The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - Prospects to Pros: 2023 NFL Draft QB class check-in with Eric Galko

Episode Date: September 28, 2022

After a quick check-in on some of the top performing rookies in the NFL in Week 3 (0:41), Andy Staples and Dane Brugler dive into the 2023 NFL Draft QB class. They welcome Eric Galko, Director of Football Ops, Player Personnel for the East West Shrine Bowl, to the show to talk about what he’s seen from the seniors such as Will Levis, Hendon Hooker, Aidan O’Connell and more (11:33). Then, Dane and Andy get into C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and the top draft-eligible underclassmen (28:35).Subscribe to the TAFS YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6gWjMSDj7-8j3iCc2ZGo3g0:41-11:32: NFL Rookies (Devin Lloyd, Jalen Pitre, Jelani Woods)11:33-28:32: Senior QB class with Eric Galko (Hendon Hooker, Will Levis, Clayton Tune, Devin Leary, Sam Hartman, Aidan O'Connell)28:35-45:24: Underclassmen QB class (C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, DJ Uiagalelei, Jalon Daniels, Austin Reed, Cameron Ward)45:24-55:54: What to watch this weekend Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the Athletic Football Show. Welcome to Prospects to Pros. We talk about the guys in college that are about to get drafted, the guys in the pros that just got drafted and pretty much everything in between. I'm Andy Staples here with Dane Brugler, the athletics draft guru. We're going to talk a lot of quarterbacks on today's show. We're going to talk with Eric Galco from the East West Shrine Bowl about the seniors. And Dane and I are also going to get into those undergrad QBs.

First, let's talk about some of the guys that. that are already in the NFL. We've talked about Trayvon Walker a bunch. And, you know, it's funny because we had this debate of him or Aidan Hutchinson. They both turned out to be great draft picks. The Jags seem happy. The Lions seem happy. But the Jaguars had another first rounder.

And he might be as good. Well, I would argue that it was more of a surprise to see Devin Lloyd fall to pick 27. as opposed to Walker going number one overall. To me, these were both top 10 players in this draft. And that's how they were on my board. I know a lot of people felt that way. But I think some of the average testing numbers from Devin Lloyd, and in the age, he's an older prospect.

People really harped on that. And he fell a little bit. And he was such a playmaker in college. I mean, as you know, the production was ridiculous. Over 100 tackles, 22 tackles for loss. Only Will Anderson had more tackles for loss. He had double-digit past his defense. He had four picks.

So instincts, play speed, making plays all over the field. He did that in college. And no surprise, he's doing that in Jacksonville, a former safety. So it's not a surprise. He already has two picks as an NFL player. And I've said this before. He's basically what I think the Chargers were hoping Kenneth Murray would be when they traded for him in the first round a few years ago.

Well, I like these guys that were safeties and kind of grew into something else and grew into linebackers, but are also a linebacker. backers who could rush the passer who were very versatile. It makes you a Swiss Army knife. It makes you kind of personnel agnostic. And that's what offenses do. And we saw in college when they changed the clock rules and made it where all these offenses would go up tempo.

It became very valuable to have offensive guys who could be versatile because then you didn't have to substitute and give away what you were doing. And also if you substitute the defense is allowed to substitute. So what did college defenses do? Well, they started looking for their own Swiss Army knives, and that's how you got Derwin James and Jewel Peppers and people like that. And now you're seeing it in the NFL, and it's so valuable because you can disguise so much with somebody like that.

Right. Yeah, and you want scheme-proof guys, personnel-proof. Doesn't matter if it's 12 personnel, 22 personnel on offense, you're running base or sub-package. They can stay on the field. And that's exactly with Devin Lloyd. He's a four-down play. keep them on the field and special teams so you can do it.

So, yeah, that was a, I think a lot of people that were scratching their heads when the Jaguars drafted another linebacker with that second first round pick. But I don't think anybody's scratching their heads now. It's just amazing because that position going into last season seemed, you know, seemed like they were set. They knew what they wanted to do. And that whole group has been turned over. That whole room is turned over.

but you could argue it's significantly better now. And the day, you know, because everybody's talking about Trevor Lawrence turning the corner. I think that defense having legit playmakers on it now makes a huge difference for them. And I know Justin Herbert was banged up, but just seeing them look as confident and as just, I don't know. I mean, they have guys who look special now. And it's been a while since the Jaguards had that. Five years ago, they've got to. had a defense to look like that.

It speaks to the philosophy in the draft of best player available where, you know, you know, it's not like Madden where you say, well, I've got, you know, three decent linebackers. So I'm good. I'm going to, you know, you draft best player. You just get talent, you know, with, you know, injuries and everything that happens in the NFL, you know, you just want to get the best talent. And I'm sure they had Devin Lloyd ranked as very highly on their draft board. And for him still to be there at 27, it becomes a no-brainer at that point.

because, again, you know, maybe besides quarterback, every other position, you just keep stockpiling talent. You know, that should be the goal in the first, you know, two, three rounds of the draft. So let's talk about another guy who I loved in college, just like Devin Lloyd, a straight up football player who is, he always finds a way to be near the ball. When he is on the field, he is near the ball. And that's Jalen Petrie from Baylor. He's with the Texans now.

played unbelievably against the Bears. And it's going to be a long year for the Texans. I think we know that. But this is the reason, you know, this is this type of player gives you hope that they're going to come out of this eventually. Yeah. Justin Fields helped out the Texans a little bit. A little bit, a little bit.

Different discussion for a different time. But yeah, I mean, Jaila Petrie was so much fun in that Dave Randa defense. Another guy that was just all over the field. I mean, he had 18 tackles for a loss as a safety last season as a senior because they played him, they played him as an edge player, they play him in the box, they play them as a more traditional post-safety, they'd play them in a slot as more of a nickel player. So just like Devin Lloyd, he now has multiple interceptions this year in three games as an NFL player. So it's pretty impressive.

