The 2019 college football season is well underway and Pac-12 play over in the west coast is starting to heat up.
These conference games aren’t easy to come around, so I am starting this new segment to keep you in the loop with the NFL prospects that are catching the attention of NFL scouts on a weekly basis.
With that, here are the players that helped their draft stock in Week 5:
RB Eno Benjamin, Arizona State, No. 3
It’s been a quiet start to Benjamin’s junior campaign, but he’s been starting to pick things up the past couple of weeks. On Saturday against California, he carried the Sun Devils to victory, scoring 21 of their 24 points with 100 hard-earned rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Benjamin got stymied at the line of scrimmage quite a bit by a stout Cal defense, but he did show his toughness, contact balance and vision to create yardage when his team needed him the most.
Through five games, Benjamin is only averaging 3.7 yards per carry, which is significantly lower than 5.5 YPC last season. He will look to have a bounce back second half of the season after the Sun Devils’ bye week, where he will face Washington State, Oregon and USC among others.
LB Evan Weaver, California, No. 89
Benjamin didn’t have a lot of success running the ball early on and that’s because Weaver, the tackling machine, was there to meet him at the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis. Weaver finished Saturday’s game with 15 tackles.
Weaver, a projected mid-round pick, currently leads the nation in tackles (78). The 6-foot-3 and 240 pound linebacker dropped about 10-15 pounds from last season, and you can tell with his play speed.
Even though Weaver doesn’t have the most twitch in his hips or core to redirect, he has the thumping mindset to fight through traffic, play low and lay the wood on ball carriers.
OT Trey Adams, Washington, No. 72
It’s been an uphill climb for Adams that past two seasons. Adams has spent that time rehabbing two serious injuries and now he’s been striving to make an impact in his fifth collegiate campaign.
Adams helped his stock on Saturday, shutting down USC edge defenders. The 6-foot-8 and 305 pound offensive tackle is a premiere pass protector, but he was stout as a run blocker today, paving the way for running back Salvon Ahmed’s big 153-yard rushing performance.
On tape, Adams has looked like a first-round offensive tackle thus far, but his medical evaluations will be the ultimate deciding factor where he gets drafted.
CB Myles Bryant, Washington, No. 5
On the other side of the ball for the Huskies, Bryant is the name to know. Bryant put together an excellent game today, finishing with seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a big pass breakup in the fourth quarter to prevent the Trojans from scoring.
The 5-foot-8 and 178 pound defensive back is undersized to NFL standards but he makes up with his football instincts and and plus play speed. Bryant is a chess piece for the Huskies, and he should offer some versatility for a team at the next level.
WR Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State, No. 17
Due to Oregon State’s underwhelming production throughout the years, it’s easy to bypass some of the talent that the Beavers have. One player that won’t be going unnoticed for long is Hodgins.
The 6-foot-4 and 209 pound wide receiver put on a show against Stanford, amassing 10 catches for 162 yards and a beautiful one-handed touchdown. Hodgins is a long, lean and rangy receiver who is a smooth route-runner, has flexible athleticism, leaping ability and is strong at the catch point.
LB Francis Bernard, Utah, No. 13
During the victory over Washington State, Bernard made a team-high 12 tackles, as well as coming up with an interception in the fourth quarter, shortly after he had left the game due to an injury.
Bernard’s story is special. After dealing with a slew of off-field troubles during two years at BYU, he decided to transfer to Utah in August of 2018 where he developed into a better person and leader on the Utes’ defense.
The 6-foot-1 and 235 pound linebacker hasn’t gotten nearly as much recognition, but he needs to be on your radar. Bernard is a see-ball, get-ball defender who sets the tone, and his trademark toughness and versatile athleticism will garner the attention of NFL scouts.
