College Football Week 9: 2025 NFL Draft prospects to watch
By Jack Brentnall
With Week 9 upon us, we are now more than half way through the college football season and we are getting a better idea of how various prospects stack up.
There’s still plenty to play for though, and this week I have seven players that I’ll be keeping a close eye on as Week 9 unfolds.
Luther Burden - WR, Missouri (5-11, 205, Junior)
Coming into the season, Luther Burden was being talked up as the potential WR1 and a likely top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It is fair to say that through the first eight weeks of the season he hasn’t quite lived up to that billing.
Through seven games, Burden has 37 catches for 447 yards and four touchdowns. Whilst solid, he is averaging fewer catches, yards, and touchdowns per game than he did in 2023, when he was a First Team All-SEC member.
Whilst he might not have lived up to his preseason billing so far, there is still a lot to like about Burden as a prospect. He remains one of the most slippery and dynamic YAC threats in the country and he leads all SEC receivers with 18 forced missed tackles.
This weekend he has his toughest test of the season against Alabama. This will be Burden’s first outing against the Crimson Tide, and you can expect scouts to be keeping a close eye on how he fares.
Zy Alexander - CB, LSU (6-2, 194, Senior)
One of the top matchups in Week 9 will see LSU face off against Texas A&M. Both teams are home to plenty of future NFL players, but one I’ll be paying special attention to this weekend is Alexander.
The Louisiana native was a zero-star recruit out of high school and began his career in the FCS with Southeastern Louisiana. There he was voted an FCS All-American and a two-time All-Southland player, before transferring to LSU. Alexander started the first eight games of the Tigers’ 2023 season, before suffering a season-ending injury while returning an interception.
He has bounced back in style this season. Alexander has played in five games, logging two interceptions and two pass breakups on 18 targets. Ball production is one of his biggest selling points as a prospect, with multiple interceptions in each of the last four seasons and 13 career picks to his name.
Health has been a concern for Alexander again this season though, leaving both the South Carolina game and UCLA game early and missing the South Alabama game with a concussion. He’s been electric on the field though, and this game feels like a great opportunity for him to announce himself on a big stage.
Eli Stowers - TE, Vanderbilt (6-4, 235, Graduate)
It isn’t very often that you find yourself talking about Vanderbilt having NFL Draft prospects on their roster, but then again it isn’t every day that the Commodores are a ranked team! After an upset over Alabama in Week 6 they will be looking for another against Texas this weekend and they will be banking on tight end Eli Stowers having another good game.
Stowers actually began his career at quarterback. He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and spent the first two years of his career at Texas A&M as a backup. He then transferred to New Mexico State, initially serving as the backup behind future Vanderbilt teammate Diego Pavia before transitioning to tight end.
Stowers showed flashes of talent at New Mexico State, but he’s taken his game to the next level at Vanderbilt. Through eight weeks he has 33 catches for 463 yards, the most of any SEC tight end. Whilst he’s clearly still learning the nuances of the position, his impressive athletic background (Stowers was the Texas 6A high jump state champion) pops on tape.
This weekend he will face Texas and will likely go up against Jaylon Guilbeau, who has allowed just seven catches for 64 yards in his last five games. Can Stowers continue his good run and notch his fourth 100+ yard game of the season?
Rayuan Lane III - S, Navy (5-11, 197, Senior)
Writing a prospect watch list that includes players from Vanderbilt and Navy was not on my bingo card for 2025, but here we are. The Midshipmen have been absolutely electric this season, starting the season unbeaten and being ranked for the first time since 2019. One of the players they’ve had to thank for that start is Lane.
Lane is in his fourth season as a starter for the Midshipmen and is playing comfortably the best football of his career. Navy likes to align him across the secondary, and he’s shown the ability to be a difference maker from deep, in the box, and working as a nickel from the slot.
He earned a reputation as a ball hawk in 2023, leading the team with 11 forced incompletions. He has continued that trend into 2024 too. Lane has two interceptions, including a pick six against Memphis that helped to seal Navy’s victory in Week 4. He also has three pass breakups.
The question now is whether he can continue this form for the rest of the season and hold his own against top competition. Lane has historically been a bit of a boom-or-bust player in coverage, allowing 12 touchdowns on 121 career targets. This weekend’s game against Notre Dame will be a big one for him.
Chris Paul Jr. - LB, Ole Miss (6-1, 235, Junior)
He doesn’t seem to have created a tonne of buzz yet, but I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen so far this season from Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul Jr. Paul transferred to the Rebels in the offseason, having spent the three previous seasons at Arkansas. He was a solid contributor for the Razorbacks, but he’s seemingly been unlocked in Pete Golding’s defense.
What has been so impressive about Paul has been his ability to do a little bit of everything. He has been an outstanding tackler, with just two misses on 51 attempts. In coverage he has been dependable, allowing just 4.9 yards per catch and breaking up three passes. He has continued to be an excellent blitzer too, leading all FBS linebackers with 19 pressures, including five sacks and seven pressures.
Paul is a little undersized for the position by NFL standards, but his playmaking ability is undeniable and if he keeps putting up these sorts of numbers he’ll begin turning the heads of scouts. This weekend’s game against Oklahoma is another nice opportunity for him to impress.
JC Davis - OT, Illinois (6-5, 320, Senior)
Seeing prospects tested against the very best competition is what scouting is all about, and that’s what we’ll get to see in Week 9 when Illinois left tackle JC Davis faces off against Oregon. The Ducks’ defensive line is stacked full of talent and Davis is going to have his work cut out in stopping them.
Davis began his career in junior college, before transferring to New Mexico in 2022. He spent two seasons with the Lobos, including a very impressive 2023 season that saw him earn First Team All-Mountain West honours. A transfer to Illinois followed in the offseason, with lofty expectations for 2024.
Results thus far have been mixed. Davis has shown some real flashes, but has also had some rough moments against top competition – take a look at the Penn State tape for instance. Scouts will want to see if he can have a better outing against Oregon this weekend.
Ricky White - WR, UNLV (6-1, 190, Senior)
After a slow start to the season, Ricky White has been on fire through recent weeks. He has topped 100 yards in three of his last four games and he already has nine touchdowns this season.
This is a continuation of the production we saw from him in 2023, when White burst onto the scene with 1,487 yards and eight touchdowns on 88 receptions. That yardage total put him third in the country, behind future first round picks Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers. He also finished second in the FBS in yards per route run (3.83).
Whilst he isn’t the biggest or most athletic receiver prospect in the country, White shows some outstanding ball skills and body control at the catch point, and his tenacity and toughness will not go unnoticed in NFL scouting departments.
His ability on special teams is also going to be hugely valuable. White has blocked three punts already this season, which is more than any other team in the FBS. This weekend UNLV has a huge game against Boise State and White will need to be at his very best if the Rebels are to get a win.
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.