College Football 2025 NFL Draft Stock Up Week 9: Ja'Corey Brooks, Savion Williams & Princely Umanmielen
Check out the top 2025 NFL Draft risers from a rocky Week 9 of college football
I think Week 8 of the college football season was the best from a prospect performance perspective. Week 9 was mostly a dud, but we’ll still cover some 2025 NFL Draft prospects who helped themselves with impressive games. Here are some of the top performers from the weekend.
My Week 8 write up was around 6,000 words and was the longest edition of this series. This week’s edition will be one of the smallest. I have a top 200 big board for October that needs to be done by the end of the month, and that’s taking the majority of my focus this week.
Here’s a friendly reminder that I generally avoid including consensus top prospects in the Stock Up column because information on those players is readily available, and they’re already operating at or near their ceilings. That’s why we won’t cover Travis Hunter, Colston Loveland, and Tetairoa McMillan today.
Week 0 l Week 1 l Week 2 l Week 3 l Week 4 l Week 5 l Week 6 l Week 7 l Week 8
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: Jared Ivey & Princely Umanmielen, Edges Ole Miss
Ivey and Umanmielen combined for 11 pressures, including three sacks, against Oklahoma. Ivey made the play of the day on an unblocked rush. He came bolting off the edge too quick for the running back to pick him up in pass protection and lit quarterback Jackson Arnold up. Ivey forced and recovered the fumble as a one-man wrecking crew.
Ivey covers ground with long strides, flashes more power than Umanmielen, and uses a combination of swipes and swims to generate open paths to the quarterback. Umanmielen is the more bendy and explosive rusher who offers legitimate top 50 value because of his arm length and athletic traits. Ivey has the better physical profile for run defense, but we’ve seen Umanmielen lock in and dominate versus the run before.
The Sooners didn’t have an offensive tackle with the explosiveness to match Umanmielen off the line. His speed-rip provided several clean paths to the quarterback. The Florida transfer showed off his bend a few times, flattening his rush angle around the edge to keep Oklahoma’s quarterback under pressure the whole day.
Ivey and Umanmielen weren’t the only Rebels defenders who made an impact on Saturday. Bowling ball defensive lineman JJ Pegues recorded five pressures, including two sacks. Pegues is a surprisingly explosive defender for his size, which helps him make plays along the interior and on the edge as a 5-tech.
Alabama transfer Trey Amos is starting to heat up down the stretch for Ole Miss. The cornerback started the year off on the wrong foot but has only surrendered 75 yards with no touchdowns and no penalties in the last three games. He has two interceptions and five passes defensed during that time. Amos broke up the only pass that came his way versus Oklahoma.
Stock Up: Savion Williams, WR TCU
Williams is an athletic marvel who Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy lists at 6-3 6/8 and 228 lbs. with 33 1/4-inch arms. He made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List in 2022 and 2023 for reportedly squatting 600 lbs., bench pressing 355 lbs., power cleaning 350 lbs., and clocking 22.5 mph on a GPS.
Williams’ production hasn’t caught up to his physical traits across his five-year career, but he flashed special versatility and explosiveness versus Texas Tech. He caught three of four targets for 81 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball 11 times for 72 yards and a score. Williams forced ten missed tackles on his 14 touches. He also had a 20-yard catch-and-run wiped out by a holding call.
TCU gave Williams a snap in the wild cat that he turned into a 35-yard touchdown run. Check out how quickly he cuts upfield and accelerates past the linebacker level. The Horned Frogs also figured out that asking Williams to run routes out of the backfield was a cheat code. That decision to feature him in a backfield role led to a 75-yard touchdown. The defense lost Williams as he quickly cleared the second level, and no one had the speed to catch him in the open field.
Williams is a superb athlete and a great red zone threat with his unique movement skills at his size and ball tracking, but he’s still more of an athlete than a true wide receiver. He doesn’t generate consistent separation with his route running, hasn’t filled out his route tree, and suffers from concentration drops.
Williams projects as a Day 3 selection who could embrace a hybrid role with a creative offensive mind. Call it the Cordarrelle Patterson route.
