Welcome back! The college football season is nearly half completed. If you’re new to this article, the goal is to bring you the top upcoming dynasty prospects to watch in nationally televised college football games. It’s never too early to take a look forward. Who will be the sleepers of upcoming rookie drafts? Check back here every week for my ‘Weekly Watch’ series before you head into the weekend. Use this article each week as a place to refer back to as you get ready to watch each game.
How this article works:
I’ll give you the network, time, and teams playing in nationally televised games. Below that, I’ll list the respective schools’ prospects that are, in my opinion, worth mentioning, their position, the year they are eligible to enter the NFL Draft, and their listed heights and weights.
Feel free to reach out on Twitter (@THEtristancook) if you have players you think deserve to be mentioned in next week’s article.
#2 Ohio State @ Northwestern
Saturday, 11/5 | 12:00 PM ET, ABC
#2 Ohio State
CJ Stroud #7, QB 2023 (6’3, 218)
The top player of note for Ohio State is their quarterback, CJ Stroud. He is currently the frontrunner for the Heisman and one of the favorites for the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. There isn’t much left for Stroud to do at the collegiate level, but this week’s matchup against a good Penn State defense should be a nice showcase for him. Stroud will likely be one of the top-3 picks in Superflex rookie next year.
TreVeyon Henderson #32, RB 2024 (5’10, 214)
The next player to watch is TreVeyon Henderson. He’s my RB1 in 2024 and is for nearly everyone. Henderson has struggled a bit with his health this year, but I’m not concerned about his long-term outlook. Barring anything major changing, he’ll be the top running back in his class.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11, WR 2023 (6’1, 200) ***INJURED***
Well, the return of Jaxon Smith-Njigba was rather short-lived. He injured himself again, and at this point, I would be surprised if we see much of JSN for the rest of the year. He will have to show that he’s healthy in the pre-draft process and will likely have a bit of an ‘injury-prone’ label, but I’m still expecting him to be a first-round NFL draft player.
Northwestern
Evan Hull #26, RB 2023 (5’10, 210)
The player to know for Northwestern is their do-it-all running back, Evan Hull. I think there’s a role for him at the NFL level if he can find the right system. I wouldn’t expect him to get drafted earlier than Day 3 of the NFL Draft, but he’s the type of player that could have a 10-year career and be a viable fantasy option for a solid stretch of his career.
Texas Tech @ #7 TCU
Saturday, 11/5 | 12:00 PM ET, FOX
#7 TCU
Quinten Johnston #1, WR 2023 (6’4, 215)
TCU has two players that I’m interested in. First and foremost, I’ll be watching Quinten Johnston. He has now had four strong games in a row for TCU and is finally showing off some of the physical tools that made him so intriguing. It’s easy to see the upside with Johnston, and I’m encouraged by this recent production. I have seen some people have him mocked as the top wide receiver taken in the upcoming draft. While I agree that the physical tools and upside are both there, I worry about his inconsistency.
Kendre Miller #33, RB 2023 (6’0, 220)
The other player on this roster that I’ll be watching this week is Kendre Miller. Miller has looked good this season and is making a claim for Day 2 NFL Draft capital. I am not sure if he’ll get there, but he’s continued to impress all season. I expect to see him be the focal point of the rushing attack for the #7 Horned Frogs this week.
Florida @ Texas A&M
Saturday, 11/5 | 12:00 PM ET, ESPN
Florida
Anthony Richardson #15, QB 2023 (6’4, 232)
The player I’ll be watching closely when Florida has the ball is their quarterback, Anthony Richardson. I think there’s a very high likelihood that he ends up returning to Gainsville for another season. He struggled against Georgia last week, completing under 50% of his passes. However, I’ve seen him ranked high enough in this potential upcoming quarterback class, so there’s still a chance he declares.
#1 Tennessee @ #3 Georgia
Saturday, 11/5 | 3:30 PM ET, CBS
#1 Tennessee
Hendon Hooker #5, QB 2023 (6’4, 218)
For Tennessee, Hendon Hooker has been unbelievable. The Volunteers are ranked #1, and Hooker is a frontrunner for Heisman. I’ve even seen his name in the first round of NFL mock drafts. However, I’m not much of a believer in his NFL potential. He has the size and has looked impressive at times, but I’m wary. He’s a fifth-year player who took a long time to break out. I think he’ll probably play his way into a Day 2 NFL pick, but I will likely be out on him.
