As we head into the final month of the full College Football schedules, it also brings to mind the annual reality that the NFL Draft is inching toward us like a freight train. Here at Tuesday Morning Pigskin, I have been compiling my Top 100 Prospect list and have narrowed it down to about 115 players so far.
Tuesday Morning Pigskin – 11/11/25
Names to Know
I have been reviewing some of the Big Boards already in place and would like to advise you of a dozen of my current favorites who don’t seem to be appearing on many of the early Boards. In alphabetical order, here are my Baker’s Dozen of “almost” destined for Top 100 Prospect lists.
QB BYRUM BROWN USF 6’3/230
WR C.J. DANIELS Miami (F) 6’2/205
TE OSCAR DELP Georgia 6’5/245
WR CALEB DOUGLAS Texas Tech 6’4/205
S AMARE FERRELL Indiana 6’2/200
DL ZXAVIAN HARRIS Ole Miss 6’7/320
DT LEE HUNTER Texas Tech 6’4/330
OC LOGAN JONES Iowa 6’3/295
QB HAYNES KING Georgia Tech 6’2/215
OT BLAKE MILLER Clemson 6’6/310
RB Le’ VEON MOSS Texas A&M 5’11/210
TE JOE ROYER Cincinnati 6’5/255
OL TREY ZUHN Texas A&M 6’7/320
Please note that all of these players are Draft Eligible, but some will still have another year of college eligibility would they choose to return for 2026 and delay a pro career for another year.
Another note on a Draft Eligible player for 2026 is Louisville WR/RS, who specializes in Punt Returns. His name is CAULIN LACY. Caulin Lacy flashes quickness and elusiveness and has had my attention for the past 2 seasons. He is a bit short, at 5’9″, but he does weigh a solid 190 lbs. for that height. He is NOT much as a pro receiver prospect, but has proven himself as a dynamic return man who might be drafted in Round 6/7 or become a priority College FreeAgent.
Week 10 NFL Tidbits
I tuned in to Prime Video last Thursday night for the RAIDERS @ BRONCOS game. I never made it completely to the end of the game. Not because anything interrupted my viewing plans, but because the sloppy play, by both teams, was unwatchable for an NFL-level game. Sloppy play and way too many penalties made it almost impossible to discern a watchable pattern of play. Even the Punting was sloppy despite being in the thin air of Denver. I don’t see the Broncos being able to keep winning based on their current style of play, which has them winning games almost weekly, relying on dominant 4th quarter play by the team.
On a side note of the game, Raiders QB GENO SMITH took an absolute physical pounding from the BRONCOS’ Defense, which went all-out blitz in the 4th Quarter. I thought several times SMITH would require an injury cart to get him off the field after another possession ended for the Raiders’ Offense.
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Overall, the Trading Deadline did indeed generate some interest with a flurry of activity, which included several major names overall.
It was a sorrowful week on the personal front around the NFL with the loss of MARSHAWN KNEELAND, Cowboys DL to an apparent suicide, and the death of former NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE, who had served as Commish between 1989-2006. As a side note, TAGS was a standout basketball player at Georgetown.
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Has anybody seen NFL Defenses “show out” in most games over the past weekend? Two games, CARDS @ SEAHAWKS and LIONS @ COMMANDERS, ended in 44-22 scores with the Seahawks & Lions claiming victories.
I see trouble for both of the losing teams in these two games. The Commanders were missing their QB (Daniels), while the Cardinals started Jacoby Brissett in place of an injured Kyler Murray.
If the Cardinals have given up on MURRAY long-term and think they have a solid vet starter in BRISSETT, then they are about to become perennial bottom feeders. Brissett is NOT an NFL starter in this man’s opinion, and they will need to move on from Murray and find themselves a new starter long term.
Meanwhile, in D.C., the Commanders have a bigger problem than an injured young Franchise QB. They are an old team. A very old team. I printed up a Cardinals team roster over the weekend. They currently have 64 players on their 53-man roster and Reserve lists. 26 of those players are 30 years old or older. And another 8 players are currently 29. They have to transition back to stocking their roster through the NFL Draft. Right now, this team looks and feels an awful lot like those of the late/great GEORGE ALLEN, who avoided Rookies and their mistakes like the plague during his relatively successful Head Coaching tenure in Old D.C.
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Along those lines, it may surprise you to know that when it comes to the NFL Salary Cap, the team with the most Cap Space for the current season right now is the PATRIOTS at $50.6-million. They can extend some of their current talent and roll over some of the current free money into 2027.
While pulling up that info, I took a look at the SAINTS who often have dire Cap situations under the leadership of GM Mickey Loomis. ‘Credit Card Mickey’ is under the Cap for 2025 right now. But sadly, they lead the league with a Dead Money total of $101.3-million. And they are way over the Cap when looking at their anticipated 2026 contract dollar commitments.
Speaking of the Saints, they won over the PANTHERS last weekend 17-7. Not a rousing success relative to their scoring punch, but with kudos to Rookie QB TYLER SHOUGH, who became the first Saints Rookie QB to win a game he started since 1981.
THE GIANTS ARE IN A BAD SPOT
***Bad news in NYC as the Giants’ young starting QB DAXSON DART left the loss to the Bears with a concussion. He will be in the concussion protocol, and there has been some speculation that, in Head Coach Brian Daboll’s efforts to retain his job, he has allowed for, if not encouraged, DART to use his legs as needed in games. Overall, that is not the recommended approach to protecting young QBs in the NFL.
Seems to me that watching Daboll on the sidelines and in press conferences that he is in a panic mode in his attempt to keep his job. I would guess at this time that he will be out as Head Coach, but based on recent personnel moves, in particular Draft efforts, GM JOE SCHOEN may be back for another year, but on a short leash, especially in choosing his next Head Coach.
*** Sometimes things move pretty quickly in the world of sports. So I left the paragraph above as I posted it just this morning. And will now add a quick comment given the Giants did indeed fire Daboll late this morning. Mike Kafka is taking over, and this might be an audition for him as their new Head Coach. This past off-season, Kafka, a former NFL QB, was interviewed for several of the Head Coaching vacancies around the League. And I would venture a guess that if he has developed a solid relationship with Mr. DART, he might have a solid chance to get that job.
QUICK HITS FROM College Football
Let me open by saying it looks to me like no Head Football Coaches have been fired yet this week, to my knowledge.
With Texas Tech beating BYU this past weekend, we have trimmed the undefeated list down again. If you haven’t put the puzzle pieces together again, that result leaves us with only 3 unbeaten and top-ranked teams. INDIANA is 10-0, while Ohio State & Texas A&M are both 9-0. A&M has a huge rivalry game on Nov. 29th at Texas. Texas also must face Georgia in Athens this coming weekend. OHIO STATE should be able to handle both UCLA & RUTGERS, but has the annual showdown against MICHIGAN in Ann Arbor on the 29th. INDIANA is unlikely to sleep on their final 2 games with Wisconsin and at Purdue. Pure and simply put, Coach CIGNETTI will not let them sleep on those opponents.
Cheers and enjoy the tail end of the college regular season and the second half of the pro season.