Dynasty Scouts Conference Review: Big Ten and ACC

Bruce Matson

Here at Dynasty Scouts, we’ll always do our best to keep you informed about the latest happenings in college football. We watch all of the games so you don’t have to. Here’s some of what we noticed this past weekend.

Big Ten

Premier Conference Performer

Mike Weber, RB Ohio State (Freshman)

14 carries, 144 yards, one touchdown, one catch, three yards vs. Rutgers

You can tell Weber is starting to settle in and get more confident as Ohio State’s lead tail back. He looked very explosive in this game, demonstrating burst while blowing by defenders in the open field. The game is starting to slow down for him and he’s starting to run with more authority. Weber blew by the defense early in the third quarter for a 46-yard touchdown run, giving the Buckeyes a 37-0 lead. This was his third 100-yard game of the season as he currently has 495 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the year.

Rising

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Devine Redding, RB Indiana (Junior)

19 carries, 100 yards, two catches, 14 yards vs. Michigan State

Redding is one of the most underrated running backs in the nation. He broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark last season while competing for touches with Jordan Howard last season. This was his third 100-yard game of the season and currently ranks third in the Big Ten with 413 yards rushing.

Ricky Jones, WR Indiana (Senior)

Five catches, 124 yards, one touchdown vs. Michigan State

Jones caught a 22-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 14, which was a turning point in the game that allowed the momentum to build for Indiana. He extended a few drives by making some clutch catches, making him a key contributor to Indiana’s 24-21 upset over Michigan State.

R.J. Shelton, WR Michigan State (Senior)

Seven catches, 141 yards, one touchdown, one carry, 18 yards vs. Indiana

Shelton turned on the jets in the first quarter when he burnt the defensive back for an 86-yard touchdown pass, the longest player ever in Indiana’s Memorial Stadium. Other than Saturday’s performance, he hasn’t been very impressive as this was his first game surpassing the 100-yard mark. He’s a small wide receiver with a lot of speed and his ability to burn defensive backs might get him on an NFL roster next year.

J.T. Barrett, QB Ohio State (Junior)

21/29 passing, 238 yards, four touchdowns, one interception vs. Rutgers

Barrett led the Buckeyes to a 58-0 victory over the Scarlet Knights, passing for four touchdowns while completing 72.41 percent of his passes. His third touchdown pass set the school record for career passing touchdowns, surpassing Bobby Hoying and Terrelle Pryor with 59 career touchdowns. Barrett also holds the school record for passing touchdowns in a single season, which was set 2014 when he passed for 34-touchdowns.

Amara Darboh, WR Michigan (Senior)

Six catches, 87 yards, one touchdown vs. Wisconsin

This was a tough game for Michigan’s offense because Wisconsin has one of the toughest defenses in the nation and their ability to rush the passer can cause quarterback to make bad decisions. Darboh was able to create separation from defenders and produce while playing against stout coverage. He has consistently been an incredible possession receiver during his entire career. He does a very good job at making tough contest catches. He currently has 23 receptions for 335 yards on the year.

Terrell Newby, RB Nebraska (Senior)

27 carries, 140 yards, two touchdowns, two catches, 26 yards vs. Illinois

He surpassed 100-yards rushing for the first time this season, giving him 327 yards on the year. Nebraska kicked it into cruise control once they obtained an insurmountable lead by utilizing Newby’s ability to grind out the tough yardage to milk the clock. This game was his first sign of life considering his production has been pretty lackluster this season.


Justin Jackson, RB Northwestern (Junior)

26 carries, 171 yards, one touchdown, three catches, 13 yards vs. Iowa

jacksonJackson, again, carried the team on his back by rushing for 171 yards and a touchdown to help Northwestern upset Iowa 38-31. He blew by the defense in the third quarter while displaying great speed and burst for a 58-yard touchdown run. He’s one of the most underrated running backs in the nation, and expect to hear his name mentioned a lot next spring during draft season if he decides to come out for the draft.

Austin Carr, WR Northwestern (Senior)

Six catches, 73 yards, three touchdowns vs. Iowa

Carr was clutch in this game, making a lot key catches to keep drive alive. He caught a 20-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to help seal the game for the Wildcats. He currently has 465 receiving yards on the year.

