Monday Movers | RBs on the Rise, Fluctuating QBs & Most Overhyped WR in Nation

Corum Passes the Test

The Michigan Wolverines stayed undefeated against Iowa on the heels of another big day out of RB Blake Corum, who was one of our Top 5 Prospects to Watch this weekend. The Junior RB handled a heavy workload with 31 touches, which marks his second consecutive game with 30+. Corum, who is a big time rising prospect on Big Boards, accounted for 133 rushing yards and a TD against a defense that was only allowing 73 YPG on the ground heading into this matchup.

DJ Continues to Rise

Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei had another solid showing, this time with much of the production coming on the ground. The young QB flashed his rushing ability with 74 yards and 2 TDs to go along with 209 yards and a TD through the air. More importantly, Clemson is now 5-0 following the hardest 2 game stretch of their season with a QB that is looking extremely comfortable. Clemson has one remaining ranked opponent left on their schedule (#22 Syracuse), so don’t sleep on this deep Tigers team to make another National Championship push. After watching DJ’s traits, consistency, athleticism and improvement in the pocket, there is a legit shot that he takes over as a top 3 QB on my Big Board.

Addison Does it Again

If you have followed me, it is no mystery that USC’s Jordan Addison is my WR1. He continues to put out phenomenal tape game after game, which portrays a guy that can be a star at the next level. When I watch Jordan Addison, I see a lot of similarities to Stefon Diggs. He is about as smooth of a route runner in college football, but also possesses breakaway speed and can hit the 9 route at any point, which keeps defenders honest. Of course it is nice to have back to back years with a Heisman candidate at QB, but you can clearly see that Addison is the most complete WR in college football. He had his first game as a Trojan without a TD, but had 8 receptions for 105 yards.

Levis Lacking in Crunchtime

Kentucky QB Will Levis had another solid game throwing the football and completed 75% of his passes for 220 yards and 2 TDs, but he struggled when they needed him the most. Levis had back to back redzone fumbles in the final 8 minutes of the game while the Wildcats trailed by 3. On a more frustrating note, Levis had a beautiful TD pass called back the play before his second fumble because of an illegal shift due to Levis hurrying his offense to take an advantage of the outside mismatch. One bad game in crunch-time will not tank a QBs stock, but he has to do a better job going forward before it becomes a negative trend. Levis is a rather raw prospect that has seen a boost due to his arm abilities, so teams already are expecting him to be a project.

Sewell Shines Against Stanford

Oregon LB Noah Sewell once again showed his playmaking abilities as he recorded 2 fumble recoveries, 5 tackles and a QB hurry against Stanford. Despite a strong showing on paper, Sewell was picked on by Stanford QB Tanner McKee, who completed a 42 yard TD pass while he was in coverage.

Stop Sleeping on Rogers

A guy I have loved since last year is Mississippi State QB Will Rogers. He is not a guy who will WOW you right away, but he has been relentless as a passer and has had just 1 start with under 285 yards in his career now. Mississippi State does run the Mike Leach air raid offense, but Rogers has been as good as anyone. I don’t think he is close to the 1st round discussion, but he absolutely is a Bailey Zappe type sleeper that can make a roster at the next level. This year, Rogers has 19 TDs and 3 interceptions through 5 games, but his deep ball is what has been most impressive. On deep balls over 20 yards, he has gone 9 for 16 for 300 yards and 6 TDs, including 7 big time throws.

Boutte Continues to Play Like Booty

There is not a college football prospect that I am more out on than LSU WR Kayshon Boutte (…okay maybe Eli Ricks). We have seen him have huge games in his career, but it is far too frequent that he simply disappears. In his top 3 career games, he has 29 receptions for 583 yards and 7 TDs, but in the other 17 he has 65 receptions for 757 yards and 7 TDs. You can make the argument that he has been faced with terrible QB play, but in my history scouting, the fact is almost every 1st round WR I have ever evaluated is a guy that makes any QB look significantly better. The bad tape combined with a checked out demeanor makes for a toxic combination and a guy that I can’t get behind unless we see a lot more from him.

The Penix Project

Breakout Heisman candidate Michael Penix Jr. put out his first game of questionable tape on Friday night, but he still finished the game with 345 yards passing and 4 TDs. Penix threw two terrible first half picks that put the Huskies in a hole early that they were unable to climb out of. The storybook run could be over for Washington, but there is still plenty of time for Penix to show what he can do as a passer. On the other side of the field, UCLA Zach Charbonnet continues to impress me as a phenomenal down hill runner with elite playmaking abilities. UCLA’s Duke transfer standout WR Jake Bobo has broken out as one of the top route runners in college football and absolutely is a guy on everyone’s radar.

Big Game Gibbs Saves the Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide held off #20 Arkansas, but lost Bryce Young to an apparent shoulder injury. Backup QB Jalen Milroe completed just 4 passes for 65 yards, but the Tide got loose and ran the ball for 317 yards, including 206 from Jahmyr Gibbs. Defensively, the Razorbacks put up a solid performance but lacked the depth to stop Alabama. Arkansas LB Drew Sanders had another solid game with 12 tackles, a sack and a TFL.

The Best of the Rest

I may slowly be coming around on BYU QB Jaren Hall , who had another big game with 274 yards and 3 TDs. OSU’s Paris Johnson Jr. may be the frontrunner for the top OT, as he has another clean game and has still not given up a sack or penalty. Utah QB Cam Rising is a sneaky dual threat that continues to impress me. I don’t see 1st round upside but he gets the job done and could be a guy someone brings in with a Day 2 pick. Florida QB Anthony Richardson again showed his athleticism with a 45 yard run, but didn’t have much of a gameplan passing as he attempted just 10 passes, of which he completed 8 for 245 yards and 2 TDs. Breakout Heisman candidate QB Jalon Daniels was limited in the box score, but led Kansas to their first 5-0 start since 2009. Texas Tech Edge Tyree Wilson added another 5 pressures and a sack against Kansas State. Top CB prospect Joey Porter Jr. recorded another shutout in coverage against Northwestern and standout Wildcat LT Peter Skoronski held the elite Penn State pass rush at bay, allowing just one pressure. OSU’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba was held out another week to heal from his hamstring injury. Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson has been one of my biggest gainers this season and posted another solid game with 100+ yards. Utah CB Clark Phillips III continues to rise and had a massive 3 INT game, including a 38 yard pick six over Oregon State.