NFL Analysis
10/28/24
7 min read
2025 NFL Draft Stock Report: SEC Defenders Rise, Ollie Gordon Falls
Week 9 of the college football season didn't bring the exciting upsets that made the last few slates special, but that doesn't mean the 2025 NFL Draft class struggled. We saw huge performances before the weekend began, as Thursday and Friday night games helped clarify where key names are trending.
We're blending stats and film for our takeaways from Week 9. Now is the moment for athletes to achieve their best performance. As November begins, we're getting a better idea of who is ready to jump and who isn't. We'll continue to watch the top 300 players across the country.
Let's examine the three stars who pushed their 2025 NFL Draft stock up and those who fell.
CFB Week 9 Stock Up Players
We saw enough quality performances to name a couple of other risers who dominated their competition. Here are three more players who caught our eyes in Week 9.
Honorable Mentions
- Brennan Presley, WR, Oklahoma State
- Jarquez Hunter, RB, Auburn
- Kaimon Rucker, EDGE, North Carolina
Texas A&M ED Nic Scourton vs LSU
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) October 27, 2024
Continues to check boxes at 282 lbs and will be just 20 years old next April.
7 pressures, six hurries & a sack in a game scouts had circled for the Purdue transfer. pic.twitter.com/2ludzEZQNj
📈Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Stats: 4 tackles, 1.5 TFL, .5 sacks
Expectations were high when Texas A&M landed Nic Scourton from Purdue. The 6 foot 4, 285-pounder was dominant in his 2023 season, producing 10 sacks and looking like one of the freakiest athletes in the nation. However, he got off to a slow start in 2024, disappearing for long stretches.
That's changed in the last month, and Scourton has been a transformative presence for the defense when he's unleashed as a pass-rusher. His speed off the snap allows him to put immense pressure on blockers, as he can dip his hips to turn his speed into a powerful bull rush. He looks like a man against boys more often than not.
His season's peak came against LSU's excellent offensive tackle duo of Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. Scourton racked up seven quarterback pressures and four run stops in 56 snaps. Without the chaos he created, Texas A&M wouldn't have been able to completely shut down LSU's run game, force three interceptions, and rip off a 31-6 second-half run.
📈Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Stats: 8 tackles, 1 sack
Alabama bounced back from a rough three-game showing with a complete shutdown of Missouri. Luther Burden III, Theo Wease Jr., and Brady Cook were overmatched by a sharper, more focused Crimson Tide defense. 6 foot 3, 244-pound linebacker Jihaad Campbell is a big reason Missouri looked so dysfunctional even until Cook exited the game with a hand injury.
Notching his fourth-straight game with at least seven tackles, Campbell boasts elite size and surprising mobility for someone as thickly built as he is. He's powerful at the point of contact, shedding blocks like an old-school middle linebacker. The key, though, is that he's solid enough in coverage and as a pass-rusher to be an impact three-down player in the NFL.
Few linebackers earn an investment even on Day 2 anymore. Campbell is the best linebacker in this class. Adding his three-down athleticism to plus instincts and physicality equals someone who will be starting on Sundays next year.
😤😤 DAMIEN MARTINEZ 😤😤@CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/uZJKSvlNwK
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) October 27, 2024
📈Damien Martinez, RB, Miami (FL)
Stats: 15 carries, 148 yards, 2 TDs
Damien Martinez was supposed to be a powerful partner for Cam Ward to rely on after transferring from Oregon State to Miami, but he had all but disappeared for much of this season. Powerfully built at 232 pounds, Martinez's struggles have largely been due to a huge scheme change. Despite his size, Martinez was involved in a zone-heavy run game at Oregon State, compared to a more gap-based run game in Miami.
The disparity in concepts has been significant. Miami has already used Martinez on 60 gap run plays compared to the 64 Oregon State called on 195 of his carries last year. Miami has only called Martinez's number 33 times on zone concepts. The NFL will certainly take note.
Miami's beatdown of Florida State featured the biggest disparity of concept calls yet, and it didn't slow Martinez down one bit. He looked more comfortable and explosive, totaling 148 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Forcing four missed tackles and breaking off a 53-yarder, Martinez again looked like a starting NFL-caliber talent.
CFB Week 9 Stock Down Players
Ollie Gordon fumbles at the goal line.
— Cam Stuart (@realcamstuart) October 26, 2024
Matt Jones makes sure he knows who knocked the ball out. https://t.co/SWNyVp6aC4 pic.twitter.com/0wVpNzdA3t
📉Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Stats: 18 carries, 77 yards, 2 TDs; 4 receptions, 15 yards
The fact that Ollie Gordon II is only averaging 4.1 yards per carry this season after torching the nation for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns last year says more about his situation. Oklahoma State doesn't have the same impact blocking, and Gordon's feet are slowing down as he searches for lanes. Unfortunately, Gordon hasn't transcended his situation as hoped.
With Gordon's huge 6 foot 2, 225-pound frame and breakaway speed on display last year, it looked like he might've been a smaller version of Derrick Henry. While Gordon still projects well as a starter, he'll rely more on the right situation than hoped. This pushes his 2025 NFL stock down from a borderline first-rounder to somewhere on Day 2.
This week's game against Baylor reinforced concerns about what he'll be without a strong line and the right scheme. He broke only three tackles, marking the seventh-straight game with fewer than five after 13 in Week 1. With his longest run being 13 yards and his fumble, Gordon wasn't very impactful on Saturday.
📉Patrick Payton, EDGE, Florida State
Stats: 57 snaps
Once called the most talented defensive line in the country by some media members before the season, Florida State's trenches have been as disappointing as any unit across the nation. Patrick Payton has been the face of the defense's difficult year, seeing a huge drop in effectiveness as a pass-rusher. He and the rest of the unit feasted in 2023 because of Jared Verse and Braden Fiske.
Payton was invisible against Miami, creating just one quarterback hurry on 36 pass-rush snaps. He contributed to two run stops but was also repeatedly bulldozed out of the way for Martinez to gallop past his gap. Despite looking the part at 6 foot 5 and 250 pounds, Payton is probably best returning to school in 2025 instead of entering the draft.
📉Fa'alili Fa'amoe, OT, Washington State
Stats: 71 snaps, 1 sack, and 3 QB pressures allowed
There are only so many big, athletic bodies who even stand a chance to be quality NFL blockers, which is why Fa'alili Fa'amoe has been on scouts' watchlist. Washington State's pipeline to the NFL has been good lately, but Fa'amoe hasn't had a consistently good season. His lack of power and functional strength shows in pass protection and run blocking.
At 6 foot 5, 314 pounds, Fa'amoe is coming off his season-worst showing in pass blocking efficiency. San Diego State had success, even putting linebackers and interior tackles over Fa'amoe to clog run gaps. Washington State won despite their efforts, but Fa'amoe only looks the part of a quality NFL prospect right now.
