The 2019 college football season is officially underway. Among the two games that Week 0 features on Saturday is the Arizona Wildcats and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
Both teams have several NFL draft prospects that are worth getting familiar with ahead of the matchup.
Here are the seven players to keep an eye on tonight:
ARIZONA
RB J.J. Taylor
Taylor isn’t going to wow you with his size at 5-foot-6 and 185 pounds, but his play on the field will. Taylor ran for 1,434 yards last season, which was good for sixth nationally in 2018. It was the fourth-highest single-season rushing performance in Wildcats history. Similar to Bears’ Tarik Cohen, Taylor is an electric playmaker. He has great speed and has enticing lateral quickness to go along with it.
Despite his smaller stature, Taylor always keeps his legs churning to pick up extra yardage. He can make defenders miss in space and he has the speed to blow right past them. Taylor wasn’t targeted much in the passing game, but he has the ability to make a big play if he’s thrown the ball.
QB Khalil Tate
Following an impressive sophomore campaign, Taylor was unable to match that last season, as various injuries hampered him on the field. Despite being banged up, Tate still managed to throw for 2,530 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Nonetheless, Tate enters 2019 as one of the more explosive quarterbacks in the country. Tate must show more promise as a decision-maker as his accuracy can sway, but he boasts an athletic player that can deliver some absolute dimes and can threaten a defense with his legs.
LB Colin Schooler
Schooler caught my eye his freshman campaign, but he really garnered my attention in 2018 when he recorded 119 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. When looking at him, his frame passes the eye test as a modern NFL run-thumper, but he is adept in coverage. He has four interceptions through two seasons and he posted four passes defensed last season alone. The 6-foot-1 and 229 pound linebacker is a see-ball, get-ball defender who flourishes on his aggressive nature. In coverage, he does a nice job reading passing concepts and following the vision of the quarterback.
CB Jace Whittaker
Two seasons ago in 2017, Whittaker was one of the Wildcats’ best defensive players, finishing with 13 passes defensed and three interceptions. But after injuring his elbow and hamstring early in 2018, Whittaker made the decision to redshirt.
Even though the cornerback position is loaded in this year’s class, Whittaker has the ability to be a sleeper this year if he can stay healthy. Standing at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Whittaker displays the instincts to consistently put himself in position to make plays on the ball. He shows the speed and awareness to thrive, but his unpolished technique is something that needs to be addressed.
HAWAI’I
QB Cole McDonald
McDonald won’t be the only quarterback that will have the attention of NFL scouts. McDonald finished eighth nationally in passing yards (3,875) and sixth in passing touchdowns (36). He threw for over 300 yards seven times and eclipsed the 400-yard mark three times in 2018. The 6-foot-4 and 220 pound quarterback checks the boxes with his size and arm strength.
McDonald delivers catchable balls to all levels, especially deep down the field. The Hawaii quarterback is a fearless decision-maker and is not shy at making high-risk throws. He is well-constructed with balanced feet to climb, slide and escape when needed. McDonald’s biggest problem to keep an eye on is his accuracy, which will suffer when the offense’s tempo is off and it tends to lead to mechanical issues to his throwing technique.
WR Cedric Byrd
The Rainbows lost their No. 1 receiving option in John Ursua to the NFL (Seahawks), but Byrd returns as the top wideout for McDonald. In 2018, Bryd posted 79 catches for 970 yards and nine touchdowns. Standing at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Byrd finds his top speed quickly and is always a threat for a big play. He uses short area moves to make defenders miss in space, but I’d like to see him show more attention to detail as a route runner.
CB Rojesterman Farris
Farris returns for his final season as the heart and soul of the Rainbow Warrior’s secondary. Standing at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, passes the physical measurements with the impressive blend of height and length. Farris trusts his instincts to put himself in position to make plays, looking like a wide receiver with the way he attacks the football in coverage. Last year, he had 11 passes defensed and has amassed 21 throughout the past three seasons.