He was my number 38th ranked player in the draft. He was drafted 37th. and I won't be surprised when he outplays both those numbers because he's off to a really nice start. Yeah, I love that. And it's hard because those are always my favorite players. And we've mentioned Joaquin Brisker before on this podcast. I love the guys who are just always around the ball who, you know, like in high school,

they were probably every, they probably played every position because they were the smartest player on the field and also the best athlete. But I always say prioritize those. guys. But sometimes those guys do it with smarts and with want to in college and don't have the athleticism to back it up. These guys absolutely do have the traits to back it up. And that's what's very exciting. Petrie was a 4-4-6 guy. He had a really nice three cone. So he blew everybody away with the testing. You couple that with the tape and then you add in the production that he had. and, you know, it's kind of a little bit of a wonder.

He was the fourth safety drafted and maybe not the second or third. So it's last year was a nice safety class. You know, we'll see Kyle Hamilton had a force fumble over the weekend. You know, Lewis Seen still getting worked in the mix there in Minnesota. And Daxon Hill got his first start over the weekend for the Bengals. So it was a really, you mentioned Bristker, a really nice safety class. It'll be fun to track these guys. Another guy I loved watching last year.

And I was watching his former team's game. game last Thursday night and thinking, man, they miss him a lot, is Jelani Woods, the tight-in from Virginia. Brennan Armstrong. He agrees. Yeah. Keaton Thompson is nice and versatile, but Jalani Woods made such a difference in that offense. He was such a mismatch.

And now you see him with the Colts. They break the Chief's win streak and, you know, maybe it was the open roof. I don't know, I don't know what it was, but two touchdowns for Jelani Woods. Well, he had zero targets in the first two games. So he's not even on the radar in terms of, okay, this guy's going to be a factor in this game against the Chiefs. And he only had two touches or two catches in the game, but he made both of them count. Both were touchdowns. And those were the only two touchdowns the Colts scored in the game.

But that ended up being enough for the upsets. So yeah, credit to Jolani Woods, who, you know, former quarterback, starts at Oklahoma State, then goes to Virginia as a graduate transfer, goes to the Shrine Bowl. We'll be talking with Eric Galco here at a minute. And, you know, that's really where he kind of, the draft stock took off. You know, that's where he got started.

And then it kept going at the Combine, kept going through workouts. And so Jolani Woods turned himself into a much higher draft pick. And good to see him on the field. I wish he could wear that zero in the NFL. That was a beautiful sight watching him in that zero at Virginia. You mentioned Eric Galco in the Shrine Bowl. Well, let's bring on Eric Galco right now because we want to talk some quarterbacks.

Hi, Eric. How are you doing? What's going on, guys? I love the Jolani Woods talk. Thanks, Dane, for bringing him up, too. It's my guy. Well, it's almost like we knew you were coming on. Credit to you for having him in last year's game because that was the leaping off point for him, right?

I mean, that's where, you know, he, every day at practice, you know, the practice reports where Jelani Woods this, Jelani Woods that, and then from there, it's just the combine and everything else. So did he surprise you at all in last years during practices in Vegas? You know, I'm a sucker for guys with interesting backgrounds when it comes to scouting, right? Former quarterbacks with great athleticism playing tight end. The biggest thing for Jolani that we loved on film, even like early on, I think it was Oklahoma State like week zero, week one, week two as senior year, was just like for a guy to still run in a position to be that good as a separator downfield.

and stay balanced after contact, like special athlete. But the Shrine Boy, I think you mentioned, he showed that he could beat NFL safeties, nickel corners, linebackers consistently. Like it was him in the kid from Ohio, Armani Rogers, a former quarterback too, who like, wow, these guys can separate and they're still learning a position too.

So Jalani had like, that was an arrow pointing up. Like athletically, it was good, but he dominated that week for sure. Eric, how much do you see that with tight ends in terms of projection? Because it does feel like whether it's coming from basketball later in life and late in high school or even in during college or moving from another position

how often are those guys still learning what they need to do whether it's the blocking piece of it or the route running part of it yeah i mean usually quarterbacks going to tight ends it only works when they're freak athletes right so it's really easy to be like oh yeah exactly quarterbacks going to tight end it seems like oh obviously like maybe a guy you know good quarterback athlete maybe be a tight end but they've got to be freak armani rogers jelani woods his pastor like those guys they're, you know, A plus athletes. Logan Thomas, like you mentioned, too. So that's the only time that really works.

But what it works, you can kind of see with Jolani, like he understands where to sit and zone coverages because he used to be a quarterback at Oklahoma State as freshman year. So it shows up on film when it does, plus they're good athletes, that's when you get really excited because that means the guy's all there for this kid too. I think he'll have more than two catches the rest of the season day. And he'll be a guy part of the host offense. They need some help there for sure. Well, when they target them, good things happen.

That's it. And the Colts need all the help they can get, right? now on offense. But listen, one of the main reasons we won't want to have you on is talk about some of these quarterbacks. This is a, it's a really interesting senior class of quarterbacks. I think most would agree Will Levis at the top out of Kentucky. But then after him, it's a really, I would say, crowding group of guys that are jocke for position, you know, who's going to be the second senior and third senior, all that. And I'd say what, Hendon Hooker from Tennessee made made himself quite a statement in the game against Florida over the weekend.

What have you seen from Hendon Hooker? And, you know, how does he project for you guys? Last year, he was so efficient as a pass, right? What, like three or four receptions, tops? And the question I coming into the year was, could he stay that efficient? Was it a bit of the offense and manufacturing things? But the Florida game, the pick game early in the year, like he's taking chances downfield. Now, he has, you know, Brew McCoy, who's becoming a really good receiver,

Cedric Tillman, obviously, maybe a first round pick. but he's taking chances, eight touchdown, zero interceptions. And based on the film I watched it, I'm not sure if you agree or not, I don't think if you even seen a close interception. Like, he's not putting the ball up for grabs of defense at all and their scoring points and getting downfield. And, you know, I always question like, hey, what are, what's this quarterback superpower? If you're going to be an NFL starting quarterback, you've got to have something that

only five, 10 guys in league can do. And that deep ball accuracy is really his. Like Sam Powell had a bit of that early on his career, North Carolina. And I think Hendon, that deep ball accuracy makes them pretty special. And I think it's, you know, when you look at the armed talent, maybe he's not special, special. Athletically, he's not Lamar. But that deep ball touch and that efficiency, I can't believe NFL teams wouldn't want that guy to at least compete for a starting job. And that puts him somewhere in the first two rounds if he's used as a starter.

