It’s hard not to love college football, especially after Saturdays like the treat we received in Week 6. Some of the best matchups featuring plenty of future NFL talent included No. 13 Arkansas vs. No. 17 Ole Miss, No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 21 Texas, No. 19 Wake Forest vs. Syracuse, No. 4 Penn St. vs. No. 3 Iowa, No. 14 Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech, and No. 1 Alabama vs. Texas A&M. Let’s see how those games impacted the 2022 NFL Draft.
Keep in mind, stock up, stock down only focuses on players eligible for the upcoming draft. That means freshmen and true sophomores don’t qualify.
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.
UP: Kenyon Green, OL Texas A&M
The Aggies won’t settle on one spot for Green. The program keeps moving their star lineman around, and the future first-round pick found himself starting at left tackle against Alabama’s dominant defensive front. Green didn’t allow a sack during the SEC showdown despite facing a plethora of future NFL players.
Green has over 50 snaps at each position this season except center. Saturday was the first time in his career he played more than 20 snaps at left tackle. He’ll likely play guard at the next level, but we shouldn’t rule out teams experimenting with him on the outside.
DOWN: Spencer Rattler, QB Oklahoma
Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley finally had enough. For the second year in a row, he benched Rattler during the Red River Rivalry. Once viewed as the Heisman favorite and a future top-five draft pick, Rattler might not even have enough momentum to enter the 2022 draft. He could roll the dice and return to Oklahoma or take advantage of the favorable new transfer rules.
Rattler completed eight of his 15 passes for 111 yards and an interception before freshman Caleb Williams took over. The second-year starter could likely still command a top-90 pick, but his volatility on and off the field has teams looking elsewhere.
UP: Kennedy Brooks, RB Oklahoma
Brooks ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Sooners, but he opted out of 2020. Before Saturday, Brooks hadn’t run for over 100 yards in a game since November 30, 2019. The junior re-established his dominance with a 217-yard performance against Texas. Brooks carried the ball 25 times (8.7 yards per carry) and scored two touchdowns.
DOWN: Sam Howell, QB North Carolina
Wins aren’t a quarterback stat, and Howell isn’t completely responsible for UNC’s loss to Florida St. However, the former Heisman candidate got outplayed by Jordan Travis and only completed 17 of his 32 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Interestingly, the quarterbacks led both their teams in rushing yards.
Howell rushing for 108 yards on 11 carries illustrates how North Carolina’s offense evolved this year as the Tar Heels desperately searched for a foothold. Howell has more than twice as many rushing yards this season as he had in his first two collegiate campaigns combined. He hasn’t lived up to the hype, but North Carolina’s supporting cast hasn’t helped.
UP: Nik Bonitto, EDGE Oklahoma
Yes, Bonitto is ten pounds shy of the ideal weight for an outside linebacker, but he’s one of the best pass rushers in college football. The superstar junior demolished Texas’ offensive line, recording eight pressures, 1.5 sacks, and five tackles. Bonitto ranks among the top five players in the country for pressures accumulated this year with nearly 30.
DOWN: Malik Willis, QB Liberty
Willis and Liberty topped Middle Tennessee 41-13, but the quarterback had his worst game of the season. The Auburn transfer completed 17 of 30 attempts (56.7%) for 222 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also ran for 80 yards and a score on 16 carries. Those three interceptions were his first of the season.
Willis is the best dual-threat quarterback in this year’s class, but he shouldn’t have these kinds of games against schools like Middle Tennessee. Small school prospects need to dominate their competition every week because they’re facing guys who couldn’t play at topflight programs.
This is probably just a blip on the radar for Willis, but scouts will pay close attention to this game.
UP: Kenneth Walker III, RB Michigan St.
I need an update on the Heisman Trophy race because Walker must be in the top five. The Wake Forest transfer continues decimating opponents. He carried the ball 29 times for 232 yards and one touchdown against Rutgers, including a nifty 94-yard score. Walker has two games with over 200 rushing yards this season.
Saturday’s win brought Walker’s 2021 totals to 912 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in six games.
DOWN: Zach Harrison, EDGE Ohio St.
Harrison opened the season with a dominant showing against Minnesota, and he hasn’t come close to matching that performance since. Once a consensus first-round pick, Harrison could find himself falling to Day 2 as other top sack artists in this loaded edge class continue thriving. The 6' 6", 268 lb. junior recorded one tackle and two pressures against Maryland.
