While the 2027 NFL Draft is still far off in the distance, players who will be drafted early are on the field now. Each week presents unique matchups for draft prospects and this week is no different. Here are NFL Draft prospects to watch in college football week 0 Recap.
USC coasted to a 42-26 win over San Jose State. Although they gave up a decent amount of points, a lot of them came with the starters on the bench. The defense played well for the most part and that includes cornerback Jontez Williams. Williams only had one tackle, but his impact is bigger than the box score.
Williams did lose track of receivers at some points as he knocked off the rust, but the talent was there. A lot of times San Jose State wouldn’t even look his way. As a corner who can successfully play multiple types of coverage and has good ball skills, Williams can bolster USC’s defense and help his stock in the process. He is currently projected to be a day two pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Niki Prongos was held out of the game against Hawaii for an undisclosed reason. The Cardinal were able to defeat Hawaii, but all eyes will be on Prongos when he returns.
Virginia won their conference game against NC State by dominating on the lines of scrimmage. The offensive line specifically did a great job. They helped the offense pass for 155 and rush for 258. Boley was featured a lot on the broadcast and helped the Hoos get a good push up front.
Boley was impressive both as a run blocker and as a pass blocker. What made things even better was that he was disciplined and kept his hands inside even when his quarterback was scrambling a lot. A move to the inside could still be coming, but he showed real strength today in pass pro, which would make him a good fit for the interior.
NC State never really got the offense going against Virginia. It looked like they weren’t prepared and receivers couldn’t get separation. Bailey deserves some blame for the loss as well, as his performance didn’t stand out. He was 12/23 for 84 yards and one interception. Bailey did his fair share of extending plays and scrambling, as he rushed for 33 yards as well.
In what is expected to be a deep quarterback class, this isn’t a great performance for Bailey. He will need to clean up his mechanics and continue to work on layering his throws with touch. While the loss is far from just his fault, Bailey will need to play better down the stretch to boost his stock. Otherwise, a return to college and prepping for the 2028 draft could be in store for him.
TCU lost a tough one to UNC in Ireland to start the season. The offense struggled, but the defense played fairly well, allowing just 13 points (2 points came via safety). Johnson had a solid game, registering five total tackles in the game.
During the game, Johnson was able to show his tackling ability, as he made the initial hit on a player who then fumbled. He excels at playing the box and helping against the run, which he was able to do in this game. Johnson can continue working on his coverage to help his draft stock, but it was a nice opening game for the defensive back.
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