The 2021 college football season finally kicks off this Saturday with Nebraska taking on Illinois. There are a total of five games on offer and a number of draft-eligible prospects to keep a close eye on. Here are five names to watch this weekend.
Chase Brown – RB, Illinois (5-11, 205, Junior)
The first game of the weekend kicks off in Champaign and we start this list with an Illinois running back. Whilst the Illini didn’t have a great 2020 season, Brown was one of their few shining lights. In a breakout campaign he rushed for 538 yards on 102 carries. He averaged an impressive 3.26 yards after contact and forced 20 missed tackles. Brown was a constant big play threat and his 9.8 per cent breakaway run rate was the second highest in the conference, behind only Trey Sermon.
Brown has spent the offseason remodelling his frame at the request of new head coach Bret Bielema. After playing last season at around 190 lbs, Brown now stands at 5’11” and 205lbs. That is scary stuff for opposing defenses, with Brown already a difficult back to bring down. One thing to watch in this game is whether or not he has retained the explosiveness that made him such a deadly runner last season. If he has, this could be a huge season for him.
Greg Dulcich – TE, UCLA (6-4, 250, rs-Junior)
This year’s tight end class looks to be the deepest in a number of years. One of the names you can expect to hear more of over the next few months is UCLA’s Greg Dulcich. A former walk-on wide receiver, Dulcich made the switch to tight end last summer and it really paid dividends. Despite a shortened Pac-12 season, he managed to have a noticeable impact on the Bruins’ offense. He finished with 517 yards through six games and his 19.9 yards per catch was the most of any Power Five tight end.
Dulcich wins with his athleticism and has the speed to be a receiving threat at every level of the field. He is a classic mismatch weapon, with the quickness to outrun linebackers and the size to bully defensive backs. He pairs this with excellent hands and didn’t log a single drop on his 26 catchable targets in 2020. Dulcich is already a solid blocker, but if he can improve here, as well as repeating his success as a receiving threat, he will be firstly amongst the top tight ends in the class.
Cade Hall – EDGE, San Jose State (6-3, 270, Senior)
Hall is without doubt one of the most talented players in the Mountain West this season. He was utterly dominant through his seven games in 2020 and was voted the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. He racked up 36 pressures, including 12 sacks, on just 259 pass rushing snaps. Whilst his pressure-to-sack conversion rate is likely unsustainable, his 18.5 per cent pass rush win rate is very promising. This ranked in the 86th percentile for edge rushers in 2020.
Hall has honed his pass rushing skillset and possesses a good variety of moves. He does a great job of keeping his hands active throughout the rep and shows the ability to counter if his first move fails. One of his other big strengths is his leverage. At 6’3″ and 270lbs he has a naturally low centre of gravity and does a great job getting under his opponents’ pads. If he can get anywhere close to repeating his success from 2020 he will rise up draft boards across the country.
Ronnie Rivers – RB, Fresno State (5-9, 195, Senior)
From one of the best defensive players in the Mountain West to one of the best offensive players. Rivers has been a feature of this Fresno State offense for a number of years and returns in 2021 for his ‘super senior’ season. He is currently tied for the school record with 44 total touchdowns and has a great chance to break that record this weekend. The Bulldogs played just six games in 2020 but Rivers still managed to put up excellent numbers. He averaged 154.4 scrimmage yards per game and had nine touchdowns on his 127 touches.
Rivers is somewhat undersized at 5’9″ and 195lbs but he displays great contact balance and rarely goes down on first contact. He is elusive too and forced 0.27 missed tackles per attempt in 2020. This ranks 13th amongst returning FBS backs. He also offers good vision and patience, as well as solid ability as a receiver out of the backfield. Like a number of players on this list, it will interesting to see what he can do with a full season ahead of him.
Keenan Stewart – IDL, UTEP (6-2, 305, rs-Sophomore)
The C-USA kicks off this weekend with UTEP vs North Mexico State, and Stewart is a name that stands out. A former JUCO product, Stewart transferred to UTEP ahead of the 2020 season. Despite the COVID-hit offseason he managed to to transition seamlessly to D1 football. He contributed as a pass rusher, with his 19 pressures ranked second on the team. Where he excelled though was as a run defender. His 92.6 PFF run defense grade led the entire country last season.
It is easy to see why Stewart dominates so consistently. He fires off the ball quickly and plays with consistent leverage. He possesses exceptional length for his size too and does a great job of establishing first contact and controlling his opponent. This allows him to take over games and his performance against Louisiana Tech last season was the perfect example. He logged eight defensive stops in that game alone and his 12 tackles were the most by any FBS defensive lineman in a single game in 2020. Stewart is a name to keep a close eye on throughout the 2021 season.