Stock Up: Ja'Corey Brooks, WR Louisville
This write up was overdue. Brooks authored his third 120+ yard performance of the season on Friday night against Boston College. He caught eight of ten targets for 120 yards, and that’s not even counting a 39-yard reception that got wiped out by a holding call. If not for the flag, it would’ve been a season-high in receiving yards for Brooks. Here are all of his catches from the game.
Brooks offers a nice combination of size (6-3, 195 lbs.) and speed to threaten defenses downfield. He’s quick off the line and uses his long strides to press secondaries vertically. Brooks manipulates leverage well, dipping inside to fake posts before breaking into open space on corners. He suffers from some concentration drops but thrives at the catch point with his ball tracking in high-leverage situations.
Brooks’ 39-yard catch that a hold eliminated showcased his work against press coverage. He swiped away the corner’s hands before stacking the defender and completing the catch over his shoulder with the trailing corner draped all over him. Brooks can also win on shorter routes with his quick deceleration.
Brooks isn’t an elite speedster and is heavily reliant on contested catches. He’s converting his contested attempts 64.7% of the time, which is prolific, but it’s a little worrisome that 11 of his 44 receptions have come that way. Brooks could go on Day 2 for the right offense, but sliding to Day 3 is also in the cards.
Stock Up: Darrell Jackson Jr., IDL Florida State
Jackson is another Freaks List player who hasn’t lived up to his physical potential yet. His 6-5, 330 lb. frame sports 36-inch arms and 11-inch hands. Jackson reportedly tops out at 20.6 MPH in pads, squats over 600 lbs., and benches more than 400 lbs. The Miami transfer missed all but one game in 2023 because of college football’s transfer rules.
Florida State has been desperate for impactful defensive line play this season. Jackson delivered five pressures, including two sacks, against Miami and Cam Ward (Scouting Report). It was far from a perfect game, but that was the most disruptive Jackson looked as a pass rusher this year.
Jackson’s sack right before half time looked like it was supposed to be a stunt for Patrick Payton (Scouting Report), but Jackson drove the left tackle upfield before separating from the block through the B-gap. His second sack came after a powerful long-arm move helped him dominate and walk the left guard into the pocket.
Jackson needs to add more value as a pass rusher. He’s a solid but inconsistent run defender who has the anchor and length to stack and shed blocks at the point of attack. Jackson packs some knockback power in his upper body and can easily stack and shed blocks when his hands are engaged. He offers good resistance against double teams but often fails to maintain his gap.
The Seminoles expected Jackson to play a large role on their defensive line in 2024. He’s been less disappointing than Joshua Farmer (Scouting Report), Marvin Jones Jr., and Payton but hasn’t lived up to the summer billing. Jackson is a Day 3 prospect, but a traits-happy front office might take him on Day 2.
Stock Up: Jarquez Hunter, RB Auburn
Hunter now leads the SEC in rushing yards this season after carrying the ball 23 times for 278 yards and two touchdowns against Kentucky. He generated 129 yards after contact, six missed tackles, and ten runs of ten or more yards. Hunter also caught four passes for 19 yards. The performance made Hunter the 46th player in SEC history to rush for more than 3,000 career yards.
Hunter is an undersized but explosive 5-10, 209 lb. running back. He lacks elite home run speed but is quick enough to stress third level defenders’ pursuit angles. Hunter is patient behind his offensive line before slamming on the accelerator when the hole opens, using his burst to rip through to the secondary.
Hunter lacks the size of a traditional between-the-tackles runner, but his vision helps him find space consistently. Many of his big plays against Kentucky started as inside runs and finished with him making cornerbacks pay for not respecting his speed. Hunter has the contact balance to power through arm tackles early in plays.
Hunter’s speed helps him bounce runs outside and turn the corner. He executes sudden and sharp cuts to make defenders whiff in a phone booth. None of Hunter’s contact balance, frame, footwork, or top speed are elite, but he’s an extremely well-rounded player. You can make the argument that his burst is his best trait.
This deep running back class doesn’t give Hunter a great shot at earning a pick before the late rounds, but I’m hopeful that he’ll receive an invitation from the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl. He’s accomplished a lot in his career behind one of the worst offensive lines in the SEC.
