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.
#4 Florida State @ Wake Forest
Saturday, 10/28 | 12:00 PM ET, ABC
#4 Florida State
Jordan Travis #13, QB 2024 (6’1”, 212)
Florida State has quite a few players that I’ll be watching closely. The first name on that list is their quarterback, Travis. He has led the Seminoles to an undefeated 7-0 record and a resurgence in the national spotlight. While Travis has been instrumental in the success of Florida State, I still have some questions about how well his game will translate to the next level. The pre-draft process is going to be extra important for him as I think he currently is viewed as more of a collegiate quarterback than an NFL prospect.
Trey Benson #3, RB 2024 (6’1”, 223)
The next player to know for FSU is their junior running back, Benson. Coming into the 2023 season, he had quite a lot of attention from the NFL Draft community. Benson had a big breakout year in 2022 and was looking to jump into the discussion as one of the top RBs in the 2024 class. Unfortunately, he’s been rather underwhelming in 2023. Outside of his big game against Virginia Tech, he hasn’t really done much. I think there’s a good chance he will come back for 2024.
Keon Coleman #4, WR 2024 (6’4”, 215)
The final player to note is Coleman. I’ve been seeing his name rise higher and higher in mock drafts as the year has progressed. At this point, it is looking like Coleman could end up getting drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. If that happens, he will be a first-round dynasty rookie pick as well. The potential ceiling for Coleman is as high as nearly anyone in this class, so it wouldn’t shock me to see him get picked early.
Wake Forest
Jahmal Banks #80, WR 2024 (6’4”, 205)
For Wake Forest, the player I’ll be watching most closely is their junior wideout, Banks. He is in the midst of another solid season for the Demon Deacons, leading the team in every major receiving category. Banks is a solid college receiver who could earn a shot at the NFL level. He is a fourth-year player but can come back for one more year due to the COVID season if he chooses to. I think Banks should come back, but we’ll see what he chooses to do.
South Carolina @ Texas A&M
Saturday, 10/28 | 12:00 PM ET, ESPN
South Carolina
Xavier Legette #17, WR 2024 (6’3”, 227)
The man to know in this game when South Carolina has the ball is their fifth-year receiver, Legette. Despite being limited to one catch for ten yards last week against Missouri, Legette is having a breakout season for the Gamecocks. Legette is most likely going to be a mid-round NFL pick. But he could end up being a great value a little bit later in rookie drafts.
Texas A&M
Evan Stewart #1, WR 2025 (6’0”, 175)
On the A&M side of the ball, the top player of note is Stewart. He is one of a few candidates to be the top receiver in the 2025 class. Despite being a little bit slender, Stewart has displayed the ability to run every route and make contested catches everywhere on the field. Right now, I have Stewart slightly behind Missouri’s Luther Burden III, but there’s still a lot of football to be played between now and the 2025 NFL Draft.
BYU @ #7 Texas
Saturday, 10/28 | 3:30 PM ET, ABC
#7 Texas
Xavier Worthy #1, WR 2024 (6’1”, 172)
I am curious to see how this Texas team will look after the injury to Quinn Ewers, but the players to watch haven’t changed. The first one up is junior WR Worthy. He has played well of late and really all year, outside of a few dropped passes. The biggest knock against him was, and still is, his size. However, I think the modern NFL game suits Worthy’s dynamic speed and elusiveness. He has shown the ability to produce despite his size. Worthy is vying for the WR2 spot in my rankings with OSU’s Egbuka.
Adonai Mitchell #5, WR 2024 (6’4”, 196)
Texas has another potentially high 2024 NFL Draft selection in wideout Mitchell. Unlike Worthy, at 6’4″ inches tall, Mitchell has the prototypical NFL receiver frame. He has been a lot less consistent of a producer for the Longhorns this season but will likely be drafted in the first two days of the NFL Draft. I am eager to see how he and the rest of the Texas pass catchers step up with either Maalik Murphy or Arch Manning under center.
#3 Ohio State @ Wisconsin
Saturday, 10/28 | 7:30 PM ET, NBC
#3 Ohio State
Marvin Harrison Jr. #18, WR 2024 (6’4”, 205)
The players to know for Ohio State still haven’t changed. It’s not out of the question that the top three rookie picks in non-super flex leagues this upcoming year could all be from OSU, with Harrison leading that group. After being slowed down against Notre Dame a few weeks ago, MHJ has torn up his last three opponents. I didn’t really have any areas of uncertainty for Harrison, but it’s been nice to see him step up while his teammates were out with injuries.
