College Football 2025 NFL Draft Stock Up Week 11: Jihaad Campbell, Donovan Ezeiruaku & Princely Umanmielen
These 2025 NFL Draft prospects helped their stock with big performances in Week 11
Week 11 of college football featured plenty of blowout wins by powerhouse programs and a few key upsets with playoff implications. A handful of 2025 NFL Draft prospects got a leg up on the competition with impressive showings. Keep reading to learn about some of the top performers from the weekend.
My goal with this column is to highlight rising players who aren’t consensus first round selections. That’s why top prospects like Abdul Carter, Ashton Jeanty, and James Pearce Jr. won’t appear this week despite having great showings in Week 11.
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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
Umanmielen is a Stock Up selection for the third week in a row. He has three consecutive games with two sacks and is applying pressure on 22.37% of his pass rush attempts during that stretch. Umanmielen led Ole Miss’ dominant pass rush against Georgia, totaling six pressures with two sacks and a forced fumble. Check out his highlight reel from the game.
Umanmielen lacks the size to play base defensive end (6-3 3/4 verified, around 250 lbs. with 33 7/8-inch arms) but is an ideal outside linebacker. He explodes off the line, using his speed to win vertically and his bend to turn the corner and enter the pocket. Umanmielen blew through left tackle Earnest Greene III’s hands several times to win around the edge. He also won through the B-gap three times with inside spins.
Umanmielen will be a top 50 selection. I wouldn’t rule out him being a late first round pick, although he’s less impactful as a run defender at the point of attack than LT Overton, Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart, etc.
Not to be overlooked, Ivey amassed two sacks, a forced fumble, and two passes defensed against the Bulldogs. He’s not an explosive or bendy rusher like Umanmielen but has the verified size and length (6-5 1/2, 283lbs. with 33 7/8-inch arms) to play base end or occasionally 3-tech. One of Ivey’s sacks came on a swim move reduced inside against guard Tate Ratledge.
Ivey can also threaten offensive tackles around the outside with chops or cross-chops. He’s quick off the line and flashes impressive closing burst when given a free release off the edge. I have a fourth round grade on Ivey, but he could go as high as the third round. You can watch a mini cutup of his best plays from Saturday here.
Stock Up: Jihaad Campbell, LB Alabama (Scouting Report)
Campbell is the top linebacker in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was everywhere against LSU, totaling 12 tackles with three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two additional quarterback pressures, and a pass breakup. Here’s a reel of his best plays from the weekend.
Campbell looks like an outside linebacker playing off the ball with his impressive size and long arms. Alabama actually gives him a few snaps at outside linebacker each game because of his explosiveness, bend, and length. Campbell is a fluid mover with the quickness and twitch to evade climbing blockers. His closing burst pops working downhill and sideline to sideline.
Campbell’s coverage versatility takes his game to another level. His acceleration and speed help him gain excellent depth in coverage and carry slot options up the seam. He’s comfortable operating at depth and allows defenses to make some crazy post-snap coverage rotations. Campbell can sprint from being mugged up in the A-gap to bracket the slot receiver 30 yards downfield, and he makes it look simple.
Campbell’s fellow Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson isn’t as physically gifted, but there’s a reason Lawson wears the defense’s green dot. His football IQ helps him beat linemen to their landmarks in the run game and decipher route combinations in zone. Lawson isn’t an ideal man-to-man defender, but he makes some excellent reads and PBUs out of zone.
Stock Up: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge Boston College
Ezeiruaku lit Syracuse up for six pressures, including two sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. He has four multi-sack performances this season and is applying pressure on 12.99% of his pass rush attempts. Here’s a reel of his best plays against Syracuse.
Ezeiruaku is a long (34 5/8-inch arms), bendy, and explosive outside linebacker who uses his natural leverage and loose frame to duck under and around offensive tackles at the top of the rush arc. He makes some freakishly sharp adjustments to his rush angle to turn the corner. Tackles struggle to match his acceleration up the arc.
Ezeiruaku won against Syracuse with his speed rush, chops, cross-chops, ghost moves, and inside swims. He’s much more than just a pass rusher. Ezeiruaku’s change of direction and speed make him effective pursuing the football. He can chase the ball to the far sideline on screens or wide zone runs.
Ezeiruaku is flying up draft boards with numerous major draft analysts mocking him in the first round. I’ve frequently mentioned Ezeiruaku in this column because I enjoy watching his tape, but the first round is a little rich for a prospect with his size (verified 6-2 3/8, 241 lbs.) and play strength limitations. It seems more likely that he’ll go somewhere from the mid-second to early third round. Although, someone might see him as this year’s Chop Robinson.
