10 stock up NFL draft prospects with big Week 4 opportunities
Back in Week 1, the biggest star in the week’s biggest game was Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman.
There were already NFL evaluators that viewed him as a potential first-round draft pick prior to that FSU-LSU matchup, but his performance in that matchup has had him trending up ever since in the eyes of NFL evaluators. It was a premier matchup and he very much took advantage.
With that said, Week 4 is full of big-time, ranked matchups, which will give numerous draft prospects an opportunity to further build on their current draft buzz. Here are 10 specific stock up draft prospects with big opportunities this weekend (listed alphabetically):
Alabama junior DB Terrion Arnold
Opponent: No. 15 Ole Miss
Kool-Aid McKinstry isn’t Alabama’s only early-round NFL prospect at cornerback. Based on his play through the early part of the season, Arnold is now in that category too. After starting seven games for the Tide last year, Arnold has posted 17 tackles and three pass break-ups in Alabama’s first three games. One NFL scouting source told On3 that he thinks Arnold has already emerged as a top three round player. He’ll now be part of trying to help the Tide limit an Ole Miss passing game led by QB Jaxson Dart, who leads the SEC with a QB rating of 202.5.
“If you look at last year’s tape, very consistent, very up and down, but I feel like he’s been more of the aggressor (this year),” that NFL scouting source said of Arnold. “He had good plays last year, but I feel like he has become a little bit more of the aggressor, more physical at the line in press, more physical at the catch to disrupt. He’s not the most fluid athlete, but he is big (at 6-foot, 196 pounds) and he’s got some length to him and he’s not afraid to mix it up as a press man corner.”
Iowa junior DL Yahya Black
Opponent: No. 7 Penn State
Black is starting to emerge as an NFL prospect in his first year as a starter for the Hawkeyes. After three years as a backup and after tallying just 32 tackles through those first three seasons at Iowa, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Black already has 12 tackles through the first three games of this year. He had six tackles during the Hawkeyes’ win over Western Michigan on Saturday. Now, Black and Iowa will be tested by a Penn State offense that includes one of the nation’s top running back tandems.
“He’s one of their better looking guys,” an NFL scouting source told On3 of Black.
Florida State junior WR Keon Coleman
Opponent: Clemson
Despite finishing without a catch during FSU’s win over Boston College last week, Coleman is firmly in the mix to be one of the top wide receivers taken in next year’s NFL draft and to be a top-20 overall selection. Against Clemson this week, Coleman will face a Clemson secondary that features a first-round possibility at cornerback in junior Nate Wiggins.
“I think this is a huge matchup for Keon going up against Nate Wiggins,” an NFL scouting source said.
Notre Dame junior OL Blake Fisher
Opponent: No. 6 Ohio State
It’s possible there could be two Notre Dame offensive linemen taken in the first round of next year’s NFL draft. While it’s well known that left tackle Joe Alt is a first-round prospect, Fisher is also looking more and more like a first-round possibility. The 6-foot-6, 312-pound Fisher was limited to two games in 2021 due to an injury but started 13 games at right tackle for the Fighting Irish last season and is now off to a strong start to this year. Against Ohio State, he’ll be tasked with slowing down NFL EDGE prospects such as J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer.
“He’s explosive. He’s powerful. If he can play well versus JTT and Jack Sawyer this week, I think that’ll go a long way,” an NFL scouting source said. “He was coming off an injury last year and he’s just playing at a different speed this year, like the foot quicks, the power and then the play temperament, the motor and finishing guys. They only played Central Michigan (last week), but from start to finish of the game, he was trying to kill people. And I just like his foot and body quickness.”
Washington State redshirt sophomore DB Jaden Hicks
Opponent: No. 14 Oregon State
We’ve talked a lot about Washington State QB Cam Ward, who’s continuing to establish himself as a possibility to go in the first three or four rounds of the draft, but here’s another Cougar who’s trending up in the eyes of NFL evaluators. In Wazzu’s two games against FBS opponents (Colorado State and Wisconsin), the 6-foot-3, 212-pound Hicks has tallied 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a shared sack, a forced fumble, a pick-six and four pass break-ups.
