Week 6 of the 2023 college football season started with a bang, as Oklahoma upset Texas in the Red River Rivalry early Saturday afternoon. But we also saw Louisville knock off Notre Dame, UCLA take down Washington State, LSU outscore Mizzou in an offense-packed matchup and ... a wild late-game turn of events in Georgia Tech-Miami, with the Yellow Jackets scoring a winning touchdown on a Hail Mary after a Hurricanes fumble.
But how did the top draft prospects look during Saturday's action?
NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Steve Muench answered big draft-related questions coming out of the weekend's slate, including which prospects have made the biggest moves up draft boards this season, and which ones need a big second half. Miller picked out prospects rising after Saturday's action, and Reid identified players currently flying under the radar who could get a draft stock boost with more high-level play. Muench broke down a key highlight that is making him go back to the tape for more evaluation, and Kiper turned the page to Week 7 with three things to watch for next weekend. Finally, our analysts emptied their notebooks with everything they saw and heard over this past weekend.
Jump to:
Season risers | Who to watch in second half
Risers | Under the radar | Back to the tape
Week 7 lookahead | Latest draft buzz, notes
Who's the biggest riser on your board since preseason not named Shedeur Sanders?
Kiper: Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington. I'll go with a prospect I just moved way up on my Big Board because he has been dominant this season. At 6-foot-4, 317 pounds, Fautanu drives defenders off the ball in the run game and doesn't let any rushers past him in the pass game. He has allowed just one sack in 19 career starts. Fautanu plays left tackle for the Huskies, but I have him as my top-ranked guard -- though he absolutely could end up at one of the tackle spots in the NFL. I just think he can be a plug-and-play starting guard at the next level. He's No. 12 on my updated Big Board, and I had a Day 2 grade on him heading into the season.
Miller: Jer'Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois. That's a great answer, Mel, but I'm going to look to the defensive line here. I had the chance to see Newton in person against Kansas in early September, and his ability to penetrate gaps and make plays in the pass game left me stunned. Even in losses, he has often been the best player on the field. I came into the season questioning Newton's 2022 production (38 pressures, 5.5 sacks), but he's repeating it this year (14 pressures, 2.5 sacks in six games). The 6-foot-2, 295-pound senior is dominating with quickness off the snap and mobility in space. The season started with him ranked as a mid-Round 2 prospect, but after seeing him in person and evaluating some more tape, he's my No. 1 defensive tackle and No. 10 overall player for 2024.
Reid: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State. He quickly made his presence felt, catching three touchdowns in the season-opener against LSU -- and he now has six through five games. A big-body target at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he has plenty of contested catch ability. Coleman still needs to show more as a route runner, but he has strong hands and is a clear go-to target in the red zone. After not even being in my top five at the position in the preseason, Coleman is now WR3 on my board behind Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU's Malik Nabers. The top half of Round 1 isn't out of the question if he continues on this trajectory.
Muench: Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU. I would have said Texas running back Jonathon Brooks here -- he went from off the radar to a potential top-50 player -- but I just talked about him last Monday. So I'll instead take this chance to give a player in the trenches some love. Wingo is doing an excellent job of shooting his hands, holding his ground and locating the ball carrier, with 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He's a better run-defender than pass-rusher, but at 6-foot-1 and 295 pounds, he's quick and has active hands. I was wowed by a highlight in the Arkansas game in late September, when Wingo ran over an offensive tackle rushing off the edge. He has gone from a Day 3 grade in August to early-third-round status now.
Which prospect are you watching most closely over the rest of the season?
Miller: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina. Maye reminded us why he's considered a top prospect with a dominant performance against Syracuse on Saturday, but the 2023 season has been up-and-down for him, with turnovers (four interceptions) and inconsistent ball placement showing up far too often. I'm a believer in Maye -- there's still an outside shot he'll challenge Caleb Williams for the top QB spot in the class -- and the 6-foot-4 signal-caller could be an even better pro than prospect. But I want to see it consistently. His three-touchdown, 442-yard showing against Syracuse was a nice reminder of who Maye can be, but no prospect will get more of my attention over the next two months.
Reid: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington. Through five games, Penix has 1,999 passing yards, 16 touchdown throws and two interceptions in the up-tempo Washington scheme that stretches the field vertically. He has been sacked just three times and pressured on 40 of 198 dropbacks this season, so we haven't seen him under much duress. There are still questions about how he'll handle pressure in his face at the next level, when he is forced to move off his spots in the pocket. The Huskies are entering a crucial stretch of conference games that includes matchups against Oregon (this weekend), USC and Utah, and we could get some answers there. Multiple scouts still view Penix (6-foot-3, 213 pounds) as a fringe third- or fourth-round pick, but a strong performance in the second half could catapult his draft stock into early-round discussions.
