Another weekend of college football has come and gone, which means another crop of prospects has strutted their stuff before the 2024 NFL draft.
While the Minnesota Vikings haven’t gotten off to the best start, this is not a white flag to the end of the season. It is a look towards the future to see how the Vikings can become contenders sooner rather than later.
Buy Vikings TicketsThis Saturday had multiple excellent games, including a phenomenal game in South Bend where the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the last play of the game. Let’s look at some of the prospects that should be on your radar after an action-packed weekend of college football.
Oregon WR Troy Franklin
The most-talked about game of the weekend heading into last weekend was #19 Colorado vs. #13 Oregon. Without their best player and best cover-corner, Travis Hunter, there were questions about if Bo Nix and the Oregon offense would take advantage of that. Those questions were answered very quickly.
Wide receiver Troy Franklin abused the Colorado secondary for 30 yards on the opening drive and didn’t look back. Franklin found himself open early and often, beating the defense for his two touchdowns in the first half and helping Oregon to an insurmountable 35-0 lead. Franklin ended the day with 126 yards on eight receptions and those two touchdowns, ending the “Cinderella Story,” as head coach Dan Lanning put it, for Colorado.
Notre Dame DL Javontae Jean-Baptiste
The biggest game this weekend, playoff-wise, was held in South Bend, Indiana. The ninth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish hosted the sixth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in primetime on Saturday night. This game meant a bit more to Notre Dame defensive lineman Javontae Jean-Baptiste, as he played his former team in Ohio State.
He tied the game-high for Notre Dame defenders with eight tackles and added three pressures. He was a menace against the run and the pass and really gave everything he had to beat his former team. It wasn’t enough, as Ohio State took the 17-14 victory in the waning seconds.
Utah EDGE Jonah Elliss
Another highly touted matchup this past weekend was held in Salt Lake City, Utah. The #22 UCLA Bruins went on the road to face #11 Utah in one of six top-25 matchups last weekend. Points were at a premium, and one of the reasons why was Utah EDGE Jonah Elliss.
Elliss ended the day with ten tackles, five of them solo, 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss. Brother of Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss, he is the only of his four brothers not to play at the University of Idaho. He instead followed in his father, Luther’s, footsteps and became a part of the Utes. Saturday, he played like a man possessed, using spins and other pass rush moves to get to UCLA quarterback Dante Moore.
He may stay another year since he is only a junior, but if he does come out, plenty of teams will covet the athleticism of Elliss. By the way, Elliss currently leads the country in sacks with 5.5 on the season.
Marshall RB Rasheen Ali
Speaking of juniors that showed out on Saturday, Rasheen Ali of Marshall had a stellar day against Virginia Tech. Ali had 174 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns. One of which being a 56-yard where he waited for the hole to come open on the right side of the offensive line. Once the hole was there, Ali was not, as he hit a second gear past the second and third levels of the defense into the end zone.
Ali also had a 61-yard run where he took the ball off-tackle and was in the Virginia Tech secondary in the blink of an eye. It took a shoestring tackle from a Virginia Tech defensive back to bring him down in the red zone.
Marshall ended up winning the game 24-17.
Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
Another year, another Alabama pass rusher that’s going to go in the top half of the draft. Dallas Turner seems to have found his stride as he helped vault #13 Alabama past #15 Ole Miss on Saturday.
Turner ended the day with five tackles, three solo, two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. What made Turner’s performance look so dominant was the effortless nature in which Turner was beating anyone who lined up in front of him.
Turner lived in the backfield, and whether it was mauling Jaxson Dart or casually throwing a ball-carrier to the ground, Turner made his presence felt all game.
Florida State LB Kalen DeLoach
In a rivalry like Florida State-Clemson, all it takes is one play to change the entire course of that game. One play to give your team the energy it needs to battle back into the game.
Florida State’s offense had stalemated at 17 points. After two straight three-and-outs in the middle of the third quarter and Clemson sitting pretty with the ball, 24 points and a chance to blow this game open, linebacker Kalen DeLoach made the play of the game for the Seminoles.
DeLoach lined up over the slot player to the right of Clemson’s formation. At first glance, he seemed too far to be any threat to blitz. But he did, and quarterback Cade Klubnik did not see him. DeLoach lays a vicious hit on the unsuspecting quarterback, scoops the ensuing fumble and breathes new life in a slowly-fading FSU team.
Plays like this make seasons, and DeLoach may have saved the Seminoles season. DeLoach ended the game with seven tackles, one pass deflection and that sack-fumble-touchdown.
Penn State LB Curtis Jacobs
Shutouts are tough to come by in football. Especially now, where offenses can run rampant on unsuspecting defenses using misdirection and other tricks and flips to find the end zone at a rate fans have never seen before. So, when a shutout happens, there needs to be a celebration with the same energy given to a 50-plus-point shootout.
#7 Penn State gave such a performance in their top-25 matchup against #24 Iowa. The Hawkeye offense only ran 33 plays and had the ball for 14 minutes and 33 seconds. This defensive masterpiece was led by linebacker Curtis Jacobs, who led the team with three tackles, two fumble recoveries and a tackle for loss. This slaughter should have everyone on the Penn State defense more than pleased with their efforts on Saturday.
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall
OH MY!!!! WHAT A CATCH @S1ickSzn 😳
💻 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/4zzupSxOfJ
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 23, 2023
The confidence. The borderline arrogance to go up in between three defenders with just one hand, when going up with two was a definite option, is masterful. Florida ended up winning this game 22-7.
