After nearly eight months, college football has finally returned. Five consecutive days of football kicked off the season and it didn’t disappoint. From playoff hopefuls Ohio State and USC struggling to put away their opponent, to UCLA’s fourth quarter comeback and Alabama reinforcing why they are the team to beat in 2017, week one kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Even the games which weren’t supposed to be thrillers turned out to be compelling. Four FCS teams knocked off FBS opponents, including 45-point underdog Howard. The Bison, led by Cam Newton’s brother Caylin, knocked off UNLV.
NFL scouts however don’t care about the final score. What they watch are the individual performances by those who are eligible for the 2018 NFL Draft. There was plenty to watch on that front as well. Sure it’s just one game, but for some prospects, week one may have featured their toughest one-on-one matchup or only opportunity against a power five opponent. So which prospects helped and hurt their 2018 NFL Draft stock in week one? Let’s start with those who helped themselves on offense.
Stock Up: Offense
Deebo Samuel (WR/KR – South Carolina): Deebo Samuel made his presence felt immediately as the Gamecocks took on North Carolina State by returning the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The 5-foot-11 junior wasn’t done there as he added five receptions for 83 yards and two more scores, one of which came on a one-handed grab in the endzone.
His two receiving touchdowns already surpasses his total from last season and it doesn’t look as if he’ll be slowing down any time soon. Samuel, who led the Gamecocks in receptions and receiving yards last season, appears to have great chemistry with quarterback Jake Bentley. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Samuel eclipse 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air in 2017. His size is a concern and was evident on Bentley’s fourth quarter interception when Samuel lost a jump ball.
Josh Rosen (QB – UCLA): With Josh Rosen now being draft-eligible, there have been an increasing number of reports criticizing everything from his personality to his competitive toughness. An anonymous source even told Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller that the UCLA quarterback is “uncoachable” and “another version of Colin Kaepernick.” While he’ll have to answer to those personality concerns in team meetings, there’s no questioning his toughness and passion for the game after what he helped the Bruins accomplish against Texas A&M.
Much like Tom Brady did in the Super Bowl, Rosen put his team on his back late in the game. Down 44-10 late in the third quarter, UCLA scored 35 unanswered points to win 45-44. The junior quarterback threw for an astounding 292 yards and four touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. He showcased elite competitive toughness as he wouldn’t quit, despite taking a pounding early on. His teammates rallied around him and pulled off the second largest comeback in FBS history.
Once he was given time to throw the ball, Rosen carved up the Aggies defense, especially over the middle of the field. With Josh Allen and Sam Darnold, two other quarterbacks in the running for the top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft struggling, opening week was an especially good one for Rosen.
Troy Fumagalli (TE – Wisconsin): Troy Fumagalli burst onto the scene last year, stepping up when Wisconsin needed him the most. His top performances in 2016 came against LSU, Ohio State and the Rose Bowl against Western Michigan. He picked up right where he left off in week one, leading the Badgers with five catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against Utah State.
The 6-foot-6 tight end has the size advantage on jump balls, but he also displays very good vision that allows him to find the hole in the defense and create separation. That’s exactly what happened on his 23-yard touchdown catch. Fumagalli beat his man off the line of scrimmage and found open space in the middle of the field to give his quarterback a large window in which to place the football. If he continues to develop as a receiving threat, Fumagalli will be one of the first tight ends off the board in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Ronald Jones II (RB – USC): With a struggling quarterback and receivers not doing much to help him out, USC needed someone to step up against Western Michigan. That someone wound up being running back Ronald Jones II. Jones, who has run for over 2,000 yards in two seasons despite splitting carries with Justin Davis, finally had the opportunity to be the featured back.
Jones took full advantage, running for 159 yards and three scores on just 18 carries. This wasn’t a case of USC dominating the line of scrimmage and opening large rushing lanes either. Jones created much of that yardage on his own, and per Pro Football Focus, forced eight missed tackles in the game.
USC RB Ronald Jones looked great in his 2017 season debut: https://t.co/T3nb6R8Y42 pic.twitter.com/gt1XUSyv2X
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 4, 2017
Jones looks stronger this season and is up to 200 pounds according to the school’s official roster. The junior will face a much tougher run defense in week two against Stanford. If he can reel off a similar performance against the Cardinal, Jones will see his 2018 NFL Draft stock continue to rise.
Simmie Cobbs, Jr. (WR – Indiana): After a breakout season in 2015, big things were expected of Simmie Cobbs last year. Instead, the 6-foot-4 receiver was suspended for the season opener and suffered a season-ending ankle injury in his debut. However the wait is over and Cobbs is back to doing what he does best; catching every pass thrown in his direction.
Cobbs excelled against a highly-thought of, yet inexperienced Ohio State secondary, catching 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. The junior showed off a very good catch radius and an ability to make acrobatic grabs. With fellow receiver Nick Westbrook out for the season with a torn ACL, Cobbs will play an even larger role in the Hoosiers offense this season. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be one of the more intriguing names to watch as underclassmen start declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft later this year.
Stock Up: Defense
Josey Jewell (ILB – Iowa): Josey Jewell’s performance in the opener earned him Walter Camp Player of the Week honors. Against Wyoming, the linebacker recorded 14 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, and two sacks of Josh Allen. The only knock on Jewell was a pass breakup that hit off his hands and should have been intercepted.
