into the backfield.

You can really get a feel for Fiske’s motor and effort on this trick play to Jamari Thrash. Fiske quickly identifies the football coming his way and flies upfield to challenge Thrash on the reverse but slips off the shifty receiver on his initial tackle attempt. Fiske immediately hops back up and corrals Thrash for the tackle.

Fiske is a smart player who does a good job sniffing out screens. He also has the acceleration and speed to catch ball carriers from behind on screens as they wait for their offensive linemen to establish themselves.

As a pass rusher, Fiske maximizes stunts because of his rare acceleration and speed. Sometimes, the quarterback just has to eat it with the redshirt senior charging at them. Fiske is also fast enough to chase down quarterbacks, like he did to help seal the game in the fourth quarter against Louisville.

Verse and Fiske combined for a sack. Here’s a field-level view that lets you see Fiske’s active hands and how he used a club-swim to reach the quarterback. Verse fired across the left tackle’s face with an inside rush, forcing the tackle to follow him, which cleared the edge for Fiske to take the guard one-on-one. Verse eventually spun back into the action to reach the quarterback.  

Before getting deep into Verse’s awesome night, we need to highlight that he ran over another tackle. Just like last week against Florida, Verse took a left tackle and used him to sack the quarterback. He is playing on another level right now, and it’s a damn shame we won’t see him in the College Football Playoff.

Florida State had a ton of success running stunts against Louisville for both Fiske and Verse. The defensive end’s speed is too much for many linemen to handle, and he has enough power in his hands to generate knockback and clear rush lanes. All of those factors played a role in this first quarter sack for a huge loss.

Quarterback Jack Plummer tried to trick the defense with a fake handoff on play action late in the first quarter, and it failed miserably. The acting gave Verse time to forcibly turn the left tackle perpendicular to the line of scrimmage, giving him an easy lane to use his contact balance and speed to pressure Plummer into a rushed throw.

Verse has shown significant improvement in run defense this season. He is better at stacking and shedding blocks than ever before. Those skills combined with his speed and strength advantage over Louisville’s line to give the Cardinals fits all night. He even took the left tackle to the ground on a swarming red zone run stop.

Offenses have to block Verse in the run game. If you don’t put a body on him, he has the speed to run you down. That speed also shows up on runs to the sideline, like it did on this chase down stop against Plummer.

Stock Up: Quinyon Mitchell, CB Toledo

Mitchell appeared at No. 35 on Dane Brugler’s November big board for The Athletic and went 31st in his recent mock draft. Small school corners rarely draw first round consideration, but Mitchell has the traits and athletic tools to warrant a high pick. His size (6'0", 196 lbs.) and arm length will surpass NFL thresholds, and he reportedly runs a 4.39 40-yard dash.

Miami (OH) targeted Mitchell three times in the MAC Championship Game. He recorded two pass breakups and only allowed one reception for eight yards. Mitchell’s arm length and ball skills were key on this touchdown-saving play where he reached around the receiver to punch the ball away.

Mitchell also smothered an outside release and almost had an interception later in the game. The referee initially threw a flag for pass interference before picking it back up and dismissing the penalty.

Stock Up: Jarius Monroe, CB Tulane

Monroe started his career at Nicholls State before transferring to Tulane in 2022. The fifth-year defensive back has excellent size (6'2", 205 lbs.), arm length, and muscle to hound receivers throughout the route and be a problem at the catch point. He has six interceptions and 18 passes defensed over the past two seasons.

Monroe made a crucial interception deep in the red zone to save a touchdown in the first half. A better angle shows that Monroe came off his mark in zone to take the receiver running the 9-route. He had his eyes on the quarterback the whole way and baited a throw for the easy interception. The quarterback either didn’t see Monroe or misread the coverage.

Monroe is a physical cornerback. He forced the SMU receiver out of bounds in this end zone shot to prevent a possible touchdown. It was a nice rep in soft-shoe press. SMU eventually got the touchdown on Monroe, but he had two pass breakups, the interception, and a forced fumble in the loss while allowing three receptions on eight targets.

Monroe remained a good sport after the game, giving SMU backup quarterback Kevin Jennings props for performing in the absence of usual starter Preston Stone.

Stock Up: Kimani Vidal, RB Troy

Appalachian State isn’t the toughest team under the Sun Belt banner, but that doesn’t diminish Vidal’s performance in the conference championship. The game’s MVP became the first player in FBS history to rush for five touchdowns in a conference championship. His final stat line included 26 carries for 233 yards, including 130 yards after contact, six forced missed tackles, seven runs of ten or more yards, and four runs of 15 or more yards.

With his latest performance, Vidal vaults to 1,582 rushing yards, only trailing Ollie Gordon II (1,614) for the most in the FBS.

Vidal showed off his quick feet and burst on a 36-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The 5'8", 215 lb. back makes quick, sharp cuts to bounce runs outside. He also lowers his pad level to absorb contact while maintaining his balance. Of course, none of that is necessary if he just explodes through the hole and sprints to daylight.

Stock Up: Adonai Mitchell, WR Texas

Mitchell is one of my favorite receiver prospects in a crowded draft class. He was my WR5 and the No. 14 player on my most recent big board. Mitchell has the size (6'4", 196 lbs.), ball skills, and catch radius to control the catch point, but he’s much more than just another big receiver.

Mitchell is a rare route runner, especially for his size. Check out the out-and-up he ran to create a 62-yard play against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game. Mitchell caught six of seven targets for 109 yards and this touchdown where he bumped the corner off his coverage before using his body control to make the catch in bounds.

