Scout's Eye - College Football Week Ten Preview
- John B. Everett
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
As we enter the last month of the college season, teams are jockeying for playoff positioning and two games in the SEC and one huge contest in the Big 12 will have a lot of say in who is still in contention for a playoff berth after this weekend. Several NFL prospects will be on the field on Saturday including QBs Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati) and John Mateer (Oklahoma), RBs Tawee Walker and Evan Pryor (Cincinnati), OT Spencer Fano (Utah), EDGEs John Henry Daley (Utah), R. Mason Thomas, Marvin Jones (Oklahoma), and Tyreak Sapp (Florida), IDL Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati) and Caleb Banks (Florida), LBs Lander Barton (Utah), CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson (Georgia), Kip Lewis (Oklahoma), and Arion Carter (Tennessee), and CBs Matthew McDoom (Cincinnati) and Daylen Everette (Georgia).
Game of the Week
(17) Cincinnati at (24) Utah
Saturday, November 1. 10:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm PT
Cincinnati Prospects to Keep an Eye On:
· QB Brendan Sorsby
· RB Tawee Walker
· TE Joe Royer
· IDL Dontay Corleone
· CB Matthew McDoom
Utah Prospects to Keep an Eye On:
· QB Devon Dampier
· OT Spencer Fano
· IOL Michael Mokofisi
· EDGE John Henry Daley
· LB Lander Barton
The Bearcats are one of the biggest surprises of the college football season as they sit tied for first in the Big 12 – tied with BYU at 5-0 in the conference – and control their own destiny for playing for a conference championship and an automatic bid to the college football playoffs. But the road gets significantly tougher as Cincinnati has a late-night test against Utah on Saturday night. QB Brendan Sorsby is having a fantastic senior season and is playing the best ball of his career in 2025, completing 65.2% of his passes for 20 TDs against only 1 INT on the year through the air while adding 425 yards rushing (6.2 YPC) and another 7 TDs on the ground so far this season. Sorsby is the rare experienced senior QB – with 19 career starts – who is getting better with more playing time and is playing the best football of his career this season. Sorsby will need to be on his game against the fast and aggressive Utes defense on Saturday night. The Bearcats have excellent offensive balance and feature a talented RB duo in Evan Pryor and Tawee Walker, who already have rushed for 944 yards combined so far this season. Walker, a transfer from Wisconsin where he rushed for 864 yards last season, runs like a bowling ball doused in gasoline and lit on fire – Walker will either bounce off or run over the defender due to his excellent contact balance, pad level, and forward lean. Walker has already gained 466 yards rushing, gaining a healthy 5.2 YPC, and 4 TDs while catching 9 passes for 44 yards and 1 TD on the season. Maintaining this offensive balance is key on Saturday night. TE Joe Royer, a transfer from Ohio State, is one of the best TEs in the nation and is playing his best ball as a senior. Royer has already scored 4 TDs, exceeding his career high of 3 set last season, and has 22 receptions for 340 yards (15.5 YPR) so far this season. Royer, in his second season starting at Cincinnati, has developed into a mid-round draft candidate for the 2026 NFL Draft who looks like he could be an eventual starter in the NFL. Royer is a quality run blocker who is dangerous over the middle of the field, especially on third down. IDL Dontay Corleone is the highest ranked Bearcat draft prospect in this game and could be the first defensive tackle selected next spring. Corleone (6’1” / 335 lbs) has not been putting up much in the way of statistics with only 10 total tackles with no sacks or TFLs recorded so far this season. But Corleone is an elite run stuffer who clogs up the middle of the line and consistently requires double teams. Corleone allows the LBs to fly all over the field and the EDGEs to face mostly single blocking, making him an invaluable member of the Bearcats defense. CB Matthew McDoom, owner of one of the best surnames in college football, has been a starter his entire college career, first at Coastal Carolina, and for the last two seasons in Cincinnati. McDoom (5’9” / 180 lbs) lacks the size to stay outside in the NFL but has the agility and instincts desired inside covering the slot. McDoom has one INT recorded this season which he returned for a 100-yard TD against Oklahoma State and grades out as a late round draft selection or a priority UDFA next summer.
