There aren’t a tonne of big matchups this weekend in college football, but we can take comfort in the fact that we are just one week away from the Big Ten’s return. There are still plenty of interesting draft prospects on show this weekend though. The Alabama-Georgia game is easily the highlight of Week 7 and with a tonne of talent on both sides it should be a great game to watch.
There’s talent to be found elsewhere too and here are a few 2021 draft prospects I’ll be keeping a close eye on this weekend.
You can read more of my 2021 NFL Draft content here.
Zach Wilson – QB, BYU Cougars
Prior to the season there really wasn’t much talk about Wilson as a draft prospect. He had been a pretty effective starter for BYU but hadn’t done enough to turn heads as far as the NFL is concerned. That may be changing thanks to his performances so far this season and there has even been talk of him sneaking into the first round.
Whilst that may be an over-exaggeration, his numbers this year are hard to ignore. Wilson leads the nation in completion percentage at an absurd 80.4 per cent, ranks second in yards per attempt at 12.2 and third in touchdowns with 14. He somehow has almost as many touchdowns (14) as he has incompletions (20) through four games and is completing 76 per cent of passes 20+ yards downfield.
He has a quick release and brings an extra dimension to his game with his mobility and the ability to extend plays with his legs. There are no questions about his arm talent or his instincts either, which are both top class. He faces Houston this weekend and will be keen to keep up this quality campaign. BYU don’t face a Power Five team this year but if Wilson keeps these performances up for the rest of 2020 there is no reason he can’t be considered a first round talent.
Jaylen Waddle – WR, Alabama Crimson Tide
The biggest game of the weekend by a mile is No. 2 Alabama facing No. 3 Georgia. As always there is a tonne of talent to keep an eye on from a draft perspective, with potential first rounders on either sides of the ball for both teams. It will be interesting to watch the various matchups and see which players can perform against top tier competition.
One of the players I will be watching closely is Jaylen Waddle. After spending most of 2019 as Alabama’s fourth receiver, he has been their main weapon so far this year. Through three games he has 396 receiving yards and is averaging 20.8 yards per reception. For the second season in a row he is averaging a perfect passer rating when targeted. These numbers give you an indication of the type of player he is, with elite speed and after the catch ability to cause problems in the open field.
The biggest concerns entering the season with Waddle was his limited sample size and whether or not he is capable of serving as a true No. 1 outside receiver. The early signs in 2020 are looking positive on both counts and he could really boost his draft stock with another excellent performance against Georgia this weekend.
Eric Stokes – CB, Georgia Bulldogs
On the other side of that matchup will be Eric Stokes and it will be interesting to see he matches up with this stacked Alabama receiving corps. He and the rest of this Bulldogs defense have performed well so far this season and after three tough games Georgia remain unbeaten.
Stokes isn’t one of the top cornerback prospects on my board but he certainly has the talent to get there. The early signs this season are positive and Stokes has been impressive. He has allowed just two catches on nine targets for a total of 24 yards, with two interceptions and two pass-breakups. He’s one of the more talented college corners in single coverage and hasn’t allowed a reception of 30+ yards since his freshman year in 2018.
There are a few things he could do to elevate his draft stock. His physical style won’t work in the NFL at just 185 lbs and he needs to bulk up to translate effectively. He’s also super grabby downfield and will be a magnet for illegal contact calls at the next level if he doesn’t change his approach. A strong performance against Alabama this weekend would certainly be a great step in the right direction.
K.J. Costello – QB, Mississippi State Bulldogs
In Week 4 K.J. Costello found himself as the talk of the town as far as college football is concerned. In Mike Leach’s opening game as the Bulldogs’ coach they managed to beat LSU 44-34, despite entering the game as 19 point underdogs. The honeymoon ended pretty soon after though and the team is entering Week 7 coming off back-to-back losses. Last week against Kentucky they scored just two points in their loss to Kentucky and fell out of the Top 25.
Costello’s form has dropped dramatically. Against LSU he threw five touchdowns and broke the SEC single game record with 623 passing yards. Since then he has a single touchdown and seven interceptions, averaging just 4.7 yards per attempt. Mike Leach eventually made the decision to bench him in the third quarter against Kentucky.
Whilst Costello isn’t considered a top draft prospect, he definitely has the chance to make it in the mid-rounds. The question is which version of Costello we will get to see, both this weekend against Texas A&M and for the remainder of the season. If carries on like he has for the past two weeks there is no doubt he will go undrafted in April.
Khalil Herbert – RB, Virginia Tech Hokies
After an electric start to the season, Herbert has been enjoying a tonne of unexpected draft hype. Much like Zach Wilson, he wasn’t on many people’s radar at the start of the season and was considered a late round prospect at best. After three games he is now being touted as a potential candidate for the Heisman trophy. This week he comes up a solid Boston College defense and he will be hoping to continue his fantastic run of performances.
His numbers so far have been staggering. Through three games he has 449 yards rushing, with five touchdowns. He has forced 16 missed tackles on 67 attempts and is averaging 10.4 yards per carry, with 6.1 of those coming after contact. He might not be the quickest player but he has great vision and intelligence to make the most out of every opportunity and he is tough to wrap up.
With numbers like that it isn’t so surprising that he has been receiving Heisman hype, but there is a long way to go and much to prove this season. He was pretty mediocre in his four years with at Kansas and he remains limited in the passing game. If this level of performance continues for the full season though he will be difficult to ignore come draft time.