Stock Up Week 9 Honorable Mentions
Max Brosmer, QB Minnesota (Scouting Report)
I bought into Brosmer over the summer based on his FCS All-American tape at New Hampshire. He had an awful debut against North Carolina and didn’t look like the 2023 version of himself until Saturday. Brosmer completed 26 of 33 pass attempts for 320 yards and four touchdowns in a dominant 48-23 win. It was one of the best quarterback performances of the weekend.
Brosmer threw a mix of next level passes against the Terrapins. Here’s a dart to Daniel Jackson along the boundary. Brosmer doesn’t have elite downfield arm strength, but he throws with the velocity to fit the ball through tight windows over the middle and along the near sideline.
Brosmer also excels at playing with touch, which showed up on several red zone possessions for the Golden Gophers. He takes something off his short throws to make them more catchable and drops the ball in to layer it between defenders. Brosmer adjusts his throwing motion and speed to get the ball out quickly when under pressure or facing a closing window.
Daniel Jackson, WR Minnesota
Jackson also deserves credit for his big performance. He made nine receptions on 12 targets for 117 yards and two scores against Maryland. He doesn’t get much attention at Minnesota, but he’s one of the best route runners in the 2025 class. Jackson’s footwork sets him up with some sudden and twitchy releases, and he naturally separates from man coverage with his agility and sharp cuts.
Jackson won’t blow anyone away with his athletic testing numbers, but his value as a security blanket should land him an early Day 3 pick as a slot receiver. The redshirt senior manipulates leverage and deploys route fakes at an elite level because of hip sink, quick feet, and stop-start acceleration.
Johnny Walker Jr., Edge Missouri
Walker isn’t a consistent pass rusher. He hasn’t produced more than two pressures in a single game this season, but there are one or two plays per game when he’s absolutely unstoppable. We saw this earlier this year when he made a few nice plays against Boston College left tackle Jude Bowry with his long arms and power profile.
That dominant version of Walker showed up on two sacks against Alabama, which were his only two pressures of the game. On the first sack, he dipped his inside shoulder to get low and used an elongated outside step right before initiating contact to tighten his rush angle to the quarterback. The second sack was a similar play, but Walker showed off more bend turning the corner and finished with a rip move. Both were some of the cleanest pass rush wins of the weekend.
Tez Johnson, WR Oregon
Some people aren’t going to be able to overlook Johnson’s 5-10, 165 lb. frame. That’s fine as long as those people are willing to pass over one of the most dynamic receiving prospects in the 2025 class. Johnson’s speed makes him a weapon as a return man and after the catch, but the cuts and jukes he puts on tape take him to the next level as an offensive engine for the No. 1 team in the nation.
Johnson made six receptions on eight targets for 102 yards and a touchdown against Illinois’ defense, which features some NFL Draft prospects in the secondary. Here’s the wide angle view of his touchdown. Johnson is a true weapon with the ball in his hands but also separates as a route runner with his natural athletic ability.
I don’t see a reason why Johnson can’t be this year’s Tre Tucker. Sure, the former third round pick might be a bit quicker, but Johnson is a far more developed true receiver. His 2023 season alone almost accounts for all of Tucker’s college production, and that level of experience and comfort getting a high volume of targets shows up on the field.
Kaimon Rucker, Edge North Carolina
The Butcher is back baby! A knee injury sidelined Rucker for most of this season, which is why he’s not near the top of the country in pressures for the second consecutive year. He announced his return to peak form against Virginia with a seven-pressure game that included three sacks and an interception.
Ryan Fowler turned around a quick cut up of some of Rucker’s best rushes. The fifth-year defender lacks ideal arm length but makes up for it with ferocious hand usage. He has a twitchy two-handed swipe and the acceleration to capitalize around the edge after he clears the offensive tackle’s hands. Rucker also put rips and cross-chops on tape against the Cavaliers.
Rucker’s developed bag of pass rush moves covers for some of his physical shortcomings. It helps that he plays with an outstanding motor. I wouldn’t count on him dropping into coverage much in the NFL, but the read he made to intercept Virginia’s quarterback is a nice addition to his career reel.