Jewell is seemingly always in or around the play, however he lacks ideal speed from the middle linebacker position. His instincts make up for that speed in college, but he’ll have to improve his quickness to succeed at the next level. There’s no questioning his success at the collegiate level as he’s well on his way to leading the Hawkeyes in tackles for the third straight season.
Armani Watts (FS – Texas A&M): Based on Josh Rosen’s dismantling of the Texas A&M defense in the fourth quarter, it may be a surprise to see an Aggies defender on this list. However free safety Armani Watts was the best defender for either team and showed why he’s a potential first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
In last year’s battle between Texas A&M and UCLA, Rosen barely had time to unload the football. Now that Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall are in the NFL, opposing quarterbacks won’t have to worry about the pass rush as much. As a result, Watts and the secondary will be tested. While the rest of the secondary collapsed, Watts passed with flying colors.
Watts finished with a game-high 13 tackles in addition to a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Rosen is the best quarterback he’ll face all season, but how he performs against a physical Alabama rushing attack will be just as important to his 2018 NFL Draft stock.
Kemoko Turay (DE – Rutgers): Kemoko Turay was one of the most exciting freshman defenders back in 2014. The edge rusher registered 7.5 sacks despite not starting a game and was named to the freshman all-american team. He’s been fairly quiet since and only started once in his career.
With his college career headed in a downward trajectory, Turay stepped up in his first game as a senior. He still wasn’t a part of the starting lineup, however he took advantage when he was on the field. Turay recorded five tackles and his two quarterback hurries resulted in incompletions in the loss to Washington. Turay has a long way to go to elevate his draft stock to where it was three years ago, but there’s no shortage of NFL teams that will be looking to add a pass rusher in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Stock Down: Offense
Connor Williams (OT – Texas): One of the top offensive tackle prospects eligible for the 2018 NFL Draft, Connor Williams had a disastrous opener. The entire team struggled in the loss to Maryland, but the performance from Williams was especially disappointing.
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The Texas offensive line allowed five sacks in the loss. While none of those were officially given up by Williams, he was beat on a consistent basis. Maryland was able to generate pressure from the right side of the defense for much of the game. Williams struggled against the quicker rushers around the edge as well as against powerful bull rushes. There were also times when he seemed confused by stunts and blitzes and allowed a free rusher.
Late in the fourth quarter as the Longhorns were attempting to mount a comeback, Williams was called for two holding penalties. The big left tackle will need to significantly improve in order to remain a projected first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Josh Allen (QB – Wyoming): A one-year wonder thus far, Josh Allen’s week one performance fell flat. In his second opportunity to shine against a power five school from the Big Ten, Allen showed why he’s not yet ready for the NFL.
Even from a clean pocket, the redshirt junior was rattled. On numerous occasions he left the pocket and threw before setting his feet when there wasn’t any pressure. This lack of poise is going to concern teams who might consider using a top-10 pick on the Wyoming signal caller in the 2018 NFL Draft.
In week one against Iowa, Allen finished 23-of-40 for 174 yards and two interceptions. When adding in last season’s contest versus Nebraska, Allen has thrown one touchdown and seven interceptions in two games versus power five defenses. He’ll get one more shot against a power five team when the Cowboys host the Oregon Ducks on September 16th.
Michael Gallup (WR – Colorado State): In the season opener against Oregon State, Michael Gallup extended his streak of games with over 100 yards receiving to six. However his next test would be much tougher. Taking on Isaiah Oliver and Colorado, Gallup’s streak came to an end.
Colorado lost three defensive backs who were selected in the 2017 draft, but Oliver is still there. When the two matched up head-to-head, Gallup caught four passes for 52 yards, while Oliver broke up two passes on 10 total targets. Gallup was also charged with an offensive pass interference.
Gallup should have another solid performance against Abilene Christian in week two, but the Rams take on Alabama after that. After a disappointing performance against Colorado, he needs to prove he can match up against NFL-caliber cornerbacks such as Tony Brown and Anthony Averett.
Stock Down: Defense
Anthony Averett (CB – Alabama): Speaking of Anthony Averett, the Alabama corner didn’t have his best game in week one either. Going up against the 6-foot-5 Auden Tate, Averett struggled in coverage.
Tate, Florida State’s number one receiver this season, only caught two passes for 41 yards, but it could have been much worse. In addition to losing Tate in coverage on a 38-yard completion, Averett was also called for pass interference against Tate. Averett is a solid cover corner, but he needs to be more physical and not allow bigger receivers the chance to create separation as he did with Tate.
Kenny Young (ILB – UCLA): UCLA’s inside linebacker was a non-factor against Texas A&M. Kenny Young managed just one solo tackle in the game and struggled to wrap up the Aggies ball carriers.
Next: 2018 NFL Draft: QB stock report
On Keith Ford’s two-yard score in the second quarter, the Texas A&M running back was one-on-one with Young in the hole. Ford ran through a lazy tackle attempt by Young right into the endzone. For someone who is supposed to be the Bruins top-rated defensive prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft, this was a disastrous performance.