TreVeyon Henderson #32, RB 2024 (5’10”, 214)
Ohio State’s next player to watch is Henderson. However, I’m not sure what to expect from Henderson. It looks like he’s expected to make his return to the field after missing more than a month. At this point, it looks more likely than not that Henderson returns to Columbus for another year, but there’s still a chance he will take his talents to the NFL at the end of 2023. If he does declare, I think he could easily be a top-100 NFL pick.
Emeka Egbuka #2, WR 2024 (6’1”, 206)
Egbuka is the final Buckeye player I will note. He, along with many other receivers, are vying for the WR2 ranking in this class behind Harrison. Egbuka is also expected to return to the field for Ohio State. I have a large tier of wideouts vying for the WR2 spot in the 2024 class, and Egbuka has been leading that charge. However, I think there’s a razor-thin margin between the prospects at that tier. It wouldn’t surprise me if any one of a handful of guys ended up being ranked as the WR2 for me.
Wisconsin
Braelon Allen #0, RB 2024 (6’2”, 245)
On the Wisconsin side of the ball, the only player I am going to be watching is Allen. A year ago, this game was an exciting opportunity to watch the top-two running backs in the 2024 class. However, after underwhelming for most of the last year, both Allen and the aforementioned Henderson have lost a little bit of their shine. I still have these two as my top backs in this class, but it’s a toss-up for the top spot. This Ohio State defense will be a good opportunity for Allen to show off against a top-tier college defense.
Colorado @ #23 UCLA
Saturday, 10/28 | 7:30 PM ET, ABC
Colorado
Travis Hunter #12, WR/CB 2025 (6’1, 185)
The first player I’ll be watching in this game is Colorado’s two-way star, Hunter. The last time we saw the Buffs and Hunter on the field, they had just lost in double overtime to Stanford. Hunter had one of his best games on offense but one of his worst games on defense. It’s really hard to predict what the NFL will eventually think of Hunter, but if he ends up playing on the offensive side of the ball, he’s someone I want on my fantasy team.
Shedeur Sanders #2, QB 2024 (6’2, 215)
Sanders is the next player to watch in this game. Despite throwing the game-sealing interception against Stanford, Sanders lit up the stat sheet. He continues to make plays all over the field and is garnering more and more draft buzz. He is eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft and has been ranked quite highly in the draft community, but I expect Sanders to come back for another year in Boulder.
Xavier Weaver #10, WR 2024 (6’1, 180)
The final name to know for Colorado is senior wide receiver, Weaver. If the Buffs are going to be competitive in this game, they will need another big performance from Weaver. He had a big seven-catch, 124-yard, two-touchdown game through the air against Stanford and added another score on the ground. I think Weaver will garner some interest from the NFL but will likely be a mid-to-late-round draft pick.
#23 UCLA
J. Michael Sturdivant #1, WR 2024 (6’3”, 205)
On the UCLA side of the ball, the player to know is Sturdivant. He is having a nice but unspectacular season for the Bruins. Sturdivant is a former five-star recruit who transferred from Cal prior to this season. He has the physical traits to be an impact player at the next level, but I believe the pre-draft process will be extra important for Sturdivant if he chooses to declare after this year.
#11 Oregon State @ Arizona
Saturday, 10/28 | 10:30 PM ET, ESPN
#11 Oregon State
Damien Martinez #6, RB 2025 (6’0”, 232)
On the Oregon State side, there is one main player that I’ll be watching. Like many Oregon State teams of years past, this team focuses heavily on the running game. That means we will see sophomore running back Martinez utilized early and often. Martinez isn’t an all-world prospect by any means, but he could easily earn a role at the NFL level and is someone to monitor into next season.
Arizona
Jacob Cowing #2, WR 2024 (5’11”, 175)
The first name to know for the Wildcats is Cowing. It was a little surprising to me that he came back for a fifth season instead of declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. Cowing had a monster game in the 3OT loss to USC a few weeks ago. He caught ten passes for 88 yards and four scores. I am eager to see how he tests during the pre-draft process. I expect him to be a mid-round pick unless he really surprises with his testing scores.
Tetairoa McMillan #4, WR 2025 (6’5”, 210)
The other player I’ll be watching is sophomore sensation McMillan. He had a strong true freshman season in 2022 and has built upon that so far in 2023. McMillan still has another full year before he can declare for the NFL Draft, but it wouldn’t shock me if he ended up in the WR1 discussion for the 2025 class. I’ll be up late watching this game and am eager to see how he looks against a good Oregon State defense.
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!