UP: Jaquarii Roberson, WR Wake Forest
Roberson finds himself trending up for the second week in a row. Wake Forest’s leading receiver snagged nine of 11 targets for 135 yards as the Demon Deacons survived a 40-37 overtime classic against Syracuse. Roberson had five 100-yard games last season. Now he has two in a row going into a game against Army two weeks from now.
DOWN: Nehemiah Pritchett, CB Auburn
Roger McCreary had a good game against Georgia, but his fellow starting corner didn’t fare well. Pritchett allowed four receptions on five targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. The junior hadn’t allowed more than 52 yards in a game before facing the Bulldogs. Pritchett was my No. 21 cornerback in the 2022 draft class heading into the weekend.
UP: Jaquan Brisker, S Penn St.
Brisker continues proving he’s the second-best safety in this class, only trailing Kyle Hamilton. The senior had a memorable night against Iowa, recording nine tackles, an interception, and a pass defensed. He allowed two receptions on two targets in coverage but only gave up five yards. Brisker could turn into a top-16 pick.
DOWN: Derick Hall, EDGE Auburn
Hall led the Tigers in sacks entering the weekend, but he got shut out against Georgia. The junior averaged nearly five pressures per game in Auburn’s first five outings, but he didn’t even get one pressure on Saturday. Hall finished the game with two total tackles, zero of which were solo takedowns.
UP: Matt Hankins, CB Iowa
I mistakenly overlooked Hankins when ranking the 30 best cornerbacks in the 2022 class. That won’t happen again. Hankins, who is in his fifth season with the Hawkeyes, only allowed one reception on three targets for two yards against Penn St. He also intercepted a pass and amassed five tackles. Hankins has six interceptions over the past three years.
DOWN: Derek Kerstetter, LG Texas
Oklahoma took it to Texas’ offensive line during the Red River Rivalry. Kerstetter, who primarily played right tackle until Week 5, had arguably his second-worst game of the past two years. The 6' 5", 310 lb. versatile lineman surrendered a sack and three total pressures while struggling to create room for Bijan Robinson on the ground.
Longhorns center Jake Majors was the only Texas offensive lineman to allow fewer than three pressures against Oklahoma.
UP: Treylon Burks, WR Arkansas
Burks was in this article last week for the wrong reasons. He barely made an impact against Georgia but stomped on Ole Miss to the tune of seven receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown. He made back-to-back monstrous catches where he devoured defenders.
Contested catch receivers often struggle to transition to the NFL, but at 6' 3", 225 lbs., Burks is an athletic anomaly.
DOWN: Rasheed Walker, OT Penn St.
Walker entered 2021 as a member of some top-50 big boards, and he hoped to at least become a second-round pick. All of that offseason promise is long gone as the 6' 6", 325 lb. junior hasn’t stacked up well against proven defenses. He’s allowed 13 pressures on just over 400 snaps this season, one fewer than he allowed on over 700 snaps in 2020.
UP: Isaiah Likely, TE Coastal Carolina
Grayson McCall connected with Likely for a 99-yard touchdown on Coastal’s second snap of the day. The dynamic duo didn’t slow down as McCall connected with his tight end eight times for 232 yards and four touchdowns. It was Likely’s third 100-yard game and first 200-yard performance. The senior has 513 yards and eight touchdowns on only 27 receptions.
Likely and McCall benefit from Coastal Carolina’s offensive scheme, but don’t underestimate those two in a draft class with little to no top talent at tight end and quarterback.
DOWN: Drake Jackson, EDGE USC
Jackson possesses NFL athleticism and physicality, but his production remains inconsistent. The future top-50 selection played just under 30 snaps against Utah, most of which registered as pass rush snaps. However, Jackson didn’t record a single pressure and only finished the game with one tackle.
Honorable Mentions
Nakobe Dean, LB Georgia
Amari Gainer, LB Flordia St.
Tyler Johnson, EDGE Arizona St.
Darian Kinnard, OT Kentucky
Drake London, WR USC
Riley Moss, CB Iowa
Jalen Nailor, WR Michigan St.
Chris Olave, WR Ohio St.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB Texas
Bumper Pool, LB Arkansas
Joey Porter Jr., Penn St.
Desmond Ridder, QB Cincinnati
Brian Robinson Jr., RB Alabama
Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB Kentucky
Travon Walker, EDGE Georgia
Jameson Williams, WR Alabama