College Football Week 12: 2025 NFL Draft prospects to watch
By Jack Brentnall
Week 12 is upon us and it feels like draft season has just gone up another gear.
The Senior Bowl has started to issue invites for this year’s event and there are only three weeks left of the college football regular season.
This weekend has a bunch of enticing matchups on offer, whether it is edge rushers facing talented tackles or running backs going up against stout defenses.
Here are five prospects I’ll be watching closely in Week 12.
Landon Jackson - EDGE, Arkansas (6-7, 280, Senior)
Every college scout or draft analyst will tell you that there is no substitute for seeing prospects play against NFL-level talent. We will be treated to one of those matchups on Saturday when Jackson faces off against the Texas tackle duo of Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams.
Jackson is in the midst of an excellent season for the Razorbacks. His 32 pressures lead the team and he sits second with 23 defensive stops. His ability to be a true three down difference maker is one of his biggest selling points as an NFL prospect and that has been on full display so far this season.
At 6’7” and 280 lbs, Jackson is one of the bigger edges in this year’s class. Whilst he has spent most of his time as a traditional edge, he does offer alignment versatility and has the play strength to challenge interior linemen.
This weekend should be a fantastic matchup for him. The Texas tackles have at times struggled when faced with bigger and longer edges, so don’t be surprised if Jackson has a few splash plays on Saturday.
Woody Marks - RB, USC (5-10, 208, rs-Senior)
There hasn’t been much to celebrate for USC this season, but the performance of running back Woody Marks has been a nice highlight. Marks joined the Trojans in the offseason from Mississippi State, where he spent four years as a starter.
That production has continued in Southern California. In nine games this season, Marks has rushed for 877 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He has also chipped in with 37 receptions, the fifth most amongst FBS running backs.
It is easy to see a future for Marks at the NFL level. At 5’10” and 208 lbs he has pro-ready size, which he pairs with some impressive elusiveness and explosiveness. He is also one of the most natural pass catchers in the draft, with over 250 career receptions to his name.
This weekend he will face Nebraska, in what feels like a big game for USC and Lincoln Riley. The Cornhuskers’ defensive line has impressed this year, and Marks will need to be at his best to have any luck against them.
Armand Membou - OT, Missouri (6-3, 325, Junior)
I first highlighted Membou in my Week 6 article ahead of a big matchup with Texas A&M. Six weeks later and he is once again firmly near the top of my watchlist for the weekend. This time he faces off against a formidable South Carolina defensive front.
Membou has been having a strong season so far, having allowed just five pressures through his nine games. More impressive is the fact that not a single one of those pressures has resulted in a sack or hit.
Membou ticks the boxes that NFL teams are looking for when it comes to movement skills. He also has impressive length, which has allowed him to be a solid contributor in the running game too.
South Carolina’s edge duo of Kyle Kennard and Dylan Edwards have caused problems for every single offensive line they have faced this season, including a pair of highly-touted tackles at LSU. If Membou can hold his own and limit their impact you can expect his stock to rise further.
Mykel Williams - EDGE, Georgia (6-5, 265, Senior)
Georgia is perennially home to a handful of noteworthy draft prospects and this season is no different. They have a big matchup this weekend against Tennessee and the player I will be keeping the closest eye on is their edge rusher Mykel Williams.
The former five star recruit has battled injuries this season, starting just two games and playing 178 snaps. Whilst this may have prevented the eye-popping breakout campaign some were predicting, he has been dominant when he has been on the field.
You only have to switch on the Texas game to see what he is capable of. Williams made light work of a pair of tackles who are both earning first round hype of their own. He has the special combination of length and bend that makes him a nightmare for opponents as he is capable of beating them to the edge or bulldozing through their chest.
The last few weeks have seen his playing time increase substantially and he should be a key factor in this weekend’s matchup with Tennessee. Volunteers edge rusher James Pearce might have been getting the bulk of the headlines thus far, but don’t be surprised if Williams comes away as the bigger winner this weekend.
Dylan Sampson - RB, Tennessee (5-11, 201, Junior)
On the other side of that heavyweight matchup is Volunteers running back Dylan Sampson. After serving as part of a backfield rotation alongside 2024 fourth rounder Jaylen Wright, Sampson has taken over as Tennessee’s leading rusher this season and thrived.
Through 11 weeks, Sampson leads the SEC in rushing yards (1,126), rushing touchdowns (20), and missed tackles forced (45). At his current pace, he has a legitimate chance to challenge Derrick Henry’s SEC record of 28 rushing touchdowns in a single season.
Sampson’s background as a track athlete shows instantly on tape and there are no questions about his athleticism translating to the NFL level. There will however be questions about his frame, the translatability of Tennessee’s running game, and his issues with ball security. Sampson has now had a fumble in each of his last three games.
NFL scouts will be eager to see how Sampson fares against top competition in Georgia. If he can continue to produce against them then he will be strengthening his case as a player who could potentially be in the mix on day two of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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.