So I think Hendon showed that last year. I think he's kind of reaffirmed that this with how efficient he's played. How do NFL teams handle scouting a guy who essentially has had two different college careers? Because Hendon Hooker, Virginia Tech is a very different quarterback than Hendon or at Tennessee. And I remember I went to Knoxville in the spring, and I had not seen Hendon in person until then. And he walks in the room and I was like, whoa, you are a lot bigger than I thought you were going to be. And you're like, okay, now I understand how he's such a willing runner, especially near the goal line. And like, there's just a lot of value in that. But, but I go back to

Virginia Tech and there was just, you know, it wasn't the same sort of accuracy. And is that do they say, okay, well, maybe that was just the offense, or how do they, how do they reconcile those things? I think the way I look at is that he was just not experienced yet, right? We give guys, he's a three-year college starter and he's gotten better over three years. Kenny Pickett, his sophomore year at Pitt, granted it was the same team, but different offenses that sophomore year, he wasn't as good as he was in the end, too. But I think in terms of transferring in different schools, I don't think scouts that were so pretty unprecedented, right? Five years ago even, quarterbacks weren't transferring at the rate they are

right now with having success. So, you know, five, six years ago, a guy that transferred and made the NFL, those were like, whoa, this guy, you know, where did he come from? And now we're just used to these guys transferring. And there's a USC quarterback in every conference at this point, right? So we're used to transfers, but I think Hendon can kind of move past Virginia Tech. But that's why this year was important, right? Being efficient last year was surprising. This year, he's showing that that's who he is. And again, if you're an efficient quarterback who can finish downfield and you're a good athlete, those guys go top two rounds and those guys get the chance to compete for starting jobs in the NFL. So Hedinand's earned that. How do you think age factors in here too with Hooker?

Because he is, he's going to be a 25 year old rookie. He'll be 25 when he's drafted. And that's something that every NFL team looks at that a little bit differently. But I think with quarterbacks, maybe they look at it differently than, say, a skill position. So how does age factor in for a lot of these teams? Yeah, quarterback, I think you're right. I think for most teams age is more of the falls off a cliff. A guy can't be a third round pick and old, right? Then it goes like undrafted or late round pick. But I think for quarterback, hey, you get Hennon hooker there in his four-year rookie deal as a second round pick. He's still under the age of 30, right? Look at it that way. Like after his contract's done, he hasn't quite hit 30 yet. So I mean, when you get to

Brandon, it's a little bit of a different story. But I think for Henden, like, yeah, I think the age is going to be notable for teams. I think what's more important when it comes to age. And I think some teams disagree with me and some teams kind of share the same thought. It's less to me about age and it's more have they peaked yet. If you are, you know, didn't play football until you were 18 years old and then you're a 25 year old rookie, hey, you know, body type, hey, you might age quicker at 33, 34. But the trend of the tires, the ability to get a lot better, that's really the real question.

And I think Hendon, because of what happened at Tech and only last year being a real start of the whole year after, you know, week one, I think he still has a lot of room to get better too. but the age is a factor. I don't think it'll have him from being a top two or three-round pick, though. Let's talk about Will Levis because his production was not particularly great last year.

It's obviously the traits that everybody's working off. He does seem to be more efficient this year, but not a lot that's completely wow-y yet. Florida is the best team they've played, and it was an okay game for him against them. What does he need to do to kind of solidify his spot as the first senior off the board? You know, I think it's an,

interesting for Will. The team lost, what, three linemen from last year in the draft. They've lost a lot of receivers. And they're starting running back has been out until he'll be back this week. And their backup, Ramon Jefferson, he got out in training camp. So like he's had, I think, make do. And when I've been impressed with Will, the armed talent hasn't gone away. We know what the arm talent can be is that they've kind of manufactured wins, right? I noticed at Florida game, by about the end of the first half, early second half, he kind of, I think he saw the Kentucky offense saw, hey, Anthony Richardson's not playing well right now. And if we don't have have to take chances downfield and make big plays. Let's just pick up first downs, run the ball.

And it looked to me that will recognize that and Rick Kangerel recognize that. And he's won games. And I think there's something, I know quarterback wins isn't a stat, but an SEC play against good competition, if he can be a game manager, which is a bad word nowadays, but if he can be a game manager with that arm talent, then I'm pretty excited still. So I think we'll see the best of Will Levis, Paviaon Robinson, a transfer. He's starting to get settled. They have a lot of good young receivers that I saw when I was there in camp and they're playing better and better. So I think we'll see big plays. But I think for Will, the question I would bring up, I talk to date about this in the preseason

is what if Josh Allen was in the SEC? What would he have been like, right? Would it have been what is with the bills? Would have been struggles like this? Would he have kind of toned down a little bit to win games? So that's kind of where I go with Will is I'm not sure what to make it a season. And I think his best comp is somewhere between Blaine Gabbard and Josh Allen. And I think we'll see more of that towards the end of the year.

Yeah, I mean, you hit on it. losing Wendell Robinson, you know, the change in offensive coordinator. You know, there's a lot of moving parts there. And so the Will Levis and the Kentucky offense, we're seeing the first four games, probably not the same offense we're going to see the last four games of the season. So it'll be interesting to compare and contrast those two things. What are these senior quarterbacks that I really have enjoyed watching and studying is Clayton Toon at Houston. This is a tough kid.

He moves pretty well for a size. I think he operates really... Superman in triple overtime against UTSA? I mean, that's set. The two things I just mentioned, toughness and moving well for a size, he showed it on that play, no doubt.

But I mean, even inside the pocket, I think the pocket movements are really impressive with him. So he has the presence where you can climb, he can work around the noise. And I think he has just really good timing, you know, a good feel for routes, when receivers are starting to come open.

So there's a lot, there are times where he'll make some low percentage throws, but I've been impressed with Clayton Toon. Is he a guy that's on your radar in terms of someone you're looking at potentially be in your game? Absolutely. I mean, I remember watching him when he took over for Deerick King after the surprise four-game transfer. And it was not great, but the toughness showed up. By the end of that year, you kind of saw some of the improvisation stuff,

which I really value in quarterbacks, is can you improvise when the play breaks down? Because that's what happens in the NFL quite a bit. I got a chance to see Clayton Tune three times this summer once at Houston once with Jordan Palmer when he did a private camp out there and then Manning Passing Academy. And along with being tough as use ever Clayton Tune, he is about as cool as can be. I mean, at Manning Camp, like he was the popular guy. He won the Manning Passing competition. And I think that pages are term moxie. Mark Sanchez kind of ruined the term moxie for me when everyone said moxie with him.

