There were not many surprises in Week 13 of the college football season. SEC teams like Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama played non-power conference and were never threatened with a loss. Oklahoma got the win over Missouri in a fairly low-scoring game. In the Big 12, BYU handled Cincinnati to remain in the playoff discussion while Utah squeaked out a win over Kansas State in a game that featured explosive scoring. The win over the Wildcats couldn’t keep the Utes in the top 12 of the playoff rankings
as Miami replaced them after their win over Virginia Tech. Ohio State continued its winning ways over Rutgers, staying at the top of the Big Ten and the College Football Playoff rankings. The question is who will be the non-power conference representative in the playoff. Tulane is in the driver’s seat for spot after a win over Temple, but a loss will open the door for other teams.
Week 14 is Rivalry Week and no game is more highly anticipated than Ohio State vs. Michigan. Michigan has beaten Ohio State four straight seasons. Can they make it five and knock the Buckeyes from the ranks of the unbeaten? Speaking of unbeatens, Texas A&M will face a Texas team who is playing their best football of the season. An in-state rivalry that could be more competitive than previous seasons is Georgia vs. Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have cooled off after a hot start, but could pull off an upset. Vanderbilt will face Tennessee as the higher ranked team and the ability to put itself in the college football playoff conversation. Miami will try to stay in that conversation by beating Pittsburgh. The Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn should be a competitive game.
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.
Rocco Becht | QB | RS Junior| Iowa State
Not long ago, Brock Purdy was a late round pick out of Iowa State that turned into a starter in he NFL. The current Cyclones quarterback looks to follow in his footsteps. Becht, at 6’1”, 210 lbs, is a similar size to Purdy and has a similar game. He doesn’t have the biggest arm, but it’s strong enough to make NFL throws. When he plays on time, the throws are accurate to the short and intermediate areas of the field. His throwing mechanics are clean and he has enough mobility to navigate the pocket or scramble to get out of trouble. There are areas where Becht needs to improve. He needs to speed up his processing of the defense. It can lead to him hesitating to make passes, giving time for the pass rush to get to him. When he is pressured, his accuracy can take a dip. Ideally, he’d sit behind Jayden Daniels and work through these issues. In a win over Kansas, Becht had an efficient game: 18 of 23 for 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Kejon Owens | RB | RS Senior | Florida International
If the Commanders prioritize other positions in the draft, a player that could be a late pick or UDFA is FIU’s Kejon Owens. Owens is 5’11”, 210 lbs, and just became the FIU recordholder for rushing yards in a single season. He has quick feet that allow him to make cuts at the line and find open space on the perimeter. He also has the vision to pick his way through the line of scrimmage and into the defense’s second level. He does not have break away speed or evade tacklers in space, but has shown the ability to run with power and break tackles. Owens ran for 135 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts in a win over Jacksonville State.
Tre Richardson | WR | Junior | Vanderbilt
At 5’10, 175 lbs, Tre Richardson is a small receiver. That didn’t matter against Kentucky as he used his speed to run past any defender on the field. Given his size and the fact he is only a junior, I suspect he’ll return to school. If he doesn’t, teams will like his speed to beat corners deep and ability to track the ball downfield. He will have to diversify his route tree as the Commodores often use him to run defenders out of the play and create space for others. Richardson had six catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
Max Klare | TE | Junior | Ohio State
With the Buckeyes’ top pass catchers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate out, Max Klare stepped up as receiving option in the Buckeyes’ win over Rutgers. Klare is a 6’3”, 243 lb transfer from Purdue. As an athlete, he is quick and fluid, easily getting to where he needs to be on the field. When he runs a route, he looks more like a big wideout rather than a tight end. He is a reliable receiver who can give you some yards after the catch, but is unlikely to make defenders miss in space.. He’s a good blocker that will only get better as he gets stronger. If Klare declares for the draft, he’s in the conversation to be the second tight end after Kenyon Sadiq of Oregon. Klare made seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Scarlet Knights.
Emmanuel Pregnon | OG | RS Senior | Oregon
Each year, Oregon has one of the best offensive lines in college football. The best player from that group this year might be Emmanuel Pregnon, a transfer from USC, the team Oregon beat this weekend. Pregnon is a well-built 318 lbs and stands 6’5”. He moves incredibly well at that size, but plays with a lot of power. Once he gets his hands on a defender and anchors in pass pro, he’s hard to beat. His athleticism makes him versatile enough to block in a zone or gap blocking scheme. One thing he can clean up is he can stop his feet on contact with a defender, leaving him susceptible to a defender’s counter moves. Even with that, he’s a strong candidate to be a Day 2 pick.
Zion Young| DE | Senior | Missouri
The Tigers suffered a loss to Oklahoma, but its defense limited the Sooners to only 16 points. The pass rush was able to get pressure on the Sooners with Zion Young leading the way. The 6’5”, 262 lb, transfer from Michigan State is long-limbed and uses that length to his advantage. Length and strength are calling cards of Young’s game. Young is quick off the line, catching blockers off guard as he goes around them or crosses their face on inside rushes. Young needs to refine his game by improving his hand usage and developing and deploying more counter moves, but he should become a reliable starting defensive end at the next level. Young finished the game against the Sooners with five tackles, two for a loss, and a sack.
Bryce Boettcher | LB | Senior | Oregon
Bryce Boettcher doesn’t even have to play football. He’s already been drafted by the Houston Astros. However, he will probably make more of a mark as a linebacker. A former walk-on and defensive back, Boettcher has good size for the position at 6’2”, 232 lbs. He is quick, which allows him to beat blockers in the run game and make plays. While Boettcher doesn’t have elite athletic traits, his understanding of the game helps him to play faster. He’s disciplined, rarely taking himself out of position on defense. Boettcher’s a sure tackler and his defensive back background helps him drop into coverage. He needs to continue to get stronger so he can stack and shed NFL linemen. Boettcher had 13 tackles, one for a loss, in the win over USC. He also had a rushing TD.
Colton Hood | CB | RS Sophomore| Tennessee
Jermod McCoy was supposed to be the top corner for Tennessee this season, but an injury sidelined him. Colton Hood, a transfer via Auburn and Colorado, has filled in admirably. Hood is a physical cornerback that’s solidly built at 6’0”, 195 lbs. He can disrupt the timing of a route in press, or he can play off where his reaction time allows him to break on passes. He has good footwork and agility to stick with receivers throughout their routes. He can get beaten by biting on the first move, but has shown to have good makeup speed and he can get himself back in the play. Against Florida, Hood had four tackles.
Aamaris Brown | Safety | RS Senior | UNLV
From Kansas State to South Florida to UNLV, Brown is well-travelled. What he got along the way was experience playing not only safety but slot defender and outside corner. He shows great awareness in coverage and does a fantastic job locating the ball to make a play on it. It is why he has four interceptions and two pick-sixes this season. What will limit brown at the next level is his size at 5’10”, 195 lbs; a little less than ideal for an NFL safety. That doesn’t mean Brown isn’t physical as he defends the run well and executes well-timed blitzes. Brown helped the Rebels take down Hawaii with five tackles, two of them for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.
