The regular season of college football is nearing the end. This is the final week before most teams will be entering conference championships, playoff games, or bowl games in general. There are so many exciting match-ups throughout college football this week.
Texas A&M at Texas 7:30 p.m. ET Friday
Texas A&M looks to stay undefeated on the season. They will have to beat Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns on their home field in order to do so.
While it is unlikely the Bengals would spend high draft capital on a wide receiver, can we completely rule it out? I personally think if they do add someone, it would be a day three slot receiver type. If they spend more than that on the position, KC Concepcion would be an excellent choice. While he is likely to go sometime toward the end of the first round, he would be tremendous value to any team if he lasts into the second round. Concepcion is one of the smoothest separators in all of college football. Add in his value as a return man, and this is an excellent prospect for the NFL Draft this year.
While Texas has not had the championship level season they were hoping, they still have a lot of draft-eligible talent on both sides of the ball. We have highlighted players for them previously like tackle Trevor Goosby and linebacker Anthony Hill. Another player on the defensive side of the ball that may fit what the Bengals like at defensive end is Ethan Burke. He is likely a day three draft pick with great size. He has been one of the best run defenders on the edge throughout this season. He boasts over a 13% stop rate on the season. He can also generate pressure on the quarterback. He has over a 20% pressure rate in true pass sets this season.
Ohio State at Michigan 12:00 p.m. ET Saturday
Ohio State is loaded on the defensive side of the ball. Having previously discussed players like Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs, let’s take a look at Caden Curry. Curry is a player that was more known for his impact on special teams’ than he was anything else entering the 2025. This year, he has been the biggest play-maker on that defensive line. He enters the game versus Michigan with nine sacks on the season. He isn’t overly explosive as a pass rusher, but he gives relentless pursuit on every snap. Regardless where he ends up getting drafted on day three, he is likely to find a way to stick around the NFL for a long time.
The Bengals are still in search of more pass rushing juice on the defensive line. They could go back to familiar territory on that side of the ball. Michigan’s Derrick Moore is an explosive pass rusher. He has a 34.8% win rate on true pass sets this season. That mark puts him among the top in the country. While he isn’t known as an elite run defender, he has the size to continue improving in that area. Moore is listed at 6’3” and 256 pounds. What is most impressive though is his quickness off the snap as a pass rusher. He also converts speed to power to oppose his will on offensive lineman.
Alabama at Auburn 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday
The Bengals’ could look to add a versatile defensive lineman that can play inside or outside along the line. For Alabama, that guy is LT Overton. Overton is almost 280 pounds. He has tremendous pop in his hands and is known as a high level run defender. While he is still developing as a pass rusher, he does generate pressure at a high rate. He has a 22.4% win rate on true pass sets during the 2025 season.
The Bengals may be looking for a player to develop at left tackle behind Orlando Brown Jr., as he enters the last season of his contract. Auburn has a left tackle that has some enticing traits, but will need some development time. Xavier Chaplin is a 6’7” 330 plus pound left tackle for the prospect for the Tigers. His footwork has been a mess for the majority of the season. His size and athleticism though is something that cannot be taught. I have been impressed with Scott Peters in his first season with the Bengals. If Chaplin lasts until day three, that might be a perfect time to pounce on the upside of a player like Xavier Chaplin.
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