Week 5 of college football lived up to the hype for the SEC. Alabama vs. Georgia lived up to the hype and came down to the last minute and Ole Miss lost to Kentucky in a classic SEC upset. Many prospects across the conference elevated their NFL draft stock in Week 5, but we know that consistency is key. With another loaded week of SEC play, NFL draft prospects can use key matchups to continue to build on their draft resumes.
Brady Cook, QB, Missouri
vs. Texas A&M defense
What To Look For: The Missouri Tigers are currently undefeated and rank No. 9 in the country, but their last two times out have been close calls, winning by six points against Boston College and by 3 points against Vanderbilt. This week they have Texas A&M, one of the best teams in the trenches with players like Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart leading the attack. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook is going to have to make plays under pressure and deliver accurate passes to his weapons Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. Look for Cook to minimize turnovers while playing under pressure. If he does that, this game could go a long way as far as a statement about Cook's ability to lead his team to victories in chaos.
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
vs. Auburn defense
What To Look For: Carson Beck’s performance against Alabama was a full experience of the good, the bad, and the ugly. After getting down big, Beck made some great plays to get his team back into the game and take the lead, but he ultimately threw an interception in the final seconds of a loss. This week, Georgia has Auburn on the schedule and talent evaluators are looking for more consistency from Beck. Georgia has talented players, but Beck has to be more consistent in his ability to make accurate passes and eliminate turnovers. I'm looking in this matchup against Auburn for Beck to show that he can play high-level football without also providing turnovers to the other team.
Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
vs. South Carolina defense
What To Look For: Ole Miss had a difficult loss last week against their first real test of the season, which has a lot of people questioning just how good this team is and just how good Jaxson Dart is. This week, Ole Miss has another big-time test playing a scrappy South Carolina team that has one of the best defensive fronts in the country. I am looking for Dart to show that he can make plays in chaos and still be net positive for the team. Dart didn't play badly last week against Kentucky, but for him to live up to being one of the best quarterbacks in this class, he is going to need that signature game where he is the sole reason why Ole Miss wins.
T.J. Sanders and Tonka Hemingway, IDL, South Carolina
vs. Ole Miss offense
What To Look For: After Ole Miss' performance last week, this South Carolina duo should be excited this week to see if they can wreak havoc. T.J. Sanders and Tonka Hemingway are one of the best one-two punches at the IDL position in the country and have an opportunity to make this claim nationally in their matchup against Ole Miss. Look for Sanders and Hemingway to make plays in both the run game and rushing the quarterback. If South Carolina is going to win the game, its defensive line is going to have to be dominant. Sanders and Hemingway are playing to make themselves national names for talent evaluators. The way this draft class is going, they have an opportunity to elevate their stocks tremendously.
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
vs. Missouri offense
What To Look For: This draft class needs proven edge rushers. Scourton is one of the guys that talent evaluators were excited about in the summer with his transfer from Purdue to Texas A&M. Thus far, he is playing well with two sacks last week against Arkansas. This week, they face a top-10 opponent in Missouri who likes to pass the football. Look for Scourton to be a dominant edge presence and see if he can wreck the game. Scourton's opportunity to elevate his draft stock is there because of the lack of competition at the top of the edge class. So a signature win against a top-10 team in which he played well could catapult his draft stock into top-15 status.
