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
Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE, Northwestern
Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
The best match-up I watched of the week was Adebawore against Maryland LT Jaelyn Duncan. It was one of those times you know both players are excellent with each winning their fair share of battles. Adebawore had some good penetration, including two sacks, while Duncan had a few big plays of driving him backwards ferociously. It looked like an NFL match-up on the edge and both are future pros.
Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State
After a quiet start to the season, Harrison finally stepped up. Against Iowa, he was allowed to pin his ears back and rush the passer due to the ineptitude of the Hawkeye offense. This led to his first sack of the season, a forced fumble,and numerous pressures. Harrison had a shot to be the next premiere Buckeye pass rusher, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations yet. This may be a corner to turn for him.
Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
After missing six games due to a high ankle sprain, Kraft was back in the lineup against North Dakota. He wasted no time making an impact going for a big 32-yard TD reception in the first half. He had two more receptions in the game and showed off his blocking ability throughout. There was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Kraft after an opposing player spit in his mouth and he retaliated. The big bodied TE is agile in his routes and looked very athletic back from the injury. He has some of that Travis Kelce/George Kittle to him and will be an NFL asset.
Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
Though it did not flash on the stat sheet, Bennett is playing extremely well in coverage. He wasn’t targeted much against Northwestern, and even when playing off coverage, Bennett gets clean wrap up tackles. He blew up a screen pass short of the sticks as well. Bennett’s toughness and length should make him a potential Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft.
Stock Down
Riley Moss, CB, Iowa
Moss nearly declared for the NFL Draft last year despite a knee injury last season, but he returned to Iowa to try and improve his stock. Unfortunately, he does not look quite as athletic as he did last season. The Buckeyes picked on him in this game and Moss was slow to close and react to passes being thrown. Most notably, Marvin Harrison caught a TD against him, faking out Moss at the goal line. It was a rough game for him.
John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota
Schmitz is highly seasoned veteran on the offensive line and he has helped spring RB Mohamed Ibrahim to six 100 yard games this year. Unfortunately, the Nittany Lions knew what was coming and were ready to bully Schmitz around. He rarely got a push in this game, which stopped the Minnesota offense from dominating on the ground. After Penn State was slapped around by Michigan last week, they came to play and Schmitz couldn’t hold his own.
Names To Know
Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton
During the game, I posted on twitter that Iosivas is this year’s Christian Watson. A much smaller school in the Ivy League, but Iosivas was on fire against Harvard catching 9 passed for 176 yards and a TD. He was by far the most athletic player on the field, carving up the Harvard defense to move the football. The track star has put it together this year as a football player and may have a trip to Mobile in the future.
Ryan Miller, TE, Furman
Miller is a name that is not on many draft radars, but he is an intriguing H-Back option for an NFL team. Against VMI, Miller had 5 catches for 71 yards and a TD. He was settling well into holes in the zone and able to run for extra yardage after the catch. A good blocker too, Miller is a third day pick worth drafting.
Justin Ford, CB, Montana
An exciting game, the Grizzlies lost to Sacramento State in overtime, but they may not have even made it that far without Justin Ford. At the end of the fourth quarter, he stopped a drive with a great leaping interception to try and give Montana a chance. A big bodied corner, Ford was pressing often in this game and flashing NFL ballskills. He is an intriguing Day 3 pick with upside.
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