Ty Johnson, RB Maryland (Sophomore)

Seven carries, 204 yards, two touchdowns vs. Purdue

Johnson rushed for 204-yards on just seven carries which equated to a 29.1 yards per carry average. He exploited the defense with several long runs and his second touchdown of the day came in the fourth quarter where he torched the defense for a 48-yard score.

Rodney Smith, RB Minnesota (Sophomore)

23 carries, 104 yards, four catches, 39 yards vs. Penn State

Smith had another solid performance as Minnesota’s workhorse back, rushing for 104-yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He’s a decisive runner who runs with a lot of burst, making him a dangerous runner in the open field if the line backers are caught out of position. He currently has 402 rushing yards on the season.

Shannon Brooks, RB Minnesota (Sophomore)

14 carries, 100 yards, one touchdown, one catch, three yards vs. Penn State

Brooks rushed for a 7.1 yards per carry average as he surpassed 100-yards rushing for the third time in his career. He busted through the defense for a 37-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to tie the game. Like last season, Brooks should share touches out of the backfield with Rodney Smith, creating a one-two punch for the Golden Gophers’ offense.

Falling

Robert Martin, RB Rutgers (Junior)

13 carries, 40 yards vs. Ohio State

Ohio State has one of the toughest defenses in the nation and Martin had to figure that out the hard way Saturday afternoon. The Buckeyes controlled the line of scrimmage giving him zero creases to run through. However, he was able to put together a couple of nice runs, but it wasn’t enough for the Scarlet Knights to be competitive in this game.

Markell Jones, RB Purdue (Sophomore)

12 carries, 23 yards, two catches, six yards vs. Maryland

Maryland’s defense controlled the line of scrimmage, stifling Jones’s production in this game. The flow of the game didn’t work his favor as Purdue fell behind early, causing them ditch the run game and pass the ball more. His limited use as a receiver is a concern because it indicates that he might have issues catching the ball and creating separation from defenders.

Saquon Barkley, RB Penn State (Sophomore)

20 carries, 63 yards, one touchdown, once catch, negative three yards vs. Minnesota

Barkley was held in check by Minnesota’s defense as he was only able to rush for just 63-yards on the ground and 20 of those yards came on his final carry of the game where he scored the game winning touchdown. The suboptimal production wasn’t entirely his fault, Penn State’s offensive line is one of the worst in the nation, and their inability to provide a consistent push up front hinders Barkley’s potential of being one of the most productive backs in the nation.

Freshman Spotlight

Demario McCall, RB Ohio State (Freshman)

Ten carries, 85 yards, one touchdown vs. Rutgers

McCall, a four-star recruit from North Ridge, Ohio, was able to get some extra work in due to Ohio State’s large lead. He took advantage of his opportunity by rushing for 85-yards and one touchdown. He’s an all-purpose back with great speed, burst and footwork, making him the lightning to Mike Weber’s thunder in Ohio State’s backfield.

Reggie Corbin, RB Illinois (Freshman)

Nine carries, 72 yards, three carries, 18 yards vs. Nebraska

Corbin is a shifty runner with a lot speed who has very soft hands that allow him to catch the ball out of the backfield. This was the first game he was able to get a considerable amount of playing time since week one where he rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown against Murray State. It appears that he’s being groomed to fill Josh Ferguson’s old role in the offense as the team’s pass catching back. His speed makes him very dangerous in the open field, making him a player to monitor going forward.

ACC

Premier Conference Performer

Amba Etta-Tawo, WR Syracuse (Senior)

Seven catches, 134 yards, one touchdown vs. Notre Dame

Tawo is starting to dominate against formidable opponents, which is a really good sign, because it indicates that he’s capable of producing against some of the top defensive backs in the nation and not just pad his stats against inferior opponents. He currently leads the nation with 840 receiving yards and has five straight 100-yard games while holding an elite 45.41 percent market share of Syracuse’s passing offense.

