This week’s slate of games features a handful of secondary-receiver matchups, including multiple senior safeties that could land in the early part of the upcoming draft class. In the Big 12, Oklahoma looks to cement their lead in the conference while Texas needs to right the ship after an embarrassing loss to BYU. For matchups to watch and prospects to key on, continue reading below and enjoy your Saturday games.
By: Alex Brown
UCF at No. 20 Missouri, SEC Network, 12:00 PM EST
Missouri hasn’t been sharp offensively this season, as redshirt sophomore Maty Mauk still needs time to develop at reading coverages and anticipating throwing windows. Versus UCF, he’ll need to be much more efficient against a talented secondary. As a size-speed athlete, senior UCF SAF Clayton Geathers matches up very well with the length posed by Missouri’s receiving corps (all three starters over 6’0 tall). Geathers will likely guard senior WR Jimmie Hunt in the slot, where Hunt has displayed run after the catch ability but suspect ball skills. The top receiver to watch in Missouri’s pass attack is senior WR Darius White. The former five-star recruit and UT-Austin transfer showcases ability to win and track the ball vertically with ease, and should draw added attention from the UCF secondary.
On the offensive lines, both starting left tackles project as solid guard prospects. Missouri senior LT Mitch Morse isn’t the best athlete but blocks from a square base and aggressively lands punches to gain an inside hand fit. UCF senior LT Torrian Wilson has lighter feet and more range than Morse, but faces the difficulty of Missouri junior edge rusher Shane Ray. Although Ray wins primarily off the edge with his exceptional first step quicks and speed, he also brings the lateral agility to counter back to the inside if the blocker overcompensates for that speed. On the opposite end of the line, Missouri senior DE Markus Golden is a matchup nightmare for right tackles. He shows the same plus first step and speed rush ability as Ray.
No. 21 Louisiville at Virginia, ESPN 3, 12:30 PM EST
Although Louisville gets back senior RB Michael Dyer from injury, the top rusher on this team is senior Dominique Brown. As a 6’2, 241 pound back, Brown is a punishing ball carrier that rarely goes down on first contact. Clearing the way for the two RB prospects is senior LG John Miller and LT Jamon Brown. Miller impressed our area scout Chris Tripodi during preseason evaluations with his ability to create movement and aggressively finish off defenders at the point of attack. Defensively for Virginia, senior SAF Anthony Harris is an absolute ball-hawking free safety (8 INT to lead FBS). His combination of size, closing speed and ball skills warranted 2nd round preseason evaluations, and he should have plenty of opportunities to make plays against Bobby Petrino’s pass attack. As far as pass rush is concerned, it’s hard to miss junior DE Eli Harold. Harold is an underclassman with rising draft stock, thanks to his plus length and ability to run the arc with edge flexibility.
On defense, Louisville holds the top draft prospect in this contest with senior DE Lorenzo Mauldin. Replacing the former teammate and 2014 first round selection Marcus Smith, Mauldin does a nice job of keeping blockers out of his framework and creating separation at the point of attack. He displays the speed rush component to generate pressure, but struggles to consistently set the edge against the run. Virginia’s offense will look to exploit that with their senior RB Kevin Parks. Parks won’t wow you with homerun hitting speed or electric moves in the open field, but his ball carrier patience, low pad height and quick accelerator make for consistent positive yard carries.
No. 6 Georgia at No. 24 South Carolina, CBS, 3:30 PM EST
In this game involving SEC East powers, playmakers can be found in both backfields with South Carolina junior RB Mike Davis and Georgia junior RB Todd Gurley headlining the prospects to watch. Gurley is the best RB prospect in the country, but Mike Davis isn’t too far behind when healthy. South Carolina’s LG AJ Cann is Davis’ top blocker, and continues to climb draft boards by displaying flexibility and explosiveness through his lower half. Defensively, Georgia’s best NFL talents can be found on the edge with junior Jordan Jenkins and redshirt sophomore Leonard Floyd. You’ll see both play from standup linebacker positions as widened 9-techniques or hand in the dirt 7-techniques, but they are certainly names to keep in mind.
