Heading into Week 8 of college football season, the SEC has yet another powerhouse matchup as Georgia takes on Texas in Austin. These matchups are always exciting as a draft analyst because there is no better barometer for talent than watching good on good. Outside of that matchup, there are other key games and prospects with an opportunity to set themselves up to elevate their draft stock.
Check out the five players I'm looking forward to watching this weekend to see if they can elevate their 2025 NFL Draft stock this weekend.
Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
vs. Georgia defense
What To Look For: Quinn Ewers still may have the most impressive win by any quarterback this season against Michigan on the road. But unfortunately, Ewers suffered an injury that sidelined him for a few weeks which slowed his momentum while his counterparts, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, were able to string together some impressive performances. After his return last week which looked as though he was knocking off the rust, Ewers has another huge matchup to catapult his name back up draft boards and even the Heisman conversation.
Ewers is facing a Georgia defense with plenty of NFL-caliber defenders like Mykel Williams and Malaki Starks. I'm looking for Ewers to have a similar performance to what he had against Michigan and show the NFL community that he is indeed a franchise quarterback who will show up clutch in big-time moments.
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
vs. Texas defense
What To Look For: Carson Beck’s NFL resume is still rebounding from the performance against Alabama a few weeks back. Last week, Georgia appeared to be getting its offensive footing and arguably had their best offensive output against Mississippi State. I'm looking to see if Beck can keep the momentum going into this matchup with Texas’ defense. I'm looking to see if Beck can eliminate the lowlight plays, make more highlight plays, and lead his team to a win this weekend.
Playmakers like Dillon Bell, Oscar Delp, and the rest of the skill position players are talented and skilled enough to walk out of Austin with a win. Beck just has to play consistently good football for four quarters.
Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
vs. Texas OL
What To Look For: Entering the 2024 college football season, Mykel Williams’ flashes of dominance with his size, speed, and strength led him to be atop a lot of draft boards. Unfortunately, the 2024 season for Williams has bad injuries and inconsistencies across the board, which has led to a rather quiet season.
Fortunately for Williams, he plays in the SEC, a conference with a lot of high-leverage matchups still to come. Williams has the opportunity to play against one of the best offensive lines with prospects like Kelvin Banks Jr. to showcase his dominance. I'm looking for Williams to make a statement in this game that he is indeed deserving of the preseason hype and is the best edge rusher in this 2025 NFL Draft class.
Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M
vs. Mississippi State defense
What To Look For: Although this is not a ranked matchup for Texas A&M, it is still a huge game for this offense. Texas A&M started slow offensively and Conner Weigman was then injured for a few weeks. Two weeks ago, they had a dominant performance against Mizzou and this offense finally appeared to be developing an identity.
Texas A&M is a top-25 team with talent on both sides of the football. I'm looking for Weigman to get the ball to playmakers like Noah Thomas and Le’Veon Moss and put the rest of college football on notice. Because if Texas A&M has a true offensive identity, this could be one of those teams that elevate itself into the College Football Playoffs in December.
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
vs. Georgia defense
What To Look For: This offensive line class at the top is cluttered due to it being talented, but no one is really separating themself from the rest of the group. Games against the most talented prospects (resume games) will help create that separation. Kelvin Banks Jr. has exactly that this week with an opportunity to go against some of the best edge rushers in Jalon Walker and Mykel WIlliams. The duo is very different in approach but Banks Jr. can show that he is talented enough to block both styles. Banks Jr. can showcase his ability to win the line of scrimmage in the run game by blocking IDL like Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson. Banks Jr. is a talented player and is OT1 for some people across the NFL community. A dominant performance in a matchup like this will go a long way to help that case.
