Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah, who plays Michigan State this week, has been an early star of the 2014 college football season. (Photo: Cary Edmondson — USA Today Sports)
BBD Assistant Editor: Joe Marino
With six games between top-25 opponents, including three such matchups where both teams are undefeated, Week 6 of the college football season will help shape the landscape for the rest of the season. This will also be a pivotal week for many of the nation’s top NFL prospects who will be showcased in the week’s key games. It will be interesting to see which players emerge and which disappoint. The lights will be shining as bright as they possibly can for midseason games.
Week Five Standouts
Becoming a regular in the standout section is Washington junior safety/linebacker Shaq Thompson. He continued to prove he is a turnover-creating machine in the Huskies’ loss to Stanford on Saturday with two forced fumbles—one of which he returned for a touchdown—to go along with seven tackles.
Georgia was able to overcome a strong effort from Tennessee because junior running back Todd Gurley continued to look unstoppable. After posting a career-high 208 yards on 28 carries with two touchdowns, along with four receptions for 30 yards, Gurley is looking like the Heisman Trophy front runner.
Right on Gurley’s heels in the Heisman race is Nebraska senior running back Ameer Abdullah. Having also rushed for 208 yards on Saturday, Abdullah did so on 22 carries and found paydirt on three occasions in the Cornhuskers’ win over Illinois.
North Carolina State gave top-ranked Florida Sate all it could handle on Saturday. The catalyst behind the Wolfpacks’ tough performance was junior quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Brissett had a number of highlight-reel plays and threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns against a Florida State defense full of NFL-caliber talent. He will be a player to watch throughout ACC play.
Missouri was able to upset South Carolina on the road largely because of the disruptive edge play of redshirt junior defensive end Shane Ray. Contributing eight tackles and two sacks, Ray’s pressure on the quarterback was relentless and the Gamecocks offensive line could not slow him down.
Arik Armstead’s big frame will attract the attention of NFL scouts. (Photo: Jaime Valdez — USA Today Sports)
Thursday Night Spotlight: Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon, Jr. vs. Arizona
Oregon has a plethora of NFL prospects and I will get to all of them before it’s all said and done in this Talent Watch column. With Oregon being heavily favored to beat Arizona on Thursday night, I wanted to highlight a prospect that isn’t as known by introducing defensive lineman Arik Armstead. Listed at 6’8” and 290 pounds by Oregon’s official athletics website, Armstead has an impressive frame combined with good athletic ability. That alone will get him on NFL scouts’ radar.
Primarily a rotational defensive lineman to this point, Armstead brings impressive run-stopping upside to the table. With the ability to play two gaps and remain stout, Armstead projects as a 3-4 defensive end in the NFL.
Armstead has long arms and a heavy punch which allow him to keep separation and disengage blockers when defending the run.
Despite having good movement skills and athleticism, Armstead has not shown much in terms of pass-rushing ability. He is powerful and light on his feet, which is a good starting point to potentially develop that pass-rush ability.
Given his height, Armstead is very easy to cut block and take out of plays. He needs to feel cut blocks better and work to avoid them. At 6’8”, it’s a long way for him to bend down with minimal ability to recover and contribute on a snap. Feeling reach blocks is another issue for Armstead.
Right now, Armstead is a powerful athlete with great size. If he can develop that combination into an instinctive football player, he will be a force to be reckoned with.
Marquee Matchups
Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn, Sr. vs. Vadal Alexander, LG, LSU, Jr.
After NDT Scouting’s Founder Kyle Crabbs endorsed Wright in the inaugural edition of Talent Watch, I was eager to take a look for myself. I was not disappointed.
As Kyle stated, Wright’s hand usage is textbook. With quick, violent and aggressive hands, Wright is able to keep offensive lineman from getting into his frame. He enables himself opportunities to locate the football, shed the blocker and make plays. Wright does this at an extremely high level.
Quick off the ball, Wright plays with great leverage and is difficult for blockers to control. He has a decided athletic advantage over most offensive guards. He is strong, stout and controls gaps.Often able to play on the offense’s side of the line of scrimmage because of his ability to penetrate, Wright is a disruptive interior force.
All of the traits I just raved about are summed up in the following clip.
Facing off against Wright is Vadal Alexander, who is one of LSU’s most experienced offensive lineman. Listed at 6’6” and 340 pounds, Alexander is a powerful player with a massive frame. Now in his third year as a starter, many of Alexander’s weaknesses will be exposed against Wright.
With a bad tendency to bend at the waist, overextend his upper body and lunge at blockers, it could be a long night for Alexander. Coupled with his slow feet, his deficiencies will be tested to the maximum by Wright.
