The College Football Playoffs kick off this weekend and includes Clemson at Texas on Saturday. So, looking ahead to the Indianapolis Colts’ 2025 NFL Draft, here are some prospects to watch in this matchup.
To preview the the other College Football Playoff matchups, follow the links below:
SMU at Penn State (Saturday)
Indiana at Notre Dame (Friday)
To state the obvious, a lot will change between now and when the draft takes place in late April. Positional needs for the Colts could be altered depending on how free agency unfolds, not to mention that prospects will move up and down big boards during the pre-draft process.
However, given where we sit right now, some positions of need that the Colts have include cornerback, safety, linebacker, tight end, running back, and defensive tackle. The Colts currently have seven draft picks–one in each round.
The 2025 NFL draft may be several months away, but Pro Football Focus has already put together an early big board, and included on that list are multiple players from Clemson and Texas to keep your eyes on.
OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas: Banks has played over 2,500 snaps at left tackle in his career. This season he’s allowed just one sack and only six pressures. By PFF’s metrics, he’s graded out better in pass protection.
OT Cameron Williams, Texas: The right tackle for Texas, this is Williams’ first year as a starter. He’s allowed three sacks and 20 pressures and has a solid run-blocking grade.
CB Jahdae Barron, Texas: A boundary cornerback, Barron has allowed a completion rate of 55% on 53 targets and only 8.2 yards per catch. He has five interceptions and six pass breakups as well.
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson: An experienced player with over 2,400 career snaps. Carter’s tackling has much improved this season, according to PFF’s missed tackles metric, and he’s also recorded 16 pressures as a blitzer. In coverage, he has one pass breakup and has held opponents to under 10.0 yards per catch.
TE Gunnar Helm, Texas: A very reliable target, Helm has caught 49-of-59 passes at 12.5 yards per catch with five scores. For what it’s worth, he hasn’t graded out all that well as a run-blocker in his career, per PFF.
Other prospects to watch:
IDL Alfred Collins, Texas
WR Isaiah Bond, Texas
OT Blake Miller, Clemson
S Michael Taaffe, Texas
TE Jake Briningstool, Clemson
C Jake Majors, Texas
IDL DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
S Andrew Mukuba, Texas