The Utes Big 12 title hopes are on life support after suffering two conference losses and if they drop Saturday night’s home game against Cincinnati, they can kiss their playoff hopes good-bye. QB Devon Dampier play has been uneven with moments of brilliant plays surrounded by poor decisions and untimely errors. Dampier has an extremely strong arm and his statistics are solid – 138/201 (68.7%) / 1,375 yds / 13 TD / 4 INT – but his accuracy on intermediate passes is streaky, particularly when he is under duress when his mechanics go out the window. But Dampier is a terrific athlete and one of the best running QBs in the nation (80 carries / 442 yds / 5.5 YPC / 5 TDs). He will need to be on his game to beat a talented and hungry Cincinnati defense. OT Spencer Fano projects as a likely first round draft pick next spring (if he declares) and although he plays ORT for the Utes, he could project to blindside duties in the NFL. Fano (6’6” / 302 lbs) has the length, bend, and feet desired for OLT and looks like a natural for the position. Regardless, Fano is a special talent who likely will not be waiting long before hearing his name called on draft night. IOL Michael Mokofisi is not nearly the NFL prospect that his teammate Fano is, but that does not mean that he doesn’t have an NFL future. Mokofisi is a tough, physical, hard-nosed player with the mean streak desired in an OL. Mokofisi is likely to start his pro career on the practice squad but he looks like an eventual solid NFL contributor. EDGE John Henry Daley, in his first year as a starter, has been an impactful surprise as one of the best pass rushers in the nation this season. Through eight games, Daley has 9.5 sacks, 13.5 TFLs, and 2 forced fumbles and has been a constant headache for opposing QBs all season long. How the Bearcats try to neutralize Daley is something to keep an eye on Saturday night. LB Lander Barton will not be available in the first half of the game Saturday night after being ejected for targeting late in the second half of last week’s loss to BYU. Barton is also the Utes’ number three TE, meaning his loss will be felt on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Barton (6’5” / 236 lbs), a starting LB when healthy, has NFL length and instincts and could be an eventual starting LB in the NFL.
Other Noteworthy Games
(5) Georgia v Florida
Saturday, November 1. 3:30 pm ET / 12:30 pm PT
The 2025 version of the “World’s Largest Cocktail Party” may not be quite the marquee matchup that it has been known for in the past but in this time of parity at the top of the SEC (six teams have one or fewer conference losses as we begin November), this game takes on greater importance. Georgia (6-1 / 4-1), is one game back from SEC leaders Texas A&M and Alabama and cannot afford a slip up this late in the conference season. WR Zachariah Branch is QB Gunner Stockton’s favorite target in the passing game and serves as a valuable outlet receiver when Stockton is under duress. Branch has 35 receptions for 362 yards (10.3 YPR) and 2 TDs, almost all short passes completed near the LOS, which limits the number of explosive plays he is involved in, despite his fantastic speed and agility. It is just a matter of time before Branch gets the ball in space and takes the catch the distance. And it couldn’t come fast enough for the Georgia fanbase. LB Raylen Wilson has had a very solid season and gives the Bulldogs one of the best pair of LBs in the nation – along with CJ Allen – and he will need to be on his game as the Gators are likely to feed RB Jadan Baugh, who is coming off a season-high 150 yards rushing against Mississippi State. Wilson is an excellent run defender with the read and react skills desired to shut down the inside run. Florida OT Austin Barber is one of the more underrated OT prospects in the nation. Barber has over two dozen career starts as the Gators’ blindside protector and he handles both speed and power well as a pass protector. The 2026 NFL OT class potentially looks exceptional and Barber may suffer and fall farther down draft boards than his talent dictates. Regardless, Barber has starting potential in the NFL. Barber should hear his name called early on day three of the draft next April. A name to keep an eye out for next April is Florida DT Caleb Banks, who may be the most athletically gifted IDL in the nation. Banks (6’6” / 330 lbs) has fantastic size and owns one of the best first steps off the snap in college football. He flashes great strength and a tremendous burst – a truly scary combination considering his size. Banks has trouble staying healthy and has missed more than two games so far this season but when he is on the field, he is a handful for opposing OL to contain. Georgia will need to neutralize Banks if they hope to escape Jacksonville with a victory Saturday afternoon.
(10) Oklahoma at (14) Tennessee
Saturday, November 1. 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT
The Sooners and Volunteers enter Saturday night’s battle with their playoff hopes on life support. Oklahoma QB John Mateer has come back to Earth after looking like the Heisman favorite early in the season. Statistically, Mateer is having a productive season – 150/236 (63.6%) / 1,790 yards / 8 TDs / 6 INTs through the air and 226 yards (2.9 YPC) and 5 TDs on the ground. But closer analysis reveals that Mateer’s accuracy and efficiency declines rapidly when under duress and he makes some poor decisions in crunch time. Mateer needs to play well on Saturday night if the Sooners’ playoff hopes are to survive Neyland Stadium at night. EDGE R. Mason Thomas has started to come on as the season has progressed, recording all 5.5 sacks in SEC play. Thomas, one of the most dynamic pass rushers in the nation, has recorded 22 total tackles, 6 TFLs, and 1 forced fumble so far this season. Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell is rapidly ascending draft boards this fall as he has finally started to tap into his immense potential. Brazzell has proven to be one of the most dangerous deep threats in the nation and has caught 43 passes for 740 yards (17.2 YPR) and 8 TDs on the season. The weakest part of the Sooners’ defense is the secondary and the Vols should look to use Brazzell to exploit that weakness. CB Jermod McCoy has yet to be cleared from his ACL injury and has not suited up this season. McCoy may end up redshirting but the Vols’ still are planning on playing McCoy when he is available. Prior to the season, McCoy was a projected first-round draft pick and getting him back for Saturday’s game would be a boon for Tennessee’s playoff hopes.
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