Jalin Hyatt #11, WR 2023 (6’0, 180)
Hooker’s top target this year has been junior receiver Jalin Hyatt. He doesn’t quite have the size of fellow WRs Bru McCoy and Cedric Tillman, but Hyatt has been the top option thus far. Hyatt had the monster 6 catch, 5 touchdown game in the aforementioned upset of Alabama that vaulted him up NFL Draft boards. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hyatt declare after this year, but as of now, I think he’s most likely a late Day 2 pick or early Day 3 pick in the NFL Draft.
#2 Georgia
Darnell Washington #0, TE 2023 (6’7, 270)
The two players I’m watching for Georgia are both tight ends. The first guy to know is Darnell Washington. If you aren’t familiar with him, he’s the massive human that treated us to this play in Week 1:
He’s had a strong year for Georgia, and I expect him to declare for the NFL Draft. Washington’s size and athleticism will get him drafted into the NFL. He’ll likely be a Day 3 pick, so I’ll be targeting him later in rookie drafts. If your league has a taxi squad, he’s a prime candidate.
Brock Bowers #19, TE 2024 (6’4, 230)
The other tight end to know for Georgia is sophomore Brock Bowers. He doesn’t quite have the size of Darnell Washington but is currently the leading candidate to be the TE1 in 2024. Bowers is the best offensive weapon that Georgia has, but I’d like to see him bulk up a little before going into the NFL. Having said that, I’m not concerned if he doesn’t add too much weight. Bowers is an amazing athlete, as he’s shown some impressive speed on tight-end jet sweeps.
#6 Alabama @ #10 LSU
Saturday, 11/5 | 7:00 PM ET, ABC
#6 Alabama
Bryce Young #9, QB 2023 (6’0, 194)
The main player to know for Alabama is still Bryce Young. He was all the way down at QB3 in Mel Kiper’s latest QB rankings, but he’s still my QB1. Young and Stroud are miles ahead of anyone else in the class right now, but I would take Young first. I would take him at 1.01 of Superflex drafts if they were today.
Jahmyr Gibbs #1, RB 2023 (5’11, 210)
Gibbs is the other player I’ll be watching. He had his worst game of the year last week, only rushing for 37 yards on 10 carries. I think Gibbs is a very good running back, and he is currently my RB2. I think it’ll be a toss up between Bigsby and Gibbs for my final rankings, but we will see.
#10 LSU
Kayshon Boutte #7, WR 2023 (6’0, 205)
For LSU, the main player to watch is Kayshon Boutte. The third-year receiver hasn’t exactly looked great this year. But, I am not too worried about his on-field production, although it would be nice to see him do something more than we’ve seen this year. Boutte is still my WR1, but that gap has narrowed to Jordan Addison and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Auburn @ Mississippi State
Saturday, 11/5 | 7:30 PM ET, ESPN 2
Auburn
Tank Bigsby #4, RB 2023 (6’0, 213)
The player to know for Auburn is junior Tank Bigsby. He had a promising freshman season in 2020, but his sophomore campaign was a bit up-and-down. I have been a fan of Bigsby and think he’s a bit undervalued. He has dropped down to my RB3 in the class. I seem to be higher on Bigsby than most, but he’s in the group with Alabama’s Gibbs and Ole Miss’ Zach Evans for RB2 for me.
Mississippi State
Will Rogers #2, QB 2023 (6’2, 210)
When the Bulldogs have the ball, I will be watching Will Rogers sling the ball all over the field. We know Mike Leach offenses are conducive to massive passing numbers, and this one is no different. Rogers had his worst game of the year last week against Alabama, but I expect to see him look much better this week.
That’s it for this week’s games. As I previously mentioned, if there is anyone you’d like me to take a look at, or want to share your thoughts on anything dynasty related, hit me up on Twitter ( @THEtristancook ). Also, check out tape on some of these guys in the Dynasty Nerds Film Room. It’s an amazing tool that I plan to take full advantage of. You can use the code “tcook” for 15% off a membership of any kind!
