College Football 2024 Stock Up Week 7: Anto Saka, Evan Stewart & Tyler Warren

Check out which 2025 NFL Draft prospects authored elite performances during College Football Week 7

This week of college football wasn’t quite as chaotic as last Saturday, but we still saw plenty of 2025 NFL Draft prospects put signature performances on tape. Running backs and tight ends dominated the weekend, and several pass rushers wreaked havoc. Let’s take a look at the prospects who helped themselves the most in Week 7.

I do my best to avoid tune-up games and highlighting consensus top picks in this series. So commending Ashton Jeanty for beating up Hawaii, Will Campbell putting together a clean night against Ole Miss, and Abdul Carter finding his groove against USC aren’t priorities. Those guys are fantastic, but I’m trying to reach a bit further down the draft board.

Week 0 l Week 1 l Week 2 l Week 3 l Week 4 l Week 5 l Week 6

Only draft-eligible players appear in this series. All heights and weights are unofficial and shared by football programs unless specified. Pressure data, targets, and snap counts are courtesy of Pro Football Focus. Sacks and other official stats are from publicly available box scores.

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Stock Up: Tyler Warren, TE Penn State (Scouting Report)

I don’t think I can include Warren as a stock up candidate anymore. The rest of the college world seems to have caught up to where I was in May when I had Warren ranked as my No. 22 player in the class. I imagine he’ll be a consensus first round projection after his game against USC. It’s just a question of whether he’ll leapfrog Colston Loveland or not.

Warren hauled in 17 of 20 targets for 224 yards and a touchdown. Nine of his catches went for ten or more yards, five of which went for 20 or more yards. Warren also carried the ball on a quarterback sneak for four yards and looped a throw to Kaytron Allen for nine yards. Warren broke six tackles and made three of four contested catches, including this incredible touchdown on a trick play.

Warren is a special athlete. He’s quick enough to separate from linebackers early in the route and has the speed to stretch defenses vertically. Warren is such a smooth mover, which helps with his route running and manipulating defenses. He uses route fakes and stutter-goes to create space for himself.

Warren is competitive at the catch point and uses his frame to overwhelm defensive backs. He isn’t going to truck a ton of players after the catch, but he survives arm tackles and has the speed to create chunk plays. Warren is still developing his blocking technique but uses his demeanor and size to provide serviceable blocking.

Penn State lines Warren up everywhere, including in-line, out wide, H-back, the slot, and quarterback in the wildcat.

Stock Up: Anto Saka, Edge Northwestern (Scouting Report)

Saka turned in another big time performance as Northwestern took down Maryland. The redshirt sophomore produced three pressures and a tackle for loss. He’s applying pressure on 20.48% of his pass rush attempts this season.

Saka plays with a ferocious motor that amplifies his elite explosiveness and bend. He showed flashes of immense potential in 2023 and is paying all that off this year. Once Saka establishes himself as a bendy threat around the corner, he punishes oversetting tackles by exploding through the B-gap. He also unlocks speed to power to break anchors and play through the frames of offensive linemen.

Saka is still building his pass rush plan. He primarily relies on speed rushes, long-arms, cross-chops, rips, and spins. His counters are also a work in progress, but that’s understandable for a prospect with fewer than 300 career defensive snaps.

The Wildcats primarily use Saka as a sack artist, but he’s no slouch in run defense either. He uses his power and hand placement to establish leverage and drive up the offensive tackle’s pad level with a long-arm. Saka’s aggressive hands help him separate from and shed blocks. He can still do a better job separating in a timely manner.

Stock Up: Evan Stewart, WR Oregon

Entering Saturday night, Stewart had a 112-yard performance against Boise State and no other games with more than 26 yards this season. He needed a signature night to keep himself in the top 100 discussion after an injury-shortened sophomore season. Stewart responded, making seven receptions on eight targets for 149 yards and a touchdown, including five receptions for ten or more yards.

Stewart’s longest play of the game was a 69-yard stutter-go against Ohio State star cornerback Denzel Burke. Stewart effortlessly geared down and up with his quick footwork before blowing past Burke. The Texas A&M transfer has the speed to stretch defenses vertically. That’s normal. What isn’t normal is the 6'0", 175 lb. receiver dragging defenders for extra yards, but Stewart took Burke for a long ride on that big play.  

