Week 2 was full of headliner matchups where prospects were able to make their case in premier showdowns in the Big Ten. This week, two of the Big Ten’s premier universities—Ohio State and USC—have bye weeks and the big-time showdowns are limited. But as they say, every opportunity is an opportunity to get better.
Many prospects in the Big Ten have an opportunity this week to make an impact and dominate games to make a case to elevate their draft stock and add dominant performances to their resume.
Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Wisconsin
vs. Alabama defense
What To Look For: Tyler Van Dyke is a name that has been around the NFL draft community for a few seasons as he had a few good years early on in his collegiate career. But in the latter part of this career, things started to trend downward. Van Dyke decided a change of scenery was best and left the University of Miami to head to Wisconsin. Wisconsin may have the biggest matchup of the week facing off against Alabama. Alabama looks to still be trying to figure things out both offensively and defensively. Wisconsin may have a chance to make things close. Van Dyke has proven in his career that he has the arm talent to make all of the throws and if he can get comfortable early in this game, he has a shot to be productive. As far as his draft stock goes, a big-time performance against Alabama always helps a player’s resume.
Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan
vs. Arkansas State defense
What To Look For: Donovan Edwards is tasked with leading this Michigan offense back to the playoffs. One of the biggest takeaways from last week's loss to Texas is that they are going to have to be dominant in the run game and use that to propel this offense forward. That means Edwards is going to have to be the workhorse for this offense. Look for Edwards to have upward of 20 touches. Edwards has talent but for one reason or another throughout his career, workload and production have always lacked consistency. That can not be the case this year. If Michigan wants to win, it's going to have to be because of Edwards. In a matchup against Arkansas State, look for Edwards to put on a great performance and start the momentum of him being the feature of this offense.
Jordan Burch, EDGE, Oregon
vs. Oregon State rushing attack
What To Look For: Last week, it came down to the last second for Oregon to pull off the win over Boise State. The big issue was Oregon containing Boise State’s running game. This week, Oregon faces off against an in-state rival who is almost doubling their offensive production running the football compared to passing. A key matchup to watch is Jordan Burch versus this Oregon State offensive line. If Oregon wants to slow this Oregon State rushing attack, Burch is going to have to play well and dominate in the trenches.
Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
vs. Virginia defense
What To Look For: Tai Felton a name that's completely off a lot of people’s radar, but through two weeks he is leading the nation in receiving yards with 330 yards. Felton is an explosive receiver who can convert short-yardage plays into big gains. Look to see if Felton continues to be a dominant player in the Maryland passing attack because if he continues to string together big-time performances on his resume, he will quickly become a name buzzing around the draft community.
