Throughout the season, each Saturday, I will look at the best prospects from the FCS (or lower level) prospects I watched the weekend before. Or, I will look at the 2023 NFL Draft prospects from the Sun Belt schools I watched the prior weekend. During week five I saw one game involving Sun Belt teams and a few others with FCS prospects.
SUN BELT SATURDAY
SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS
One of the fastest rising corners in this year’s draft class may just be Darrell Luter, Jr. The play of Luter is one of the reasons South Alabama sits at 4-1 and very well should be 5-0. He has nice length. However, it is his cover skills that are impeccable. In the 2021 season, Luter gave up a 0.0 passer rating in balls thrown against him. These days, teams are smart enough to not go after him. However, Louisiana challenged him in this game and got an interception to show for it.
Jalen Tolbert was a third-round pick during the 2022 NFL Draft. I don’t expect WR Jalen Wayne to be drafted that high (maybe not at all). Wayne is a Mobile native, like Tolbert. He has big play ability as well. You just don’t get the production with Wayne. He caught four of his nine targets for 55 yards.
TE Lincoln Sefcik is likely not a draftable prospect but could find himself in a camp. He only caught one of his five targets for six yards against Louisiana.
LOUISIANA RAGIN CAJUNS
Louisiana always seems to have a good running back prospect. This year it appears to be Chris Smith. Smith has breakaway speed. Against USA, he had 17 touches for 123 yards.
I think ULL TE Johnny Lumpkin is the best blocker at his position in this class. Lumpkin could very well add about twenty pounds and make the conversion to offensive tackle.
SMALL SCHOOL SATURDAY NOTES
South Carolina State WR Shaq Davis is a big play threat. I caught their game against South Carolina last Thursday. Davis drew multiple pass interference penalties and also drew most of the attention of the Gamecocks’ DBs.
While not in the Sun Belt (or small school), 5th-year WR Jaivian Lofton of Liberty made one of the best catches this season.
YOU’RE KIDDING @jaivianlofton ?
One-handed, in the back of the end-zone.? TOUCHDOWN FLAMES ? pic.twitter.com/MBcymM2O5X
— Liberty Football (@LibertyFootball) October 1, 2022
Coastal Carolina RB CJ Beasley went full Marshawn Lloyd on his TD run against Georgia State to win their Sun Belt game and stay unbeaten.
Coastal Carolina’s CJ Beasley with the hurdle TD for the win ?pic.twitter.com/tjP4DumRzo
— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 2, 2022
I will be back with more Sun Belt Saturday next week.