Scout's Eye - Week Six College Football Preview
- John B. Everett
- Oct 2
- 8 min read
Last weekend’s games were dramatic, down-to-the-wire affairs that will have a huge influence on the conference title and national playoff races. Oregon, Alabama, and Ole Miss all earned impressive victories last weekend and have an inside track to a playoff berth this December. Three games this Saturday – Miami at Florida State, Vanderbilt at Alabama, and Texas at Florida - will factor into conference title races and feature potential first-round picks in Carson Beck, Francis Mauigoa, Rueben Bain (Miami, Fl), Darrell Jackson (Florida State), Kadyn Proctor, Domani Jackson (Alabama), Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt), Arch Manning, Anthony Hill (Texas), Jake Slaughter, Tyreak Sapp, and Caleb Banks (Florida).
Game of the Week
(3) Miami at (18) Florida State
Saturday, September 27. 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT
Miami Prospects to Keep an Eye On:
· QB Carson Beck
· RB Mark Fletcher
· IOL James Brockermeyer
· IDL-EDGE Akheem Mesidor
· LB Mohamed Toure
Florida State Prospects to Keep an Eye On:
· QB Tommy Castellanos
· RB Gavin Sawchuk
· OT Gunnar Hansen
· CB Jerry Wilson
· S Earl Little
Perhaps the game of the year in the ACC as third ranked Miami travels to Tallahassee to face rival and 18th ranked Florida State, with the winner of Saturday night’s game possibly earning a spot in the ACC championship game in December. QB Carson Beck is back to his old self (read- 2023) and looks ready to ascend to the top of the 2026 NFL Draft class. Beck (6’4” / 220 lbs) is the most consistent so far this season of the potential top QB prospects for next spring’s draft – fellow potential first round QBs Arch Manning (Texas), Drew Allar (Penn State), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), and Cade Klubnik (Clemson) have all struggled so far this season – and Beck has elevated the performance of the Hurricanes’ offense and will be expected to do so again on Saturday night. Beck has thrown for 972 yards (73.2%), 7 TDs, and 3 INTs during Miami’s 4-0 start. Miami’s offense has been balanced this season, meaning that Beck is not tasked with carrying the offense, and a major reason why has been the consistency of the ground attack. RB Mark Fletcher is in his third year of contributing to the Hurricanes offense and has improved this year as the team’s number one RB. Fletcher (6’2” / 225 lbs) is built for inside running and is playing the best ball of his career this season as he has already run for 388 yards and 5 TDs and is averaging a career high 5.9 YPC. Fletcher is a big and powerful runner who is nearly impossible to stop near the goal line and is a reliable outlet receiver. FSU’s Darrell Jackson is a huge, run-stuffing force and how the Seminoles squeeze down the inside run lanes is a fascinating subplot to watch play out. Center James Brockermeyer is a fifth-year senior with experience in the SEC (Alabama) and Big 12 (TCU) and gives the Hurricanes a smart pivot to hold down the middle. Brockermeyer (6’3” / 295 lbs) lacks some desired strength and can be overwhelmed by power at times, but he plays with sound fundamentals, understands leverage and positioning, and has good feet and movement skills. How Brockermeyer fares against Jackson will be closely scrutinized by scouts next winter. Although more people are aware of teammate and potential top 20 pick EDGE Rueben Bain, that does not mean that the scouting community is not aware of Akheem Mesidor, the hulking EDGE who is a load to handle in his own right. Mesidor (6’3” / 280 lbs) has the versatility to slide up and down the LOS and take advantage of mismatches. Mesidor has had a solid start to the season, recording 2.5 sacks and 3 TFLs so far and is a consistently effective run stopper. Mesidor could feast if the Seminoles focus their blocking schemes on Bain and leave Mesidor against single blocking Saturday night. LB Mohamed Toure has tremendous speed and range and is an explosive hitter – Toure looks like an NFL LB. The problem with Toure (6’2” / 235 lbs) is that he missed the 2022 and 2024 seasons with ACL injuries and his health is a major concern. If Toure can stay healthy this year, he will be in an NFL camp next year and may very well get drafted next April.
Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos has stabilized the QB position in Tallahassee this season and when he is on his game, plays like Kyler Murray and is a load for the defense to handle. But when he is off his game, Castellanos (5’11” / 201 lbs) makes some head-scratching decisions at inopportune times and turnovers follow. Through FSU’s 3-1 start, Castellanos is completing 64.3% of his passes for 848 yards, 4 TDs, and 3 INTs and has rushed for 217 yards (5.3 YPC). Castellanos has to make smarter decisions on Saturday night or the Seminoles are likely to lose their second consecutive conference game and endanger the Seminoles playoff hopes. RB Gavin Sawchuk was a revelation as a true freshman in 2023 at Oklahoma when he rushed for 744 yards (6.2 YPC) and 9 TDs, but has struggled to stay on the field since and has not been able to duplicate that level of performance. Through four games, it looks like Sawchuk (5’11” / 202 lbs) might be back to full health as he has rushed for 234 yards (5.6 YPC) and 6 TDs and looks decisive and quick. If Sawchuk can establish the run against the Hurricanes defense, the Seminoles will be in a good position to win. OT Gunnar Hansen is quietly having an outstanding season in Tallahassee. The Seminoles OLT is a well-schooled technician with enough lateral agility to stay on the outside in the NFL. But Hansen (6’5” / 330 lbs) has the body type and playing style that seems ideally suited for sliding inside to guard at the next level. Hansen will be lined up across from Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor Saturday evening in the match-ups that may help determine the winner of the game. CB Jerry Wilson is an ultra-quick and competitive CB who may lack desired size but has the quickness and instincts that NFL teams look for in their CBs. Wilson (5’10” / 183 lbs) recorded 2 INTs against East Texas A&M and now has 7 total INTs over the last three seasons (2023 at Houston, 2024-2025 at Florida State). Safety Earl Little, a transfer from Alabama, was a 5-star recruit who never found success in Tuscaloosa, has finally earned substantial playing time this season, and is beginning to show flashes of his immense potential. Little (6’1” / 193 lbs) has the fluidity and length desired to play anywhere in the secondary but seems to do his best work near the line of scrimmage (LOS). Little has recorded 28 tackles and his first career INT this season and he will need to be on top of his game against Carson Beck and the Hurricanes attack.
