Week 6 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
Keondre Coburn, DL, Texas
With Texas absolutely drubbing Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry this past weekend, plenty of Longhorns on both sides of the ball had great games. The biggest standout was Coburn who has been one of the biggest risers this season. I first wrote about him Week 1 last season and his massive upside. Against Oklahoma, Coburn was filling gaps and not allowing runs through, kicking most things outside. He was a consistent backfield presence and seeing a man at 344 pounds barreling down at you isn’t pretty. Day 2 is possible for the NT who is flashing pass rush upside.
Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame
Joseph has been a bit of a disappointment this season, but the game against BYU this week was his best yet. He was in on a ton more plays using good instincts to close quickly. Add in sound tackling technique, and Joseph was a big help in limiting yards after the catch as well as in the box. Facing a good QB like Jaren Hall made life difficult for Joseph, but he read Hall’s eyes a few times to be in position. Add in a forced fumble in the game, and Joseph may be rehabbing a sagging stock.
Stock Down
Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford
McKee continues to gain first round NFL Draft buzz, and I simply do not see it. A late night Pac-12 game against Oregon State gave a great opportunity to see if he lived up the hype, and McKee fell short. He didn’t flash any dominance and the Beavers defense did not seem too afraid to give him some one on one match-ups. He was trusting his arm a bit too much, leading to an interception. The arm strength is certainly there however, and NFL teams may look at him in Day 2 to see if they can mold him. McKee is a fine prospect, but his play has not been that of a first round pick.
Andrew Raym, C, Oklahoma
Coming into the season, Raym was my top center with promising athletic upside and a solid track record, but it has been a rough season. The Red River Rivalry was the cherry on top with him consistently getting moved around by the Texas DL. Raym was not able to get a run game push and had some trouble in pass protection with his hand placement. He has fallen from the top Center spot and likely should return to school to improve.
Names To Know
Aubrey Miller, LB, Jackson State
My main reason for watching Jackson State vs. Alabama State this week was to watch Miller who is a great quick twitch athlete. He was making an impact early in the game, blowing up runs behind the line and flying to the bal. Unfortunately, he was tossed from the game early due to a targeting call, but I had seen enough. Miller has the athleticism to be in the NFL and could be a late round draft pick.
Ben Yurosek, TE, Stanford
There was a bit of buzz coming into the year for Yurosek, but he has been very quiet so far. Against Oregon State, Yurosek’s athleticism was on display at the position creating a mismatch. His body control to catch off target passes is very good. His 5 catches for 58 yards were a highlight of the game for Stanford and he remains a TE to know.
Follow Shane for more @ShanePHallam and see his work here