The third week of college football is upon us, which means we have another full slate of prospects across the country that will be trying to garner the attention of NFL scouts.
While there will be a handful of players, matchups among the top prospects in the nation will on display.
Here are five to keep an eye on:
South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards vs. Alabama CB Trevon Diggs
Alabama has two of the best wide receivers in the country — Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs that the everyone will be watching. But South Carolina has one of their own who hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as these two.
Last season, Edwards created a dynamic duo alongside 49ers’ Deebo Samuel, posting 55 receptions for 846 yards and seven touchdowns. Now, the center of attention in the Gamecocks’ offense, Edwards is looking to make his mark.
His senior season got off to a quiet start against North Carolina, but he bounced back against Charleston Southern where he had five receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3 and 218 pound wideout, who uses his size and physicality to fend off defenders will have a tough matchup against Diggs, who possesses the length, physicality and the willingness to keep up with the nation’s top deep threats.
Arizona State RB Eno Benjamin vs. Michigan State LB Joe Bachie
When these two teams met up last season, the Spartans did an excellent job with limiting Benjamin to just 27 yards on 13 carries. Benjamin, arguably one of the nation’s top running back, hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown yet but he will look to turn that around with many scouts looking down.
Standing at 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds, there’s no denying that Benjamin is a fun player to watch. Benjamin wins with lateral agility, quickness, burst and a deadly spin move to shake off defenders. But Bachie, one of the the top linebackers in the Big 10, will be in his tracks on Saturday.
At 6-foot-2 and 237 pounds, Bachie isn’t the most athletic player on the field and he lacks the cover instincts, but he is a sound run defender and blitzer who has a nose for the football.
In the trenches, Michigan State defensive end Kenny Willekes will be tasked with facing against Arizona State left tackle Cohl Cabral. Willekes currently has 3.5 sacks through two games.
Keep an eye out for the Sun Devils WR Brandon Aiyuk, as well. The 6-foot and 203 pound wideout has eight receptions for 238 yards and one touchdown.
California CB Camryn Bynum vs. North Texas WR Rico Bussey
Last week, I highlighted Bynum who went up against Washington wide receiver Aaron Fuller. Bynum had a great game, limiting Fuller to three catches for 40 yards and posting an interception. This week, Bynum might be facing a smaller school, but he will still have a big competitor lined up across from him.
Bussey, the 6-foot and 192 pound wide receiver has gone under the radar. He had a nice 2018 season where he amassed 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns on 68 receptions. Bussey started his 2019 campaign off with a bang against Abilene Christian, but he failed to record a catch in last weekend’s matchup against SMU.
Bussey doesn’t have eye-popping size, but he has better play speed than timed speed with the natural hands to make plays whenever the ball comes his way. Bynum will again look to utilize his high IQ, speed, ball skills and competitive chops to challenge Bussey up and down the field.
North Texas quarterback Mason Fine will be looking to find his favorite target early and often, but Cal safeties Ashtyn Davis and Jaylinn Hawkins will be looking to limit any of his other passes.
UCLA RB Joshua Kelly vs. Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray
Kelly, the Bruins senior running back, made his 2019 debut last Saturday after sustaining a knee injury earlier in training camp. He ran for 53 yards and a score on just 15 carries against San Diego State. A season ago, Kelly rushed for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Kelly will look to establish himself as one of the better senior running backs in this class, and he will be able to do so by going up against one of the top linebackers on Saturday.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Murray has top notch athleticism when playing the position. Whether it’s closing on runs, limiting yards after the catch or running with wideouts, Murray is always constantly around the ball. He will look to prevent Kelly from earning the spotlight.
Another matchup to watch is between UCLA Darnay Holmes and Oklahoma wide receiver Ceedee Lamb. Holmes is questionable with an ankle injury, but if he is a full-go, he will have to outmatch Lamb’s physicality.
Georgia OT Andrew Thomas vs. Arkansas State EDGE William Bradley-King
Thomas enters this game as the top prospect and arguably one of best offensive tackles in the country. Though Thomas is used to facing a higher level of competition on a weekly basis, he will be going up against smaller competition but that doesn’t pertain to the player that will be lined up across from him.
Bradley-King, who is flying under the radar, is off to a great start in 2019. He’s tied for No. 6 in FBS with three sacks this season. At just 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds, Bradley-King doesn’t necessarily possess the ideal size for the position, but he will use his long-levers, stride acceleration and physical hands to wear down Thomas.
