College Football Week 8: 2025 NFL Draft prospects to watch
By Jack Brentnall
The college football season is hotting up, with big games and big stakes.
With each week that goes by it feels like there are more and more NFL Draft prospects with a lot on the line. Here are some that you should be keeping an eye on this weekend.
Quinn Ewers - QB, Texas (6-2, 210, rs-Junior)
I’m not sure that there is a player with more riding on their performance in Week 8 than Ewers. After impressing through the early part of the season, he suffered an abdominal injury against UTSA. Last weekend marked his return, and he did not look like the same player.
The pocket jitters and wild inaccuracy that had characterised his early career were back. He made several poor decisions and bad throws that are just not consistent with a player who is being talked up as a potential first round talent. Some may chalk that up to some post-injury rust, but we’ll find out this weekend if that’s the case.
To raise the stakes further, this weekend’s matchup against Georgia is probably their most high-profile battle of the season. Arch Manning is also waiting in the wings and he looked really comfortable when given the starting role as a result of Ewers’ injury.
If Ewers looks like he did against Michigan in Week 2, he’ll be riding high once again and any talk of a quarterback controversy will be forgotten. If he looks anything like he did against Oklahoma last weekend, you can expect the calls for Manning to grow to a fever pitch.
Carson Beck - QB, Georgia (6-4, 220, rs-Senior)
The quarterback on the other side of that matchup also has plenty to prove. Beck entered the season as many people’s QB1 in the 2025 NFL Draft. His performances through seven weeks haven’t exactly lived up to that billing.
Whilst there have been promising flashes, there have also been some truly awful plays. His three-interception game against Alabama was particularly concerning, and PFF charted him with a whopping six turnover-worthy plays in that game alone. For context, Beck had just 11 turnover-worthy plays in the entirety of 2023.
Things have looked better over the past two weeks, but concerns about Beck’s ability to work effectively when pressured remain. So far this season he has completed just 12 of 27 attempts when pressured, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt.
This weekend’s game against Texas feels like it could be huge for his stock. Whilst a bad performance might not lead to the sort of quarterback controversy that Ewers would face, it would amplify the concerns with Beck and his ability to handle high pressure scenarios.
Kalel Mullings - RB, Michigan (6-2, 233, Graduate)
Donovan Edwards may have entered the season as the hyped up Michigan running back, but it has been his teammate Mullings who has actually been the more productive player. In a season where nothing seems to go right for the Wolverines offense, Mullings has been a rare bright spot.
The graduate student began his career at linebacker, before converting full-time to running back in 2023. His defensive background is apparent in his running style. Mullings is a true north-to-south back who runs behind his pads and invites contact.
His contact balance is amongst the best in the country, and his ability to consistently churn through tackles has allowed him to put up some impressive numbers so far this season. He has forced 27 missed tackles on 91 carries and 66.7% of his total rushing yardage has come after contact.
This weekend he faces a good Illinois team, but one who has shown they can be beaten on the ground. A big game from Mullings here would no doubt catch the attention of NFL scouts.
Cooper Mays - IOL, Tennessee (6-4, 310, Senior)
The Georgia-Texas matchup might be the marquee affair of Week 8, but Alabama-Tennessee shouldn’t be far behind. Both teams have had some seriously impressive performances, and both have fallen victim to some wild upsets in the past couple of weeks.
Both teams have plenty of high profile NFL talent on their rosters, but I will be keeping an eye on Volunteers center Cooper Mays in particular.
Mays followed in his father’s and brother’s footsteps in playing for Tennessee and has been a mainstay along their offensive line since 2021. This game will mark his 39th start for the team and will be one of the toughest tests he has faced.
Alabama’s defensive line is predictably full of talent, and this defense has shown the ability to wreak havoc upfront with creative stunts and blitzes. There will be a lot on Mays’ plate as the center to make sure everyone is accounted for and Nico Iamaleava is protected in the pocket.
Mays hasn’t allowed a sack since 2022, but he had some struggles against Alabama when he faced them in 2023, conceding four pressures. Can he hold off the Crimson Tide’s pass rush this weekend and help the Volunteers get the win?
Travis Hunter - CB, Colorado (6-1, 185, Senior)
Despite suffering a shoulder injury last week against Kansas State, Travis Hunter is expected to play in the Buffaloes’ Week 8 matchup against Arizona. That means we will get to see him face his toughest matchup of the season in covering Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
McMillan has been in scintillating form so far this season, racking up 739 yards and four touchdowns through the first seven weeks of the season. Nevertheless, showing he can match this kind of production against a player like Hunter will be huge for him.
The pair have faced each other before, in Week 11 of 2023. Whilst McMillan had a really strong outing overall, Hunter did a fairly good job of keeping him in check, allowing just three catches for 15 yards and a touchdown.
This game should be a good test for Hunter as a receiver too. He will face off against Tacario Davis, a player who is garnering top 50 draft pick hype. Davis’ size, length, and play strength should present a real challenge for Hunter. This is really a game you can’t afford to miss.
Ashton Gillotte - EDGE, Louisville (6-3, 275, Senior)
Louisville has the unenviable task of trying to stop Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes offense this weekend. If they are to succeed where others have failed, they will need the likes of Gillotte to step up and take over the game.
There is a lot to like about Gillotte as an NFL prospect. He has impressive size, which he pairs with the play strength and heavy hands you would want to dominate against the run and the pass.
He has been a productive pass rusher too. Last season, Gillotte amassed 58 pressures, nine of which were sacks, earning himself First Team All-ACC honours in the process. So far this season he has 21 pressures, seven of which came last week against Virginia.
This should be a great test for Gillotte. He will be going up against Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, who has been in excellent form this season. Add in Cam Ward’s escapability, and you’ve got a great challenge. How he fares this weekend will be big for his draft stock.
Gunnar Helm - TE, Texas (6-5, 250, Senior)
I couldn’t finish this week’s list without mentioning Helm, who has been one of the breakout stars of 2024. Coming into the season, Helm had just 19 receptions for 236 yards in three seasons with the Longhorns. He’s already surpassed both marks just seven weeks into the season.
Helm has formed a particularly impressive connection with Quinn Ewers, which has led to a pair of really impressive performances. In Week 2 against Michigan, Helm racked up seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. In Ewers’ first game back from injury last week, he finished with five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Helm might not wow scouts with any out-of-this-world athleticism, but his well-rounded skillset and tough playing style are going to appeal to NFL scouts. Helm has showcased exceptional hands (he has zero drops so far this season) and the ability to create his own yardage after the catch, with seven forced missed tackles.
He has had big performances against top competition so far this season. The question for Week 8 is whether he can continue that impressive run against a strong Georgia defense.
JACK BRENTNALL
HEAD OF NFL DRAFT CONTENT
Previously the founder of The Jet Sweep, Jack joined The Touchdown as head of Draft Content in 2024. A Scouting Academy alumnus, Jack has been Covering the NFL Draft since 2020. Follow him on Twitter @Jack_Brentnall.