Stewart’s touchdown was also a highlight reel play against Burke. The star receiver hauled in a contested toe-tapping fade along the end zone’s sideline. Despite his size, Stewart has a history of making impressive catches through contact. He has the vertical leap to play above the rim and showcases excellent concentration when defenders are in his frame.

Stewart is a sharp route runner who takes advantage of what the defense gives him. The Buckeyes started playing off him later in the game, and he punished them with multiple chunk plays on intermediate routes breaking toward the sideline. He also separated on reps against tight man coverage with his sharp route running and tight turns.

Stewart drew a key defensive pass interference call to put Oregon in the red zone with less than two and a half minutes remaining in the game. The Ducks kicked a field goal later in the drive to take the lead.

Stock Up: Jake Briningstool, TE Clemson (Scouting Report)

The 2025 tight end class is loaded with options. It might not have as many top 64 picks as the 2023 class, but we should still see Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren in the top 35 followed by a combination of Harold Fannin Jr., Terrance Ferguson, John Michael Gyllenborg, Gunnar Helm, Mason Taylor, and Jack Velling in the top 100. Joe Royer is a name that’s gaining steam in the rumor mill too.

I’ve noticed Briningstool’s name hasn’t appeared in that discussion as much as it did over the summer, and I’m not sure why. He’s a second round-caliber talent who posted 90+ yard games when Clemson decided to feature him against Appalachian State, Kentucky, Miami, North Carolina State, and now Wake Forest over the past two years.

Briningstool made seven receptions on ten targets for 104 yards and a touchdown against the Demon Deacons. That could’ve been two touchdowns, but Cade Klubnik overthrew him on a deep post. Six of Briningstool’s receptions went for ten or more yards. He hauled in several tight window throws that required adjustments and showcased late hands to prevent defenders from knowing where the ball was coming from.

Briningstool has the speed to out-leverage defenders up the seam and create after the catch. What he lacks in mass, he makes up for with his acceleration and ability to separate. He finds and sits in holes versus zone coverage and is comfortable catching the ball with defenders crowding his frame. His height and length give him a size advantage against defensive backs.

Stock Up: Derrick Harmon, IDL Oregon

The Ohio State offensive line won the battle early against Oregon’s defensive line, but Harmon and Matayo Uiagalelei began to stack wins as the game progressed. Harmon got the turnaround started by ripping the ball away from Quinshon Judkins after muscling his way through a combo block. Jordan James punched in an Oregon touchdown two plays later.

Harmon finished the contest with three pressures and the strip-recovery. He has a high-cut but powerful frame with long arms. Harmon’s closing burst makes him a nightmare for quarterbacks once he gets into the backfield. His pass rush plan includes rips, push-pulls, swipes, swims, and long-arm moves. He keeps his pad level low and taps into his powerful leg drive for disruptive bull rushes.

Harmon uses his long arms to stack, peak, and shed blocks in the run game. He pries up the pad levels of offensive linemen to gain the leverage advantage and hold the point of attack. There are instances of Harmon resetting the line of scrimmage with his power. He’s too quick for the offense to reach block.

My biggest criticism of the redshirt junior is his inability to finish plays in the backfield. He had multiple plays where he generated pressure or disruption against Ohio State but didn’t have the bend and agility to bring down the ball carrier. He’s got a nice foundation as a prospect but is far from a finished product.

Stock Up: DJ Giddens, RB Kansas State

I highlighted Giddens for his performance against Tulane earlier this year, but he deserves some more attention after the number of ankles he stole versus Colorado. Giddens doesn’t have the top end speed you look for in top 100 draft picks, but his vision, contact balance, and footwork popped in some big time performances.

Giddens produced 182 yards, eight runs of ten or more yards, and 11 forced missed tackles on 25 carries against Colorado. He also had a crucial 34-yard catch and run that set up a go-ahead score for the Wildcats. His best work came operating between the tackles, using his epic jump cuts, fast feet, and fakes to leave Buffaloes sliding and diving all over the place.

I haven’t given Giddens enough credit for his ability to set defenders up and make them miss in open space. He put more wiggle and horizontal explosiveness on tape than I thought he could. Just watch his footwork and vision in the hole. Giddens also has the power to create tough yardage by shaking off some big hits and churning his legs through contact.

