Week 4 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
Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest
The most impressive performance on Saturday was Hartman, two weeks removed from his medical absence, throwing absolute dimes downfield to keep pace with Clemson. He was consistently throwing NFL passes down field and to the sideline to allow his receivers to make great plays. Clemson’s defense was not playing poorly often with pressure, but Hartman’s 20/29 for 337 yards and 6 TDs were eye-popping. He has moved into the Top Ten QBs in the class and could make a case for QB3 by the end of the season.
Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
After a quiet start to the season, Murphy has exploded the last two weeks with consistent pressure. He had 0.5 sack in this game and was forcing Sam Hartman to move around in the pocket. Despite Clemson’s defense giving up a ton of points, Murphy helped it not get more out of hand. He has good stack and shed ability with an athleticism that makes him difficult to stop.
Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota
After recovering from an Achilles injury, there were questions about Ibrahim’s pro potential moving forward. He has answered them carrying Minnesota to an undefeated season so far. He has at least 100 yards rushing in every game this season and already 8 TDs. Though the game against Michigan State this past week was his worst statistically, Ibrahim looked physical and quick. Even better, he caught two passes, which has been an NFL question. Ibrahm could sneak into the Top 100 with good workouts.
Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
Last year’s film hadn’t overly impressed me on Wilson, but he has flashed some big potential the last two weeks against NC State and Texas. Wilson has a great bend which led to 0.5 sack against the Longhorns in the Red Raiders upset. Wilson also turns upfield quickly against the run and can form tackle. He is an intriguing Day Two pick with pass rush upside.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
Fellow TE Brant Kuithe went down with an injury, so Kincaid took over the main TE duties for the Utes, becoming QB Cam Rising’s favorite target. He caught 2 TDs against Arizona and was a complete mismatch as a receiving weapon. Kincaid had received some attention before the season, but he is emerging as a Top 5 TE in the 2023 Draft.
Stock Down
Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State
Harrison has been one of the biggest disappointments for the Buckeyes so far this season. He has been in a firm rotation with Tyler Friday and some sophomore DL so far this season. He was blanked on the stat sheet, and though there were some snaps where he got penetration or rushed Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz, it wasn’t NFL material. Despite high PFF grades, Harrison has lost his stake on being an NFL draft pick.
Logan Brown, OT, Wisconsin
Brown had to fill in due to some Wisconsin injuries and the former top recruit had a chance to flash some NFL potential. Unfortunately, multiple penalties and a lack of consistent leverage led to Brown lacking the luster needed. It became obvious why he wasn’t starting despite the clear athletic potential.
Names To Know
Jerrod Clark, DL, Coastal Carolina
The NT is an absolute mammoth on the field at 6’4, 340 pounds. He was 2-gapping throughout the game against Georgia State and bull rushed OL into the backfield to make TFL throughout the game. A potential gap plugger as a late round draft pick, there is some real potential with Clark.
Brad Roberts, RB, Air Force
This column has become a place for FBs to get some publicity, and Roberts is the next one. The Air Force Triple Option was blasting through Nevada’s defense this week and Roberts chalked up 3 TDs and 123 yards. He is a tough player with great contact balance who rarely goes down at first hit. He may sneak into the NFL Draft as a short yardage FB whose willingness to do the dirty work will help.
Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
Paris Johnson gets the publicity on the Buckeye offensive line (and rightfully so,) but Jones has shown extreme upside at the RT position. His seal blocks against Wisconsin were masterful, and there were a few runs where he went to the second level. He had some good battles with LB Nick Herbig when the Buckeyes passed and did not make mistakes. Jones could be a riser in a weaker OT class to squeak into the back end of the first round.
Gabe Reid, LB, Utah
Reid was flying around the field for Utah as a blitzer and playing the run from the DE position. He had two sacks against Arizona State and could not be blocked when trying to get into the backfield. The Stanford transfer hasn’t been a big name in NFL Draft circles, but his pass rush ability could definitely place him on the radar.
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