Stock Up Week 1: Five Guys Who Raised Their Draft Stock

 

Ken Noble

In my weekly rendition of 5 guys I will highlight five NCAA players that stood out each week. We will focus on players with draft aspirations in the 2022 NFL Draft only. Therefore, you wont see guys like Bryce Young or other under classmen in this section. That’s not to say some of them aren’t deserving, but they’ll have their time in a year or two. With that being said, let’s see who caught my attention in week 1 of the 2021 season.

 

Kenneth Walker III RB (Michigan State) vs Youngstown St. in Week 2

So Walker was already on the Doak Walker watch list this season, but no one expected him to go off like he did in week one. Walker joined the Spartans this January after transferring from Wake Forrest. While there he rushed for 1,158 yards and 17 touchdowns on 217 carries in just 20 games over two seasons.

So far he looks like a great addition. I would even argue he deserved to be named player of the week. All he did was carry the ball 23 times for 264 yards and a measly 4 TD’s to lead Michigan State past Northwestern. Northwestern is a team usually known for its stout defense.

In week 2, Walker and the Spartans draw what should be an easy game against Youngstown St. I’d like to see Walker continue to pad his stats and I’ll be watching to see if he can become a weapon in the passing game as well.

 

Justyn Ross WR (Clemson) vs SC State in Week 2

Clemson Tigers WR

Clemson Tigers wide receiver Justyn Ross (8).

Okay, I know Ross didn’t go off or make any game changing plays against Georgia. However, one could argue that him playing at all was the bright spot of the Clemson’s offense. Last March he was injured in a spring practice and was diagnosed with a spinal injury. We all know a spinal injury is a scary one given the danger of playing football.

Ross was a one time top NFL Prospect at his position and now he has to prove he is back and healthy. We still have him rated very high on our top 50. Taking the field in week one was just the beginning. After recording 1,800 plus yard and 17 TD’s in his first two seasons, he managed just 4 catches for 26 yards Saturday.

With what should be an easy rebound game for Clemson against SC State, I will be rooting for Ross to return to form. He should be able to get some early chances against the Bulldogs who gave up over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air to Alabama A&M in week 1.

Kevin Austin WR (Notre Dame) vs Stanford in Week 2

When I turned on the Notre Dame game I didn’t expect Austin to stand out like he did. However his play demands attention. Austin has been a practice standout that hasn’t been able to transfer his play to games, until now. Austin was the number 14 WR recruit in the country according to 247 sports.

As a freshman in 2018 he played in four games and caught just 5 passes. He then faced off field issues and after being suspended for the beginning of the 2019 season he ended up missing the entire season. Then in 2020 he injured his foot and missed almost the entire season.

Austin never ran from the struggle and has returned to the field for Brian Kelly in a big way. He caught just four passes but had 91 yards and a TD on a beautiful over the shoulder throw from Jack Coan. I thought Austin looked ready to play and be a weapon. With the emergence of Austin, defenses will have to respect the passing game and  that will open things up for other Irish offensive weapons.

With a week two match up against Stanford I’ll be watching to see if Austin can build upon his solid week one performance. Stanford is a well coached team and shouldn’t give up easily. I expect to see Kevin have to work against a seasoned secondary.

Zachary Carter DL (Florida) vs South Florida in Week 2

Carter is a redshirt senior for the Gators and has always been a solid player but not a dominant one. In week one he hit the easy button against FAU. I know they aren’t the best competition for the Gators, but three sacks in a game is a big deal. Carter looked stout against the run as well.

Florida Gators Defensive endCarter was graded as a fourth round pick last draft season by some sites and it looks like he has his sights set higher than that. He led the team with 5 sacks last season and after just one game he is already 60% of the way to tying that.

In week two against South Florida he will face another suspect offensive line. If he can dominate again we should start hearing his name more and more often. I’ll be watching to see if he can continue to add to his pass rush arsenal. We know he has a good bull rush but I want to see more finesse. I specifically want to watch him when he plays the five technique, as that’s where I have the most questions.

Olakunle Fatukasi LB (Rutgers) vs Syracuse in Week 2

Rutgers linebackerWhen Fatukasi used his extra year of eligibility to return to the Scarlet Knights it caught my attention. He had already built a heck of a resume as a NFL linebacker after earning First Team All-Big Ten in 2020 and being named a Butkus award semi finalist.

Last season he led the Big Ten with 101 tackles and also contributed three sacks. He even missed a game and still led the conference. With another Schiano led off-season how much better can Fatukasi get? Well in week 1 against Temple he had 9 tackles and two sacks. He looked like a young Bruce Irvin for the Seattle Seahawks.

In week 2 Rutgers will travel to Syracuse, who will look to establish the run. We should be able to see Olakunle rack up the tackles and wreak havoc off the edge again in passing situations. Can he continue to pad the stat sheet? I want to see how he does holding his position against counters and options. I also will keep an eye out for his zone coverage ability.

Honorable Mention: Utah LB Devin Lloyd

Lloyd had a phenomenal showing in week one, but it didn’t catch me by surprise. That being said, this young man deserves praise and should continue to show out in 2021.

I will also be monitoring Kayvon Thibodeaux and Mohamed Ibrahim and their injuries.