The fifth 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:
Arizona State WR Brandon Aiyuk vs. California CB Camryn Bynum
Touted for having the best secondary in the country, Cal possesses a handful of playmaking defensive backs, including Bynum, who’s handled his business against some of the conference’s top wideouts.
Bynum’s been off to a great start. In three games, the 6-foot and 195 pound cornerback has posted 16 tackles, three passes defensed and one interception.
Bynum will be tasked with slowing down a player that’s trying to establish himself as one of the top senior wide receivers in the country.
Aiyuk was overshadowed by Patriots’ N’Keal Harry last season, but he did flash at times, showcasing his explosiveness and speed whenever the ball touched his hands.
This season, Aiyuk has done a stellar job filling in the shoes once worn by Harry. The 6-foot-1 and 206 pounder has tallied 424 yards and two touchdowns on 22 receptions, for an average of 19.3 yards per catch.
Bynum has a good blend of length, speed and football intelligence. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s enough to slow Aiyuk’s detailed route-running and breakaway speed.
Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor vs. Northwestern LB Paddy Fisher
Taylor’s been off to phenomenal junior campaign. During the 2018 season, he won the Doak Walker Award, and now he’s playing like he wants the 2019 Heisman Trophy.
Taylor made a statement in Wisconsin’s 35-14 over Michigan last weekend, running for 203 yards and two touchdowns, which 143 of those yards and both scores came in just the first quarter.
Taylor has a good chance to repeat that same success this weekend, but he will have one of the top linebackers in his tracks.
Prior to the 2019 season, Fisher posted back-to-back seasons of more than 100 tackles. This year, Fisher has 22 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception.
The 6-foot-3 and 245 pound linebacker cleans up in the run game with his instincts, mentality and physical nature to work through blocks and blow up ballcarriers, meaning that Taylor will have his work cut out for him.
Virginia CB Bryce Hall vs. Notre Dame WR Chase Claypool
After a strong junior season, it was surprising to see Hall return to Virginia for his final year. Hall finished 2018 as the nation’s leader in passes defensed with 21. He’s off to a great start in 2019 with four amassed.
Hall, the 6-foot-1 and 200 pound corner, faces arguably Virginia’s toughest opponent, which happens to have a wide receiver that has been dominating opposing secondaries the first three weeks of the season.
Claypool, the 6-foot-4 and 229 pound receiver, has tallied 15 catches for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
This matchup is enticing because both players possess NFL-caliber size. Claypool is a big-bodied target, who uses his strength to fend off defenders for superiority in the air and long arms to extend and reel passes in.
Meanwhile, Hall has a rare combination of length and athleticism. He is highly competitive at the catch point contest everything that is thrown in his direction.
Washington C Nick Harris vs. USC DT Jay Tufele
Washington possesses one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country, returning four starters from last season. Among the group is Harris, who’s making his 35th start.
Harris has been the senior leader on the offensive line that has helped guide quarterback Jacob Eason to a lot of early success in this first season under center for the Huskies.
The 6-foot-1 and 307 pound center is a sticky blocker, using his physicality and fundamentally sound approach to keep defenders busy.
He will have a tough matchup against a redshirt sophomore, who could establish himself as one of the better defensive tackles in this class if he declares.
Tufele, the 6-foot-3 and 305 pound interior defender, isn’t going to pop up on the stat sheet as much, but his way of getting into the backfield is eye-popping. With his gifted athleticism, brute strength and quickness, it’ll be worth seeing if Harris can defend Tufele.
Utah CB Jaylon Johnson vs. Washington State WR Easop Winston
Finishing off the slate of games on Saturday is a Pac-12 After Dark matchup between Utah and Washington State.
Johnson, who earned 2018 first-team All-Pac-12 honors, has been pretty quiet to start the season. After finishing with four interceptions last year, he has only posted 11 tackles and three passes defensed.
But the tale of the tape tells it all, showcasing that he’s an athletic cornerback who has a knack for the ball in coverage and in run support.
Meanwhile, Winston has been the exact opposite and is off to a hot start in his senior season.
In four games, he’s tallied 26 receptions for 348 yards and eight touchdowns.
Winston has the athleticism and ball skills to make a secondary look silly, but will it be enough against a ballhawking cornerback like Johnson?