Nonetheless, Alexander’s frame and power have him on the NFL Draft radar. This will be a good test for Alexander to show that he can handle a polished interior player like Wright. While I do not expect a good showing from Alexander, a competently competitive performance on Saturday would go a long way in improving his draft stock and establishing his next-level potential.
Cody Prewitt, S, Mississippi, Sr. vs. Alabama Offense
Cody Prewitt, who had six interceptions in 2013 to lead the Southeastern Conference, has the opportunity to make a statement against a Crimson Tide offense that is off to a remarkable start under new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Ranked nationally in the top 20 offensively for passing, rushing and scoring, Alabama will be a major test for Prewitt and his defensive teammates.
Prewitt has flashed good ball skills to go along with his impressive 6’2” and 217-pound frame, but he has not yet shown that he is consistent in all aspects.
While he flashes physicality as a tackler, there are times you would expect more out of him as a big-bodied safety. Often hesitant to to fly up from his safety position and tackle, I want to see more aggression out of Prewitt.
When breaking on the ball, Prewitt tries to play the ball and be certain he can secure the tackle after the catch at the same time. The problem with that is it can lead to easy completions due to his indecisiveness. Playing with more confidence in his ability to make the proper play is a must.
An average athlete, Prewitt isn’t going to wow anyone at the combine or in workouts. Developing and displaying sound instincts that lead to physical and aggressive plays on the football field is what Prewitt needs to show in the rest of his senior season. Alabama is just the right opponent on a big stage to prove he can do that.
Prospects In Focus
Arie Kouandjio, LG, Alabama, Sr. vs. Mississippi
The older brother of Buffalo Bills 2014 second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio, Arie plays inside at guard, a position that I feel would better suit Cyrus.
As a senior, the elder Kouandjio is in his second year as a starter on an Alabama offense that is excelling in the run and pass game.
Kouandjio has the ability to generate push in the run game to create lanes for his running backs. He most excels in pulling and making blocks in space, executing trap blocks and sealing off linebackers at the second level. He moves well and would fit well in a zone blocking scheme in the NFL.
Like most guards, Kouandjio can struggle with lateral movements and pass blocking quicker, gap-shooting defensive tackles. A consistent waist bender, Kouandjio doesn’t play with great leverage so he fails to gain any advantage in the regard. His ability to anchor and absorb contact is average at best.
A stout Ole Miss defense awaits Kouandjio on Saturday. His play will be instrumental in generating offense against the Rebels who have only allowed an average of 8.5 points per game so far this year.
Playing Ohio State will be a big opportunity for Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs to showcase his skill. (Photo: Pat Lovell — USA Today Sports)
Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland, Jr. vs Ohio State
A consensus five-star recruit out of high school, Diggs is a difficult prospect to evaluate because he plays in Maryland’s offensive system, a horizontal attack mixed with a variety of short, quick passing looks that make it hard to gauge the full array of Diggs’ skillset. That said, it becomes easy when watching Maryland play to tell that Diggs is the Terrapins’ best player on the field.
Diggs has consistent hands and can make catches in traffic, which he often has to do because there is a limited vertical element to the Maryland passing game. He can contribute after the catch and shows good vision of the field to maximize his touches. Despite having average athletic ability and limited opportunities down the field, Diggs has managed a career average of 15.7 yards per reception.
Most likely a better professional football player than collegiate, Diggs has run an extremely limited route tree in college. Primarily running screens and and short in breaking routes, there will be plenty for Diggs to learn at the next level. Diggs will have to rely on his hands and ability after the catch to get his chance in the NFL.
Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State, Jr. vs. Texas A&M
Talented Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney will be starting his 28th consecutive when the Bulldogs plays Texas A&M on Saturday. A height-weight-speed physical specimen with good football instincts, McKinney will be a hot commodity if he declares for the 2015 draft.
Listed at 6’5” and 249 pounds with great quickness and physicality, McKinney is an imposing presence on the football field. A great tackler with excellent finishing burst, McKinney is an active player who is always around the football. As a blitzer, McKinney can win with speed or with a bull rush.
McKinney’s ability to properly times his blitz and closing burst are displayed in the following clip.
McKinney is fluid in zone coverage and reads quarterbacks’ eyes well.
He has no true limitations in what he can do on the field. The area that McKinney can most improve on is diagnosing plays more quickly and taking better routes to the ball. McKinney can get lost in traffic and take himself out of plays.
With top-50 upside, McKinney will be tested against a fast-paced Texas A&M offense that challenges defenses in every possible way. This will be an excellent opportunity for McKinney to showcase his talents and make a statement in a crucial game for both schools.
See page 2 for senior wide receiver rankings, tweets of the week, predictions for all six top-25 matchups this weekend and a Q&A with DetroitLionsDraft.com‘s Jeff Risdon.