College football, Week 7: Spencer Rattler could enter the transfer portal with roughly $1 million in his pocket already
Plus ESPN Midseason All-Americans, legendary special teamers, and Players of the Week for Week 6
The college football news on Wednesday is that Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler is allegedly looking to enter the transfer portal and looking for a new program to rebuild his draft stock for 2023. Allegedly.
For the time being, no announcements have been made and Rattler’s father says no draft decisions will be considered until after the season.
I may not have known a whole lot before this year, but I never saw Spencer Rattler as a first round quarterback. I saw him as a guy who sure had a great opportunity to become that, but everybody who made it seem like a fact was being extremely premature and getting ahead of themselves because Rattler was famous before he even went to the college that has produced two recent Heismans, two recent first overall picks, and three recent starting QBs. (Not that Jalen Hurts is guaranteed to be that for long.)
Hurts though is a good example of a player who was at a top program (Alabama) prior to transferring, doing better at Oklahoma, and becoming a second round pick in 2020. Why not Rattler?
Well sure, why not Rattler?
Players can and often do get better as they mature and Spencer Rattler might be able to get back into the Heisman conversation at a different program next year. He might also find success if he tested the draft; some teams may not care that much and could blame the Sooners for his downfall. Somehow. Maybe not as a day one or day two pick, but there’s also the argument that even as he’s being benched, Rattler’s draft stock will never be higher than it is right now.
He could transfer and lose out on a starting gig somewhere else next year, then people would just go, “Remember Spencer Rattler?” in five years and that’ll be that. Not all is lost for Rattler though…he’s made about $1 million already because of NIL deals.
College Notes from Week 6
A scouting report on Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner, arguably the top corner in the country and a first round pick in 2022:
Best physical attribute: Length; Gardner’s arms allow him to deflect passes other cornerbacks simply cannot reach. He’s also consistently redirecting wide receivers away from their intended route path with his length and his physical approach to the game of football.
Gardner will play bump-and-run coverage by lining directly in front of the wide receiver, and as soon as the football goes to the quarterback, Gardner will attack the wide receiver. Any wide receiver with average or less technique for defeating press coverage will be in trouble against Gardner. He’s also a savvy defender.
ESPN posted midseason all-americans and we have a lot of familiar names on it: QB Bryce Young (not draft eligible), RB Kenneth Walker III, RB Bijan Robinson (not draft eligible), WR Drake London, WR Josh Down (not draft eligible), TE Isaiah Likely (YES!), T Evan Neal, G Eli Cox, C Tyler Linderbaum, G Zion Johnson, T Ikem Ekwonu (interesting that ESPN likes underclassmen for the other positions, but only trusts veteran offensive linemen who are likely to be first round picks for the offensive line…) make up the offense.
DE Aidan Hutchinson, DT Jordan Davis, EDGE Tre Williams (have not talked about him much, leads FBS with 21 QB pressures), LB Nakobe Dean, LB Will Anderson, LB Devin Lloyd, LB Darien Butler (not draft eligible), CB Matt Hankins, CB Ahmad Gardner, S Kyle Hamilton, S Jaquan Brisker (rising up the boards), K Nick Sciba, P Matt Araiza.
Nick Sciba has been legendary for Wake Forest. He has the NCAA record with 34 straight made field goals — and he’s attempting to break his own record. Sciba has made 24 straight field goals as of this post. He has made all 152 extra point attempts in his career. There is a catch: Sciba has never made a field goal longer than 49 yards.
Matt Araiza is also reaching legendary status. The San Diego State punter/kicker has made 37-of-48 field goal tries in his career, 74-of-75 PATs, he handles kickoffs, and his 54.1 punt average this year would be the FBS record by three whole yards. He is only 5-of-8 on field goals this season, but he did make a career long of 51. More importantly, he could be the best punter in the nation and his versatility might be attractive to NFL teams.
East Tennessee State has an eighth-year senior.
SEC Players of the Week - Week 6
DB Brandon Turnage, Tennessee
Brandon Turnage was making his first start and had 14 tackles. It’s too soon to talk about the draft.
ST Devon Achane, Texas A&M
Also too early to talk about the 2022 draft, but Achane is a track athlete who has averaged 7.5 YPC in his 12-game career.
DL Tyree Johnson, Texas A&M
Tyree Johnson had two sacks against Alabama, securing his place in the 2022 NFL Draft. He is 6’4, 240 lbs. He has only had one other sack this season, however.
OL Nick Broeker, Ole Miss
G Eli Cox, Kentucky
Freshman - WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
Pac-12 Players of the Week
DL Tyler Johnson, ASU
Not to be confused with DL Tyree Johnson of course. Johnson had 3.5 TFL against Stanford and will be drafted in 2022.
OL Liam Ryan, WSU
Ryan also won a player of the week award in 2019. I am unsure if he’s on the NFL radar, this is the first we’re talking of Ryan and it is teammate Abe Lucas that figures to go in the first three rounds. ASU center Dohnovan West was also nominated here and West has been showing up every damn week it seems.
S George Hicks III, WSU
10 tackles and a pick vs Oregon State.
WR Drake London, USC (nominated only)
I’m just featuring players who will be drafted and Utah QB Cameron Rising (winner) isn’t one of them right now. London should be a top-20 pick though.
ACC Players of the Week
OL Dillan Gibbons, Florida State
DL Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State
Gibbons is 6’4, 321 lbs and by my count, is draft eligible. Formerly a Notre Dame recruit. Teammate Jermaine Johnson is working his way up to being an earlier pick than maybe he would’ve been a month ago. Stacking games. Oddly enough, there is also a Jermaine Johnson, Jr. at UMass who also entered the NCAA in 2019, so don’t confused the two.
WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
Third-year receiver had 137 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Syracuse.
DB Juanyeh Thomas, Georgia Tech
Just mentioned Thomas in my ACC Draft preview last week. Here’s another positive sign for him.
Big 12 Players of the Week
CB Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
Draft eligible junior has two interceptions and a forced fumble in five games this year. Listed at only 5’9 though.
RB Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma
He’s not the highest rated back for the Sooners but he’s the most effective. Brooks, 5’11, 215 lbs, could be a day three pick. He has 535 rushing yards, 6.8 YPC, and six touchdowns, but he won’t catch the ball.
Big 10 Players of the Week
WR Jalen Nailor, Michigan State
Five catches for 221 yards against Rutgers, all in the first half. Had my eye on Nailor already and this helps solidify that interest.
DB Matt Hankins, Iowa
Riley Moss has made more noise this season, but now it is Matt Hankins turn. Five tackles and a pick in a win over Penn State. Moss also had an interception.
DB Brad Hawkins, Michigan
Hawkins has three TFL this year but no career interceptions.
College Notes
Georgia could have the best defense of any team this century, at least.
AAC players of the week, including Cincinnati RB Jerome Ford, UCF LB Tatum Bethune, and Memphis WR Calvin Austin III.
MAC players of the week, including Kent State QB Dustin Crum, Ball State S Bryce Cosby.
10 highly-rated 2021 transfers that “we want to see more of” at 247Sports: OT Wanya Morris (Oklahoma), LB Mike Jones (LSU), RB Eric Gray (Oklahoma), WR Daylen Baldwin (Michigan), RB Keilan Robinson (Texas), OT Obinna Eze (TCU), WR Mookie Cooper (Missouri), QB TJ Finley (Auburn), CB Dreshun Miller (Auburn), DE Keion White (Georgia Tech)