But I think that kind of moxie, that confidence, like you saw in the UTSA game, right? with that like a game winning touchdown, diving play, but the way teammates rally around him. And I think that transitions to as a quarterback, you kind of mention there's some composure there, right, some mistakes there, but he's never really rattled, never moments too big for him. The arm talents there are the accuracy's there. I think right now the offensive line hasn't really helped them too much, right? He's averaging four sacks a game. He's getting sacked, right?

And he's a lot of that offense predicate on Tank Dell. I think Tank Dell is catching 40, 45 percent of their balls, right? So it's a little bit predictive right now. That's why they've struggled. But I think you're right, the talent's there. And I would be very, very confident Clayton Tune. It's not only a draft pick, but he's the kind of kid and the kind of quarterback that plays in league for 10 years, whether he's a starter, whether he's a valued backup. Like worst case, that guy's case, Keen and the best case, it could be a lot more.

So big Clayton Tune fan. I think he's, even though the team struggled a little bit this year, I think he still played well, to your point. So I want to talk about a couple guys in the ACC, and we're going to kind of be able to compare them a little bit apples to apples. because you just saw Sam Hartman go against Clemson's defense, which nasty up front, not so sure about it on the back end, threw six touchdowns against the Moe in a huge game. Obviously, Clemson came out victorious in double overtime, but you had him, and now NC State comes to Clemson this week. Devin Leary gets his crack at the Clemson defense. This is the best collection of athletes.

Either one of them is going to play in the regular season. What have you seen from these two guys? I think Sam, the hard part about Sam is, I think he's, I mean, I think his arm talent is better than people think sometimes because of that offense. It's just that mesh point being so late and the fact that he's got really talented receivers that are kind of jump ball guys, that it's something like you don't want to take away because those six touchdowns all counted and they were all great throws. And usually with that low mesh point, you get a benefit of the guys cheating up a little bit, but you're always making off balance throws, right? He's never set when he's throwing the ball deep. So it's kind of like a give and a take as an evaluator. But Sam's really consistent. Sam has a lot of control on that offense.

I've been told, right, he's able to kind of dictate a little bit of things pre-snap and adjust. And obviously, the mesh point is all him and not a lot of turnovers from there too. But the big question for Sam is when he leaves that offense, can he be that pocket game manager? He's not a dynamic athlete. The arm talent's good, not great. And can he still be a pocket manager in that offense? But he made the most fit to get, having a lot of talented receivers, especially jump ball guys, right? One of the best three or four receiving groups in the country.

AT Perry. Yeah. Yeah. And the Jamil, Jamil Green, is that his name? The underclassman. He played outstanding in that game, too. Donovan Green had a touchdown too. So they have got a lot of guys out there.

For Devin, they're four and oh, right, but just one road game so far. And that was East Carolina. And that was a little bit. It was tight. Hasn't played so much. And the biggest thing I looked away because I'm looking forward to this game and scouting it, you know, live and then watch the film right afterwards, is Devin four for 20 throws past 25 yards. Hasn't had to throw too much, but it hasn't been there yet.

Now, all four were touchdowns, right? So that's the only caveat. But I want to see Sam Hartman took advantage downfield. I think those downfield throws, when I watched the film, I'll cut it up for throws 20 yards and beyond and see how Devin did under pressure as well as just finishing downfield. And he had the same, he's got Devin Carter, but not the same kind of deep ball, jump ball receivers that Sam Harman has.

Yeah, I think that with Leary, this being his third season in the same offense, there's expectations there. And I don't know that he's quite lived up to those yet, but we'll see how we perform, especially this weekend with Clumson on the schedule. It's going to be a lot of fun. I was really impressed with him as a middle of the field thrower as opposed to outside the numbers in terms of accuracy,

in terms of placement. And then with Hartman, I agree with a lot of what you said. I think that's something that's really going to help him is just the toughness, the intangibles. If he's on the same line, when teams are stacking these guys, If he's on the same line as one of these other quarterbacks, the intangibles might give Sam Hartman the edge because of, you know, let's just remember, you know, a month ago, he had a blood clot major surgery.

He had to have that removed. He really shouldn't be out there this quick, but he was out there. So he's showing the toughness. He's playing at a high level. It's, and the offense that he's playing in, you're absolutely right. And it's not that he can't do it. It's just there's going to be a projection there, which makes it a little tough. One other ACC quarterback to mention Phil Jurekovic from Boston College, I mean, he's also in this mix, right?

Yeah, real quick on Sam, too. There's a lot of similarities to Sam and Brock Purdy, right? Who was Mr. Irrelevant, but he's made the Niners for officer, probably the long-term backup. Like, we kind of lost over those guys. I love Brock Purdy so much. Like, he's going to make so much money. Right. We kind of forget about him after three years.

He's old news. And then he just ends up being a backup for a long time. And he'll start games. He'll be Cooper Rush one day in three years. And he'll be a guy. And Drakovich, that's a team that I think it's tough to evaluate Phil and title. They've had so many offensive line injuries that it's been really tough and frustrating for that offense. I was actually just up at Boston College today, watching practice.

And they've got plenty of receiving talent. They've got some young offensive line. But Christian Mahogany going down. Kevin Klein, the right tackle went down. I think it's been hard to evaluate Phil Drakowicz. That offensive line's healthy. There's no way they're one and three right now. And I think for him, it's hard to kind of get into rhythm.

He's a guy that can off play action, downfield. he can make big, big throws. I mean, in 2019, he was shades of big bent of what this guy could be. This year was supposed to be the year. That 2020 Clemson game when DJ had to make the start for Trevor. Yeah. Phil was lights out against that defense. And you looked at it and you're like, bad as an NFL quarterback.

But you're right. I mean, against Florida State, they just couldn't function. And so I can imagine it's tough. who are some of the other senior quarterbacks that you've got your eye on right now? Aiden O'Connell, I think, has played really well. He's the top guy as well, too. And I think he's, what, two late drives away from being four and oh, right? Garrett Trader has that late comeback after the five, six, seven penalties, right, replacement style.