Muench: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan. Let's keep the quarterbacks rolling here. McCarthy (6-foot-3, 202 pounds) has been outstanding outside of the Bowling Green game (three interceptions), and the tape is better than the overall stats -- which is why he's QB3 on my board and a potential first-round pick. That said, his efficiency dipped substantially over the second half of the 2022 season, and his toughest challenges this year lie ahead. Michigan's average margin of victory has been 30.7 points, and McCarthy is tied for 88th in the FBS in passing attempts (125). So the rest of the slate should give a better idea of his pro projection. Can McCarthy continue to perform at a high level at Penn State, against Ohio State and during a potential College Football Playoff appearance?
J.J. McCarthy breaks a tackle and runs over a man on his way to a Wolverines touchdown.
Kiper: Chris Braswell, OLB, Alabama. Everyone is going with QBs here, huh? I'll go in a different direction with a defender who plays a premium position. Braswell, a five-star recruit in the 2020 class, has seized his opportunity this season, with 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. That's more sacks than he had in his career coming into the season (7.5). He ranks fifth in the FBS in quarterback pressures with 19, too, which is one more than teammate Dallas Turner, who is in the top 10 in my Big Board. Can Braswell keep this up? We know NFL teams are always looking for pass-rushers, and I've heard the 6-foot-3, 255-pounder is going to test extremely well at the combine. With what he has put on tape in six games, he has a chance to rise further than his second-round grade.
Miller's draft risers from Week 6
Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State
With a 197-yard, two-touchdown game against Illinois State on Saturday, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior made a move up my board. Davis is a powerful downhill runner who rushed for 1,451 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He is one of the best senior running backs in the nation and is heating up with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. In a loaded group of RBs expected to enter the 2024 draft class, he'll need more big games to stand out, but Davis is a solid midround prospect with some Dameon Pierce vibes to his running style.
T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
Sweat was remarkable as both an anchor and penetrator for the Longhorns' defensive line against Oklahoma on Saturday. He reminds me of Javon Hargrave with his awesome movement ability at 362 pounds. Big men shouldn't be able to run down ball carriers like he does. NFL teams will value his strength and bulk against the run (seven run stops in six games), but Sweat also gives a huge upfield push, and his effort is fantastic. He has a solid Round 2 grade on my board.
Dallas Turner, DE, Alabama
Turner has been dominant since taking over the Will Anderson Jr. role in the Alabama defense, adding 6.5 sacks to his résumé through six games. No other pass-rusher has shown his level of burst off the edge and ability to truly bend the corner this season. The 6-foot-4, 242-pound Turner previously was competing with Jared Verse and Chop Robinson as the class' top edge rusher, but he's now in a tier of his own. I'll be bumping him up into the top five overall.
Reid's draft sleepers to keep an eye on
Justin Eboigbe, DT, Alabama
A season-ending neck injury limited him to only four games in 2022, but Eboigbe has quickly returned to form this season. At 6-foot-5 and 292 pounds, the fifth-year senior has been an anchor in the middle of the Crimson Tide defense. He's known for his reliability as a run defender, but his pass-rush ability has taken a significant leap. Eboigbe had 2.5 career sacks in four seasons entering the season but has that many in six games this year, including 1.5 against Texas A&M. He wasn't really on the draft radar because of the injury questions, but Eboigbe has now entered the Day 3 picture.
Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri
Some scouts were surprised to see Abrams-Draine return to school, but he has only built off what he showed last season. Entering this past weekend, he had allowed a 23.5% completion percentage on passes into his coverage, tied for the 12th-best mark in the country. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound corner has displayed all-around ability through six games, both on the outside and as a nickel. He has three interceptions on the season and broke up a few passes against LSU on Saturday. Seen as an early-to-mid-Day 3 pick coming into the season, Abrams-Draine is now getting mentioned among third- and fourth-round prospects by scouts.
Erick All, TE, Iowa
Another Iowa tight end?! There haven't been many bright spots on the Hawkeyes' offense this year, but All has quickly become a go-to target in the passing game, with touchdown catches in back-to-back games. Iowa had just six completions against Purdue on Saturday, but five of them went to All, as he finished with 97 yards and a score. In a tight end class that lacks depth behind Georgia's Brock Bowers and Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders, All is inserting himself into the second tier. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Michigan transfer was a Day 3 prospect entering the season, and while he's still realistically in that range, scouts are starting to take notice. He could quickly rise with more strong play.
