(NR) Clemson at (15) Louisville Friday 7:30 p.m. ET
Clemson was a team that was expected to compete for a National Championship this season. There season has been a major disappointment, to say the least. They will need a win at Louisville Friday night just to get back to .500 on the season. If they are going to do, a player like Peter Woods will need to have a good game. Woods is the best defensive tackle prospect that should be in the draft this year. He boasts over a 17% win-rate on true pass sets, combined with a 10% stop rate as a run defender. Those marks for a college football player have translated to success in the NFL over the past ten years. Woods has versatility to move up and down the line, is explosive off the snap, and has violent hands.
Louisville’s Clev Lubin is a player that transferred from Coastal Carolina. He had an insane 42% win-rate on true pass sets for Coastal Carolina in 2024. Transferring to Louisville and playing a higher level of competition, he still has a ridiculously impressive 40.2% win-rate on true pass sets. Lubin is so explosive off the snap. He is a violent finisher in the backfield. He does have one more season of eligibility if he wishes. If he declares, he is a fun mid-round prospect with legitimate pass rushing juice.
(10) Notre Dame at (24) Pittsburgh Saturday 12:00 p.m. ET
Notre Dame is loaded with draft talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. If the Cincinnati Bengals decide to keep Al Golden after the season, he should be plenty familiar with the players on that defense. One of many players I could see him having an interest in, is Boubacar Traore. Traore is only a redshirt sophomore, so it is far from a guarantee that he declares. If he does though, he is a prime target for the vyper position in the Al Golden defense.
Pittsburgh doesn’t have nearly as many exciting draft-eligible prospects as Notre Dame, but people should keep an eye on Kyle Louis. Louis is an undersized play-maker at the linebacker position. The Bengals have not done a great job creating turnovers from that position, a player like Louis could change that. He has nine sacks and six interceptions over the past two seasons. His size could be why he lasts until day three, the Bengals should be interested at that point.
(20) Iowa at (19) USC Saturday 3:30 p.m. ET
Iowa suffered a tough loss last week at home against Oregon. They will be looking to bounce back against the USC Trojans this week. The Bengals may let Trey Hendrickson after this season. If they do, they will likely be on the lookout for at least a mid-round prospect at the defensive end position that can rush the passer. Max Llewellyn is a player that fits that mold. He isn’t the best athlete, but he is a high effort player with a deep arsenal of pass rush moves.
Geno Stone is scheduled to be a free agent after the season. The Bengals have to take another swing at a young and athletic free safety prospect at some point. Could that player be a guy like Kamari Ramsey? Ramsey has a chance to be around when the Bengals pick in the second round. That just so happens to be the same round they nabbed Jessie Bates previously. Ramsey has similar ball skills and athleticism on the back end of a defense.
(11) Texas at (5) Georgia Saturday 7:30 p.m. ET
Texas will be back in the mix for a college football playoff spot if they can win Saturday night. In their way, a top five Georgia Bulldogs team. Both teams are loaded with draft talent once again this year. For Texas, let’s take a look at Anthony Hill. So far, Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter have played like two of the worst starting linebackers in the entire NFL. They have the second half this season to prove that they are going to part of the future at the position going forward. If not, the Bengals should be closely monitoring this linebacker class for the 2026 NFL Draft. It is arguably the deepest position group this year. Hill is an absolute production machine. He has the skill-set to play on the line, just as much as he does at off-ball linebacker. He has 17 career sacks so far in his three seasons at Texas.
I might as well continue discussing linebacker prospects for this game. Georgia has a first-round talent of there own at the position, with CJ Allen. Allen has sideline-to-sideline range, awareness against the run, and has shown improvement in coverage this season.
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