Week 11 saw many of the top teams in the College Football Playoff rankings get wins. Ohio State, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia all won fairly easily against conference opponents. Indiana and Oregon needed late-game heroics in order to win, but got it done when it mattered. The big matchup of the weekend came courtesy of the Big 12, as unbeaten BYU faced Texas Tech. The Red Raiders defense, led by linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and pass rushers David Bailey and Romello Height, suffocated BYU and handed
the Cougars their first loss. BYU fell to #12 in the College Football Playoff rankings, still higher than any other ACC team.
Week 12 matchups feature two games in the SEC with playoff implications. #4 Alabama will face #11 Oklahoma, and #5 Georgia faces #10 Texas. The top team in the SEC, #3 Texas A&M, will have a home game against South Carolina. The Big Ten’s top teams have some interesting matchups. UCLA has pulled off improbable wins, but can they take down #1 Ohio State? Wisconsin upset Washington last week and will look for another upset this week against #2 Indiana. #9 Notre Dame needs to be on upset alert on the road against #22 Pittsburgh.
Below are a few players who had a good week and might be able to help out the Commanders. Let me know what you think about these prospects and feel free to post players that stood out to you.
Joe Fagnano | QB | Senior| UConn
Earlier this season, I mentioned UConn wide receiver Skyler Bell as a draft prospect that could help the Commanders. His quarterback should be on their radar too. Joe Fagnano has not played a lot of Power Five competition, but he is putting up quality stats against whomever he plays. The 6’4”, 225 lb signal caller has the second-most passing yards in college football to go with 25 TDs and not a single interception. Clearly, he is making good decisions, but he is also an accurate passer. He has just a slight windup in his throwing motion, but his mechanics are fairly clean otherwise. He’s also mobile enough to threaten a defense with his legs. Two concerns for Fagnano as a prospect. One, he’s 25, and two, he’s suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the past. Fagnano went 28 of 40 for 316 yards and three touchdowns while adding 51 yards on the ground in a win over Duke.
Emmett Johnson | RB | Junior | Notre Dame
Sacrilege for a football team in Washington to have a running back named Emmett! This Emmett might be worth it. Emmett Johnson, the 5’11”, 200 lb running back for the Cornhuskers has topped 1,000 yards rushing for the season along with 300 yards in the passing game. Johnson has excellent burst and quickness. Watch and you’ll see him explode through the line or accelerate away from defenders after securing a catch. He’s not a power runner that breaks a ton of tackles, but his quick cuts allow him to elude defenders in space. In a win over UCLA, Johnson ran for 129 yards and a touchdown on 28 attempts and caught three passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
Ian Strong | WR | Junior | Rutgers
Sorry, Maryland fans, but Rutgers got the better of you this past weekend with Ian Strong being a big reason why. The big receiving target has been productive all season for the Scarlet Knights. At 6’3”, 211 lbs, Strong is too physical for many corners that try to press him. Once he defeats press, he stacks defenders and has enough speed to beat them downfield. If they play off him, he is a good enough route runner to use slants and curls to make positive yardage. My concern now is, despite strong hands and the ability to make contested catches, how much separation he’ll create at the next level. Strong had five catches for 88 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Terps.
Benjamin Brahmer | TE | Junior | Iowa State
The statline for Benjamin Brahmer isn’t the most impressive with just one catch for 27 yards and a touchdown, but he’s an interesting prospect to consider if he declares for the draft. He’s a huge target at 6’7”, 255 lbs, one of the reasons he has the second-most receiving touchdowns as a tight end. It also makes him an excellent target in the middle of the field. As a blocker, he certainly has a willingness and flashes good technique and leverage in the run game. Look at #18 control his defender and get him to the ground on the running play below.
Vega Ioane | OG | RS Junior | Penn State
This is not the season Penn State hoped for: highly touted QB out for the season, head coach fired, longest losing streak in a long time. Yet, they almost pulled off an upset of Indiana. One of their most consistent players has been Vega Ioane. Arguably the best guard in this class, Ioane is a behemoth at 6’4”, 328 lbs. If he squares you up and gets his hands on you, he’s going to put you on skates or on the ground. It is a testament to how strong he is. He can also do some pulling and some zone blocking, but it isn’t the strongest part of his game. He’s very much a phone booth player that needs to improve his lateral quickness. With that said, his physicality and toughness would be welcome additions to the Commanders’ line.
Isaiah Smith | DE | Senior| SMU
The Commanders need pass rush help and should consider it early in the 2026 NFL Draft. If they want to add another pass rusher late in the draft, or as an undrafted free agent, Isaiah Smith is a player to watch. A DC native and St. John’s alum, Smith has been productive for the Mustangs for several seasons. He is a slightly smaller defensive end with a lean build at 6’4”, 248 lbs, but he uses his length to beat tackles around the edge. If that doesn’t work, Smith has shown the ability to uses heavy hands to stun blockers or bull rush them. He has a high motor and never gives up on a play. What will have him be a later pick is the lack of explosion and speed at the position, and the need to develop additional pass rush moves. Smith left it all out on the field against Boston College with nine tackles, four tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks.
Sonny Styles | LB | Senior | Ohio State
Sonny Styles began his career at Ohio State as a safety but transitioned to linebacker permanently last season. Styles mans the middle of the Buckeyes’ defense and brings the instincts and athleticism of a safety to the position. This allows him to not only play sideline to sideline and blitz effectively, but to drop in coverage and make an impact there. The safety background allows him to play man or zone well. Styles has prototypical size at 6’5”, 243 lbs and plays like it. He has no problem taking on blockers, but he needs to continue improving his ability to shed those blockers to make plays. Styles had five total tackles and a PBU in the Buckeyes win over Purdue.
Will Lee III | CB | Senior | Texas A&M
Texas A&M had no problem with Missouri this past weekend. There is a ton of draft-eligible talent on the field for the Aggies, from receiver KC Concepcion to pass rusher Cashius Howell. One player that should get a little more attention is corner Will Lee III. He’s worked his way up from JUCO to Kansas State to Texas A&M. Now, he’s the top corner and it’s easy to see why. Lee has very long arms that he uses to press receivers and get his hands on passes. He has good footwork and agility to stay in phase with receivers throughout routes. If there is a concern I have about Lee III, it’s his long speed. He’s stayed with NFL-caliber receivers downfield, but he’s also had to use his length to recover when beat deep. Lee isn’t shy about making hits. He finished the game against Missouri with three tackles and a PBU.
Keionte Scott| Safety | Senior | Miami
Miami won comfortably over Syracuse with their defense playing a major role. They shut out the Orange in the first half and only allowed 10 points in the game. Safety Keionte Scott was instrumental in the success of the defense. The 6’0”, 195 lb transfer from Auburn is a physical player that throws his body around to make plays, but he plays with discipline. Scott plays more of a strong safety role for the Hurricanes, patrolling the short and intermediate areas of the field. His excellent closing speed allows him to run down receivers in the flat, blitz from the slot, or break on passes. He finished the day with a sack, a pass deflection, and a pick six.
