Florida State’s defense finally got back on track against Miami, and it took the entire unit (plus a blocked extra point by one of its leaders) to extend the Noles’ winning streak over their rivals to seven games. Running back Dalvin Cook may have earned the game ball, but defenders Matthew Thomas and Demarcus Walker might have done the most for their NFL futures with their performances.
Elsewhere, what do you do with Heisman contender and Michigan defender Jabrill Peppers in the NFL? Is he a safety, linebacker, returner, running back or all of the above?
MORE: College football contenders and pretenders
Also in this week's NFL scouting spotlight, meet a redshirt sophomore who’s leaning towards entering the 2017 NFL Draft and has the first- and second-round buzz to merit the decision.
Florida State’s defense makes the difference
FSU’s defense, which before the Miami game inexplicably had allowed 34 points or more to every FBS team it faced and went through a coordinator switch, rose to the occasion against a top-10 team. It held a future NFL quarterback in Brad Kaaya to just 214 yards and a completion percentage of 59. Two of the best defenders in that game are two of the team’s more intriguing draft prospects: junior linebacker Matthew Thomas and senior defensive end Demarcus Walker.
Thomas, who has had a troubled history at Florida State, has emerged as one of the team’s most critical front-seven defenders. Working as the weakside linebacker, Thomas proved to be FSU’s best run defender against a Miami offense that utilized a great run-pass gameplan. Thomas’ finishing ability as a tackler made the difference early, and he kept plays like the one below contained.
Thomas also helped keep Kaaya uncomfortable early. While the QB didn’t appear all that phased by pressure at times, his incompletions on third down were a direct result of Thomas and Florida State’s blitzing ability. The play below forced Kaaya to rush his throw.
Thomas was ejected early in the second half, however, for a blatant targeting of Kaaya, which forced Florida State’s defense to pick up the play. That’s where senior leader Walker did his work.
While he hasn’t been the dominant edge rusher for which many evaluators hoped, Walker has grown as a heady, patient and situationally-impactful rusher who took things to another gear in the second half. In the play below, he works around the edge and forces Kaaya to step up too quickly and miss an open man.
But Walker, stepping up as all great defensive leaders do, made the game-sealing play with under two minutes remaining. After a Miami drive to all but sent the game into overtime, Walker penetrated on the extra point up the middle, extended his arm and sealed the victory for Florida State with the blocked extra point.
That play, though it might seem like college football magic giving fans another fantastic ending, is another testament to Walker’s activeness and motor.
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Jabrill Peppers: Can he do this in the NFL?
Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers officially is college football’s best athlete. Against Rutgers, he had an unbelievable punt return (which was called back) and two rushing touchdowns. He played with tenacity on every snap that mattered in their blowout victory. He has emerged as coach Jim Harbaugh’s do-it-all athlete who has moved from cornerback to safety to linebacker during his career in addition to being the primary punt and kick returner.
He’s fun to watch, and he’s a legitimate Heisman contender who deserves to be discussed alongside Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Ohio State’s JT Barrett. But can he be this type of player in the NFL? And if so, where do you put him?
In 2015, Peppers saw plenty of snaps at field cornerback, slot cornerback and safety, and he clearly didn’t have his talent maximized in those areas. While his man and zone coverage experience on the perimeter has made him better, his lack of great downfield coverage potentially limits his upside as a safety.
As a linebacker, he hasn’t quite thrived yet as a reliable and complete defender. At just 210 pounds, he has proven to be movable by refined second-level blockers, especially in the Wisconsin game, as shown here. He’s not a perfect linebacker prospect, nor has he shown on-field productive value as an elite safety prospect. So should Peppers not be a top 10 pick if he declares for the 2017 NFL Draft?
No so fast.
Peppers’ value as a dynamic athlete is that he can play cornerback, linebacker and both safety spots at a reasonably high level. He has shown the ability to rush the passer as an edge rusher and a delayed blitzer, as shown below. His in-the-box coverage of tight ends and running backs, especially against a Wisconsin team that tried to use both two weeks ago, is almost at the level Myles Jack was in 2015 before his injury.
Peppers is one of the best returners, weakside linebackers, safeties and potentially running backs at the college level, but he won’t be an easy fit for NFL teams. It’ll take true creativity to get the most out of him because his value is his versatility, not his explosiveness at linebacker or range at safety. His skills as a running back and/or returner should translate to the NFL, though stubbornness from coaches might prevent that from happening.
Peppers needs an open-minded coaching staff to see the full benefit of his skill set. Let’s hope he gets usage in the NFL like he has under Harbaugh, because the Heisman contender certainly has the ability to transition his skills to the league.
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What I’ve heard
— Even though it’s early October, college underclassmen are already having discussions with their families (and others they may or may not be allowed to have contact with) about potentially leaving college early for the draft. Players can be understandably fickle, and most should stay in school. But one player who might leave for a good reason is SMU wide receiver Courtland Sutton. He’s leaning toward declaring, and NFL teams have second- and potentially even first-round grades on him. Check the players spotlight below for more on Sutton.
— Another junior who’s strongly considering declaring is Ohio State’s JT Barrett. While that shouldn’t be a huge surprise, there is the question of where exactly he might land in the draft. Nobody I’ve spoken with feels the first round is a real possibility, and there’s no clear round grade at all. But after three years as the starter for Ohio State, can Barrett gain much more as a quarterback if he stays? If he declares early, would he be drafted in the top 5 at the position? Tough to say, but it’s time to start talking about Barrett as if he’ll be in the NFL next season.
— We’ve said before 2017 might be the best small-school draft class (depth-wise) in recent history, and after speaking with two regional scouts this weekend, they seem to agree. There’s no Carson Wentz this year and maybe no first-rounder, but there are as many as six players who may be top three draft picks, which would be the most in at least the last six years. Biggest name to watch: Bucknell left tackle Julian Davenport.
Player Spotlight: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
As stated earlier, the SMU product might be looking at the NFL once the season is over and, despite hailing from a non-Power 5 program, his talent warrants his consideration. The redshirt sophomore was named to the Freshman All-American team last year after suffering from a season-ending injury that allowed him to redshirt in 2014, and his 2016 play is right on track with his top-two-round buzz.
The 6-4, 220-pound receiver certainly has an NFL build, and he has deceptive vertical speed despite looking like a slower, long-striding receiver. He’s had no trouble separating downfield this season when working against man coverage, and he’s grown as an inside and out-breaking receiver. Teams have begun to give him cushion and have forced him to beat them underneath and after the catch. Much to the chagrin of NFL scouts, he has thus far.
The Combine will go a long way in determining his NFL comparison, but his body type, comfortability underneath, extending away from his frame with strength and physicality after the catch remind of Brandon Marshall, who also went to a small school (Central Florida) and should have been drafted higher. In what looks to be a somewhat underwhelming 2017 receiver class, Sutton is a name to watch.
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Something you missed: James Washington does it again
After being down 17 points with five minutes left in the third quarter, the Oklahoma State Cowboys came back to score 24 unanswered points. The final touchdown, a pass from future NFL quarterback Mason Rudolph, was a red-zone back shoulder fade to James Washington, Oklahoma State’s dominant playmaker. His performance in this game was similar to his performance against Pittsburgh earlier in the season, when he finished with 296 yards and two touchdowns.
Against Iowa State, he played a key role on three of the team’s final four scoring drives, including the game-winning touchdown below. He finished with 152 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The junior has built on a strong sophomore season, and the trust Rudolph and Washington share should put both in the early round discussion for NFL teams, should either or both declare early.