And Sean Clifford did it. And then Sean Penn State against him. Yeah. Yeah, so he could be four and oh. This could be a different story altogether. He and Charlie Jones have been so fun to watch. Jones, another great player, too. And I think for Aiden, he reminds me a lot of Jimmy Garapolo, his private quarterback coach, Jeff Christensen, coach Garapolo, and the similarities are like,

for me, like, very, very, very direct. But the other guy that we've been impressed with, Jared Hall of BYU. And that team I know has now a little bit succumbed some high expectations, but that Wyoming game, as a scout perspective, third down, third and four picks up six, third and four picks up seven, fourth and four makes a completion. The back shoulders are there, consistently, just like Sack Wilson had two years ago, the downfield touches there, the red zone stuff is there. And I think that comfort he has within his offense, plus the arm talent, the fluid release, the mobility. Like he's been from a scouting, the team is, I wish they were undefeated in the top 10 team right now. But from a scouting standpoint, everything he's done has been really impressive this year in that VYUU offense.

Last question for me. You mentioned Charlie Jones, over under 440 in the 40-year dash for Charlie Jones. You know what's funny? I talked to someone earlier today, and they said 4-3-8. So I'm going to go under for right now only because I'm bullish. And he beat Garrett Williams downfield twice, and he's a 4-3-guy. He did. I mean, Charlie Jones is a punt returner.

So we're not talking about a dude who's just trying hard out. He got a lot of God-given speed. Oh, yeah. Speed, ball skills. He's been so much fun to watch that Purdue offense with O'Connell. I mean, O'Connell, to me, he's right there in the mix to be that second senior quarterback off the board. Really, all these guys we've mentioned have at least a fighting chance as we get into October, November, and then the All-Star season. So it'll be a lot of fun to see it play out.

Yeah, and that couple of the great junior class, it's going to be, I think, one of the deepest quarterback classes we've had in a few years. So we'll have first round guys unlike last year, we'll have a lot more depth than two years ago, too. So it'll be a really important year. And a lot of teams didn't take quarterbacks early last year because they knew this class was coming. And I think these guys so far live up the hype. Eric Calco, East West, Shrine Bowl. Thank you so much. Thanks, man.

Appreciate it, guys. That he's right. I mean, it feels like there are so many more options this year where you feel like even later down in the draft, you're going to get someone who might be serviceable, who might be a backup for a long time. You know, it didn't necessarily feel that way last year. And I'm sure there were some people. when you said Will Levis first off the board, and you said first senior off the board, there were probably some people who were like, where are we?

What about CJ Stroud? Bryce. Okay. Eric's got to evaluate the seniors. That's who he can have in his game. He's not going to have CJ Stroud. Well, CJ Stroud's not going to play in any game like that because he's potentially a number one pick.

But Bryce Young, those guys, I feel like C.J. Stroud got to flex over the weekend against Wisconsin. They're just toying with people at this point. But he's so fun to watch. watch. Yeah, he is. That entire offense is fun to watch. And that, honestly, my main takeaway from the Wisconsin tape was, man, this

offensive line is really, really good. So, you know, it's, we talk about the guys in that Ohio State offense that touched the ball and as well, we should. C.J. Shroud is awesome. The receivers are ridiculous. The running backs are awesome. Cade Stover, I'm naming myself the president of his fan club. He's fun.

Catching the, and the ball just sticks to his hands as a receiver. and then him as a blocker. I mean, he's removing defense events from the play. It's really fun to watch. But the offensive line's been awesome. I mean, with, you know, Paris Johnson at left tackle, there's a true sophomore at left guard who looks like a future, you know, early round pick.

Whippler at center's great. DeWan Jones, a right tackle, one of the biggest human beings that will evaluate. So the offensive line is really, really fun. But, yeah, back to Stroud. He had a really nice game. And, you know, through his first pick, you know, that'll happen. But, you know, all in all, it was a very positive outing for him against the defense that had only given up three touchdowns, I think, in the first three games. So it's not like this defense was really.

They're well coached. Jim Leonard, former NFL safety, has them in the right places all the time. You did mention Paris Johnson. I did want to point out to our audience. Have you read any of Paris Johnson's copy, by the way? Did you know that Paris Johnson is a reporter? Like, he writes for the lantern of a school paper. he's good

Like he's very good Like he's he's coming for our jobs In about 15 years When he retires from the NFL And doesn't need to He's just bored Because he's got millions of bank I've seen he's done a few

Like the video stuff I've seen a few of those You know where you know Walk around campus that type of thing But no so he can He's got the The journalism chops too huh My man can turn a phrase

No he's good I reached out to his mom I read the you know, she was retweeting his stories. And I was like, this was, he's got a future. Too bad his future in the NFL is much, much brighter. But yeah, Kate Stover was awesome to watch. And, you know, when he retires from the NFL,

maybe he will be raising the brisket that you someday smoke, because that is his background. Well, did you see his announcement video when he announced he was going to Ohio State? Yeah. I mean, that was awesome. He's carrying these hay bales. He's, you know, they're mixing in these high school clips. He gets into a tractor. And then as he's driving a tractor away, there's an Ohio State flag on the back. I mean, Kay Stover, he's just a boss. So that's great. The man appreciates production value, too. That's the best part. So we're going to see Bryce Young go to Arkansas this week. And I'm interested in that because the Razorbacks are a funny defense. they either knock your head off or you torch them. And so it'll be interesting to see Bryce Young, because Alabama's offensive line has not been perfect to this point. So how does Bryce Young handle that?

I've always felt like his best attribute is his ability to keep a play alive with his feet, but not in terms of a scramble, in terms of keeping his eyes downfield, staying behind the line of scrimmage and making something happen. This could be one of those games where you see, him float for a while and then just bink, you know, long touchdown pass. Right. And the Arkansas defense has a few interesting pros or future pros.

Drew Sanders, the Alabama transfer. Alabama transfer. Yeah, having a really nice season so far. He's putting a lot of pressure on the pocket, on the quarterback. He's taller, so it looks a little awkward at times, but he gets, he's able to get that pressure. He's got shock in his hands. So he's moving blockers to the point of attack.