Dymere Miller, WR Rutgers (Scouting Report)
Rutgers struggled to maximize Miller early in the season, but the speedy slot receiver and former FCS All-American from Monmouth is starting to heat up down the stretch. He made 11 receptions for 131 yards against USC and drew a defensive pass interference call in the end zone with a few seconds left in the first half. Miller could’ve had even more yardage with a more accurate quarterback.
Miller’s longest play of the game was a 45-yard slot post where he took advantage of the open field and outpaced nickelback Prophet Brown to space. Miller is an explosive athlete with the speed to overtake and blow past off-man coverage. His top speed erases pursuit angles, and his acceleration ties back to his background as a former track athlete.
Miller’s small frame (5-11, 184 lbs.) places some limitations on his ability to defeat press and break tackles after the catch. He’s more of a straight line field stretcher than a twitchy creator.
Damien Martinez, RB Miami
Martinez is a massive 6-0, 232 lb. power back. He struggled to break meaningful runs through the first half of the season but started to find life over the past two games. Martinez carried the ball 15 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns against Florida State. He also caught a pass for 21 yards, broke five tackles, generated 107 rushing yards after contact, and created six runs of ten or more yards.
Martinez’s longest play of the night was a 53-yard breakaway that required him to survive being stuck in a pile for five seconds before spinning away from his would-be tacklers. Martinez is running with more juice and is back to playing bully ball after struggling to create big plays after contact early in the year.
Additional Names to Know
Caden Prieskorn, TE Ole Miss (Scouting Report)
Ole Miss turned to Prieskorn in the absence of leading receiver Tre Harris. The veteran tight end delivered five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown on his six targets. Prieskorn’s age might be a hurdle for some teams to overlook, but he’s a natural chains mover with the football IQ to beat zones consistently.
Prieskorn is a sure-handed pass catcher who makes good adjustments to haul in off-target throws. He’s not a dynamic athlete but offers enough speed to carve out yards after the catch. Ole Miss doesn’t use him as an in-line blocker nearly as much as Memphis did several years ago, but Prieskorn has the size and hustle to land and sustain blocks on second level defenders.
Amin Vanover, Edge Penn State (Scouting Report)
Vanover suffered several injuries that shortened his 2023 season. He doesn’t look like he’s back to the explosive version of himself we saw prior to the injuries, but he might re-capture some of that athleticism in 2025. Vanover made several nice plays against Wisconsin, including forcing a run outside into his fellow defenders and applying five pressures.
At his best, Vanover explodes off the line and uses his impressive arm length and extensions to displace offensive tackles. He works a long-arm into a swim through the B-gap and pries open the B-gap by driving power through his long levers.
Jordan Oladokun, CB Bowling Green
I’ll forgive you for not buying ESPN+ to watch Bowling Green versus Toledo, but you missed out on a few good draft prospects. I expected most of the defensive players that popped to be on Toledo, but Oladokun made two interceptions and only allowed one reception on eight targets for six yards.
Oladokun’s first interception was a 61-yard pick-six. He started the play ten yards off the ball but read the quarterback’s eyes to drive on and undercut the route. Oladokun timed his jump well to arrive with perfect timing. He looked like he was getting ready to jump another route for his second interception, but the quarterback floated it and made his life easy.
Tanner Koziol, TE Ball State
Koziol is a lean 6-7, 237 lb. receiving tight end who made nine receptions on ten targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Illinois. Koziol is currently third among FBS tight ends in receiving yards (580), and he’s one of only four tight ends with more than 550 yards.
Koziol gets off the line with good speed and has excellent hands to corral the football through contact at the catch point. He maximizes his frame going up for the ball like it’s a rebound.
Heisman Ladder
1. Travis Hunter, CB/WR Colorado
2. Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State
3. Cameron Ward, QB Miami
…
4. Dillon Gabriel, QB Oregon
5. Kalen Johnson, RB Iowa
6. Shedeur Sanders, QB Colorado
…
7. RJ Harvey, RB UCF
8. Omarion Hampton, RB North Carolina
9. DJ Giddens, RB Kansas State
10. Dylan Sampson, RB Tennessee