Stock Up: Kaleb Johnson, RB Iowa

Similar to Giddens, Johnson lacks the eye-popping speed and twitch to transcend the supporting cast and scheme around him. That said, Johnson is the best running back to play for the Hawkeyes in over a decade and a quality prospect. He generated 166 yards, two touchdowns, and five runs of ten or more yards on 21 carries and a receiving score against Washington.

Johnson offers better acceleration than Giddens. You see the extra gear when he hits the hole and stresses some pursuit angles. He’s not a home run hitter but can generate chunk plays to wear down defenses.

Johnson’s feel for run lanes between the tackles and vision give him the opportunity to build speed heading into the hole. He’s one of the more poised running backs in this class who excels at processing the openings his line creates. Johnson has the power and contact balance to absorb hits and churn his legs for hidden yardage.

Johnson doesn’t project as a significant third down contributor in the NFL because of his lack of dynamic athleticism and inexperience as a pass catcher. Fortunately, his work in pass protection stands out and should help him see the field on passing downs.

Blood was spotted on Johnson’s clothes after the game. When asked about it, he laughed, confirmed he was fine, and said, “I feel like this [the blood] is the other team’s.” He’s going to be just fine in the NFL.

Stock Up: Kyle Kennard, Edge South Carolina

Kennard transferred from Georgia Tech to South Carolina for this season, and the move is paying dividends. After six games, the redshirt senior has 12 tackles for loss, including 7.5 sacks, and is applying pressure on 16.42% of his pass rush attempts. He had a strong showing against Alabama, totaling four pressures, including two sacks and a pressure that forced a safety, and an additional tackle for loss.

Kennard is an explosive athlete who quickly stresses offensive tackles vertically and uses a combination of chops and rips to turn the corner. He also uses long strides to stem vertically before countering into the B-gap. Alabama made several mistakes or poor decisions that left Kennard unblocked, and the veteran capitalized by getting home quickly. Here are all his highlights from the day.

Kennard stacks blocks in the run game with a long arm before using a swim move to separate and flow to the football.

Kennard struggles when facing stout, thick offensive linemen who anchor against his power and drive him up and around the pocket. You could see there were a few reps where he just didn’t have the play strength to compete with Alabama’s offensive tackles. Kennard needs to diversify his rush plan to compensate for this difference. He projects as a Day 3 selection.

Stock Up Week 7 Honorable Mentions

Woody Marks, RB USC

Three future NFL running backs took the field when Penn State faced USC. Among them, only Marks averaged more than four yards per carry. The Mississippi State transfer actually outgained the duo of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton 155 yards from scrimmage to 130. Marks ran the ball 20 times for 111 yards and made two receptions for 44 yards.

Marks is a smaller running back but combines angle-erasing speed with elite burst, twitchy footwork, creativity, and production in the passing game to be one of the nation’s best offensive weapons. His footwork and loose athleticism help him execute sharp cuts before he explodes past defenders for chunk plays. He has the twitch to make defenders miss in the hole and the speed to beat them to the corner on off-tackle runs.

Marks will follow his predecessor, Marshawn Lloyd, and become USC’s second straight top 100 selection at running back.

Trey Amos, CB Ole Miss

Amos rebounded well after struggling against Kentucky’s Dane Key (Scouting Report) a few weeks ago. He intercepted a pass against South Carolina last week and followed up with an interception as part of three passes defensed against LSU. Per PFF, Amos only allowed two receptions for 29 yards on nine targets.

Amos is a sticky, aggressive corner. This style can be a double-edged sword, but Amos has proven he can make it work during both his time with Ole Miss and Alabama. He disrupted passes intended for Kyren Lacy and Mason Taylor in the game’s first half alone. Amos times his attack at the catch point well, undercutting the throwing lane with his long arms or raking the receiver’s hands.

Amos recognizes and plays leverage well in zone coverages. His impressive vision and instincts help him transition between receiving threats at multiple depths.

Ulysses Bentley IV, RB Ole Miss

I demand the Rebels be investigated for misuse of a talented football player. Bentley touched the football just 19 times through the team’s first six games. I recognize he suffered an injury late last season that limited him in the spring, but the former SMU transfer is clearly Ole Miss’ most explosive running back. Bentley generated 107 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries against LSU.

Bentley stepped out of an arm tackle on a 50-yard burst to give Ole Miss a 10-3 lead in the second quarter. The big run was part of a performance that featured three runs of ten or more yards and four forced missed tackles.

