Weekend Watchlist: CFB Week 11
For College Football fans in the UK, BT Sport has a tantalising triple header lined up starting Saturday tea time. The games will be laden with NFL Draft prospects, and we will highlight four that will be particularly interesting on our Weekend Watchlist.
Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
Drew Sanders left Alabama to avoid the log jam at edge rusher. Adding some pass-rush juice to the Arkansas Razorback’s defense seemed a perfect solution. However, Arkansas saw the tools needed to make a move to off-ball linebacker.
They were right. Pairing Sanders with veteran Bumper Pool has given Arkansas a hard-hitting, dynamic linebacker duo. Eight sacks on the season show he retains his nose for finding the QB, while 29 stops, 4 forced fumbles and a pass coverage grade of 71.9 shows what a well-rounded prospect he has become.
His relative inexperience at the position and the fact the junior is only in his first year as a starter could mean he returns to solidify his draft status. Still, he will be an intriguing name to watch should he declare early.
Jayden Daniels and LSU face the Razorbacks on Saturday and Sanders will be vital in slowing them down.
Nick Broeker, iOL, Ole Miss
It takes a while for interior offensive linemen to get draft traction in-season. With more shiny toys to be watched, it’s a position often overlooked at this time of the year. However, Saturday’s second televised game between Alabama and Ole Miss will have some intriguing battles in the trenches.
Nick Broeker played his first three years at left tackle for the Rebels. He made plenty of draft watchlists last year, but the feeling was he would be best suited to making the switch to the interior. He returned as a senior and has displayed plenty of talent at left guard.
Broeker is yet to allow a sack in 2022, and the 11 pressures given up is relatively little, considering he competes in the most talent-rich conference in the country. He has the requisite size to be an NFL lineman, and although Peter Skoronski could be seen as the best guard, Broeker should firmly land in the next tier, with Day 2 potential.
Saturday’s matchup will be crucial for him as scouts will get to see him go toe to toe with a wounded Alabama. They have a raft of talent on the inside, including DJ Dale and Tim Smith. The battle I am looking forward to the most is against freshman Jaheim Oatis. He has shown some serious pass-rush juice, and if Ole Miss want to cause the upset, Broeker must show out.
Kendre Miller, RB, TCU
Zach Evans was one of my favourite watches during this offseason. The running back showed off the all-around ability needed for the next level. However, while watching his TCU tape, one number kept popping off the screen. It was the 33 donned by his backup Kendre Miller. The relief runner had a penchant for breaking off big ones with his vision and contact balance.
The Horned Frogs haven’t missed Evans as they remain unbeaten, currently 4th in the CFP rankings. A big part of that has been Miller. Despite the plaudits Max Duggan and co. get, it is Miller who keeps the offense ticking. The 6’0, 220lbs back has already topped 1000 yards rushing, at an average of 6.6 yards per attempt. NFL teams will drool over his combination of size and breakaway speed.
Despite improvements being made on the Texas defense, they must prove they don’t still have a soft underbelly. Linebackers Jaylan Ford and DeMarvion Overshown will be an excellent test for Miller on Saturday evening.
Miller currently resides in my top 5 running backs, and that is no mean feat given how loaded the class looks presently. A big night here will solidify that standing.
D'Shawn Jamison, CB, Texas
The big storyline heading into the Texas showdown this weekend is the health of TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston. Johnston is many draftniks WR1 for now but a rolled ankle could see him miss out against the Longhorns.
If he does start, he will battle with Texas cornerback D’ Shawn Jamison. At 5’10 and 187lbs, Jamison will be at a clear size disadvantage to Johnston, but he is enjoying somewhat of a bounce back in 2022.
Now in his fourth year as a Longhorn, Jamison is having the best season of his career. Seeing his coverage grade jump from 54.5 in 2021 to 76.4 this year. That includes two interceptions and seven pass breakups, allowing an NFL passer rating of only 58.4.
Our very own head of scouting and resident Texpert, Simon Carroll draws a similarity in his big-play ability to that of Dallas Cowboy corner Trevon Diggs. With that boom always comes a bust. Jamison will hope to avoid that when he faces the deep throws of Max Duggan and the powerhouse Johnston.
