NFL
Top NFL Prospect Performers from CFB Week 12
Evaluating the prospects that impressed the most this week
Jeffrey Becker / USA TODAY Sports
Both the NFL and college football seasons are in full swing, but an unfortunate few NFL teams have already punted on 2019 (or are close to it). While most fans have the playoff race and all that follow it to look forward to, draft season is heating up early for those who can’t bear to watch their favorite professional team anymore. For those unfortunate fans, as well as NFL draft enthusiasts and college football fans alike, here are the Top Prospect Performers from Week 12 of College Football.
Thrashing a disappointing Stanford team by a score of 49-22, Anthony Gordon turned in yet another noteworthy performance with over 500 passing yards and 5 touchdowns to further extend his NCAA lead in both of those categories. In addition to breaking the Washington State single-season record with his 39th touchdown pass of the year, Gordon is now within striking distance of the Pac-12 single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns, which are currently held by Gardner Minshew (4,779, WSU 2018) and Jared Goff/Jake Browning (43, California 2015, UW 2016).
As the regular season winds down and draft talk begins heating up, Gordon will be a very intriguing quarterback prospect to keep an eye on. He redshirted as a sophomore after transferring from junior college and appeared in just 2 games (attempted 5 passes) last season, but Gordon has been nothing short of magnificent after finally being given an opportunity this year. Numbers like this should be expected from a Mike Leach quarterback, but the natural arm talent Gordon displays on a consistent basis cannot be ignored. He isn’t likely to be considered in the first few rounds with the likes of Burrow, Tagovailoa, Herbert, Eason, Hurts, Fromm, and company available, but Gordon has shown more than enough natural ability to warrant a mid/late-round flier, much like his predecessor Minshew.
Projection: 2020 4th/5th round
Zack Moss, cuando no. Fenomenal el corredor de Utah.
#GoUtespic.twitter.com/VyrZkaeCPR
— Football (@LaloFootball) November 17, 2019
Jumping out to a 28-3 lead by halftime, Utah’s elite defense suffocated the UCLA offense in every facet, forcing 5 turnovers. The Bruins’ defensive effort to contain senior RB Zack Moss and the Utah offense proved to be utterly useless as well, as he topped the 100-yard mark for the third consecutive game (6th of the year) and added two rushing touchdowns to extend his 5-game scoring streak. Moss was the focal point of Utah’s offense and he did not disappoint, reaching 200 yards on just 21 total touches.
The upcoming class of running backs is oozing with top-tier talent (D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, Travis Etienne, JK Dobbins, etc.), but Moss doesn’t get the national recognition he deserves. He’s been the Utes’ workhorse since 2017 and has reached 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns all 3 years. His frame (5’10”, 210 pounds) compliments his bruising play style, as he loves to absorb contact and bounce off would-be tacklers. He possesses surprising breakaway speed and has shown some effectiveness as a receiver out of the backfield, but his lateral agility to make tacklers miss will limit his perceived ceiling. He’s an excellent between-the-tackles runner and will excel in a power-run scheme.
Projection: 2020 2nd/3rd round
Ja’Marr Chase 8/227/3 on the night. #Devy #DevyWatch pic.twitter.com/dkQupC9Khg
— Greg Brandt (@devywarehouse) November 17, 2019
The Rebels’s late 4th-quarter run to pull within two scores might have made the game interesting, but Ja’Marr Chase effectively iced it with an incredible 61-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown with just over 5:00 left in the game. LSU’s offense absolutely shredded the Ole Miss secondary, as over 220 of Heisman-frontrunner Joe Burrow’s 489 passing yards came from Chase, along with 3 of his 5 touchdowns.
On the season, Ja’Marr Chase now leads the Tigers in receiving yards (1,116) touchdown receptions (13) and yards-per-catch (20.7). In nine games this season, he has surpassed 100 receiving yards six times (200+ yards twice) and has scored in all but two of those games. Over the last three weeks (Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss), he has accumulated 490 yards on 22 catches (22.3 YPC) to go along with four touchdown receptions. Put simply, Ja’Marr Chase is a threat to score every single time he touches the ball due to his ability to create yards after the catch. He obviously benefits from the presence of a tremendous quarterback, but Chase won’t be draft-eligible until 2021, meaning evaluators will get an entire season to review him without Burrow.
Projection: 2021 Early rounds
AJ Epenesa’s impact is incredible. The Gophs stayed away from him as much as possible, as he was doing whatever he pleased against their LT. That didn’t stop him from doing this. pic.twitter.com/s5M2Uuz4X9
— Travis Wingfield (@WingfieldNFL) November 17, 2019
Minnesota’s undefeated season and CFP dreams came to a halt against Iowa, due in large part to the constant pressure their front seven was able to generate, as the Hawkeyes totaled 6 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Leading the charge was junior EDGE AJ Epenesa, who had 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss himself.
After accumulating 10.5 sacks in a rotational role as a true sophomore, Epenesa was touted as a potential top-five pick coming into this season. He hasn’t sacked opposing quarterbacks at the incredible rate he used to (7 sacks), but Epenesa still looks like a surefire first-rounder, and maybe even the best EDGE in the class. He possesses the ideal frame (6’6″, 280 pounds) for his play style, as he is incredibly strong at the point-of-attack with effective hand usage to shed blocks with precision. His combination of length and strength make for a devastating bullrush off the edge, but he does lack a speed element to his game. Ideally, Epenesa will be drafted into a 4-3 defense where he can set the edge in base packages and kick inside on passing downs, but he is more than capable of eating blocks and wreaking havoc in the run game as a 3-4 defensive end as well.
Projection: 2020 Top-15 Pick
“Ohhh myy – Jon Greenard got in there, Bryant fakes the pitch, and Greenard just wore him like a suit!” pic.twitter.com/rpwyd0K6W7
— libgator (@lib_gator) November 17, 2019
Before Saturday, Missouri had been a difficult place to play this season, as the Tigers were previously 5-0 in Columbia. The Gators came in and completely flipped that narrative on its head, however, as Missouri’s offense sputtered to the tune of just 256 total yards and 6 points. Redshirt senior EDGE Jonathan Greenard was dominant at the line of scrimmage, as he led the team with 6 tackles, 2 sacks, and 5 tackles for loss.
Although he hasn’t replicated Jachai Polite’s pass-rush numbers (11 sacks in 2018) this season, Jonathan Greenard has been stellar against the run and does possess the athletic profile to develop into a solid pass-rusher at the next level. After Chase Young and AJ Epenesa, this year’s EDGE class is quite unsettled, and there’s more than enough time for Greenard to gain some ground. If he can continue this strong finish to the season and carry that momentum into the NFL Scouting Combine, Greenard could shoot up draft boards and maybe even sneak into the back-end of the first round. As of now, however, he’s looking like a day-two prospect with a very high ceiling.
Projection: 2020 2nd/3rd round
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