Week 7 of the college football season had some great play as the draft eligible players showcased themselves for the NFL Draft. In this edition of Stock Up, Stock Down & Names to Watch, I will dig into the games I watched and prospects who made an impact or lagged behind. These are only taken from the games I watched for Draft Countdown, but we will discuss even more prospects on our Podcast. If you want to see where I think players are in terms of their overall stock, head over to my Rankings, and if you want more specifics, sent me a tweet @ShanePHallam
Stock up
Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
Every time I watch Harrison, he creeps up my board even more. Against Iowa State, Harrison was road grating the left side for huge runs. RB Eric Gray kicked it to the outside numerous times as Harrison sealed the edge every play. It would have been nice to see him go up against the Cyclones EDGE Will Mcdonald more, but the game was outstanding. Outside of a holding call, it was a superb game on the resume. Harrison is a firm Day 2 candidate who could keep rising into the first round.
Chamarri Conner, CB, Virginia Tech
Conner was a player I was keen to see and he did not disappoint. A good tackler, Conner blew up a screen and flashed that strength. When NC State freshman QB MJ Morris came in the game and started to light up the Hookies, he looked the other way often. There were some good positioning by Conner that Morris did hit passes anyway, but I was impressed. Conner is a name for the radar.
Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State
The Cyclones hung into the game against Oklahoma thanks to Hutchinson’s play at receiver. Last season, Hutchinson had a down year with Brock Purdy at QB, but he has flashed NFL ability this year. With double digit catches in 3 of the last 4 games, Hutchinson is showing his physicality at the line of scrimmage and was able to box out often against Oklahoma. A late round pick who could be an NFL contributor.
Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
Perhaps the top senior RB in the ‘23 class, Charbonnet continued his impressive season in a late night romp of Stanford. With 198 yards rushing and 3 TDs, Charbonnet showed explosion through the line and great short area quickness. His contact balance is exceptional and led to some big runs. Add in his 5 receptions for 61 yards, and it is a complete skillset Charbonnet will bring to the NFL.
Stock Down
Phil Jurkovec, QB, Boston College
Boston College getting upset by UConn was not a great look. Coming into the year, there were some lofty expectations for BC to get back to their winning ways before Jurkovec got hurt. Unfortunately, Jurkovec has not played up to expectations and nuked his NFL possibilities. This game was particularly painful against a pretty bad UConn team (who did play with a lot of heart). Throwing two bad interceptions and failing to use the weapons around him puts Jurkovec as a priority free agent at best.
Names To Know
Keaton Mitchell, RB, ECU
The young Pirate RB hasn’t gotten much publicity, but he is an exceptional talent. Quick and explosive to the outside along with great footwork, he looks like a potential NFL weapon. Mitchell dominated on the ground against BYU getting ECU the victory and has some Travis Etienne in him. Look out if he declares as a fast riser.
Mike Morris, DL, Michigan
Coming into the year, I was excited to see Julius Welschof play for the Wolverines, but he has been relegated to the bench often due to the emergence of players like Mazi Smith and Morris. Morris had a top notch game against Michigan State, ending up with a huge sack and getting into the backfield often. He batted down a pass at the line as well. A name to keep an eye out for as NFL teams take notice.
Keon Coleman, WR, Michigan State
Though the Spartans struggled against the Wolverines, Coleman was a bright spot at WR. The long, 6’4 215 pounder is a long strider who gets downfield quickly. His ball tracking is excellent as well down the field and was keeping Michigan State in the game. The leading receiver for the team this season, I’ve been a Coleman fan since his high school days. Look for his stock to continue picking up steam.
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