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.

ACC

Premier Conference Performer

Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State (Junior)

28 carries, 267 yards, two touchdowns, four catches, 62 yards vs. South Florida

Cook stated his claim to why he should be considered a contender for the Heisman Trophy by gaining 329 total yards while owning a 50.85 percent market share of the team’s offensive production. Not only was he the team’s leading rusher but he also led the team with 62 receiving yards. This was the third time he surpassed 200-yards rushing in his career and his fourteenth game where he eclipsed the 100-yard mark.

Rising

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Amba Etta-Tawo, WR Syracuse (Senior)

12 catches, 270 yards, two touchdowns vs. Connecticut

He scored two touchdowns during the first five minutes of the game, the first one for 57-yards and the second touchdown was for 30-yards. He’s making the most of his senior season with four straight 100-yard games and he’s currently leading the nation with706 receiving yards. Etta-Tawo is a very underrated prospect, he should be receiving more recognition that what he’s currently getting as he’s more than likely going to be a popular mid-round pick in rookie drafts next year.

Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville (Sophomore)

24/44 passing, 417 yards, five touchdowns, one interception, 12 carries, 62 yards, two touchdowns vs. Marshall

Jackson had another amazing game, scoring seven total touchdowns and gaining 479 total yards. He has a remarkable 25 total touchdowns through four games and he currently ranks fifth in the nation with 526 rushing yards. He has dominated in every game he’s played in this season and he is currently one of the top candidates for the Heisman.

Deshaun Watson, QB Clemson (Junior)

32/48 passing, 304 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 12 carries, 36 yards vs. Georgia Tech

Watson is currently considered the top quarterback prospect in the nation and he has the potential of being a top-five draft pick next spring. He carved-up Georgia Tech’s defense for 304-yards passing, competing passes to nine different receivers. He tossed two touchdowns passes in the first half, allowing the Tigers to take a commanding lead early in the game. His leadership helped Clemson rack up a 442 to 124 lead in total yards. Watson has 996 yards passing and nine total touchdowns so far on the year.

Jacques Patrick, RB Florida State (Sophomore)

20 carries, 124 yards, one touchdown vs. South Florida

Patrick benefited from an advantageous game-flow that allowed him to obtain a considerable amount of carries during the second half of the game. He is more than likely going to be Dalvin Cook’s predecessor next season, making him an important player to keep an eye on. He’s a big 230-pound back with quick feet that can get downhill quickly. A lot of draft enthusiasts are going to like him because he has the size and power to potentially be a bell-cow back at the NFL level.

switzerRyan Switzer, WR North Carolina (Senior)

16 catches, 208 yards, one touchdown vs. Pittsburgh

Switzer made a lot of key plays in this game while catching 16 of the 17 passes thrown his way. His 19-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter helped the Tar Heels rally and beat the Panthers in stunning fashion. Due to his size and short area quickness, he profiles as a slot receiver at the next level. 

Anthony Nash, WR Duke (Senior)

Six catches, 123 yards, two touchdowns vs. Notre Dame

This was and more than likely will be the best performance of his collegiate career, catching 123-yards and two touchdowns to help Duke upset Notre Dame 38 to 35. This was his fourth 100-yard game of his career. Although he had a great game against the Fighting Irish, he shouldn’t be considered anything more than a lower-level prospect.

Falling

Wayne Gallman, RB Clemson (Junior)

17 carries, 59 yards, one touchdown, three catches, 22 yards vs. Georgia Tech

Gallman was one of my favorite running back prospects going into the season due to his ability to handle a heavy workload and his no-nonsense running style. He has started the season off cold and inefficient, averaging 4.1 yards per carry on the season, which is well below average for high-end running back prospects. Georgia Tech ranks eighty-seventh in the nation against the run and he was unable to capitalize against a weak run defense. He hasn’t played bad this season but he needs to step up his game if he wants to stand out in this ultra-talented running back class.

Justin Thomas, QB Georgia Tech (Senior)

4/13 passing, 29 yards, 10 carries, negative 25 yards vs. Clemson

Thomas finished this game with four total yards and a dismal 5.1 QBR. Clemson’s defense was too much for the Yellow Jackets as they were able to bring constant pressure on the quarterback, not allowing Thomas to get in a groove and take control of the offense. His play can only go up from here considering this is the toughest defense he will see all season, and it’s almost impossible to duplicate this horrendous performance.

Elijah Hood, RB North Carolina (Junior)

11 carries, 25 yards, one catch, 9 yards vs. Pittsburgh

Game flow worked against him as North Carolina trailed during most of the game. Hood struggled getting anything going on the ground due Pitt’s defense being able to control the line of scrimmage, which killed a lot of his rushing attempts causing him to rush for just 2.3 yards per carry.