“He’s played really well,” an NFL scouting source said. “He’s big and he plays all over. Plays the deep half of the field. Plays nickel. Plays in the box. He has already shown this year that he’s a good blitzer and a good cover guy. He’s been a pretty impactful player. He’s around the ball a ton. He’s just made a lot of plays.”
Notre Dame senior LB Marist Liufau
Opponent: No. 6 Ohio State
After ranking third on Notre Dame with 51 tackles last year, Liufau is second on the Fighting Irish with 17 tackles through four games this year. The 6-foot-2, 239-pound Liuau posted five tackles and a tackle for loss in Notre Dame’s Week 3 win over NC State. He was considered a mid-Day 3 (fifth round-ish type prospect) heading into the season but has been trending up these past few weeks.
“Last year, he was coming off an injury and was very up and down, but he’s played really well (this year so far),” an NFL scouting source said. “Through the first three games, he has shown some pretty good flashes and this will be a really big test for him (against Ohio State).”
Oregon junior OL Jackson Powers-Johnson
Opponent: No. 19 Colorado
Powers-Johnson is starting at center for Oregon after seeing time at four different spots along the line for the Ducks last season — right guard, center, right tackle and left guard. That came after he played both offense and defense as a freshman at Oregon. During that freshman season in 2021, he made three starts along the offensive line and then made the transition to defense for the Ducks’ Alamo Bowl game against Oklahoma and started at defensive tackle.
“Really interesting kid,” an NFL scouting source said. “I liked him a lot last year. And they haven’t really played anybody other than Texas Tech, but he’s had a really good start to the year. He’s had some really nice, good plays every week where he’s getting out killing people. He’s really athletic and he can move.”
UCLA redshirt sophomore WR J. Michael Sturdivant
Opponent: No. 11 Utah
Sturdivant transferred to UCLA after leading Cal with 65 catches last season. He’s now UCLA’s top weapon for five-star freshman QB Dante Moore. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Sturdivant has nine catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns through three games. In the Bruins’ Week 1 win over Coastal Carolina, he had five catches for 136 yards, including 62-yard touchdown catch.
“He’s good and has been trending up,” an NFL scouting source said. “I think he’s now in that Day 2 category.”
Clemson junior OL Marcus Tate
Opponent: No. 4 Florida State
When Tate was a freshman in 2021, he became just the third-ever Clemson true freshman offensive lineman to start a season-opening game. Now, he’s a third-year starter at guard for the Tigers and continuing to establish himself as an NFL prospect. Nevertheless, Tate and Clemson will get a big test this week against FSU.
“He’s pretty talented,” an NFL scouting source said. “It’s been kind of hard to tell how good he is the first three games just based on who they played. But anyways, I think this will be a good game for him (to show what he’s capable of). He’s a guy that I think could be like a top three round guy. I just don’t know yet. He’s an interesting player.”
Colorado senior WR Xavier Weaver
Opponent: No. 10 Oregon
Weaver, one of two Colorado starting wide receivers who transferred in from USF, leads the Buffaloes and ranks fourth nationally with 386 receiving yards as a top target for QB Shedeur Sanders. He’s scored touchdowns in each of Colorado’s last two games and has accumulated at least 98 receiving yards in each of the Buffaloes’ first three games. It comes after the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Weaver posted 718 yards and six touchdowns at USF last year. He seems to be viewed as a mid-Day 3, fifth round-ish type prospect at this point. Travis Hunter being out these next few weeks for Colorado will make it even more important for the Buffaloes to get high level play from other receivers such as Weaver.
“He’s got a gear,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said. “He can run routes. He can drop his weight. He’s tough. He’ll go inside and they run him on a bunch of in-cutting stuff and he’s unfazed. So there’s plenty to like with Weaver.”