NFL Analysis

10/11/24

8 min read

2025 NFL Draft: Prospects To Watch in College Football Week 7

Oct 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins (34) knocks the ball away from Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) and then recovers the ball in the second quarter during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium.

For the second year, our Reese’s Senior Bowl scouting team will be on more than 10 college campuses nationwide every week during the 2024 CFB season. 

Follow @JimNagy_SB on Twitter all day Saturday to see up-close field-level videos on the following players (and many more!):

Washington at Iowa—Noon ET, FOX

Iowa LB Jay Higgins

Measurements: (6003v, 227v, no hand or arm measurements)

Higgins, the ultra-productive stacked ‘backer who tied an Iowa program record last year with 171 tackles, has made a nice jump on tape this season. Hawkeyes staffers raved to us about Higgins’ attention to detail this offseason and all the hard work and extra tape study has made him an even more impactful player this fall. 

Higgins has always had a nose for the ball carrier, but the difference this year is that he’s turning the ball over as well (he accounted for five turnover plays in the first six games). Most NFL teams had either late draftable or priority free agent grades on Higgins a year ago, but the disruptive tape he’s put out so far should have him safely draftable in the mid-round range.


Louisville at Virginia—3:30 pm ET, ACC Network

Aug 31, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte (9) warms up before facing off against the Austin Peay Governors at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Louisville EDGE Ashton Gillotte

Measurements: (6023v, 269v, 32 ¼ arm, 8 5/8 hand)

Some NFL front offices get caught up in all the measurables and testing numbers with prospects, but the ones that just focus on taking good football players will be zeroed in on Gillotte. While the former two-star recruit is a ‘tweener guy’ size-wise, he’s one of those guys who just understands how to set up and beat people. 

The biggest area of improvement we’ve seen on tape this fall is improved hand strike and lower body power. Gillotte only has one sack so far this year, but that’s not reflective of how disruptive he’s been. Last year, when he had 11 sacks, his pass rush win rate was 18.5 percent, and this year, it’s only slightly lower at 18.1 percent. Some of the best stuff Gillotte has put on tape this year is when he’s reduced inside on sub-downs, as he’s a slippery mismatch over guards.


Wisconsin at Rutgers— 11a ET, BTN

Oct 5, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Elijah Jackson (33) rushes with the football as Wisconsin Badgers safety Hunter Wohler (24) defends during the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Wisconsin FS Hunter Wohler

Measurements: (6013v, 214v, 30 7/8 arm, 9 ½ hand)

In what is shaping up to be another thin safety class, Wisconsin’s Wohler is one of the few guys who offers true versatility. The Badgers have primarily used Wohler as an extra box defender this season, but he’s proven over the course of his career that he sees it well from depth at FS and can stick with TE in man coverage. 

Our staff likes Wohler’s looseness as an athlete, his range in the middle of the field, and his willingness to insert with aggression as a run defender.  The true senior compares favorably to current Philadelphia Eagles starter Reed Blankenship, except we think Wohler has more size and overall substance to him. 


Ohio State at Oregon—7:30 pm ET, NBC

Oct 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) pressures Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara (12) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer

Measurements: (6042v, 261v, 32 1/8 arm, 9 5/8 hand)

Sawyer, a former five-star recruit and current team captain, will be one of the safest picks in the 2025 NFL Draft because whichever team takes him will know exactly what they’re getting. Regardless of what tape you put on, Sawyer is the same guy—and that’s about as high of a compliment as we can give a player. He has scheme versatility as either a 4-3 base end or 3-4 OLB, he’s physical and disciplined as an edge-setter, and he wins with power and surprising counter ability as a rusher. 

Buckeyes staffers also rave about Sawyer’s character, so there are no glaring holes in his resume. Feedback we’ve gotten from NFL scouts is that Sawyer is safely a Day 2 pick right now, and we feel like, in an unsettled draft like this one, he could play himself into Round 1 with a strong week in Mobile.


Texas vs. Oklahoma—3:30 pm ET, ABC

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) snaps the ball during the game against UTSA at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.

Texas QB Quinn Ewers

Measurements: (listed by school at 6020e, 195e, estimates only)

The return of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is unquestionably the top storyline of this year’s edition of the “Red River Rivalry.” Ewers, who has missed the past two weeks due to injury, put plenty of good stuff on tape in the Longhorns’ first three games. Aside from the obvious arm talent, which is among the best in this year’s draft-eligible QB class, Ewers functions at a very high level in many critical areas, most notably the not-so-simple understanding of situational football. 

Going back to their big Week 2 showdown on the road in Ann Arbor, Ewers did a nice job handling Michigan’s pressure defense with poise and smart decision-making. If there’s one word to describe Ewers’ performance against a very talented Wolverines defense, it would be mature because his body language never appeared rattled, and he never forced the issue or put the ball in harm’s way. He’s got multiple pitches whenever he needs them and consistently shows good ball placement on must-have completions that many college quarterbacks struggle with. 

NFL scouts always target rivalry games in the quarterback evaluation process so Saturday’s game against the Sooners will be another resume-builder for Texas’ Heisman candidate.


Cincinnati at UCF—3:30 pm ET, ESPN2

Cincinnati Bearcats tight end Joe Royer (11) reacts to getting a first down in the first quarter of the College Football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Pittsburgh Panthers at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.

Cincinnati TE Joe Royer

Measurements: (listed by school at 6050e, 255e; estimates only)

We haven’t seen his name out there in any of the draft media stuff yet so let us introduce you to Royer, an ascending former four-star recruit. Royer, who caught only four balls during his time as a backup at Ohio State, is a fluid athlete who can run every route and create plays after the catch. 

Royer already has 20 catchers for 262 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season and he’s one of the best pass-catching tight ends in this year’s class. The Bearcats use him primarily as a move blocker, and they’ll use him some at fullback, so NFL teams will like the versatility he offers.  Credit goes to our Midwest scout, former longtime Pittsburgh Steelers scout Mark Gorscak, for getting Royer on our radar after seeing him play live the first week of the season. 

If you haven’t watched Royer yet, you’re in for a treat because he’s, at minimum, a mid-round pick. 


Ole Miss at LSU—7:30 pm ET, ABC

Oct 5, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. (3) cannot come up with a reception in the end zone as South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Judge Collier (20) defends in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Ole Miss WR Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr.

Measurements: (6002v, 210v, no hand or arm measurements)

With the nation’s leading receiver, Tre Harris, questionable to play on Saturday night in “Death Valley,” Ole Miss might need a huge game from their No. 2 target, Wells. The former JMU and South Carolina transfer, who earned FCS All-American and second-team All-SEC at his previous stops, Wells is a strong and sturdy player who can win at all three levels of the defense. 

One thing that usually translates from college to the NFL at the wide receiver position is run-after-catch ability and that’s perhaps Wells’ best attribute.  Wells is aggressive with the ball in their hands, he has some stop/start shiftiness to make people miss, and he routinely runs through first contact. He also lives up to his nickname (“Juice”) because there’s a noticeable gear change in his play on tape. If Harris isn’t able to play, NFL scouts in attendance will be looking to see if Wells can step up and be “the guy” in one of this season’s biggest big stage games.

Tags: NFL Draft

RELATED