Bentley makes up for his lack of size with his speed and explosiveness. His light and twitchy footwork helps him execute sudden jump cuts and freeze defenders with fakes and hesitation moves. Defenders struggle to match his twitchiness and bring him down when isolated in the hole or open space. Bentley uses his burst to erase angles and has the top speed to finish long runs in the end zone.

Bentley was born in December 2020, making him one of the older prospects in this class. He projects as a Day 3 selection. Hopefully he’ll receive the chance to boost his stock at the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl.

Gunnar Helm, TE Texas

We last talked about Helm when he produced 98 yards and a score against Michigan. The senior had another big game during the Red River Rivalry. He snagged five of six targets for 91 yards and a touchdown. Helm is top-15 in the country in receiving yards for a tight end this season and is the only player at his position with more than 300 yards who has caught more than 85% of his targets (he’s at 91.3%).

Helm’s biggest play of the day was a 30-yard contested catch on a trick play pass from Matthew Golden. The replay shows Helm’s concentration and strong hands at the catch point. Helm is a smooth mover as a route runner who manipulates the defender’s leverage before breaking into space. He’s a natural hands catcher and has enough speed to generate yards after the catch.

You can see all three of Helm’s receptions that went for more than 20 yards here.

Bradyn Swinson vs. Micah Pettus (Scouting Report)

Ole Miss’ offensive tackles presented Swinson with the toughest challenge he faced this season. He and right tackle Pettus went back and forth throughout the night. Pettus’ massive frame and natural power gave Swinson some issues, but he still led LSU with six pressures, including two sacks. He also batted down two passes and assisted on a goal line tackle to prevent a score.

At 6'7", 350 lbs., Pettus is a towering presence on the outside. His long arms and thick frame make him a difficult obstacle for opponents to navigate. Pettus has a surprisingly explosive kick step to challenge speed rushers. He had success driving Swinson up the arc and around the pocket, but the edge rusher heated up Jaxson Dart a few times by converting speed to power and punishing Pettus for his wide hand placement or countering into the B-gap.  

Swinson is applying pressure on 17.01% of his pass rush attempts this season, while Pettus is allowing pressure on 3.79% of Ole Miss’ passing plays. That number is down from 5.21% last season.

Kyle McCord, QB Syracuse

Sorry Ohio State fans, but McCord is significantly outperforming Will Howard despite the difference in their support casts. McCord looks like an entirely new player since arriving at Syracuse. He’s a gunslinger who’s averaging 360 passing yards and three touchdowns per game. He’s also made a bunch of risky plays and thrown some dumb interceptions, but the explosive plays and NFL-caliber tight window or layered throws outweigh the negative moments.

McCord’s off-platform creativity, velocity, arm strength, and touch helped Syracuse escape a 24-17 game against North Carolina State. He can win from the pocket or throw frozen ropes on the move. I think McCord has some of the traits that made Spencer Rattler attractive last year, but McCord is actually putting more translatable plays on tape at a higher frequency than Rattler did. I mean, just check out this far hash back shoulder fade for a touchdown.

McCord has more warts than the quarterbacks we’ll discuss in the first round and top 50 conversations, but he’s playing his way into a third round selection (at least).

Additional Names to Know

Kamari Ramsey, S USC

Ramsey tackled Tyler Warren on short passes deep in the red zone to prevent at least two touchdowns. He has an excellent downhill trigger and processes formations and route combinations well to blow up those types of plays.   

Ramsey also made several big plays in coverage. He nearly intercepted Drew Allar (Scouting Report) on a comeback route late in the game and broke up a pass earlier in the contest that teammate Easton Mascarenas-Arnold intercepted. Ramsey’s contributions as a playmaking defensive back have been massive for USC.

JJ Pegues, IDL Ole Miss

Five-yard carry aside, Pegues authored his second or third impressive performance of the season as Ole Miss came up just short versus LSU. The senior recorded a season-high six pressures to accompany his eighth tackle for loss this season and almost got a strip-sack (it was ruled a pass defensed since the quarterback’s arm was moving forward).

At 6'2", 325 lbs., Pegues is thickly built and possesses a natural leverage advantage. Ole Miss plays him everywhere from 0-tech to 5-tech. His acceleration and closing speed quickly catch the eyes of evaluators. Pegues will likely always be more of a pocket pusher than a true penetrating sack threat, but his leg drive and heavy hands create some nice plays.