Freshman Spotlight

Cornell Powell, WR Clemson (Freshman)

Five catches, 44 yards vs. Georgia Tech

Clemson is currently considered the top school in the country at producing NFL-ready wide receivers. DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant are some of the most decorated young talents in the NFL, which is why Clemson is considered a hotbed when it comes to talented wide receivers. Powell, a four-star recruit from Greenville North Carolina, was able to come down with few tough catches. He didn’t blow up the box score in this game but he was productive enough to get his feet wet and build some confidence. Expect his role to increase within the offense as the season progresses.

Big Ten

Premier Conference Performer

De’Veon Smith, RB Michigan (Senior)

12 carries, 107 yards, one touchdown, three catches, 16 yards vs. Penn State

Smith looked very explosive in this game, he executed a shifty 39-yard where he barreled his way past the second level of the defense. He scored on a two-yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter to give the Wolverines a 14-0 lead. This was the sixth 100-yard game of his career, and he currently has 259 yards rushing on the year.

Rising

Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB Nebraska (Senior)

18/29 passing, 246 yards, one touchdown, 13 carries, 132 yards vs. Northwestern

Armstrong gained a total of 378-yards on the ground and through the air to lead the Cornhuskers to a 24 to 13 victory over the Wildcats. He has passed for 931 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. He’s not a prospect that I would put too much stock in, because he’s more than likely never going to be a contributing fantasy asset.

Rodney Smith, RB Minnesota (Sophomore)smith

17 carries, 99 yards, two touchdowns, one catch, 15 yards vs. Colorado State

Smith scored on two short-yardage touchdown runs while owning a 27.34 percent market share of the team’s offensive production. He’s explosive and very shifty, making him an interesting prospect at the next level because he’s dangerous with the ball in space.  He currently ranks eighth in the Big Ten in rushing with 298-yards rushing.

Robert Martin, RB Maryland (Junior)

21 carries, 106 yards, one catch, 19 yards vs. Iowa

He’s the team’s workhorse running back as he’s able to consistently grind out the tough yards when needed. The offense was stifled by a tough Hawkeye defense but he still managed to run for 5-yards a carry. He currently leads the Big Ten with 358-yards rushing while averaging 6.2 yards per attempt.

Ricky Jones, WR Indiana (Senior)

Eight catches, 208 yards vs. Wake Forest

Jones exploded for 208 receiving yards own a 41.94 percent market share of Indiana’s passing offense. Game flow worked in his favor as Indiana was playing from behind during most of the game, presenting extra opportunities for Jones to pad his stats in the passing game.

Markell Jones, RB Purdue (Sophomore)

22 carries, 124 yards, one touchdown, one catch, 15 yards vs. Nevada

This was his second game of the season where he surpassed the 100-yard mark as he currently ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 316 rushing yards. Jones makes his money grinding out the hard yards between the tackles, using his body to push back defenders for extra yardage. He rushed for 875 yards and ten touchdowns last year as a freshman and his ability to produce early in his career will help him get noticed in year or two when he decides to come out for the draft. 

Falling

Tyler O’Connor, QB Michigan State (Senior)

18/38 passing, 224 yards, three interceptions, seven carries, five yards vs. Wisconsin

It’s hard to win games if you consistently turnover the football and O’Connor did just that against Wisconsin by passing for three interceptions. The pass rush got into his head, causing him to make a lot errant throws and make some bad decisions. He wasn’t considered a top quarterback going into this season and games like this doesn’t help his case when it comes his draft stock for next year.

Devine Redding, RB Indiana (Junior)

16 carries, 68 yards, three catches, 24 yards vs. Wake Forest

This is the first game of the season where Redding failed to eclipse the 100-yard barrier, mainly because the flow of the game made it hard for Indiana to focus on running the football due to them trailing during most of the game. The offensive line struggled to create running lanes for him to run through which equated to him running for just 4.3-yards per carry.

Chris Godwin, WR Penn State (Junior)

Once catch, eight yards, one touchdown vs. Michigan

Michigan’s defense was a reinforced brick wall on Saturday, shutting down Penn State to just 191 total yards. Quarterback Trace McSorley was inundated by the pass rush, causing him to make some horrible decisions. Godwin didn’t do much to help his quarterback as he was shut down during most of the game by the defensive backs as he was unable to create separation with his route running.

Freshman Spotlight

Chris Evans, RB Michigan

Eight carries, 56 yards, one touchdown, one catch, 14 yards vs. Penn State

Michigan’s commanding lead allowed Evans to obtain a lot. Evans run with a lot of pop as he’s very explosive and can hit the home run anytime he touches the football. He scored on four-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, equating to his third touchdown of the season.

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bruce matson