Big 12 football is back! The conference began 2024 play with blowout victories for Utah, Kansas, and UCF on Thursday. In Thursday's must-watch contest, Colorado edged out North Dakota State 31-26 with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter taking center stage.
The rest of the Week 1 schedule features some appetizing matchups, highlighted by TCU versus Stanford and West Virginia versus Penn State. With so many exciting matchups, we’ve identified five Big 12 talents that can improve their draft stock on opening weekend. Our latest Draft Network 100 Big Board has served as a reference point.
Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia
West Virginia's Wyatt Milum is one of the better offensive tackle prospects in the country with second-to-third-round grades. Core strength and easy movement skills are at the forefront of Milum's skill set. He finishes blocks with the demeanor NFL teams covet at the next level.
Saturday’s noon matchup with Penn State should pit Milum against the likes of Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton. Carter is getting No. 1 overall buzz, and Dennis-Sutton may be a top-64 overall prospect. It represents a big-time opportunity for Milum to start establishing himself as a high-end tackle.
Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State
One of Saturday's better matchups in the Big 12 has Oklahoma State as 10-point favorites over a tricky South Dakota State opponent. The Jackrabbits have a pair of talented backs in Amar Johnson and Angel Johnson. Cowboys linebacker Nick Martin (No. 55) should possess an opportunity to display his sideline-to-sideline abilities.
Martin is an explosive athlete with three-down potential as a future chess-piece NFL defender. He triggers downhill in the run game with urgent violence. In coverage, Martin has outstanding feet and instincts to quickly diagnose what's going on around him.
Donovan Smith, QB, Houston
The Draft Network's in-house scouting team believes in Houston quarterback Donovan Smith. Smith clocked in at No. 41 overall as our QB5 in the initial Draft Network 100 prospect rankings.
Smith and the Cougars begin their 2024 campaign with a difficult matchup versus UNLV on Saturday evening. Houston is considered a slight favorite. They'll need Smith to be his regular electric self if they're to avoid disappointment. The Las Vegas, Nevada native is big and athletic with the developmental upside to improve his pre-draft profile this season.
Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona
Arizona has a trio of outstanding prospects heading into this season. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (No. 6) will dominate headlines, but cornerback Tacario Davis (No. 64) and offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea (No. 65) are terrific in their own right.
I’ll particularly be watching Davis, an impactful corner that utilizes length to disrupt the catch point. Davis recorded a sizable 16 pass-breakups last season. He’d like to convert more of those opportunities into interceptions this year after creating just one takeaway in 2023.
Dontay Corleone, DT, Cincinnati
Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corleone missed out on our initial Draft Network 100 rankings. With monthly updates to come, the standout Bearcats defender could quickly play his way onto our big board. There's no guarantee Corleone will play this week as he returns from a blood clot issue, but if he does, he should be downright dominant versus an overmatched Towson opponent this weekend.
Corleone is a big-bodied gap wrecker. His run-game-stopping efforts aren't in question, but he'll attempt to prove more productive as a pass rusher in 2024 after recording a modest three sacks in consecutive seasons. Corleone possesses top-75 potential in the 2025 NFL Draft, but refinement will be key.
