We are into Week 5 of college football and we are finally hitting the point where there are a lot of good matchups across the board for the SEC. This means there is a good slate of resume games for 2025 NFL Draft prospects. Georgia vs. Alabama and Ole Miss vs. Kentucky are just a couple of SEC games to name this weekend.
The SEC is looked at as the conference that is closest to NFL competition, so if prospects want to convince NFL talent evaluators that they are ready for the moment, there is no better time than against SEC competition. Check out the top five SEC players who need to have big-time performances to improve their draft resume.
Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
vs. Kentucky defense
What To Look For: The Ole Miss Rebels are once again ranked inside the top 10. Jaxson Dart has played well overall in his Ole Miss career, but in big matchups and high-level moments, he has played less than the standard that he has set for himself. This week, Ole Miss gets their first SEC matchup against Kentucky. This should be a game Ole Miss wins without a doubt due to the talent difference, but Kentucky has a few defenders that can make plays and make things interesting.
Along the defensive line, they have IDL Deone Walker, a player people believe is one of the top prospects on this draft because of his ability to rush the passer from the IDL position. In the secondary, they have CB Maxwell Hairston, a player who has a knack for getting his hands on the football—when he does, he can return the ball for touchdowns. This feels like the first test for Dart and a true resume game to see if he can maintain his high level of play throughout SEC play.
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
vs. Georgia defense
What To Look For: Alabama vs. Georgia is usually a matchup saved for the SEC Championship but this year we get it in Week 5. Jalen Milroe himself has faced this Georgia defense already in his career and is familiar with their scheme. This Georgia defense, like the ones of the past, has first-rounders at every level like hybrid LB Jalon Walker and SAF Malaki Starks. In this matchup, I'm looking for Milroe to continue to show growth as a runner and passer, but also show that he has an in-depth understanding of what's going on pre/post-snap. Milroe should be able to use his athletic ability to escape pressure and create some explosive plays for this offense.
The battle for QB1 seems to shift every week, and outside of Quinn Ewers versus Michigan, this appears to be the biggest matchup of the regular season for a quarterback to make a statement and a resume-building opportunity.
Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
vs. Alabama offense
What To Look For: There hasn't been a player whose draft stock has risen quicker since the end of the summer than Walker. He is one of my favorite players in this draft class and a top-10 overall prospect at the moment for me. Walker's resume game last year was against Alabama where he was tasked with spying Milroe and rushing the quarterback from the edge position. This year, I'm looking for more of the same. Walker has his hands full with this Alabama offensive line that has high-level talent like IOL Tyler Booker and Parker Brailsford defending the run. I'm looking for Walker to have a big-time performance and place himself on the radar for all NFL teams with this resume game.
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
vs. Alabama defense
What To Look For: Carson Beck entered the season as a lot of NFL talent evaluators’ QB1. But entering into Week 5 of the season, that is now in question due to a rather slow start. Beck played well against Clemson but this offense has sputtered since then and Beck's numbers have been modest. The Bulldogs’ offense is talented with players like RB Trevor Etienne, TEs Oscar Delp and Ben Yurosek, and WRs such as Dillon Bell and Colby Young. So, the lack of talent is not the issue.
In this upcoming matchup, I'm looking for Beck to distribute the football to his playmakers in this game and protect the football. I have a feeling that the 13 points they scored offensively to beat Kentucky will not be enough, so look for Georgia to get creative and let Beck take some shots down the field.
Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
vs. Ole Miss offense
What To Look For: Hairston had a great 2023 season and that is a key reason why he is listed as a top 50 prospect in our Draft Network Top 100. Hairston is a ballhawk who takes calculated chances and makes quarterbacks pay for making bad decisions. With Dart at QB and receiving targets like Tre Harris and Juice Wells, the Ole Miss offense will be difficult to stop. I'm looking forward to the battle between Hairston and this Ole Miss passing offense to see if Hairston can force this offense into making some costly mistakes. Maxwell already has an INT and a FF on the season, and with the battle for who is CB2, CB3, or CB4 still wide open, I'm looking for Hairston to make some big-time plays and take advantage of this resume game.