Stock Up: Oronde Gadsden II, TE Syracuse
Gadsden missed most of 2023 with a Lisfranc injury. He was truly just a tall slot receiver listed as a tight end previously but added 20-30 lbs. ahead of 2024 to start playing some snaps in-line. Gadsden is still at his best operating in the slot, which is the alignment all eight of his receptions came from on Saturday. He finished the game with 102 yards and a touchdown. You can see all of his catches here.
Gadsden is a tall pass catcher with long arms. He’s a verified 6-4 2/4, 242 lbs. with 33 7/8-inch arms and 9 7/8-inch hands. He has a large catch radius and sticky hands to pull down contested catches. Gadsden high points the ball well and creates big plays at the catch point. His route running tempo, footwork, shoulder and head fakes, and ability to find holes in zone reflect his background as a wide receiver.
Gadsden lacks elite speed but can drag defensive backs downfield on slot fades and beat them with back shoulder catches. His best utilization is as a zone-beater.
Stock Up: Marcus Mbow, RT Purdue (Summer Scouting Report)
It wasn’t quite the Oregon masterpiece from a few weeks ago, but Mbow had a strong showing against Ohio State’s talented defensive front. He showed off his elite mobility and high motor in the run game from the very first snap. You can find the highlight reel with his best moments from the game here.
Mbow plays right tackle for Purdue but projects as a guard at the NFL level. His suddenness off the line, open field speed, and ability to land blocks on second or third level defenders make him an ideal fit for wide zone run schemes. He’s a nasty blocker who looks for pancake opportunities and runs his feet to drive defenders out of plays.
Mbow gains good width and depth with his kick step and has the light footwork to mirror B-gap counters. He didn’t get off any great snatch-traps this week but landed some powerful punches that forced Jack Sawyer’s (Scouting Report) pass rush to stall. Mbow’s hands get wild at times, but they are some of the most aggressive and assertive in college football.
Mbow had a few tough reps in pass protection against Sawyer, but many of those issues are correctable. Kicking inside to guard at the next level will mitigate some of the inconsistent footwork Mbow battles when operating on an island.
Stock Up: Jordan Burch, Edge Oregon
Burch is in the middle of his best season by far, finally fulfilling the potential we’ve heard about for years. He picked up four pressures, including a strip-sack, and two passes defensed in Oregon’s 39-18 stomping of Maryland. Here’s a look at his best plays.
Burch is a freakish athlete who is a verified 6-4 3/8, 294 lbs. with 32 3/4-inch arms. He uses a long-arm and his powerful leg drive to blow open the B-gap and counter inside. Burch gains ground quickly to pressure offensive tackles vertically and has enough bend to finish around the edge with a rip move.
Despite his limited arm length, Burch accesses offensive tackles’ frames and drives power through his hands with long-arms, clubs, and humps to displace blockers. He also converts speed to power. The Terrapins had no answer for Burch’s power rushes.
Did I mention that Burch gained 36 yards on a fake punt? Check out the acceleration and the cutback from the big man! That will play well at the NFL Combine.
Unfortunately, Burch “tweaked his ankle” late in the game, but head coach Dan Lanning is hopeful that it’s a short-term injury. Burch missed multiple games earlier this year with a knee injury. He didn’t look like himself against Michigan last week and still appeared to be a little hesitant to drop his hips and bend around the corner against Maryland.
Burch projects as a top 100 selection who will hear his name called sometime after teammate Derrick Harmon. Harmon had half a dozen splash plays or so against Maryland. The defensive tackle projects as a late first to early second rounder.
Stock Up: Jaylin Noel, WR Iowa State
Noel is starting to stack big-time performances. He has two outings with 150 or more receiving yards in his last three appearances and four total games with 130 or more receiving yards this season. He caught eight of 11 targets for 167 yards and two touchdowns against Kansas. Here are his catches from the game.
Noel showed off his speed against the Jayhawks by stacking the off-man safety on a slot-fade for a 27-yard touchdown early in the game. It’s impressive that he was able to create a few yards of separation. Iowa State was just outside of the red zone, meaning the field was starting to condense and limit the opportunities for downfield throws.
Noel is a smooth route runner on the vertical plane who uses route fakes to manipulate the cornerback’s leverage and create space over the middle of the field. He quickly overtakes off-man defenders and out-leverages zone coverage. Noel separates from defenders with sharp cuts and his sudden stop-start acceleration. He’s a dangerous player for corners to try to press because of his flashes of twitch at the line and ability to win vertically.
At 5-9 3/4, 196 lbs. (both verified numbers), Noel is a slot-only prospect. His size’s limitations mostly show up in contested catch situations and against press coverage. Noel projects as a Day 3 selection. His speed and explosive testing numbers will be important for his draft stock.
