2018 NFL Draft watch: Top quarterbacks shine during rivalry week

Ron Clements

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2018 NFL Draft watch: Top quarterbacks shine during rivalry week image

Each week during this year's college football regular season we will highlight some of the top draft-eligible performers from around the country.

Lamar Jackson had one of the best seasons in college football history to win the Heisman Trophy last year. The Louisville quarterback is having a similar season this year. 

After throwing for 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns with 1,571 rushing yards and 21 scores, the 6-3, 211-pound junior has 3,489 passing yards and 25 touchdown tosses this season after throwing for 216 yards and two scores in Saturday's 44-17 win over Kentucky. Jackson ran for 156 yards in the win for his eighth straight 100-yard rushing game. The only player in NCAA history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in consecutive seasons has 1,443 rushing yards this season.

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He's the most athletic quarterback in college football and can have the same type of NFL success enjoyed by Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson prior to his season-ending ACL injury.

While Jackson is enjoying another Heisman-worthy season, he likely won't win the award because of the year Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield is having. The 6-1, 220-pound senior lit up the West Virginia defense to the tune of 281 yards and three touchdowns with just three incompletions on 17 pass attempts. While some of his extracurricular activities raise red flags, there is no question about Mayfield's competitiveness or ability to play quarterback at a high level. 

Meanwhile, Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson didn't have to do much to shine in a 70-13 blowout of hapless East Carolina. Ferguson, a prototypical 6-4 senior, threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns on just 9-of-13 passing. Anthony Miller, a 5-11 receiver who will play in January's Senior Bowl, caught three of those passes for 144 yards, including an 89-yard score on the first play from scrimmage. 

Here are some of Saturday's top NFL Draft-eligible players

Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma — Andrews, a well-rounded 6-5, 254-pound junior and Mackey Award finalist, caught four passes for 61 yards in the 59-31 win over the Mountaineers. He passed Jermaine Gresham for most receiving yards by an Oklahoma tight end and scored on an absolute dart from Mayfield between a pair of defenders.

Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State — The dynamic Nittany Lions running back didn't have to do much in a 66-3 win over Maryland, but he scored twice and ran for 77 yards on 16 carries. The 5-11, 230-pound junior added a 4-yard reception to give him 47 catches on the year. 

Beau Benzschawel, OG, Wisconsin — The Badgers linemen pull better than perhaps any other team in the country and Benzschawel is among the best. The 6-6, 317-pound junior helped the Badgers pile up 287 rushing yards against Minnesota. No. 66 had the key block on a 53-yard touchdown run for freshman running back Jonathan Taylor, who had 149 yards on 20 carries. 

Ryan Carter, CB, Clemson — Carter is only 5-9, but knows how to make plays. The 180-pound cornerback got his second interception of the season against South Carolina, returning it for a 12-yard touchdown in Clemson's 34-10 victory. 

T.J. Edwards, LB, Wisconsin — Edwards led Wisconsin's shutout effort against Minnesota. The 6-1, 244-pound junior had seven tackles, 2 1/2 for loss, as the Badgers' top-ranked defense continued to impress and keep Wisconsin unbeaten. 

Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon — The 5-11, 231-pound Ducks senior ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in Oregon's 69-10 rout of Oregon State in the Civil War. Freeman, who is nearing 1,500 rushing yards for the season, added two receptions for 20 yards in the win. Freeman has been one of the most productive running backs in the nation over the last four seasons and can boost his draft stock at the Senior Bowl. 

Myles Gaskin, RB, Washington — The 5-10, 191-pound junior used his superior shiftiness and elusiveness to run for 192 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries in a 41-14 rout of Washington State. Gaskin, who has rushed for at least 1,200 yards in each of his three seasons, has great balance and footwork. Both came into play on his 26-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of Saturday's Apple Cup.

Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State — Like Andrews, Gesicki is a Mackey Award finalist and had five catches for 35 yards and two scores against the Terrapins. Wisconsin's Troy Fumagalli, who had two catches for 11 yards and a 1-yard touchdown against Minnesota, is the other finalist. One of Gesicki's touchdowns against Maryland was an incredible one-handed snare in the corner of the end zone.

Derrius Guice, RB, LSU — Guice had a huge game in a 45-21 win over Texas A&M. The 5-11, 212-pound junior ran for 127 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries and added an 18-yard reception. Guice now has 1,153 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season. 

B.J. Hill, DT, North Carolina State — While Bradley Chubb garners most of the headlines for the N.C. State defense, and deservedly so, Hill was the one who dominated Saturday against rival UNC. The 6-4, 315-pound senior clogged up the middle with eight tackles, including 1 1/2 for loss and a sack. Chubb had six tackles, one for loss, in the 33-21 N.C. State victory. 

Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State — Michigan linebacker Mike McCray is one of the nation's best linebackers and had 10 tackles Saturday against the Buckeyes, but Hubbard might have been the best defensive player on the field at Michigan Stadium. The 6-5, 265-pound junior had 2 1/2 sacks and 2 1/2 tackles for loss to lead Ohio State's defense in a 31-20 win over the Wolverines. 

Steve Ishmael, WR, Syracuse — Despite a 42-14 loss to Boston College, Ishmael had a huge day. The 6-2, 209-pound senior caught 11 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown to go over 100 receptions on the season. Ishmael has had a great season in spite of inconsistent quarterback play and his skill set should translate to the NFL. 

Justin Jackson, RB, Northwestern — Jackson, a 5-11, 200-pound senior who runs with power, trampled Illinois for 144 yards and a touchdown on just 18 carries in a 42-7 Northwestern win. Jackson went over 1,000 yards last week and became the school's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns Saturday. 

KeeSean Johnson, WR, Fresno State — Johnson, a 6-2, 202-pound junior, posted his fourth 100-yard game of the season by catching six passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns to help the Bulldogs upset No. 23 Boise State. The two teams will meet again next week in the Mountain West Conference championship game. 

Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn — The 6-foot, 212-pound junior ran for 104 yards and his 17th touchdown of the season and even threw a 3-yard touchdown pass in Saturday's 26-14 win over No. 1 Alabama. Johnson has gone under the radar, but has everything you'd want in an NFL back. There is some concern after he left Saturday's game with an injury.

Bryce Love, RB, Stanford — Love is dealing with a nagging ankle injury, but the 5-10, 196-pound junior still ran for 125 yards on 20 carries in a 38-20 win over Notre Dame.

Love is nearing a 2,000-yard season and is a lock to be in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation. Love has been helped by excellent play by the offensive line, especially senior guard Brandon Fanaika. 

Sony Michel, RB, Georgia — While senior running back Nick Chubb ran for 53 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, Michel did most of the damage for the Bulldogs in their 38-7 win over Georgia Tech. Michel, a 5-11, 215-pound senior, had 85 rushing yards on 13 carries and showed some toughness and elusiveness on his 13th rushing touchdown of the year. 

D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland — There wasn't much that went right for Maryland against Penn State, but Moore continues to shine in the darkness. The 5-11, 215-pound junior caught eight passes for 100 yards to go over 1,000 for the season. 

Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame — The 6-5, 330-pound senior has been solid all season and is in the same mold as former Irish standout Zack Martin, who was a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Nelson helped the Irish rush for 154 yards in the 38-20 loss to Stanford. Fourth-quarter turnovers did in the Irish, and definitely not the play at left guard. 

Derrick Nnadi, DT, Florida State — The 6-1, 312-pound senior helped the Seminoles clog the middle and hold Florida to 96 rushing yards on 34 attempts in a 38-22 FSU victory. Nnadi had three tackles, including 1 1/2 for loss and 1 1/2 sacks. 

Erik Powell, PK, Washington State — Powell is listed as a kicker and has booted 19 field goals this year, but in the blowout loss to Washington, it was Powell's punting that stood out as the bright spot for Wazzu. The 6-1, 202-pound senior punted four times for a 53-yard average and dropped two inside the 10-yard line. He also booted a pair of extra points in the 41-14 loss. As we've seen this year in the NFL with injuries to kickers, any NFL team would love to have a guy who can do both. 

Demario Richard, RB, Arizona State — Richard, a 5-10, 219-pound senior, ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries to lead Arizona State's 42-30 win over Arizona. It was the fourth straight 100-yard rushing game for Richard, who is now 23 yards shy of 1,000 for the season.

Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State — If it weren't for Mayfield, Rudolph would be considered the best quarterback in the Sooner State. The Cowboys quarterback torched Kansas with 438 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 58-17 win. The 6-5, 230-pound senior looks more the part of an NFL quarterback than the shorter Mayfield, though Oklahoma State's wide-open spread offense has some questioning how well Rudolph's skillset would translate to the next level. 

Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU — Sutton, a 6-4, 216-pound junior often overlooked as one of the nation's most talented receivers, went over 1,000 yards for the season with six catches for 107 yards in SMU's wild 41-38 win over Tulane. Sutton has just 62 catches this season, but for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State — The 6-1, 205-pound Washington continued his stellar senior season with eight catches for 106 yards and a touchdown against the Jayhawks. Washington has 69 receptions for an eye-popping 1,423 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

Ron Clements