Really active. I mean, he's really long, and so he's able to disengage from those blocks. He's a lot of fun. A bumper pool, I think, has been in, or been at Arkansas for about eight, eight years now. And then a guy that really flashed on that, Texas A&M tape, is safety miles slusher, number two. With Jalen Catalan out, you know, some of these guys need to step up. Number two, I mean, this, he kept showing up and run support. His read react is awesome.

He can physically take on blocks. He can make plays and coverage. a couple of names to watch. That's what Brice Young will be looking at. But this will be a good opportunity for Alabama. They played Vanderbilt last week. So we haven't really seen them be really tested since that Texas game. So this would be a good test for them.

Another junior QB. And this guy is a subject of constant debate among us in the college football world. If you go to my post game show on my podcast, we talked about DJA. We only only will be on Saturday. And it's always in, it's always framed in, okay, is he the guy at what, at some point, are they going to try Kade Klobnik, the freshman? But DJ had a very good game against Wake Forest. I thought the two touchdown passes he threw in overtime might have been the two best throws he's made in college. And, you know, the thing is, though, that is Wake Forest.

He's about to play a more talented defense than Wake Forest. and he's got Florida State coming up as well, which has more athletes than he's seen. And I'm just curious if he is a true draft prospect now. Because I don't know, it just still doesn't feel quite right. Maybe that's just because we're used to Trevor Lawrence running that offense. And maybe it's because there's no T. Higgins, no Amari Rod. They really haven't had those A plus receivers.

But I'm curious how scouts view DJ, and is even a thought that he's a prospect for next year's draft? Or is he one they think is going to be a senior next year? Well, and I think regardless, the main takeaway here is you're encouraged by the progress, right? So, you know, I think it helps that he's getting more help around him. But you factor in he's down 25, 30 pounds. That's a big deal. the mechanics look a lot better than what he put on tape last year in terms of his upper body and lower body,

just being on the same page. You know, being, it looks so disjointed last year, and that caused a lot of his throws to be inaccurate. So he looks more in control and everything's on the same page from his feet to his eyes. That's a big deal for him. And then, yeah, that game against Wake Forest on Saturday, maybe his best performance in college to date,

it's at least in the conversation. So yeah, he's, it's a little early to say, okay, this guy should legitimately think about coming out and, you know, what rounds are going to be drafted and that type of thing. But I'm encouraged. I think scouts, they feel encouraged by the progress. This is what you want to see. You want to see him get better.

You want to see him correct some of those mistakes that we've seen in the past. So, you know, Climpson, they're, you know, they're undefeated going to playing in a tough NC state team this weekend. So, you know, it's the ACC, there's some, there's some talent. but nothing that I think really scares you if you're Clemson. So it'll be interesting to see how far a DJ can take this team. Yeah, it will be interesting because the progress is real. The question is, is he good enough to take them to the playoff for a potential national

title run? Because that's what's expected at Clemson now. And we've seen Davos Sweeney make a quarterback change midstream before when the guy he had was pretty good in Kelly Bryant, but the guy waiting in the wind. Wings was very good in Trevor Lawrence. I don't know that Kate Klubnick is quite that, but it is one of those things that it is going to be a topic of discussion until DJ start showing that he can be dominant as a Clemson growing back.

And that may have something to do with supporting cast. Yeah, no doubt. And I mean, that Will Shipley touchdown run in the fourth quarter was just unbelievable. I mean, he had no business. He heard a lot of last year, too. That's another thing to consider. Right. Right.

Exactly. So, I mean, that was. a lot of fun. The offensive line looks like it's a little bit better, too. But you know, you look at that schedule, all of a sudden, you know, playing Florida State this year isn't exactly the Florida State we've seen the last, you know, two, three years. It's not a kickwalk. Right. That'll be an interesting game. So, yeah, there's some, definitely some matchups coming up here starting this Saturday for Clemson that I think will tell us a lot more about the quarterback and then also the program for this season, at least.

another underclass QB that we need to talk about. And this is the one that our guy Robert Mays was like, who is this guy? Jalen Daniels at Kansas. A lot of people are saying that. Yeah. Found by Brent Deerman, who was the offensive coordinator brought in by Les Miles very briefly to try

to salvage what was going on there because they were having all sorts of issues. And, you know, Kansas has had all sorts of issues. And the Les Miles era ended badly. But Brent Deerman, who's now at Florida Atlantic, found this guy in Southern California and was like, okay, I think this could be a special player. They threw him in right away. He was learning on the job. But now in Lance Leopold's offense, he is just magic. And a lot of it's with his legs.

So if you're evaluating from an NFL standpoint, you're probably not as concerned about that. but he's a very efficient passer who also happens to be devastating as a runner. And maybe we should have saw some of this coming because he started that game against Texas last year that they won. Last year when they won, yeah. Four touchdowns in that game. So, but at the same time, he wasn't the guaranteed starter going into this year. It's just, you know, he earned the job and he's more than lived up to it. It's been a lot of fun to watch.

I think, is it 11 to 1, I think touchdown interception ratio right now? He's playing at a really high level. And to your point, he's making some tight windowed throws. He's pushing the ball downfield. He's playing with a ton of confidence. Not the biggest guy. He's listed 6 foot, 215 pounds. So he's probably more like 511, you know, not a big guy.

But he's very efficient. He does a really nice job understanding what the defense is trying to do. And then what he can do to counteract that, finding the vulnerable spot on the defense. That Kansas team is really well coached with Lance Leipold, who I have issue with my senior year at Mount Union. I'm riding off into the sunset. Oh, no. Going to win the Stag Bowl. It's my senior year.

I'm watching from the sideline, and Lance Leipold and his Wisconsin Whitewater crew just – Pierre Garsohn wasn't enough. We just didn't have it in us. And I said us, like, I did not play, but I was – working with the team. And it was just, that was a heartbreaking, heartbreaking stag bowl back in 2007. So, Lance Lightball, he's. That was early in his whitewater tenure.

He was, he was just getting warmed up. Yeah, he had him roll in there for a good long while. But, you know, kudos to him. Go to Buffalo, making that D3 to FBS jump, having the success that he did, now going to Kansas. And, you know, I just, I almost feel for Kansas fans who, I know they're on pins and needles about maybe losing him. Too good, too early. Too fast. Now Nebraska's going to try to snag him. Arizona State's going to try to say, you know, Georgia Tech will want to snag him.

