The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of the Florida Gators
Anthony Richardson blew us away with his week 1 performance against #7 Utah, but he has been abysmal ever since. The tools and athleticism were so impressive that it distracted us from his inconsistent play and questionable development as a passer. It’s not time to officially count Richardson out from ever being a big time prospect, but it’s clear that he is a lot farther away than we initially thought. Luckily, Richardson has another 2 years of eligibility after this season.
On the bright side, two other Gators have shined so far this season and seen their stock trend positively. Edge Brenton Cox has been dominant this season and is closing the gap into being considered one of the elite pass rushers in the class. Offensive Guard O’Cyrus Torrence put together another great game and tape and is still considered as a one of my top 3 interior lineman.
Incredible Game by Penix Jr.
We’ve become familiar with Michael Penix Jr. over the past few years, most notably during his time as the starting QB for Indiana. The wirey lefty with an elastic arm has shown significant improvement over the last year. So far, the tape has been incredibly clean, and his arm has been extremely impressive. I’d need to see a full year of tape like this to move him into Day 1 or 2 range, but that very much could be in play. Through three games, Penix has thrown for 1,079 yards, 10 TDs and just 1 interception, but two of those opponents were cupcakes and the Michigan State secondary is nothing to write home about. However, Penix is a fun prospect and now very much on my radar.
Will Levis Clearcut QB3?
There have been some inconsistencies with Will Levis’ s decision making, but I love the tools. We’ve got a long way to go before we can reasonably rank this class, but outside of Stroud and Young, this class is WIDE open at QB. Can Levis join those two in the first round? Outside of two interceptions, Levis put together a solid outing this weekend with 3 TDs and 375+ yards and continues to put NFL throws on tape.
Spencer Rattler is Officially Done
I said it in my Stock Watch on Friday…Saturday’s game against UGA was Rattler’s last chance to win me over. He disappointed once again as he crumbled and was only able to piece together 118 yards to go against his 2 interceptions. Rattler was a guy that we once saw a lot of potential in, but he never took the next step as a power 5 QB.
West Coast, Best Coast?
If you haven’t been staying up late enough to watch the USC Trojan’s, then you need to start recording the games. I have been extremely impressed with the offense, which is led by top 2024 QB prospect, Caleb Williams, and top 2023 WR prospect, Jordan Addison. Don’t sleep on USC to make the college football playoff.
Young Bulls Running the Rock
Two underclassman RBs have caught my attention and already have me scheming up future mock drafts. Penn State’s true freshman Nicholas Singleton has been shredding defenders and already has 334 yards and 4 TDs on his first 30 career rushes. I have also been enamored by Arkansas sophomore Raheim Sanders, who continues to impress and leads the SEC with 440 yards rushing.
Still Not Sold on Van Dyke
I had Tyler Van Dyke under the microscope this weekend as he faced his first ranked opponent of the season, the #24 Texas A&M Aggies. Van Dyke struggled to get anything going and finished this game without leading the Hurricanes to a single endzone trip. The Aggies are a team full of NFL prospects on their defense, which is why I was disappointed to see Van Dyke struggle. However, there is plenty of time for a guy who really does have much tape on him to change the tide. Van Dyke was without his WR1, Xavier Restrepo, which never bodes well for a QB prospect.
Charlie Jones deserves Legit Recognition
If you don’t watch much Purdue football, I don’t blame you. However, Purdue has found their stud offensive playmaker in wide receiver Charlie Jones, a transfer from Iowa that has spent most of his career on special teams. Jones has caught 32 balls for 474 yards and 5 TDs through his first three games at Purdue. Late breakout WRs generally trend towards the mid-to-late rounds, but I could certainly see Jones making an impact at the next level and being a top 100 pick.
Best of the Rest
Will Anderson had a highlight reel pick 6 to go along with another sack against ULM. Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell has impressed enough to land inside our top 200 players. CJ Stroud continues to amaze me and stays locked in as QB1. Minnesota RB Mohamed Ibrahim is bouncing back well from a season ending injury, which derailed his 2022 stock. He is in striking distance of being our RB3. Texas RB Bijan Robinson had another big day with 183 yards and 3 TDs. Tusla WR Keylon Stokes is a legit day 2 WR prospect and puts out another great day of dominant tape. The 2024 QB Class is looking very promising, which is headlined by UNCs Drake Maye, USCs Caleb Williams, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy and Texas’s Quinn Ewers.
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