With so many implications for the College Football Playoff, there was a ton of hype for the Championship Week games. Many delivered. The Big Ten Championship between Indiana and Ohio State turned out to be a competitive
defensive battle. A late missed field goal sealed the Buckeyes’ fate as they fell to the Hoosiers. It took overtime to settle the ACC Championship. UVA put together an impressive drive to tie the game late, but an interception by the Cavaliers ended the game and made the Blue Devils champs.
Other games were not that competitive. BYU hung with Texas Tech for the first half of the Big 12 Championship, but Texas Tech’s stingy defense and quick-strike offense handed BYU their second loss to the Red Raiders this season. Alabama could not get much going offensively thanks to Georgia’s defense and never had much of a chance in the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs easily walked away with the conference title. Wins by JMU in the Sun Belt Championship and Tulane in the American Championship were huge for those schools. Kennesaw State, Western Michigan, and Boise State round out the remaining conference winners.
The College Football Playoff is set and filled with controversy. The top-four seeds are Indiana as the #1 seed followed by Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech. Oregon is the #5 seed and, thanks to Duke’s win over UVA, will face #12 JMU in the first round. Ole Miss, the #6 seed, will face a familiar foe in #11 Tulane, a team they’ve played 72 times since 1893. Tulane is hoping to beat the Rebels for the first time since 1988. The #7 seed, Texas A&M, will host the only ACC representative in playoff, Miami. The last game of the first round of the playoffs will be #8 Oklahoma hosting #9 Alabama. How a three-loss Alabama team not only made the playoff but didn’t even drop in ranking after losing to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game is beyond me. Nonetheless, here’s hoping there are competitive, entertaining games throughout the playoffs.
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. This wraps up Future Hogs for 2025. I’m going to take a little break, but will be back soon with 2026 NFL Draft profiles soon.
Darian Mensah | QB | RS Sophomore | Duke
With an ACC Championship under his belt and only being a redshirt sophomore, I suspect Darian Mensah will return to Duke or enter the transfer portal. Mensah is more of a pocket passer than quarterbacks I’ve featured this season, but he has shown to be a prolific passer with tools needed to succeed in the NFL. Mensah has a strong arm and isn’t afraid to push the ball downfield. His mechanics are good and he stays on balance as a passer, but he can throw accurate passes off platform. Mensah’s not a runner, but he has enough mobility to navigate the pocket and scramble to pass. He needs to work on his touch passes and layering throws over intermediate defenders. Another thing that probably will concern people is Mensah’s frame at 6’3” and around 200 lbs. Mensah went 19 of 25 for 196 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick – only his fifth of the season – in the win over UVA.
Jalen Buckley | RB | RS Junior | Western Michigan
This came down to either Wayne Knight – no, not of Seinfeld and Jurassic Park fame – from JMU or Jalen Buckley. Both are juniors that had great games, but I chose Buckley because he has the size of a prototypical NFL running back. Buckley is 5’11”, 210 lbs, but he is incredibly quick at that size. The Broncos deploy a lot of zone runs, and it takes advantage of Buckley’s quickness and vision. Once he’s in space, Buckley can run away from a defense, but I don’t think he’ll do it as often in the NFL. Although his vision, burst, and speed are a few off his best attributes, Buckley can run through contact and break tackles. Buckley isn’t elusive in the open field, opting to run over or run past defenders. He also doesn’t contribute much in the passing game. Buckley finished the MAC Championship with 19 carries for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
Zachariah Branch | WR | Junior | Georgia
After being one of Caleb Williams’ main targets at USC, Branch transferred to Georgia where he quickly became a go-to option for Gunner Stockton. Branch is only 5’10”, 180 lbs, but he is solidly built at that size. His quickness, speed, and agility make it hard for defenders to get their hands on him. At USC, Branch relied heavily on his physical traits to play receiver, but at Georgia, he has grown in the technical aspects of playing receiver. He’s improved his route running, makes tough catches over the middle of the field, and offers a ton of YAC ability. He also offers value as a returner. My worry is that he might be limited to the slot if he can’t win outside consistently. Branch finished the win over Alabama with five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Terrance Carter, Jr. | TE | Junior | Texas Tech
Terrance Carter, Jr. didn’t have the most impressive numbers in the Red Raiders’ win over BYU: three catches for 22 yards and a rush attempt for 12 yards. I still wanted to mention him as a receiving tight end that has a lot of potential. After 689 yards receiving in his third season at Louisiana, he transferred to Texas Tech and made a big impact for the Red Raiders with 552 yards receiving this season. At 6’2”, 245 lbs, he’s a smaller tight end, but that allows him to move fluidly and slip tackles after the catch. He is a competitive blocker who wins his fair share of battles, but there is room for growth in this area.
Pat McMurtrie | OT | Senior | JMU
I mentioned JMU’s running back Wayne Knight had a big Sun Belt Championship game, but this offensive line has been opening holes for him all season. Right tackle Pat McMurtrie has helped lead the way for Knight and propel the Dukes to the College Football Playoff. While he plays right tackle, I think he might need to kick inside to guard. He has the temperament and the play strength. At 6’5”, 305 lbs, McMurtie has a very good anchor in pass protection. That strength is evident as a run blocker as well. He has enough athleticism to be an effective puller, but he has to improve his ability to neutralize defenders in space. McMurtrie is also an older prospect, so there is a question of how much more he can grow as a player. Check out #76 below.
Xavier Holmes | DE | RS Senior | JMU
Freshman Sahir White had the most impressive game against Troy, but Xavier Holmes was right behind him. The two made it difficult for the Trojans to pass all night. Holmes is a smaller end at 6’3”, 238 lbs, and it might be difficult for him to put on more weight since he’s an older prospect. Even if he doesn’t he could be a situational pass rusher that uses his speed to beat tackles around the edge. Holmes also has a high motor, constantly working to get pressure on the quarterback. Holmes finished the Sun Belt Championship Game with three tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Ben Roberts | LB | Junior | Texas Tech
BYU tried to hang with Texas Tech, but Ben Roberts and the Red Raider defense limited BYU to an opening drive touchdown. Roberts showed up big, especially in coverage. He’s smooth as he drops into zone coverage and he moves well as he reads the quarterback and trusts his eyes to take him to where the ball will go. Roberts is also a solid tackler with good stopping power, using his 6’3”, 240 lb frame to fill running lanes. He finished the day with five tackles and two interceptions.
Davison Igbinosun | CB | Senior | Ohio State
While Davison Igbinosun helped the Buckeyes win a national championship last year, he was also one of the most penalized cornerbacks in college football. This season, he has reduced those penalties while still providing tight coverage. His length at 6’2”, 195 lbs, makes it hard for receivers to get open against him. He is physical in coverage, but has found a way to be physical without getting calls this season. That physicality translates to his run support and his tackling. Athletic testing will be big for Igbinosun as I don’t know if he has the speed NFL talent evaluators look for. He finished the Big Ten Championship game with four tackles and an interception.
Louis Moore | Safety | RS Senior | Indiana
Louis Moore has been making plays for the Hoosiers all season long. The 5’11”, 200 lb former JUCO wide receiver has helped patrol the middle of the field to prevent deep and intermediate pass plays. He does this with excellent recognition and reaction to the play in front of him. I don’t know if he has the speed to consistently play deep safety at the next level, but his instincts and preparation could help him play faster. He can come from depth quickly to play the run where he has good hitting power, rarely missing a tackle. Moore helped the Hoosiers take home the Big Ten Championship with six tackles and an interception, his sixth on the season.
