Welcome to the most exciting part of the year.
Most of the week will be engulfed by football in the foreseeable future. The NFL will officially begin, and a handful of college football games will start on Saturday. College football will then heat up over the weekend as teams kick off Week 2. And, of course, most NFL teams will kick off their season on Sunday.
Buy Vikings TicketsWhile the 2024 NFL Draft is still eight months away, it’s never too early to begin discussing prospects. For a team like the Minnesota Vikings, that discussion will likely revolve around the quarterbacks in the class.
While the Week 1 games were a mixed bag, the second full slate of games will bring another opportunity for draft-eligible quarterbacks to help their stock.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
Opponent: Home vs. Nebraska (0-1, 13-10 loss to Minnesota in Week 1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: Noon ET
Network: FOX
What to watch for: Shedeur Sanders had a near-perfect game against TCU in the season opener, but his Week 2 game features a different test for Colorado.
The Buffaloes will play host to their bitter rivals in a game that will likely feature a sell-out crowd. Colorado is the favorite in this game, and Nebraska struggled in their opener, but rivalry games have a different vibe, and you can throw all that away.
Keeping track of Sanders’ feel for the game is critical, but keep a close eye on how he handles pressure. This might be the most pressure Sanders will face and handling this pressure can help confirm the traits that he can offer an NFL team.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
Opponent: Home vs. UNLV (1-0; 44-14 win vs. Bryant)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Network: CBS
What to Watch: J.J. McCarthy will play another Group of 5 opponent in his second game, so don’t put a huge grain of salt in the counting stats. However, McCarthy could continue to help his draft stock with another strong performance.
McCarthy looked like a Sunday quarterback against ECU, showcasing a comfortability in the pocket that teams will covet. His accuracy also popped on film, especially on his touchdown passes.
If McCarthy can showcase those things against UNLV, he can quickly become a fan favorite in the draft.
Tulane QB Michael Pratt
Opponent: Home vs. Ole Miss (1-0; 73-7 win vs. Mercer)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN 2
What to Watch: Michael Pratt Legacy Game? It’s possible.
Pratt had a borderline elite game against South Alabama, throwing just one incomplete pass (a drop) in the win. That performance likely helped him establish himself as a possible NFL Draft prospect, but there’s still some concern about how he can handle top competition.
Ole Miss doesn’t have an elite defense, but there’s a ton of talent that will make life difficult for Pratt. He’ll have to show comfort and poise between the ears and control the game at a high level. If he shows those traits, he’ll draw real buzz from the masses.
Washington QB Michael Penix, Jr.
Opponent: Home vs. Tulsa (1-0; 42-7 win vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Network: Pac 12 Network
What to Watch: Michael Penix Jr.’s arm talent popped against Boise State, especially when Washington’s offense locked in. If they can lock in earlier against Tulsa, there’s a chance Penix has a repeat performance.
Tulsa hired an FCS defensive coordinator to run their defense, which marks a real opportunity for Penix to put together more highlight plays. However, those highlight plays aren’t what to watch for.
Penix has elite arm talent, that much was known last season, but there are still questions about his accuracy in other areas. If Penix can showcase those traits against Tulsa, there could be a real discussion about his potential to play on Sunday.
Tennessee QB Joe Milton III
Opponent: Home vs. Austin Peay
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN+
What to Watch: Don’t pay much attention to this game. Tennessee’s offense has a massive talent difference against Austin Peay, and that will likely mark a short night for Milton.
However, watch to see if Milton can turn his arm talent into consistent play. His ball placement and accuracy faltered against Virginia, and if that continues, his draft stock will plummet.
North Carolina QB Drake Maye
Opponent: Home vs. App State (1-0; 45-24 win vs. Gardner-Webb)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 5:15 p.m. ET
Network: ACC Network
What to Watch: Drake Maye and the North Carolina offense clicked against South Carolina, but the task doesn’t get much easier in Week 2. Although App State is smaller in name, the Mountaineers have established themselves as one of the most consistent and best Group of 5 opponents. Last season, they walked into a hostile Texas A&M crowd and beat them, putting them on the map.
There will be big-time throws on the table for Maye, but he has to find a way to hit them. Maye settled for singles against South Carolina, and NFL scouts will want to see him try and leg them out for doubles. Those risks don’t always have to work out, but there has to be a solid process for taking them.
Duke QB Riley Leonard
Opponent: Home vs. Lafayette
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN+
What to Watch: Like Milton, this is a tune-up game for Duke, and if all goes to plan, Riley Leonard will likely see his night end early. If Lafayette can bring pressure, keep an eye on how Leonard handles it. As of now, how Leonard processes pressure is likely the biggest thing holding him back.
Oregon QB Bo Nix
Opponent: Away vs. Texas (0-1; 35-33 loss vs. Wyoming)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Network: FOX
What to Watch: Texas Tech was a popular pick to win the Big 12 this season, but that didn’t come to fruition in their opening game. Instead, they fell victim to a spirited effort by Wyoming, who came away with the upset in overtime.
For Bo Nix, Texas Tech will represent his first challenge of the season. Oregon let Nix sit most of the second half in Week 1 after the Ducks had jumped out to a massive lead. As a result, there wasn’t much information to take from Nix’s first game.
Watch this game like a blank slate for Nix. Consider this the first game of his season because draft stocks aren’t built on wins against an FCS opponent.
Western Kentucky QB Austin Reed
Opponent: Home vs. Houston Christian
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN+
What to Watch: We don’t want to sound like a broken record again, so we’ll keep this short: This is a tune-up game for Austin Reed, so don’t pay much attention to it.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers
Opponent: Away vs. Alabama (1-0, 56-7 win vs. Middle Tennessee)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN
What to Watch: College Gameday, Bryant-Denney Stadium, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. These games cement NFL Draft spots, and it’s what Quinn Ewers needs.
Ewers’ performance against Rice was disappointing, as the former five-star quarterback struggled to showcase an accurate deep ball and the consistency required from a first-round pick. It was still his first game, so he may progress as the season continues, but Ewers can’t afford a poor performance against Alabama because every NFL team will be watching.
Florida State QB Jordan Travis
Opponent: Home vs. Southern Miss
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Network: ACC Network
What to Watch: Jordan Travis made a statement in their win against LSU, controlling the game from start to finish. Now, Travis has an opportunity to do it all again.
Travis has already secured himself as one of the better runners in the class, so there’s not much left to prove. Instead, the focus should be on avoiding the boneheaded plays that happen every game. That lapse gave LSU the ball back and could have helped to change the tide of the game.
If Travis can avoid that, he’ll help himself to become less “fun and great college quarterback” and more “NFL quarterback.”
USC QB Caleb Williams
Opponent: Home vs. Stanford (1-0, 37-24 win vs. Hawai’i)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Network: FOX
What to Watch: Stanford is in the middle of a rebuild after the departure of long-time head coach David Shaw, meaning there’s an opportunity for Caleb Williams to put together another impressive performance.
Impressive performances are becoming the norm for the Heisman Trophy winner, but what does his film need to show as this season progresses? If we’re being honest, not much. However, taking some of the easier throws could do him a favor.
Williams’ highlight throws are impressive, but they can’t take away from the “NFL throws” that teams want. Those throws could do Williams a favor in cementing himself as one of the best quarterback prospects the NFL Draft has seen.
