Week 3 SCOUTING NOTEBOOK: Crimson Tide talent, Group of Five cornerbacks impress and more

By Jack Brentnall

Whilst Week 3 was a little short on marquee matchups, it had plenty to offer when it comes to noteworthy performances from NFL Draft prospects.

At this point we are really starting to get a feel for which players are rising and which are falling. As always, this week’s scouting notebook takes a look at both. Here are the players that caught my eye in Week 3.

Milroe steps up, but questions linger

After an underwhelming first two games of the season, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe needed a strong performance against Wisconsin in Week 3.

The Crimson Tide’s 42-16 victory over USF in Week 2 was not as dominant as the scoreline suggests and Milroe had looked flat. He struggled to find consistency as a passer and his issues under pressure persisted.

Fast forward to Week 3 and Alabama put in a dominant offensive showing and came away with a 42-10 victory. Milroe completed 12 of 17 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing with 76 yards and two touchdowns.

There was certainly a lot to like. Milroe showed aggressiveness in pushing the ball downfield and had a beautiful touchdown throw to freshman Ryan Williams in the first quarter. He also took care of the football, avoiding turnover-worthy plays in back-to-back games for just the second time in his career.

Dig a little deeper though and the questions that scouts had coming into this one remain. Milroe still does not look comfortable working the middle of the field – through three games he has had just seven attempts of 10+ air yards between the numbers. We didn’t get to see him answer questions about how he handles pressure either, as Wisconsin only pressured him on four of his dropbacks.

In a fortnight he will face off against a strong Georgia team in Alabama’s toughest test of the season. That’s a game that scouts everywhere will have circled as one to watch.

Group of Five corners show off their ball skills

While Power Five schools often dominate the NFL Draft conversation, there are always standout Group of Five prospects. This year is no exception, and that fact was on full display this weekend.

The most notable Group of Five prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft is East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel. A potential first round pick, Revel possesses excellent size and speed which he pairs with legitimate ball skills. This weekend he had an impressive 51-yard pick six against Appalachian State which perfectly encapsulated his football intelligence and closing burst. Revel now has two interceptions and two pass breakups in as many games.

Another name to know is Fresno State cornerback Cam Lockridge. After missing most of the 2023 season due to injury, Lockridge has come into this season firing on all cylinders. In Week 3 he chipped in with two interceptions against New Mexico State, taking his season tally to three. He now has 12 interceptions and 14 pass breakups in his career.

Lockridge is an older prospect and doesn’t have ideal size, so he won’t ever be a high-end NFL Draft pick like Revel. His ball skills and tenacious playstyle will earn him fans though, and if he can continue to perform like this he will be climbing up draft boards.

Jalon Daniels trending down

There was a point during Jalon Daniels’ tenure as Kansas’ quarterback where people were talking him up as a potentially relevant NFL Draft prospect. I should know as I was one of them. After a stellar 2022 things were looking good for Daniels, but last year was derailed by injury.

With a new offensive coordinator and lingering questions about his ability to stay on the field, he entered 2024 with plenty to prove. In reality, his issue this season has not been health – it has been poor play.

In Week 3 against UNLV, Daniels struggled to find his rhythm, completing less than half of his passing attempts and throwing two interceptions. This marks his sixth interception of the season already. For context, Daniels threw just six picks in his previous three seasons combined.

Daniels’ poor performance against UNLV follows a disappointing outing against Illinois in Week 2. With mounting pressure to improve, Daniels needs to show signs of improvement against West Virginia next weekend.

Quandarrius Robinson continues to produce

Often these scouting notebooks will focus on the notable NFL Draft names, but this week I wanted to highlight a lesser-known player – Alabama edge rusher Quandarrius Robinson.

Robinson was a top 100 recruit in the 2020 class but the depth along the Crimson Tide defensive line has seen him earn limited playing time to this point. Coming into the season, he had logged just 114 defensive snaps in four years at Alabama.

Despite the limited opportunities, Robinson chose to stay put in the offseason and has been earning more playing time through the first three weeks. Whilst he is still only a rotational option, he has made his impact felt in each game. That continued with this week’s matchup against Wisconsin.

Robinson looked good against a pair of talented Badger tackles and managed to produce a sack fumble in the fourth quarter. He now has six pressures and six defensive stops on just 66 snaps this season. He also leads all FBS defensive linemen with a 40.7% pass rush win rate.

The question for the rest of the season is whether he can start to earn a more prominent role. If he can continue producing like this with a larger sample size he will really start turning the heads of NFL scouts.

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.

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