Hello and welcome back! College football is back! 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.
#3 FSU @ Boston College
Saturday, 9/16 | 12:00 PM ET, ABC
#3 FSU
Jordan Travis #13, QB 2024 (6’1, 212)
I’ll mainly only be focusing when Florida State has the ball. They have a few players that I’ll be watching closely. Jordan Travis has come a long way during his time in Tallahassee. The Seminoles are a top-3 team, and Jordan Travis is one of the hotter names in college football this year. I think Travis needs to prove that he can make NFL throws and be more consistent if he’s going to succeed at the next level, but he has been very good this year.
Johnny Wilson #14, WR 2024 (6’7, 237)
Johnny Wilson is the next player to note for FSU. At 6’7, Wilson is hard to miss on the football field. He is a bit of a polarizing player and hard to project at the next level. Wilson had a nice performance in the opening game against LSU but isn’t completely healthy. If he plays, I expect to see him heavily utilized.
Keon Coleman #4, WR 2024 (6’4, 215)
The final player to note is Keon Coleman. Like Wilson, Coleman started the season with a bang. So far on the young season, Coleman has 12 receptions for 170 yards and 4 scores. Coleman isn’t quite as physically imposing as Johnny Wilson, but he has been dominant at the catch point and has become one of the go-to targets for Jordan Travis. I could see his name rising up draft boards as the year progresses.
#7 Penn State @ Illinois
Saturday, 9/16 | 12:00 PM ET, FOX
#7 Penn State
Nicholas Singleton #10, RB 2025 (6’0, 224)
There are two players to know for the Nittany Lions, and they are not eligible until next year at the earliest. First, we have running back Nicholas Singleton. He has been splitting carries with fellow sophomore Kaytron Allen but is the more talented runner. Singleton has penciled his name into the RB1 spot for the 2025 class and is a player you will want to know.
Drew Allar #15, QB 2025 (6’5, 243)
The other player for Penn State is their quarterback, Drew Allar. He has been impressive to start the season, completing over 78% of his passes, including four scores. However, Allar hasn’t exactly played the toughest competition. It’s still early to project into 2025, but Allar could easily be one of the top QB prospects.
South Carolina @ #1 Georgia
Saturday, 9/16 | 3:30 PM ET, CBS
South Carolina
Spencer Rattler #7, QB 2024 (6’1, 217)
The only player of note for South Carolina is QB Spencer Rattler. If you’re not familiar with Rattler, he’s had a tumultuous collegiate career that saw his NFL stock tank dramatically. Rattler is off to a nice start this year, but at this point, he is nothing more than a mid-round prospect. If he continues to play well, he might sneak into Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
#1 Georgia
Brock Bowers #19, TE 2024 (6’5, 240)
The main player to know for Georgia is their superstar tight end, Brock Bowers. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Georgia has a really good TE prospect. There isn’t much that Bowers can’t do and do well on a football field. He’s my TE1 in the class and could be a top-15 NFL Draft pick.
Minnesota @ #20 North Carolina
Saturday, 9/16 | 3:30 PM ET, ESPN
#20 North Carolina
Drake Maye #10, QB 2024 (6’4, 230)
The main attraction in this game is UNC’s Drake Maye. He’s had an underwhelming start to what should likely be his final season at North Carolina. The Tar Heels are running the ball quite a lot more than last year, and Maye doesn’t have the weapons he did in 2022. However, I am not worried about Drake Maye as an NFL prospect. He’s still firmly locked into my QB2 spot, and I don’t think that will change.
Western Kentucky @ #6 Ohio State
Saturday, 9/16 | 4:00 PM ET, FOX
#6 Ohio State
Marvin Harrison Jr. #18, WR 2024 (6’4, 205)
The players to know for Ohio State haven’t changed. There are a few that are projected to be top dynasty picks. The first player of note is Marvin Harrison Jr. MHJ had a big game last week after a slow start against Indiana. I expect to see more of what we saw last week going forward. Harrison is projected as a top 5 NFL pick and should be off the board by pick 4 in all dynasty rookie drafts. He’s my top-ranked receiver and will be a joy to watch all year.
TreVeyon Henderson #32, RB 2024 (5’10, 214)
Ohio State’s next player to watch is TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson hasn’t done much this year yet, but I still have him ranked as my top RB in the upcoming class. All I am hoping for out of Henderson this season is his health. If he can get through the year without any injuries, he should test well and be one of the top RBs taken in rookie drafts next year.
Emeka Egbuka #2, WR 2024 (6’1, 206)
Emeka Egbuka is the final player, I will note. He also started the season slow but had a nice 5-catch, 94-yard, 1-score game last week against Youngstown State. He was recently ranked as the #18 overall player in Mel Kiper’s first 2024 NFL draft rankings. The biggest question for Egbuka and this offense hasn’t changed. This team isn’t as explosive as last year with CJ Stroud. However, it shouldn’t impact your prospect rankings of these three.
Colorado State @ #18 Colorado
Saturday, 9/16 | 10:00 PM ET, ESPN
#18 Colorado
Travis Hunter #12, WR/CB 2025 (6’1, 185)
The eyes of the college football world remain on Boulder, Colorado, and the resurgent Buffaloes. There are plenty of reasons why the Buffs are playing well, but the two players at the center of the turnaround are Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. Hunter has been nothing short of amazing in 2023, playing seemingly every snap on offense and defense. The only questions with him are if he can keep this up and if he’ll ultimately switch to defense at the next level. I expect to see him play a little bit less in this game, as the Buffs are significant favorites for the first time in quite some time.
Shedeur Sanders #2, QB 2024 (6’2, 215)
Shedeur Sanders is the other player to know in this game. Sanders’ stock has skyrocketed as he has the entire state of Colorado abuzz. Sanders is draft-eligible this season and has been ranked as high as QB3 in some recent mock drafts. If the Buffs keep playing well, Sanders (and Hunter) will see their draft stock rise.
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!
