Tennessee at No. 19 Florida
Saturday, September 21st at 3:30 pm CBS
Prospects: #70 Ja’Wuan James and #74 Antonio Richardson- OT (Tenn) vs. #2 Dominique Easley- DL (Fla)
With the early struggles of defensive linemen like Tennessee’s Daniel McCullers and Notre Dame’s Stephon Tuitt, Dominique Easley has a chance to continue his rise. Easley is a versatile defender who can both stuff the run and make plays in the backfield.
He faces what will likely be his toughest test of the season against Tennessee’s talented offensive line. I have tackles Ja’Wuan James and Antonio Richardson both rated as first-round prospects. A dominant performance for Easley would maintain his positive buzz.
Purdue at No. 24 Wisconsin
Saturday, September 21st at 3:30 pm ABC/ESPN2
Prospects: #79 Ryan Groy- OT (Wisc) vs. #99 Ryan Russell- DE (Pur)
Purdue’s Ryan Russell continues to fly under the radar despite his solid play. His quickness off the ball and non-stop motor makes him a matchup issue for opposing offensives. Russell has a chance to make a statement this weekend against the always tough Wisconsin offensive line.
Ryan Groy is one of the players tasked with handling Russell, and this is also an important matchup for him. Groy has the size to excel at the next level but struggles against quicker pass rushers.He’ll need to be at the top of his game to protect the edge against Russell.
No. 23 Arizona State at No. 5 Stanford
Saturday, September 21st at 7:00 pm Fox
Prospects: #1 Marion Grice-RB and #90 Will Sutton- DT (Arz St) vs. #54 David Yankey-OG, #11 Shayne Skov and #17 AJ Tarpley-LB (Stan)
The draft stock of Arizona State’s Will Sutton is one of the more debated topics of the past few weeks. His limited size and arm length is a major concern, but he has still found a way to produce. It’s his quickness off the ball and tenacity that helps him make impact plays.
He’ll have a chance to show he’s able to succeed against top talent when he takes on a Stanford offensive line that features prospects like guard David Yankey.
On the other side of the ball, Marion Grice’s speed should help him to exploit Stanford linebackers Shayne Skov and AJ Tarpley. Neither possesses the quickness or range to keep Grice in check.
Auburn at No. 6 LSU
Saturday, September 21st at 7:45 pm ESPN
Prospects: #21 Tre Mason-RB and #30 Dee Ford-DE (Aub) vs. #70 La’el Collins-OT, #18 Lamin Barrow-LB, #6 Craig Loston-S and #90 Anthony Johnson-DT (LSU)
This year’s running back class features more overall talent than last year, but ranking them is a fluid situation. Auburn’s Tre Mason is in the mix to be one of the first running backs off the board. However, he needs a highly productive game against LSU to gain some momentum.
Mason uses his solid frame and explosiveness to move the chains. He can both push the pile with his powerful legs and outpace defensive angles. The issue is that he has only 206 yards over the first three games. He’ll have a tough time upping that total against a talented LSU defense.
Speaking of that defense, Lamin Barrow and Craig Loston both need to make sure they take proper angles to the football this weekend. Mason has the speed to score from anywhere on the field and it will only take one mistake to see that happen.
I’m excited to see LSU’s La’el Collins protect the edge against Auburn’s Dee Ford. This will be a good test to see if Collins can really hold up in space.