Stock Up: Rebounding Quarterbacks
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (Summer Scouting Report) completed 12 of 18 passes for 109 yards and ran 12 times for 185 yards and four touchdowns in a dominant 42-13 win against LSU. He has a rocket arm to push the ball downfield or drive throws through small windows along the sideline. Milroe needs time to develop, but he has the highest athletic potential among quarterback prospects in the 2025 class.
Milroe unlocks aspects of the offense that no other quarterback can. His acceleration and speed are elite. He makes sharp cuts between the tackles and erases pursuit angles at the second and third levels. It’s reminiscent of Jayden Daniels’ explosive rushing performances last season, except Milroe is 30 lbs. heavier and arguably more elusive.
Milroe’s lack of volume in the passing game is one of the biggest concerns with his profile. Excluding the game against Georgia, Alabama’s offense has been much more effective when Milroe limits his pass attempts and creates significant contributions on the ground. He’ll need at least a year on the bench in the NFL to develop as a passer and processor from the pocket.
Texas’ Quinn Ewers (Summer Scouting Report) looked shellshocked when he returned from injury. He didn’t play draft-able football against Georgia and Oklahoma but found his footing during the Longhorns’ bye week before facing a surging Florida defense. Ewers systematically picked apart the Gators defense that terrorized Carson Beck (Summer Scouting Report) and Nico Iamaleava in recent weeks.
Ewers completed 19 of 27 passes for 333 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-17 win. He still looked a little uncomfortable in the pocket at times but is trending back toward his early-season form. Going into the year, Ewers was one of the better pocket managers in this class but regressed significantly post-injury.
Ewers has the arm strength and velocity to access tight windows and push the ball downfield, but he also delivers throws with excellent touch. This creates opportunities for layered passes, improves the success rate of Texas’ short to intermediate passing game, and creates soft “downfield handoffs” to receivers, like Saturday’s two touchdowns to Matthew Golden (Scouting Report).
Ewers’ greatest enemy is still the zone dropping linebacker. He almost threw a pick at the 6:33 mark in the first quarter to a dropping outside linebacker that undercut a crossing route. This has been a consistent concern with Ewers’ vision. He would be best served returning to school in 2025.
Stock Up Week 11 Honorable Mentions
Marcus Yarns, RB Delaware
Yarns is an undersized, FCS star running back who will benefit greatly from attending an All-Star game like the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl. He surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards with a 23-carry, 174-yard performance against Rhode Island. Yarns generated ten missed tackles and six runs of ten or more yards.
Yarns executes sudden jump cuts to make defenders miss in the hole. He patiently surveys gaps behind the line of scrimmage before exploding through the opening for a big gain. His burst easily carries him to the defense’s third level and threatens to overtake safeties. Yarns smoothly reaccelerates after hesitation moves or being slowed by contact.
Quentin Skinner, WR Kansas (Summer Scouting Report)
Skinner popped off early for the Jayhawks, amassing 118 yards and a touchdown on just three catches in the first half against Iowa State. He finished the game with four receptions for 135 yards. Skinner is a lean, long-limbed receiver with explosive field-stretching speed. He can fill a niche role for an NFL team and should be given the chance to make an active roster.
Skinner burned cornerback Myles Purchase with a stutter-slant-go that caused the corner to bite down on the inside route, opening a ton of green grass downfield. The catch and run went for 62 yards and set up a Jalon Daniels touchdown run.
Skinner is comfortable making catches in crowded spaces thanks to his concentration and control at the catch point. However, he really shines painting the corners of the end zone and working along the sideline. His body control and awareness to drag his feet make him one of the most consistent operators along the boundary in college football.
Big Time Players Making Big Time Plays
Devin Neal, RB Kansas
Neal set two major Kansas records on Saturday. First, he became the Jayhawks’ all-time leader in rushing yards. Less than a quarter later, he took sole ownership of the program’s career rushing touchdowns mark.
Neal is a fleet-footed, explosive runner who makes defenders miss in space before punching the accelerator. He totaled 138 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns in Kansas’ upset win over Iowa State. Neal projects as a mid-Day 3 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Interestingly, Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks also recently became his program’s career leader in rushing yards.
Heisman Ladder
1. Travis Hunter, WR/CB Colorado
2. Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State
3. Cam Ward, QB Miami
4. Dillon Gabriel, QB Oregon
…
5. Shedeur Sanders, QB Colorado
6. Kurtis Rourke, QB Indiana
…
7. R.J. Harvey, RB UCF
8. Jaxson Dart, QB Ole Miss
9. Omarion Hampton, RB North Carolina
10. Kaleb Johnson, RB Iowa