Mason Taylor, TE LSU

Taylor caught five of nine targets for 43 yards as LSU upset No. 9 Ole Miss. The junior was quiet for most of the day, only posting two receptions for zero yards until just before the two-minute timeout in the fourth quarter. He made three catches for 14, 19, and ten yards as LSU drove down the field to score the game-tying touchdown. Taylor could’ve had even more yardage if his knee hadn’t barely grazed the ground on this big play.

Taylor is an athletic pass catcher with enough speed to stress defenders. He makes good adjustments for difficult catches and offers value after the catch while working the middle of the field and the flats. He’ll probably drop to Day 3 in this talented tight end class.

Brendan Mott, Edge Kansas State

Mott’s speed rushes gave Colorado’s offensive tackles issues all night. The redshirt senior exploded off the line and beat the Buffaloes around the top of the arc with his long strides and adequate bend. Mott finished the night with eight pressures, including a pair of sacks. He’s up to six sacks this year.

Mott missed several opportunities to create even more pressure. With a better developed pass rush plan, he could’ve capitalized on his outside rush with some inside counters. Hopefully Mott receives an All-Star Game invite so he can participate in one-on-ones and team drills against higher-ranking prospects.

B.J. Green II, Edge Colorado

Green converted both of his pressures into sacks against Kansas State. The Arizona State transfer hasn’t come close to matching his productivity from 2023, and Saturday night was his best game in weeks. Green’s muscular, compact build limits his bend but gives his game a nice power element. Just a name to keep an eye on in the late Day 3 conversation.

Big Time Players Making Big Time Plays

Jermari Harris, CB Iowa

Harris made one or two appearances in this series in recent weeks. This time, he picked off Will Rogers on a target for big redshirt sophomore receiver Denzel Boston. Harris met Boston at the top of the stem in off-man before undercutting his out route for the pick. He played the inside leverage perfectly. That pass should’ve never been thrown. Harris is up to three interceptions on the season.

Dillon Bell, WR Georgia (Scouting Report)

Injuries and off-field issues with Georgia’s wide receiver room cleared the way for Bell to play more of a feature role in the offense this season. He’s making the most of his extended playing time. Bell made five catches on six targets against Mississippi State, including this toe-tapping 31-yard touchdown.

Tonka Hemingway, IDL South Carolina

Hemingway isn’t as well-known as Kyle Kennard, T.J. Sanders, or Dylan Stewart, but he has more pass rush moves than either Kennard or Sanders. Hemingway uses several instant-win moves to create pressure early in the play, including this sick spin move that led to a sack on Jalen Milroe (Scouting Report).

Aaron Graves, IDL Iowa

Graves leads the Hawkeyes with 16 pressures this season, including the six he posted against Washington. His best performance of the year also featured two strip-sacks and a pass defensed. Graves got his first strip-sack with an inside-swim and walked the guard back into Will Rogers for the second forced fumble.  

O'Donnell Fortune, CB South Carolina

I’ll be honest, I haven’t evaluated Fortune as a 2025 prospect, but his read and play to intercept Jalen Milroe on a shot to the corner of the end zone was fantastic. Fortune began the play covering the tight end in the flat but saw Milroe’s eyes looking deeper downfield. Fortune flipped his hips and motored to undercut the pass to Germie Bernard for the week’s best interception.

Silas Bolden, WR Texas

Bolden is a short, explosive slot receiver. He led Oregon State in receiving yards last year but hasn’t contributed much to Texas outside of work as a punt returner. Fortunately for the Longhorns, Bolden was on the field to recover a Quintrevion Wisner fumble in Oklahoma’s end zone. Bolden made up almost 15 yards of distance to secure the loose ball for a touchdown.

Heisman Ladder

1. Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State

…

2. Travis Hunter, CB/WR Colorado (Injured)

3. Cam Ward, QB Miami

…

4. Jalen Milroe, QB Alabama

5. Kaleb Johnson, RB Iowa

6. Dillon Gabriel, QB Oregon

…

7. Garrett Nussmeier, QB LSU

8. Shedeur Sanders, QB Colorado

9. Tre Harris, WR Ole Miss (Injured)

10. Harold Fannin Jr., TE Bowling Green