Thank you for reading my new weekly series Future Stars for rookie prospect stock up/stock down advice and in-depth reactions to the college landscape. Check back every Monday!
Each season, we in the dynasty community get a wonderful preview of the talent that’s about to enter the NFL. College football is one of the most entertaining sports because it combines the exciting thrill of the game we all know and love with a type of rivalry and pageantry that the NFL simply cannot match.
Once upon a time, College Football was the far more marketable product. We here at Dynasty Nerds want to provide our readers with a preview of the players they will see in their rookie drafts over the next couple of years.
The best dynasty managers are the most prepared. To that end, we will bring you a series of articles that highlight some of the biggest names in the college game.
Each article will focus on three players whose stock is up and three who have seen a dip. Our hope is that you will get to know these players throughout the process and be lightyears ahead of the competition when it comes to your future rookie drafts.
Rookie Prospect Stock Up
Tyler Warren | TE | Senior | Penn State
Nailing down the tight end position in college football can be a hard thing. Players who put up massive numbers in the college ranks do not always translate to the next level. As things currently stand, Michigan TE Colston Loveland is at the top of many draft boards. Don’t look now, but he may not even be the best TE in the Big-10. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren has been a revelation. The standout playmaker has gotten better every year at Happy Valley.
Warren is one of the most dynamic tight ends in the nation. Penn State has used him as a blocker, receiver, runner, and passer. He has gotten progressively better every season. He is currently in the top 10 nationally for receiving yards by a TE. Warren has scored TDs as a passer, rusher, and receiver.
What a one-handed catch by Tyler Warren 🤯
— Whistle (@WhistleSports) September 21, 2024
(via @CFBONFOX)
pic.twitter.com/3S9IEX77Y4
Tyler Warren is one of the focal components of the Penn State aerial attack and looks to have the frame and ability to be a high-end starter at the NFL level. While all of your league mates are zeroing in on Loveland, do yourself a favor, and check out Warren. His arrow is firmly pointed up.
Rookie Prospect Stock Up
Bhayshul Tuten | RB | Senior | Virginia Tech
This one was a revelation to me. Few, if any players, in the college ranks have been on a hotter streak to begin the season than Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten. The senior running back is in the top 25 nationally for rushing yards on the season. What you like to see with a player you are unfamiliar with is consistency.
Over the last 4 games, Tuten has gone for more than 100 yards rushing with a nice compliment of TDs. In Week 5, he was the driving engine behind VT nearly upsetting the No. 7-ranked Miami Hurricanes. In the game, he racked up 19 carries for 141 yards and a TD.
Bhayshul Tuten ties things up in Miami with this 55-yard HOUSE CALL 💨pic.twitter.com/3wzQawYI3L
— Caesars Sportsbook & Casino (@CaesarsSports) September 28, 2024
The 2025 RB class looks deep. There is the potential for a major reset in the NFL ranks with the addition of so many excellent young RBs. With that in mind, Tuten is a name to file away. The 5’11”, 209-lb. runner was a stud at HBCU North Carolina A&T before transferring to Virginia Tech. A quick look at his numbers will tell you that he more than belongs at the FBS level. Remember this name when the draft season rolls around.
Rookie Prospect Stock Up
Arch Manning | QB | Freshman | Texas
For our last stock-up player we will look to one of the babies of college football. This one is a straight preview, but one we should take note of nonetheless. That player is Texas Freshman Quarterback Arch Manning. The son of Cooper Manning, the youngster decided to stay in Austin despite the return of multi-year starter Quinn Ewers.
Lo and behold, two weeks ago, Ewers went down with an injury and Manning got a chance to show what he could do. Long story short, he has been fantastic. This past week was no different as he earned his first SEC victory. Just watch him stand in the pocket and take a hit in order to deliver this beautiful ball below.
Sooner or later, Ewers will be back in the lineup for the no. 1 ranked Longhorns. Head Coach Steve Sarkisian will certainly look to lean on the senior as they make a run at the National Championship. However, I cannot stress enough to keep an eye on this kid. He has displayed the excellent passing abilities he no doubt learned and inherited from his grandfather and uncles.