It's, it is. I mean, Nebraska is probably just salivating there like, oh, you're already recruiting in the footprint. So just come over here and we'll pay you tons more money to do the same thing. So it is a tough one. I want to throw another QB at you. And this guy, he's got a college degree right now, but he's actually an undergraduate by eligibility, because of the COVID year. Austin Reed led West Florida to a D2 national title in 2019. Then they didn't play in 2020. He transferred to Western Kentucky for this year to try his hand at the FBS.

And he's having a pretty good season so far for the Hilltoppers. So 6-2.2.30. And he's averaging 8.9 yards per attempt, 14 TDs, three interceptions. So I just want to put that name on your radar in case that, You go very deep. I wasn't sure if you went D2 deep to West Florida, to the Argos. Well, as a former D3 guy, I definitely got to give love to all levels, D1, D2, D3, NAA, all those guys for sure. And yeah, Western Kentucky, obviously, coming off a season where they had Bailey Zappy, you know, they had everything rolling.

They lose their offensive coordinator. He goes, he's now the offensive coordinator, Texas Tech. And so a different identity, it feels like. But watching that game against Indiana, you know, they're still putting up points. They're still a productive unit. So, yeah, Reed's definitely a name on the radar, at least a guy that, you know, we're keeping tabs on because he's being productive. He's making things happen. Yeah, that's what I, you know, Jim Nagy from the Senior Bowl, I was wondering how clued.

He's there in Mobile and he was in Pensacola for a few years. And they love to find those diamonds in the rough. but now he's sort of a little more of a known commodity because you are seeing him play for Western Kentucky. But it is really interesting with the transfer rules the way they are. We talked about this a lot last week. You can kind of change your fortunes. And we started with Hennon Hooker saying Cam Ward is another one.

Cam Ward Washington State right now. I'm just about to bring him up. That is a perfect segue to him because, you know, at Incarnate Word, you know, doing a lot of good, things makes the move to Washington State this year. And they're playing good football. I mean, they had that tough loss against Oregon over the weekend. But Cam Ward is a name that scouts are talking about.

You know, it's a name that are, you know, being discussed. You know, he's, there's some things he needs to work through. You know, sometimes the ball placement's inconsistent. You know, the mechanics are a little bit off balance. His momentum's pulling him in all these different directions when he's trying to throw the football. But he's an athlete, he's got a quick release. They're running kind of like an RPO-based offense.

And so he's got that quick load and fire, get the ball out. He just has an instinctive feel for working the pocket, operating around pressure, and then finding the matchup down the field. So Cam Ward, you know, he's a junior. He's a guy that has eligibility left. He'll have an interesting decision to make based on how he plays out the rest of this season. But Cam Ward is definitely a name that scouts have been talking about. And it's interesting that you talk about him.

being instinctive in the pocket. It certainly was not developed in high school because he ran the wing tea. This is why nobody knew about him. This is why he's 6-2-220 pounds. He's from Texas. And you're like, how did he wind up at Incarnate Word? Well, he wound up at Incarnate Word because that's where he went to camp. And he's throwing with the quarterback because his high school film doesn't show him

throwing. It shows him running the wing tea. And so Eric Morris, who was the head coach at Incarnate Word, was like, we're going to keep you our little secret. But Eric Morris is now the office coordinator at Washington State. Cam Ward followed in there. Lane Kiffin really wanted Cam Ward bad at Ole Miss. He was after Cam Ward before they wound up taking Jackson Dart from USC.

So I would imagine Cam Ward is a very popular. Speaking of Jackson Dart, you will see him this week against Will Levis. So that'll be a fun one too. Yeah, I'm looking forward to watching Zach Evans in that game. Another transfer running back, TCU to Oleman. he's one of the best running backs potentially in this class. And so seeing him going up against

the Kentucky defense that, you know, that's what they're proud of is how they play defense. And so what he can do against them, Ole Misses, I think they're 4 and 0, right? I mean, they're playing at football. Yeah, we call this the

is, are they good bowl on my podcast? Because we had a little segment of are they good with the 4 and O teams that we're not really sure about yet. And I think the winner of that, one you can pretty much say, oh yeah, they're pretty good. But Evans is a fascinating case. You know, five-star guy, originally signed with Georgia.

They cut him loose. He goes to TCU. Everything implodes there. Gary Patterson gets fired. This offense that Lane Kiffin runs is, it's interesting because more backs should be beating their, you know, beating down the doors of these offenses. It's Ole Miss, Arkansas runs it, Syracuse runs it. they're high tempo offenses and everybody assumes they're chucking around offenses,

but they will try to run for 300 yards in a game if they can't. Like if you go light on the box, they're going to hand you the ball. They're all about getting the ball in the hands of their best playmaker. If that's a running back, so be it. If it's a receiver, it's Elijah Moore. Right. And that's what Lane did that first year. Once he figured out what Elijah Moore was, they force fed Elijah Moore.

And he's going to do the same thing with Zach Evans. year this year. Exactly. And so, yeah, that Ole Miss offense, they can definitely score points. And Jackson, you know, he's a USC transfer. I mean, once highly recruited. So, you know, kind of the talent's there. It's just, you know, what does it look like against better competition? And we're going to find out this weekend. Yeah, it'll be fun. And Chris Rodriguez coming back for Kentucky, if you like running backs. So six and, you know, six point one yard of carry guy last year. he was suspended for the first four games. Unfortunately, maybe the best name player in college football, Kavassie Smoke,

now will be reduced to a little more of a role player type situation instead of starting tailback. But I think for Kentucky fans, they'll be happy to see Chris Rodriguez running the ball and maybe take a little pressure off Will Levis. So it is going to be a fun week of college football. I am going to ask you about one more quarterback, though. Okay. This is just purely me as a college football nerd.

Because I don't, I think I know what the answer is. Is there any chance? I don't think he gets drafted. Any chance Stetson Bennett makes an NFL roster for a year? The way that, because I've been thinking about this quite a bit, the way I've put it is I've seen worse quarterbacks play NFL football than Stetson Bennett. I mean, Stetson Bennett, it depends how do you define NFL prospect?

