• Minnesota's Tyler Nubin faces off with Michigan's J.J. McCarthy: McCarthy boasts one of the highest passing grades in the FBS this year (90.2). Meanwhile, Nubin’s 84.3 overall grade and 89.3 coverage grade are team-high marks.
• LSU will test Missouri CB Kris Abrams-Draine: Wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are among the most productive wideouts in college football this season.
• Check out PFF's 2024 NFL Draft big board: Click here to see 150 of the top draft prospects that college football has to offer.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
We’ve reached Week 6 of the college football season, and with it comes more 2024 NFL Draft prospects and matchups to highlight. This week features intriguing battles of styles, often pitting strength against strength.
Here are the top matchups to watch.
QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan vs. S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
Don’t expect Minnesota’s offense to be able to keep up with Michigan to make this a good game on the scoreboard. However, there is a very interesting matchup between two 2024 NFL Draft prospects, as Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be scanning a Gophers defense that includes one of the smartest ball-hawking safeties in the country in Tyler Nubin.
McCarthy boasts one of the highest passing grades in the FBS this year (90.2). He has 10 big-time throws and just three turnover-worthy plays. Plus, all three of those turnover-worthy plays came in one game. Meanwhile, Nubin’s 84.3 overall grade and 89.3 coverage grade are team-high marks. He also has three interceptions already this season.
Tyler Nubin Game Grades | 2023
OT TYLER GUYTON, OKLAHOMA VS. DI T'VONDRE SWEAT & DI BYRON MURPHY II, TEXAS
We’ll have a nice battle to watch in the trenches when Texas faces off against Oklahoma. Though it might not happen as often as we would like, we should get some snaps where Sooners offensive tackle Tyler Guyton tries to hold back Longhorns defensive linemen T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II.
Guyton, a TCU transfer in his fourth year of college football, has earned a 69.5 overall grade with a 72.3 pass-blocking mark this season. His movement skills stick out most on tape.
On the other side, Sweat is having the best season of his career, earning a 91.0 overall grade with an 86.2 run-defense grade and an 89.9 pass-rushing grade. The massive 6-foot-4, 360-pound defensive tackle is imposing his will this year.
Next to Sweat is Murphy, who is much smaller at 6-foot-1 and 305 pounds but is second on the team in run-defense and pass-rushing grades. Murphy also possesses a ton of strength in his game, which should make for an interesting matchup between him and Guyton.
RB RAY DAVIS, KENTUCKY VS. LB JAMON DUMAS-JOHNSON @ LB SMAEL MONDON JR., GEORGIA
Davis had a monster day against the Florida Gators last week, recording 280 rushing yards and 11 missed tackles forced. He produced more than 200 yards after contact. He’ll do battle with one of the best linebacker duos in the country in Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon. Mondon leads the Bulldogs with 14 solo stops, while Dumas-Johnson isn’t far behind (nine).
CB KRIS ABRAMS-DRAINE, MISSOURI VS. WR MALIK NABERS & WR BRIAN THOMAS JR., LSU
Third-year Missouri cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine is one of the highest-graded players in the SEC. His 87.8 coverage grade ranks first among cornerbacks in the conference who have played at least 100 coverage snaps. He’s allowed just seven receptions all season for less than 50 yards and has five forced incompletions with three interceptions.
This week will be Abrams-Draine’s toughest test yet, as he goes against one of the best receiver duos in the country in Nabers and Thomas. Both place in the top 10 among FBS receivers in receiving yards this season, with Nabers ranking second in the country (625).
QB TAULIA TAGOVAILOA, MARYLAND VS. CB DENZEL BURKE, OHIO STATE
Maryland versus Ohio State has plenty of NFL draft intrigue baked into the matchup, one of which is Terps quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa versus a Buckeye secondary that includes Denzel Burke.
Tagovailoa is off to a great start this season. He has an 86.5 passing grade with nine big-time throws, although he has made five turnover-worthy plays. Waiting for that next potential turnover-worthy play is Burke, who had an up-and-down 2022 season as he battled through injury. But this season, now healthy, he’s back to playing as a confident CB1, earning a team-high 82.6 coverage grade. He has six forced incompletions this year, which already matches his total from last season.
CB CHAU SMITH-WADE, WASHINGTON STATE VS. WR J. MICHAEL STURDIVANT, UCLA
One of the more underrated prospects in the country, Washington State’s Chau Smith-Wade is on the smaller side but is fast and feisty with his coverage style. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior cornerback recorded five interceptions last season and has already forced three incompletions this year. He plays as an outside cornerback for the Cougars but would likely be in a slot role in the NFL.
Smith-Wade’s speed will be tested against one of the best deep-threat receivers in college football in J. Michael Sturdivant, who was a sprinter and long jumper in high school. He implements that track background as a receiver, averaging 20.5 yards per target. He has a deep target rate of 50% this season, meaning half of his targets have come beyond 20 yards.
WR WILL SHEPPARD, VANDERBILT VS. CB JASON MARSHALL JR., FLORIDA
This battle features a strength going against a strength.
Sheppard ranks second in the FBS in contested catches (eight) and leads the nation in contested targets (16). His game is all above winning those 50-50 balls. Meanwhile, Marshall is one of the bigger and stronger cornerbacks in the country, measuring 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds (both above the 80th percentile for the position). It’s going to be a matchup of “may the player who wants the ball the most win.”
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