Other Noteworthy Games
(16) Vanderbilt at (10) Alabama
Saturday, September 27. 3:30 pm ET / 12:30 pm PT
Undefeated Vanderbilt, who are off to their best start since 2008, visit Alabama in a key SEC game with conference title and national playoff implications. Yes, that isn’t a typo! Vanderbilt is no longer a joke. At least, not as long as Diego Pavia is the QB in Nashville. Pavia (6’0” / 207 lbs) is a gutsy, tough, hard-nosed old-fashioned QB that your great grandfather grew up watching – think a combination of Bobby Layne and Sonny Jurgensen – who teammates and coaches respond exceedingly well to. There may be no QB in the nation who elevates his teammates performance as much as Pavia lifts his team. Pavia has 1,211 yards passing (74.6%) with 13 TDs, 3 INTs and another 294 yards (6.1 YPC) and 2 TDs on the ground. Pavia, a dark horse Heisman candidate, is a fun player to watch and a headache for opposing coaches to prepare for. Khordae Sydnor, a transfer from Purdue, possesses NFL measureables for an EDGE – 6’4” / 266 lbs – and has quietly produced 12 sacks (including 2.5 this season) over his career. Sydnor needs to set a strong edge and put some pressure on Tide QB Ty Simpson for the Commodores to beat Bama two consecutive seasons. Simpson (6’2” / 208 lbs) has patiently waited his turn behind two future NFL QBs in Tuscaloosa (Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe) and looks like he has an NFL future himself. Simpson is cerebral, athletic, and rarely forces the ball, preferring to go to his next progression instead. Simpson has yet to throw an INT while throwing 11 TDs and 1,138 yards (69.3%) in his first year as the starter. IDL Tim Keenan is a mammoth presence in the middle of the Tide’s defensive line and looks like a perfect fit as a NT in an odd man front. Keenan (6’2” / 320 lbs) displays natural power and a low center of gravity and requires double teams to consistently neutralize in the run game. Keenan is not overly quick or agile and offers little as a pass rusher and ultimately, he may only be a two-down player in the NFL.
(9) Texas at Florida
Saturday, September 27. 3:30 pm ET / 12:30 pm PT
Texas Longhorns fans have had to re-set expectations for QB Arch Manning, who clearly is not ready for the NFL. But that should not be surprising considering his lack of game experience. All in all, Manning (6’4” / 219 lbs) is doing a good job managing the Longhorns offense – 888 yards passing (61.7%) for 9 TDs and 3 INTs through the air while adding 123 yards (4.4 YPC) and 5 TDs on the ground through four games. Since the loss to Ohio State in the season opener, Texas has been feasting on cupcakes – San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston – and now the real competition in the SEC begins. LB Anthony Hill has yet to cut it loose but has every physical attribute needed to play off the ball LB in the NFL - size, range, fluidity, and explosiveness. Hill (6’3” / 238 lbs) has recorded only 17 tackles (as well as 2 forced fumbles) so far, but the junior has the speed needed at the second level in the NFL and he offers enticing blitzing ability for a creative defensive coordinator. But more will be expected of the junior as SEC play begins. It is still hot in northern Florida this time of year but nowhere in the Sunshine State is it as scorching as it is in Gainesville right now for Florida coach Billy Napier. The Gators have stumbled to a 1-3 start and their gauntlet of playing Top 25 teams is not over – not by a longshot. It would not be surprising if Napier is the next coach to lose his job. If the Gators are to beat the Longhorns, establishing the ground game and taking the pressure off DJ Lagway, the struggling Florida QB, would make sense. One of the best centers in America, Jake Slaughter has more than two dozen career starts and looks like a future ten-year starter in the NFL. Slaughter (6’4” / 303 lbs) is a well-rounded pivot who can handle both quickness and a powerful NT on his nose. Slaughter could go in the top 40 picks next April. IDL Caleb Banks may be the freakiest athlete amongst any potential 2026 DTs – he is huge (6’6” / 330 lbs) but moves like a 235 lb LB with great agility and explosiveness. Banks flashes tantalizing attributes, including length, power, and burst, that every team covets in the NFL. But between his limited availability due to injuries and tendency to disappear for long stretches, Banks has only teased what he could be. If Banks is healthy, his raw skills could create issues for the Longhorns’ young and relatively inexperienced offensive line.
SNS |
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