You know, if he's a guy that NFL teams are running up a report about, guess what? He's an NFL prospect. So is Stetson Bennett an NFL prospect? Yeah, he is. It doesn't mean he's going to be drafted necessarily or, you know, he's going to make a roster. But, you know, his maturation we've seen the last few years has been so impressive. You know, he's limited. There's no doubt as a physical player.

there's a lot that he brings to the table that, you know, Matt McLean was, you know, starting games for the Raiders not too long ago. Ken Dorsey, I watched Ken Dorsey play or start games in the NFL. And, you know, these are, you know, guys that are, you know, were okay players in college. You know, maybe that doesn't give enough credit. They maybe, especially Ken Dorsey winning national titles, but a guy like Stetson Bennett, there's no reason why, you know, he can't make a roster and do some things. it'll be really interesting to watch his obviously finish this season, then the pre-draft process. You know, does he get invited to the Senior Bowl or the East West Shrine Bowl? Does he get a Combine Invite?

That'll clue us in on how a lot of teams are feeling about Estes of Bennett. Yeah, because he's exciting to watch this year with all those weapons around him. And he throws a nice deep ball. He seems to have a flare for the moment. but a lot of it is when you've got Brock Bowers, you can do an awful lot of things. And, you know, Brock Bowers, not a guy will be talking about much on this show until next year,

because he's only his second year in college, but he's a, if you had to do your Heisman ballot right now, is Brock Bowers in your top three? Yeah, I think he would be. And it's interesting because I was going back over some of my old Heism ballots and looking for, you know, when I think I made a mistake.

And I was thinking back to 20, So I had Devante Smith first because Devante Smith was the engine that made Alabama go. But I had Kyle Trask on my ballot from Florida. And looking back, it should have been Kyle Pitts. Kyle Pitts was the truly special one that made that offense truly special. And I think that's where Brock Bowers fits in. There's not a comparison to him in college football. There's not another player like him.

I mean, they handed him in the ball against Kent State and he ran for a, 75-yard touchdown. He's a tight end, for God's sake. Like, this is, so I'm very, you know, intrigued with what he'll be. You know, I think Darno Washington could be a good NFL tight end as well. Now, they'll love his size, and he's just got to show he can be more productive, but he's not going to be as productive because he's the third best athlete in his tight end room right now. Yeah, and I mean, we can't even talk about Eric Gilbert because we don't know what's going on there.

He's as gifted as they come, but can't find the field. But, yeah, I mean, Darnow, Washington, as a blocker, is a huge asset. A massive target like that, he was a good athlete for that size. You know, he's got a good chance to be a day two pick. And then, yeah, I mean, Brock Bowers. And, you know, for those people screaming, oh, Ken State, Ken State, he had, he took that end around against South Carolina, you know, SEC speed. So, I mean.

Yeah, Brock Bowers put enough on tape already. You don't have to sell him to anybody at this point. Listen, I'm a fan of the, you have to be three years removed from high school before you go to the NFL. I think, because it, from almost everybody, it sets. Exactly. 99% of the players, it's warranted. Brock Bowers is the 1%. He's the 1% who, you know, Leonard Fornet was that way.

There's a couple of guys that are the 1%ers who could be, yeah, exactly. Exactly. They could, Will Anderson after last year, go to the pros. They could do it. With NIL, now, you know, you don't feel as bad for those guys because they can still earn money at the college level, even if they are ready for the NFL. But, yeah, Brock Bowers is definitely a one-percenter. Yeah, I can't wait to see what they do with him. They just, you know, because I still think they're finding things that they can do with him, which is crazy, scary, given what he's already done. So that'll be fun to watch. They play Missouri this weekend.

I don't think Missouri will put up much of a fight. So I don't know how much we're going to, how much creativity they're going to need to muster with Brock Bowers. But there are a lot of road favorites in college football this week, which means chaos usually follows. So it'll be a fun weekend. And anybody that you're particularly got your eye on, any game you've got your eye on,

other than maybe Clemson and NC State, Ole Miss and Kentucky. Well, I do want to make sure that we mentioned KJ Jefferson, we talked about all these quarterbacks, and we should mention him. He's going up against an Alabama defense that, obviously, every year, Alabama's defense is locked and loaded with future pros. So I want to see how KJ Jefferson comes back after an up and down performance again,

stay at them last week. So that'll be a big one. And then, yeah, I want to see that Michigan offense is starting to get going. Blake Corum is awesome at running back. Shoonmaker, the tight end, is going to be drafted much higher than I think people realize. And so Jack Campbell for Iowa is a really good linebacker. How does he match up against the tight ends,

against the running backs at Michigan? So that'll be a nice prospect match at the watch. Yeah. And Olu Atami, his first name I'm going to butcher. I think he goes by Olu. Oluatami, the center for Michigan who transferred from Virginia. Another one to watch. Maybe the most valuable addition in the off season.

They're against that Iowa defense. And so we've seen Michigan look explosive on offense. Iowa's defense has had to carry Iowa's essentially non-functional offense. And basically against Rutgers, the defense scored two touchdowns. You know, in the first game against South Dakota State, they scored two safeties. So this will be fun to watch. If Michigan and that group of Blake Corum and Ronnie Bell and J.J. McCarthy, if they are scoring all over Iowa's offense, look out.

That's a legit playoff contender type team for Michigan. And that defensive line, which was a big strength that's been known last year, they're starting to come along. I mean, Mazzie Smith, who earned a lot of praise this summer as number one on Bruce's freaks list, he had his best game to date against Mary. Maryland on Saturday. He had eight tackles. He was in the backfield consistently. So if he can, if he can show that he's more than just a two-down nose, that he has some range to what he offers, which I think he does. And with those freaky traits, we're starting

to see it on the field. And so that defensive line from Michigan, as it continues to grow and gel and they're working some different players in there, that, that's Michigan, they've got some things going. Might be a legit top five team in college football this year. Can't wait. It's going to be such a fun weekend. Starts with dolphins bingles in an all-time uniform. We've got the white bingles uniforms. I'm hoping dolphins go throwbacks.

And then it'll be just perfect. And it just rolls right in. You got UCLA and Washington on Friday night. And then a load of great games on Saturday. Dane, can't wait to watch. We'll have our Slack channel going. Did you see this? Did you see this?

Did you see this? It's going to be awesome. This was the Athletic Football Show.