ARCH MANNING 49-YARD TOUCHDOWN TO DEANDRE MOORE JR. 🔥
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 28, 2024
STOOD IN THE POCKET AND DELIVERED A DART 🎯 pic.twitter.com/TaTNIteEIs
However, he also brings an athletic ability that sets him apart from them. Just check out the 67 yard TD run he had against UTSA. Once he gets a chance to take the reins of the team next season—look out—because it will likely be something special to watch. His stock is absolutely pointed up moving forward in Austin.
Rookie Prospect Stock Down
Woody Marks | RB | Senior | USC
It’s always harder to look at which player’s stock is down vs. who is up. Many of the players who are down have been up recently. One such player I saw this week was USC running back Woody Marks. The senior had been on a bender of a run being an instrumental part of the USC offense every week this season. In fact, he never averaged under 4.0 ypc. However, coming off of back-to-back 100-yard games, Marks found the sledding difficult against Wisconsin.
For College Football #DFS players, #USC RB Woody Marks has a good matchup today against Wisconsin. Two-straight 100 yard rushing games, and the #Badgers are ranked 100th in rushing defense. He’s been active as a receiver too. pic.twitter.com/bz1JPiXWL6
— College Football Buzz (@CFBBUZ) September 28, 2024
Despite what looked like a plus matchup against a beatable defense, Marks struggled to amass 63 yards on 19 carries without a touchdown. Marks did manage to contribute 4 catches but didn’t do very much with them after tallying a mere 29 yards. The 13th-ranked Trojans have another plus matchup against Minnesota next week before a critical game against Penn State.
As of now, Marks’ stock is down. In a deep class, you can’t string together too many of these letdown games. Keep an eye on how Marks rebounds next week.
Rookie Prospect Stock Down
Tai Felton | WR | Senior | Maryland
This one stings a bit because I am a big fan of Tai Felton. Living in the State of Maryland, I get to hear quite a bit about the dynamic wide receiver out of College Park. However, this was absolutely a down week. One of the hottest WRs in the nation came to a screeching halt against the streaking Indiana Hoosiers. Felton came in averaging an absurd 10 catches for 151 yards and a TD per game! In this one, he bottomed out with just 5 catches for 38 yards and no score.
Is Tai Felton WR1 in CFB this season? 🐢
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) September 25, 2024
His PFF Ranks Among Power 4 WRs:
– 91.6 PFF Grade (1st)
– 41 Receptions (1st)
– 600 Receiving Yards (2nd)
– 304 Yards AFTER Catch (1st)
– 13 Missed Tackles Forced (1st)
pic.twitter.com/GthcXHvKVg
Despite seeing his stock take a hit in this matchup, I am less apprehensive about this one than Marks. Felton has graded out extremely well in every area leading up to this contest. I fully anticipate a bounceback game next week against a porous Northwestern defense.
My confidence aside, it is hard to argue any way other than Felton had an extremely down week. Be sure to check out the Terps next week to see if this is a trend or just a blip on the radar.
Rookie Prospect Stock Down
Zakhari Franklin | WR | Senior | Illinois
For my final rookie prospect stock down, I am staying in the Big 10. Illinois wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has been one of the better WRs in the nation during this early portion of the season. His big-play ability has helped lead the Illini to a 4-0 start and a place in the Top 25. His momentum came to a halt during Week 5 as he was stifled by the Penn State defense to the tune of 4 catches for 49 yards. These were his fewest catches and yards since a Week 1 blowout against an overmatched Eastern Illinois squad.
3rd down Zakhari Franklin pic.twitter.com/38qyhs9eWm
— Illinois Football Focus (@IlliniFB) September 28, 2024
Despite the loss, Franklin and the Illini have enjoyed a hot start to the season. With 7 games left in his final college season, Franklin will certainly contend for his 3rd 1,000-yard campaign of his career. If he can regain his early season form, Franklin could find himself going in the mid-rounds of the upcoming NFL draft.
If you watched this game, you would see that he and his QB Luke Altmyer were just off on a handful of plays that would have made his final line look much different. That aside, his numbers are down, and with them, his rookie prospect stock as well.
