CFB: Week 4 Scouting Notebook
Two nail-biting finishes highlighted a dramatic week in College Football. Both the big games ended with walk-off touchdowns. As conference play swung into full gear, there was plenty of future NFL talent on display. Here are our prospects who shined on Saturday.
Tight Ends terrorise the defenses in South Bend
A one-yard walk-off rushing touchdown finished what was mainly an epic defensive standoff between Ohio State and Notre Dame. In the flashes each offense showed, two tight ends made a big impression. Cade Stover was already well on the draft radar and moved the chains a few times early. He’s clearly tried to enhance his playmaking ability and offers new quarterback Kyle McCord a safety blanket.
On the Notre Dame offense, a surprise name led them in receiving yards. Mitchell Evans is in his third year now but was only targeted nine times in his previous two seasons. On the night, he caught all seven of his targets for 75 receiving yards, splitting his time evenly between lining up inline and in the slot. It will be interesting to see if he continues to play such a heavy role, and if so, will draftniks begin circling?
Elsewhere, I continue to be impressed by Notre Dame left guard Pat Coogan. While Joe Alt gets most of the plaudits, Coogan always impresses me on big run plays. More often than not, he can be seen driving a hole open for Audric Estime. He has power but also mobility. He works hard to get to the next level, ultimately forcing the big runs to happen.
Bethune and DeLoach outmuscle the Clemson offense
A forced fumble, recovery, and touchdown score from Kalen DeLoach proved a major turning point as Florida State outlasted Clemson in an early barn-burner.
KALEN DELOACH IS AN ANIMAL! pic.twitter.com/uDx7hYjE8Y
— Barstool FSU (@FSU_Barstool) September 23, 2023
DeLoach is in his fifth year but has taken his game up a notch this season. He has already tallied three sacks and a 96.2 pass-rushing grade with PFF. He is an aggressive downhill, off-ball linebacker who needs to work on his coverage to be a three-down prospect.
His partner-in-crime at the position is Tatum Bethune, who, at 6’1, 230lbs, brings a more solid presence than the slimmer DeLoach. He could be seen applying multiple thumping tackles on Saturday. He had a pretty clean game, considering his season’s missed tackle percentage is up at over 20%. Both players are draft-eligible, and if Florida State continues to roll, they will get plenty of exposure.
Malachi Moore beginning to hit stride in the ‘star’ role
Before the season began, I did a piece on Earl Little and how I felt he could develop into the next ‘star’ at Alabama. That’s the hybrid safety/linebacker/slot role that Nick Saban loves in his defense. Well, against Ole Miss it was a more familiar name who got the job.
Malachi Moore burst on the scene with now-NFL player Brian Branch. The pair emerged in 2020 as freshmen, only for Moore to suffer injuries in his second year. That allowed Branch more snaps and to become the headliner in the secondary. Moore returned in 2023 to show he has the same skillset as Branch, who is already turning heads at the next level.
Moore has played most of his snaps from the slot and has the tackling ability to play close to the line of scrimmage. His coverage grades have been solid, and he showed his ball tracking and stickiness when covering Ole Miss tight end Caden Prieskorn. Moore had his number and was key to a Crimson Tide that looked somewhere near what we expect from them.
Moore could be a first-round talent if he stays healthy and this Bama defense begins to assert its dominance in SEC play.
