This week’s 2020 NFL Draft spotlight features a pair of SEC games with plenty of matchups to watch.
It’s impossible for a week in college football to follow a game like LSU-Alabama, especially for NFL Draft analysts and draft fans. That game featured over a dozen 2020 NFL Draft prospects on the field no matter who was on offense and defense.
Before we get into this week’s spotlight, let’s spotlight someone from Week 11 who didn’t appear on the stock watch but had a good week. Utah State quarterback Jordan Love played a very good game against Fresno State last Saturday, completing 30-of-39 for 388 yards and two touchdowns. He made great throws all game long and showed great ball placement on his touchdown passes. Love showed why he has first round potential.
Now let’s talk about week 12. This week’s draft spotlight features a pair of SEC games that are must-watch games, along with Big Ten matchups featuring players who will be at the Senior Bowl in January. We cap it off with an ACC matchup that isn’t the one we wanted to see, but it will still be a good one. Let’s get into it.
Georgia vs. Auburn
The Bulldogs and Tigers do battle at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday in what is the game of the week for 2020 NFL Draft purposes. The biggest matchups to watch will be in the trenches.
Georgia tackle Andrew Thomas and guard Solomon Kindley draw a very tough assignment against Auburn defensive linemen Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown who have had great seasons. Thomas played very well against Florida, getting out of his stance quickly and stopping rushers in his path all afternoon. Davidson has grown-man strength, so Thomas will need to continue what he’s been doing all season, staying low and getting leverage immediately off the snap. Kindley gets the tougher test. He has to deal with Brown, who has been a wrecking ball all season creating pressure on the Auburn defensive line. Kindley has good strength and anchors pretty well in pass protection, but dealing with Brown will be a different test.
Don’t forget about Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm. Fromm’s stock has waned so far in 2019, and that has to do with his physical limitations and inability to make plays out of the pocket when under pressure, including some costly turnovers (see the South Carolina game). Auburn’s defensive line will provide a lot of pressure, so Fromm will need to be the facilitator we know he can be. He will need to make quick decisions and key throws to lead Auburn to a victory, and more importantly, for scouts, get a signature win on his resume.
Alabama vs. Mississippi State
This game features a couple of key positional battles that will be a treat. Of course, there will be eyes on Tua Tagovailoa this week as he continues to work back from an ankle injury. I expect him to get better down the stretch this season.
One key matchup will involve his receivers. Mississippi State corner Cameron Dantzler is getting a lot of hype late in the season, and at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, he has the size to make things difficult for the Alabama receivers at the catch point. Dantzler is also physical near the line of scrimmage and can ruin timing plays with his ability to jam receivers. It’s likely he will get an opportunity to line up against Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and DeVonta Smith during the game. It will be fun to watch if Jeudy and Smith, who are great at getting quick separation, can get open even when tested at the line of scrimmage. It will also be fun to watch if Dantzler can handle the speed of Ruggs.
The other matchup to watch in this one is Mississippi State center Darryl Williams against Raekwon Davis of Alabama. Williams has solid all-around ability and is good at opening running lanes and is good at reaching to create space. Davis, on the other hand, is good at getting through offensive linemen and making plays in the run game.
As a bonus, make sure to keep an eye on Bulldogs running back Kylin Hill. Hill is great at making defenders miss and is a three-down running game. We will see how he produces against the Alabama defense.
Big Ten matchups
The undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Iowa Hawkeyes this week in Iowa City, and the matchup in this one is in the trenches. Minnesota edge rusher Carter Coughlin, who will attend the Senior Bowl, has a high motor and gets to the quarterback with bend and hand usage. He draws Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs, who are among the best tackle tandems in college football.
In Michigan-Michigan State, pay attention when Michigan is on offense. Guard Ben Bredeson, who is also headed to Mobile in January, draws Spartans defensive linemen Raequan Williams, who can collapse the pocket and was in the backfield a lot against Illinois last week.
Around the nation
Oklahoma and Baylor don’t feature a lot of matchups, but it will be fun to tune in to this game. Neville Gallimore and Kenneth Murray are two very good Oklahoma defenders to watch. Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts gets to show what he’s got in a prime time game. Pay attention to CeeDee Lamb, who’s had a fantastic year, and Baylor’s Denzel Mims, who has the size and speed to be a productive receiver (he draws Parnell Motley in a matchup this week).
Clemson and Wake Forest was expected to be a big game until the Demon Deacons lost to Virginia Tech last week. The matchup we all wanted, Wake Forest receiver Sage Surratt vs. Clemson corner A.J. Terrell, won’t happen because of a season-ending injury to Surratt. Instead, on the flip side, we get Tee Higgins vs. Essang Bassey. Bassey is a physical corner at the line of scrimmage and at the catch point, the latter of which is where Higgins thrives. Watching Clemson lineman Senior Bowl attendee Tremayne Anchrum take on rising edge rusher Carlos Basham.
Lastly, pay attention to USC vs. Cal for Pac-12 after dark, when rising USC wide receiver Michael Pittman takes on the tough Cal secondary led by safety Ashtyn Davis.
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