It’s week 10 in college football and this has been a day we’ve circled on our calendars for some time! There are so many great matchups for Saturday that it’s hard to limit this list to just three players. But let’s jump into the three players I’ll watch closely for Saturday.
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2025 NFL Draft Prospects
Pat Bryant (WR – Illinois) vs. Minnesota
It’s no secret that I love physical wide receivers who can go up and get the football. That’s exactly what Pat Bryant offers the Illinois offense. Listed at 6’3″ and 200 pounds, the Senior wide receiver has the size and strength to carve out a role for an NFL offense.
On pace for a career year, Bryant is up to 34 receptions for 510 yards and 7 touchdowns this season. Playing more on the outside as an ‘X’ receiver, Bryant possesses the frame and catch radius to bail out his quarterbacks on any type of bad throw. Meanwhile, he can withstand physical defenders at the catch point, so he’s effective in contested catches.
Currently, Bryant is in the concussion protocol, so it’s unclear if he’ll play this week against Minnesota. However, if he does play, all eyes should be on him, as the Golden Gophers’ pass defense is legit. They lead the Big Ten with 15 interceptions and only allow 162.5 passing yards per game (second-best in the Big Ten). If Illinois is going to pull off the win, they’ll need a strong performance from their Senior wide receiver.
Kaimon Rucker (EDGE – North Carolina) vs. Florida State
Over the summer, I watched Kaimon Rucker from North Carolina, and I felt like he had a chance to shoot up draft rankings. Despite not loading up the stat sheet this year, it does sound like Rucker is still getting a lot of praise from NFL scouts.
Rucker will get knocked for his size at 6’1″ and 265 pounds, but he’s a violent defender. He plays with active hands and has some great burst and closing speed to the quarterback. Last week against Virginia, Rucker put together his best performance of the season. He finished with 8 tackles, 3 sacks, and an interception.
Coming off a great game, the expectation for Rucker should be the same this week against Florida State. As he shows that he’s fully healthy, I’d expect strong production from him moving forward. If you haven’t watched Rucker yet, I’d suggest putting him on your watch list as we enter the final month of college football’s regular season.
Henry Parrish Jr. (RB – Ole Miss) vs. Arkansas
It’s been an interesting college journey for Parrish Jr. of Ole Miss. He originally committed to the Rebels in 2020, but after playing in 23 games, he ended up transferring to Miami (FL). After two seasons with the Hurricanes and 21 games played, Parrish Jr. found his way back to the Rebels.
Now he’s having a career year for Ole Miss. Through 8 games, he’s rushed for 656 yards on 120 carries. In addition, he’s scored 10 rushing touchdowns, and he’ll look to add to those totals this weekend at Arkansas.
When watching Parrish, you’ll notice he has enough speed to threaten the opposition. Most importantly, his shiftiness in the tight areas of the field is good enough to make it to the next level. There may be questions regarding his age and if he can be a true number-one back for an NFL offense. That said, I think most teams will be fine with him being a rotational back despite entering the NFL at age 24. Keep tabs on him this weekend, as he’s had 13 carries or more in every game but one this season.
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