Muench's Week 6 highlight that is sending him back to the tape
Florida State running back Trey Benson rushes for a 62-yard touchdown
Speed wasn't the first word that came to mind when I did Benson's preseason report, but the way he accelerates on this run (and his 85-yard touchdown run later in the win over Virginia Tech) is impressive for a back with his 6-foot-1, 223-pound frame. The run shows his patience in setting up his blocks and a great stiff arm to finish.
Trey Benson breaks a few tackles on his way to a 62-yard rushing touchdown.
Benson has averaged fewer than 4 yards per carry in three of five games this season, but these types of rushes show why he's a midround prospect with an intriguing skill set. He has scored six times in five games, and he took 11 carries for 200 yards on Saturday.
Kiper's three things to watch in Week 7
Well, Miami at North Carolina was looking like it'd be a battle of unbeaten teams, but then the Hurricanes gave away their matchup with Georgia Tech. Instead, let's focus on Maye, who was phenomenal in Saturday's win over Syracuse, throwing for 442 yards with three touchdowns. The UNC quarterback is right there in the conversation with Williams to be the No. 1 overall prospect next year. Against Miami, he's going to have to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers and look off Kamren Kinchens, my top-ranked safety, in the middle of the field.
We will have a battle of undefeated teams in the Pac-12 next weekend, with Oregon playing at Washington. I have my eyes on Ducks edge rushers Jordan Burch and Brandon Dorlus, both of whom rank in my top 10 defensive ends for the 2024 draft. They have combined for five sacks so far this season. Could they get the best of Fautanu and right tackle Roger Rosengarten to get pressure on Penix? That will decide the game. As Jordan pointed out earlier, Penix has been sacked just three total times in five games. Even if Burch and Dorlus don't get sacks, they've got to pressure Penix and force him out of the pocket.
USC's defense has struggled this season, but its standout player has been defensive end Solomon Byrd, a Wyoming transfer who has 4.5 sacks and 16 total pressures. Three of those sacks have forced fumbles, too. I want to see how he fares against Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt on Saturday before moving him up in my rankings. Alt is likely going to be a top-10 pick next April, so this is a huge test. If Byrd can give Alt problems, the Trojans could run away with the game.
Let's empty the notebooks ...
Reid
• The Red River Rivalry gave us the full Quinn Ewers experience. Slow starts and inconsistency have been a theme for the Texas quarterback, and we saw it again against Oklahoma. Ewers threw two interceptions in his first six passing attempts but then completed 19 straight passes to set a new program record. At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, he has plenty of high-end traits as a passer, but outside of a standout performance against Alabama, he still hasn't put together a complete game. Ewers is my QB3, but the race behind Williams and Maye remains wide open.
• This year's wide receiver class looks really good. Yes, Harrison is the consensus top player at the position, but I'm really impressed with LSU's Nabers. He has at least 100 receiving yards in four straight games, and his 771 receiving yards this season are the most by an LSU player in the team's first six games over the past 20 years, surpassing Odell Beckham Jr.'s 686 in 2013. Nabers entered the season as my third-ranked wideout behind Harrison and Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), but I have him as WR2 now.
• Florida State's Verse was dominant against Virginia Tech, picking up two sacks. And on the first one, the first-round prospect demonstrated powerful hands and finishing ability as he raced past blockers. Up until this point, the pressures have been consistent with Verse (12.8% defensive pressure percentage), but he hadn't yet brought a quarterback down for a sack.
Miller
• I think Florida State's Benson can be an NFL starter. Steve talked about him and his 200-yard breakout game earlier, and the 223-pound running back is a sledgehammer with the ball in his hands. But we also saw his runaway speed, more wiggle in space than you'd expect given his body type and soft hands as a receiver.
• Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley led all FBS pass-catchers with 207 receiving yards this week against Louisiana Tech, and he did it on just eight catches. Three of those went for scores. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior is a Deebo Samuel-type route runner and after-the-catch performer. You won't find a more powerful runner after the catch at the receiver position, and as a second-rounder on my board, Corley is a favorite small-school player in this class.
• Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III isn't draft-eligible until 2025, but scouts are already taking note of his ability. One AFC area scout texted me during Burden's 11-catch, 149-yard day on Saturday that "the NFL better not let Kyle Shanahan get ahold of Burden." He's dynamic after the catch and has rare speed in the open field. Burden will be very high on our early 2025 mock drafts and rankings.