This series looks at players eligible for the 2022 NFL Draft that raised or lowered their draft stocks each week of the college football season. New stars emerge every week while some hype trains crash off the rails. Running backs dominated this article in Week 2, but we saw highly touted wide receivers take center stage or shrink from the spotlight on Saturday.
This week’s article mostly features players from AP top 25 teams, but future editions will look at top prospects from smaller schools. Keep in mind that this article only discusses draft-eligible players, meaning no freshmen or true sophomores appear on the list.
Feel free to tell me in the comments or on Twitter @Sam_Teets33 if you saw a player over the weekend that belongs on this list.
Let’s check out some of the best and worst performances from Week 3 of the 2021 season.
UP: Kenneth Walker III, RB Michigan St.
Walker announced his arrival at MSU with a 264-yard rushing performance in Week 1. He had another phenomenal game against Miami, carrying the ball 27 times for 172 yards. Walker also caught three passes for 17 yards and a touchdown. He’s on pace for 1,972 rushing yards during the regular season.
DOWN: Michael Penix Jr., QB Indiana
Penix earned admittance to some draft discussions last year after big games against Michigan, Ohio St., and Rutgers. Unfortunately, the junior likely sunk his remaining chances of getting drafted with his three-interception performance against Cincinnati. It was his second three-interception game this season.
UP: Charleston Rambo, WR Miami
Rambo is a junior transfer from Oklahoma that’s participating in his first season with Miami. He had average production through Miami’s first games before hauling in 12 receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Those marks all tied or set Rambo’s single-game career-highs.
DOWN: Joseph Ngata, WR Clemson
Ngata opened the season with an impressive performance against Georgia, posting his first 100-yard performance. However, he’s seen his production decrease over the past several weeks. Ngata only caught two passes for 25 yards against Georgia Tech. He and Justyn Ross are trending in the wrong direction.
UP: Ahmad Gardner, CB Cincinnati
Gardner blanketed Indiana’s Ty Fryfogle when the two matched up on Saturday. They’re both future NFL players, but Gardner only yielded one reception for 13 yards to his opponent. The star cornerback hasn’t allowed more than 20 total receiving yards as the primary coverage player this season.
DOWN: Ty Fryfogle, WR Indiana
Fryfogle couldn’t shake Gardner and Cincinnati’s other defensive backs at all. He finished the weekend with only one catch for 13 yards on roughly eight targets. That’s the fewest receptions of his collegiate career when targeted at least eight times. Fryfogle has 11 receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown through Indiana’s first three games.
UP: Nik Bonitto, EDGE Oklahoma
Bonitto has the productivity and athleticism to go in the first-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Some scouts are worried about his 6'3'', 240 lb. frame, but Bonitto is destroying anyone he faces. The junior totaled five tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks against Nebraska. He’s had the best season among all Sooners so far.
DOWN: Zion Nelson, LT Miami
Michigan St. overwhelmed an overhyped Miami Hurricanes team this past weekend. The team’s best 2022 draft prospect had a tough outing as well. Nelson allowed several sacks after having kept mostly clean sheets against Alabama and Appalachian St. However, the Hurricanes set their offensive line up for failure by throwing the ball 59 times.
UP: Kyren Williams, RB Notre Dame
Williams entered 2021 with a chance to establish himself as the top running back in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s one of the most well-rounded backs in the nation, but he only produced 228 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns through Notre Dame’s first two games. Williams turned on the jets against Purdue, tallying 138 yards from scrimmage and two scores.
DOWN: Kedon Slovis, QB USC
Slovis suffered an injury early during USC’s blowout win over Washington St. His backup, four-star freshman Jaxson Dart, struggled initially, as the Trojans trailed the Cougars 14-7 at the half before unleashing a scoring barrage in the second half. USC won 45-14.
The Trojans recently fired head coach Clay Helton, and Slovis is part of the controversial coach’s history at USC. He missed out on an opportunity to play well on Saturday and prove he could get the program headed in the right direction before leaving for the NFL. Slovis needs all of the good tape he can get considering his performance in the 42-28 loss to Stanford last week.
UP: Drake London, WR USC
London had a big opening night against San José State, catching 12 passes for 137 yards. After losing to Stanford, London wasn’t about to let the Trojans fall on their swords again. The 6'5'', 210 lb. receiver caught fire against Washington St., making 13 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns. No other Trojan had more than 60 yards from scrimmage.
DOWN: Tre Turner, WR Virginia Tech
Turner entered the season with the chance to elevate his draft status past the mid-rounds. Things haven’t gone his way so far. The 6'2'', 187 lb. receiver has ten catches for 148 yards and no touchdowns. Turner only caught two balls for 17 yards in Virginia Tech’s 27-21 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers.
UP: Sam Howell, QB North Carolina
Howell kicked off his junior season with a three-interception performance against Virginia Tech. He’s looked like the Heisman candidate everyone thought he could be since then. Howell completed 14 of his 21 attempts for 307 yards, five touchdowns, and an interception against Virginia. He also ran for over 100 yards for the second straight week.
Many North Carolina players got a confidence boost this weekend. Senior running back Ty Chandler carried the ball 20 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns while sophomore wide receiver Josh Downs caught eight passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
DOWN: Jayden Daniels, QB Arizona St.
Daniels always inspired mixed opinions among analysts, but arguments are becoming more one-sided with each passing week. Daniels showed promise as a freshman, but his poor 2020 play carried into this season. On Saturday night, the junior completed 21 of his 29 pass attempts against BYU for 265 yards and two interceptions.
UP: Treylon Burks, WR Arkansas
We already covered London’s physical freakishness, and Burks also has an impressive build capable of challenging NFL competition. The junior is 6'3'' and weighs 225 lbs. Burks only had 79 receiving yards through Arkansas’ first two games, but he snagged three passes for 127 yards and a score on Saturday. Those are the explosive plays fans expect from their star receiver.
DOWN: Andrew Booth Jr., CB Clemson
Booth dominated in Clemson’s games against Georgia and South Carolina St., but he allowed five receptions for almost 45 yards this past weekend. Booth also missed several of the flying tackles that he made against Georgia. The junior should bounce back next week, but any down game plays a large role in rearranging the loaded 2022 cornerback class.
UP: Drake Jackson, EDGE USC
Jackson is an ultra-athletic pass rusher who picked up his first sack of the season on Saturday. He strip-sacked Victor Gabalis in the endzone, and USC recovered for a touchdown. Jackson also finished the game with four tackles. The 2022 NFL Draft features at least half a dozen edge rushers with first-round aspirations, and Jackson is front and center in that group.
DOWN: Christian Harris, LB Alabama
Harris is one of the linebackers fighting for the top spot in the 2022 class, but he and fellow Bama backer Henry To'oTo'o didn’t have good showings against Florida. Harris didn’t get the pressure he did earlier in the year against Miami and missed several tackles. The junior also allowed over half a dozen receptions for roughly 80 yards.
To'oTo'o was one of Tennessee’s best players over the last two years, and he transferred to Alabama this past offseason. Coverage was never To'oTo'o’s strong suit, but he gave up nearly 40 yards through the air this past weekend and struggled to stop the run.
Others Trending Up
Adam Anderson, EDGE Georgia
Brenton Cox Jr., EDGE Florida
Breece Hall, RB Iowa St.
Xavier Henderson, S Michigan St.
Shermari Jones, RB Coastal Carolina
Phidarian Mathis, DL Alabama
Isaiah Spiller, RB Texas A&M
Jermaine Waller, CB Virginia Tech