I don’t want to undersell Mitchell’s rare route running, so please enjoy these clips against BYU and TCU as he makes cornerbacks look foolish.

Many people compare Mitchell to his former Georgia teammate, George Pickens. Mitchell isn’t as dominant at the catch point as Pickens, but he is faster, creates much more natural separation, and is a better route runner. The inconsistent production might scare a few teams, but Mitchell’s best games have come against Alabama, Kansas, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State, four of the five best teams Texas faced this season.

Quinn Ewers and Xavier Worthy also deserve mentions. Ewers set several Big 12 Championship Game records as he passed for 452 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. He easily would’ve been a stock up selection if not for that horrendous interception. An injury shortened Worthy’s day, but his acceleration and speed were on full display on this 52-yard play.

Stock Up: Mike Sainristil, NB Michigan

You already know what I’m about to say. Sainristil is an undersized monster for the Wolverines, who has arguably been the team’s best defensive performer this season. Admittedly, when I first ranked Sainristil 67th on my big board back in May and then 58th in July, I didn’t envision that he would be as game-changing as this.

Sainristil earned the Big Ten Championship Game MVP against Iowa with a performance that included three pressures, a sack, two forced fumbles, and two receptions allowed on three targets for just six yards. Here’s a second view of the open-field forced fumble he created in the second quarter.

Against a weak Iowa passing game, Michigan allowed Sainristil to rush the quarterback more often than usual. Those opportunities produced this strip-sack to set up an easy Michigan touchdown. Sainristil’s nose for the football is one of the best in college football. He has excellent agility, ball skills, and football IQ.

Sainristil should be a second round pick. He is firmly one of the 64 best players in the draft.

Stock Up: Jalen McMillan, WR Washington

McMillan has missed a handful of games this season and tried to play but had to leave early in a few others. He finally got healthy just in time for the Pac-12 Championship Game. McMillan, who produced more than 1,000 yards in 2022, caught nine of 13 targets for 131 yards against Oregon, including a 45-yard reception to help break the game open in the second quarter. Here’s the end zone view of the route.

McMillan has a track background that includes running a 10.67-second 100-meter dash. His speed shows up on his vertical routes and after the catch. McMillan uses his athletic traits and precise route running as a slot receiver to generate plenty of separation, like on this 31-yard catch.

McMillan closed his second 100-yard game of the season with this tempo route that led to a short first down reception as time ticked down on Oregon’s hopes.  

Stock Up: Javon Solomon, Edge Troy

Solomon appeared in this series a few weeks ago after recording three sacks against Louisiana. He was back at it this past weekend with eight tackles, five pressures, including two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a recovered fumble in the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Solomon has ten sacks in his past four games. During that time, he has applied pressure on 16.35% of his pass rush attempts, taking him to 13.83% on the year.

You can’t make the mistake of dropping too far back in the pocket against Troy. Solomon has the closing speed to take advantage of that softened angle as he did on his first sack against App State. He helped seal the game with a fourth quarter strip-sack and recovery where he showed off his heavy hands and bend.  

Stock Up: Dillon Johnson, RB Washington

Michael Penix Jr. made some excellent throws, but Johnson has been the heart of Washington’s offense in a few games this season. The Mississippi State transfer blew up against USC and was one of the offense’s few consistent pieces against Oregon State. He had another crucial outing in the Pac-12 Championship Game, carrying the ball 28 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

Johnson generated 114 yards after contact and three runs of 15 or more yards. He won’t be viewed as anything more than a day three pick, but he could be a rotational back early in his NFL career. Johnson has the power to finish plays through contact and the vision to quickly survey gaps before bouncing to another hole.  

Johnson doesn’t have elite speed, but he’s fast enough to punish defenses when he finds a running lane, just like he did on this 18-yard play to seal the game against Oregon. He also deserves credit for this play in pass protection. He bought Penix just enough time to go deep to Jalen McMillan for a game-changing play.

Plays of the Day

Brandon Dorlus, DL Oregon

Troy Fautanu had an excellent game, but Dorlus caught him twice. The versatile defensive lineman is known for his power, which is one of Fautanu’s weaknesses is pass protection.

Dorlus had the pop on contact to knock the All-Conference tackle back and access the B-gap for what was originally called a strip-sack prior to being turned into an incompletion upon review. Earlier in the game, Dorlus caught and threw both of Fautanu’s arms upward while knocking him off balance, making it easy to penetrate the pocket and pressure Michael Penix Jr. as he threw an interception.

Chris Lewis, WR Troy

Troy’s offense boat raced Appalachian State to a 49-23 finish. A redshirt sophomore transfer from Kentucky, Lewis had an explosive 51-yard touchdown where he outplayed the corner and outran another App State defender on the way to the end zone. Lewis is 6’4”, 204 lbs. He will likely return to school in 2024.

Jamari Thrash, WR Louisville

Thrash committed an assault on Florida State defensive back Azareye’h Thomas’ pride on Saturday night. The excellent Georgia State transfer ran a route that broke Thomas’ ankles and sent the sophomore corner tumbling to the turf. Thrash is a sudden and sharp route runner who projects as a fourth round pick.

Xavier Worthy, WR Texas

Worthy is a lean wide receiver known for his acceleration, agility, and speed. He’s not a powerful player, but that didn’t stop him from hit sticking Oklahoma State defensive back Cameron Epps. Here’s a sideline view of the powerful collision.