One particular matchup that favors South Carolina is their senior TE Rory Anderson versus Georgia’s starting senior ILB prospects Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera. While Wilson and Herrera are heady run defenders that can deliver punishing hits, neither shows great instincts or ball skills in coverage. Spurrier likes to work the seam with Anderson, so it’ll be a matter of whether or not senior QB Dylan Thompson can give his athletic TE a chance to make a play. On the other side, to say South Carolina’s secondary has played poorly might be an understatement. Senior CB Brison Williams continues to make the adjustment from starting at safety a year ago, and will match up against Georgia’s leading receiver in senior Michael Bennett. The lone bright spot on South Carolina’s defense in sophomore LB Skai Moore isn’t draft-eligible, but he stands out with sideline-to-sideline range and plus instincts.
Tennessee at No. 4 Oklahoma, ABC, 8:00 PM EST
Offensively, the Sooners love to motion across their junior WR Sterling Shepard on fly motion (in front of the QB) for jet sweeps or arc motions (behind the RB) for swing passes to get him the ball on the move and in the open field. He’s the main pass catcher, so look for sophomore QB Trevor Knight to target him early and often. Knight finished last season looking much more polished and poised as a passer than he did at the start, and remains extremely difficult to pin down for sacks. His ability to create and extend will stress the range and athleticism of a Vols linebacker group led by senior ILB AJ Johnson. Another factor to watch will be how Tennessee can hold up at the line of scrimmage. Oklahoma has bookend tackle prospects with senior LT Tyrus Thompson and RT Daryl Williams, both of who are massive and powerful blockers.
As for the Volunteers, senior QB Justin Worley has been somewhat of a revelation in 2014. Firing accurate darts with confidence unseen in previous years, he seems to be coming into his own. The matchup I’m most interested in watching will be how Oklahoma senior CB Julian Wilson matches up versus Tennessee’s sensational sophomore WR Marquez North. Wilson previously played safety and nickel corner, but seems to be thriving as a converted cornerback. At 6’2, 201 pounds he can sink and pedal with balance, and moreover shows the closing burst to drive on the throw. His opponent in North isn’t draft-eligible until 2016, but he’s a devilish athlete at 6’4, 221 pounds with the body control to dominate the catch point. Facing Marquez North will be Julian Wilson’s first big test of the year.
No. 12 UCLA vs Texas (at AT&T Stadium), Fox, 8:00 PM EST
The top offensive senior for the Texas offense is their workhorse starting RB, senior Malcolm Brown. Brown is a big, fast athlete that impresses with decisive cutting skills and the ability to run behind his pads through the hole, but has consistently dealt with defenders in the backfield (3.2 ypc through two games). With senior center Dominic Espinosa out for the season with a broken ankle, and starting tackles Kennedy Estelle and Desmond Harrison serving suspensions, Texas’ completely reshuffled offensive line faces a buzz saw in UCLA. Senior DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa stands to benefit the most, as he possesses the plus length and explosive power to be a disruptive backfield force. At the second level, senior LB Eric Kendricks is a highly instinctual player that diagnoses quickly and consistently finds himself around the football. He’ll need to be active in this game and bottle up those Texas runners.
The Bruins offense and star QB Brett Hundley are fighting the same struggle as Texas though, having allowed 9 sacks in the opening two weeks of the season. Hundley has made strides in reset footwork when pressured, but has to be more consistent in following through in keeping his eye level downfield through the post snap progression. Texas’ most dangerous edge rusher is senior DE Cedric Reed. Reed showcases a refined club and rip move off the edge, but will need to focus on constricting Brett Hundley inside the pocket. And not to be confused with the running back prospect, junior DT Malcom* Brown is an impressive nose tackle prospect that should be easy to spot on the interior. Able to defeat blocks with his powerful base and active hands, Brown only lacks great lateral range (thus the nose tackle distinction). He was one of the few bright spots against BYU last week, racking up 10 tackles (5 solo) and 2.5 sacks. Considering Hundley’s athletic ability and the trouble BYU QB Taysom Hill gave Texas a week ago, I’d expect to see more read option wrinkles from UCLA.
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