Rising

Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville (Sophomore)

27/44 passing, 295 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 31 carries, 162 yards, two touchdowns vs. Clemson

Jackson had another incredible game, gaining 457 total yards while scoring three touchdowns. This wasn’t his best game of the season but he showed a lot of poise against one of the toughest defenses in the nation. He almost led the team back for the win during the last few minutes of the game but unfortunately he came up short. He currently ranks third in the nation with 688 rushing yards and tenth in the nation with 1,625 passing yards on the year.gallman

Wayne Gallman, RB Clemson (Junior)

16 carries, 110 yards, one touchdown vs. Louisville

Clemson’s offensive line hasn’t been playing up to par this season, not controlling the line of scrimmage and opening up holes for the run game like they have been in years past. Gallman’s production took a hit due to the offensive line’s inefficient play. It’s good to see him return to old form, breaking off long runs while showing burst and power while hitting the holes. This was his second 100-yard game of the season and his fourteenth of his career.

Deon Cain, WR Clemson (Sophomore)

Four catches, 98 yards, two touchdowns vs. Louisville

Two of his four catches went for touchdowns as both of his scores came in the second quarter. Cain’s size and speed was too much for the defensive backs, allowing him to torch the defense for multiple big plays. He’s still in the developmental stages of his career, but he’s still a prospect to keep an eye on because he has the potential to develop into one of the top prospects for the 2018 draft class.

Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State (Junior)

29 carries, 140 yards, three touchdowns, 6 catches, 106 yards vs. North Carolina

Cook finished the day with 246 total yards and three touchdowns as he became the first Florida State back to achieve 100-yards rushing and receiving in a single game. He’s one of the headliners for next year’s historic running back class. He currently ranks fifth in the nation with 635 rushing yards. He’s been a huge in the passing game for the Seminoles, catching 19 receptions for 286-yards on the year.

Ryan Switzer, WR North Carolina (Senior)

14 catches, 158 yards, one carry, seven yards vs. Florida State

This was his third straight 100-yard game as he led the team in receptions and yards. He currently owns a 34.31 percent market share of the team’s passing production on the year. Switzer isn’t going to be one of the top prospects in next year’s draft but he could be a trendy pick during the later rounds in rookie drafts next spring.

Matthew Dayes, RB North Carolina State

24 carries, 125 yards, one touchdown vs. Wake Forest

Dayes has been a dependable running back during his entire four-year collegiate career for the Wolfpack, and he could potentially be in the NFL right now if it wasn’t for an injury that derailed his junior season. He’s the workhorse back for the team as he’s always consistently carrying the load while grinding out tough yards. This was the third game this season where he surpassed 100-yards.

Falling

Elijah Hood, RB North Carolina (Junior)

13 carries, 47 yards vs. Florida State

This was a tough matchup for Hood, since Florida State has one of the toughest run defenses in the nation. The offensive line wasn’t much help as they were inept at creating rushing lanes for him to run through. Bad games happen, don’t let this performance sway your opinion, he’s a good back and he should get things back on track in the near future.

James Connor, RB Pittsburgh (Junior)

11 carries, 34 yards, one touchdown vs. Marshall

Pitt owned a commanding lead early in the game, which gave them the liberty to distribute some of the carries to the other running backs. However, Connor didn’t maximize his opportunities, and was unable to bust out any big gains on the ground. He finished the game with a 3.1 yard per carry average, which is not very encouraging considering Marshall ranks sixty-first in the nation against the run.

Travis Rudolph, WR Florida State (Junior)

One catch, nine yards vs. North Carolina

Rudolph struggled to create separation from defenders causing him to not get targeted as much.  He’s also facing a lot of competition for targets which is creating a lot of volatility in his weekly stat-line. During the last three games He has caught a dismal three receptions for 63-yards. 

Freshman Spotlight

Dedrick Mills RB Georgia Tech (Freshman)

19 carries, 99 yards, two touchdowns, one catch, nine yards, one touchdown vs. Miami

Mills, a three-star recruit from Waycross Georgia, scored three touchdowns against Miami on Saturday. He’s a smaller running back who packs a lot of speed, making him very dangerous in the open field. He’s very fun to watch play because he has the potential to score from anywhere on the football field.

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bruce matson