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.
SEC
Premier Conference Performer
Fred Ross, WR Mississippi State (Sophomore)
Eight receptions, 126 yards, two touchdowns vs. Massachusetts
The truth is the Bulldogs of Mississippi State just aren’t very good this year, despite their current 2-1 record. One bright spot for the Dogs though is senior wide receiver Fred Ross. Often overlooked by the national media and certainly devy dynasty players, Ross had another spectacular game as Mississippi State held off UMass last week. Ross had eight grabs for 126 yards and two scores. Ross is on pace for another 1,000 yard season, which is even more impressive when considering he missed most of the off-season after undergoing groin surgery. At 6’2” and 205 pounds, Ross has the size to compete in the NFL if he gets a chance. I expect Ross to be a late draft pick, or even go undrafted, but he’ll be a player that I keep on my radar.
Rising
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OJ Howard, TE Alabama (Senior)
Three receptions, 60 yards, one touchdown vs. Kent State
Crimson Tide tight end OJ Howard, the hero of last year’s national title game, played his best game of the young season last week, leading the team with 60 yards and scoring his first touchdown of the season. Howard famously bypassed the NFL following last year, even after his breakout game on the biggest stage, but he’ll be a part of the class of 2017 and is the favorite to be the first tight end off the board.
Josh Reynolds, WR Texas A&M (Senior)
Four receptions, 141 yards, one touchdown vs. Arkansas
Earlier in the year, I thought it would be sophomore receiver Christian Kirk stepping up to serve as the top target for quarterback Trevor Knight and the Aggies. While Kirk has played well and is still a good NFL prospect, upperclassman Josh Reynolds has claimed the lead dog role. Last week, he caught four balls for 141 yards and a score as Texas A&M again impressed with a conference win over Arkansas. That’s Reynolds first 100-yard game of the season after four such games a year ago. He’s well on pace for career best numbers. He’ll be an underrated player to monitor t
hrough the draft process in the spring.
Antonio Callaway, WR Florida (Sophomore)
Four receptions, 134 yards vs. Tennessee
In just his second season, Gators wide receiver Antonio Callaway has developed a knack for making the big play and he did it again when facing off against rival Tennessee, catching four balls for 134 yards. Those numbers helped Callaway extend his SEC lead of 111 receiving yards per game, but it wasn’t enough to lead Florida to a win as the Vols came storming back to break their long streak against the Gators.
Falling
Blake Barnett, QB Alabama (Sophomore)
55 passing yards, one touchdown vs. Kent State
The good news is sophomore Blake Barnett got some playing time in mop up duty last week as Alabama was routing Kent State. It was his most extensive action of the season, attempting a season high seven passes and throwing his second touchdown of the year. The bad news came later in the week when it was reported that Barnett plans to leave Alabama and is considering junior college. It’s disappointing considering Barnett was once considered the top incoming quarterback in the nation, but not really surprising as he was beat out for the starting job by true freshman Jalen Hurts.
Nick Chubb, RB Georgia (Junior)
12 carries, 57 yards vs. Mississippi
This comeback season for junior running back Nick Chubb is not going as planned. After a huge debut, Chubb has posted some duds and the Bulldogs have struggled, despite their record. Georgia took their first loss last week, losing handily to the Rebels of Ole Miss and that was partly due to an ankle injury suffered by Chubb in the first half, forcing him from the game. Chubb’s status for this week is in doubt.
Travin Dural, WR LSU (Senior)
Four receptions, 47 yards
Malachi Dupre, WR LSU (Junior)
Four receptions, 21 yards
The talented LSU duo of Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre continue to post pedestrian numbers in the struggling Tiger offense. As you know, things are so bad that following the team’s loss to Auburn last week, head coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron were fired. While a change at the top could be a good thing for the long-term state of the program, I see little way anyone, including interim head coach Ed Orgeron, can fix the quarterback issue this season. Dural is NFL bound as an outgoing senior, but I am starting to wonder if Dupre will even opt to leave for the NFL, as most have assumed he would, given his disappointing season.
Freshman Spotlight
Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M (Freshman)
12 carries, 153 yards, two touchdowns vs. Arkansas
The Aggies were looking for a new starting running back and they’ve found their man in diminutive freshman Trayveon Williams, who has done a lot with limited touches. The latest big time performance is his best game to date as he racked up 153 rushing yards on just 12 carries against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Williams has already become known for his hard work ethic, which speaks volumes of the true freshman. His explosiveness is evident judging by his scoring runs alone. His two touchdowns against Arkansas were runs of 33 and 22 and his first score of the year the previous week was an 89 yarder. Williams is currently fifth in the conference in rushing despite having just 40 carries on the season.
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