2023 NFL Draft: Week 2 Stock Report

It was another exciting and very wild week of college football, full of upsets and tight finishes. We saw new faces arrive on the scene and some stars who started losing steam, so who were they?

College football is at full speed as we enter the second week of the season, and not much has calmed down since an insane Week 1. The week started hot with a tightly contested yet somewhat sloppy game between Louisville and UCF. Then we got to see a real battle between heavy underdog Texas versus the number one team in the country, Alabama, and we even got a little controversy in this one. 

There was a bit of reshuffling amongst the top ten teams. Defending champions Georgia jumped Ohio State to become the number two team, and USC joined the top ten for the first in a few years. When it comes to prospects, though, some of the top guys showed who they were, and then others came to say they arrived. So let’s check our portfolio and see who was on the rise and who is falling a bit.

Gaining Momentum

QB Bryce Young, Alabama:

This one is not about stats; it’s just a fantastic example of why Young is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Because “big-time players make big-time plays, at big-time moments.” Honestly, we have to give credit to the Texas defense. They kept Young bottled up for most of the game. However, when it came to crunch time, Young never panicked and made the necessary plays to lead Alabama to a one-point victory. He had a respectable 213 passing, but only touchdown and until the final drive, he didn’t have much for rush yards. Young also showed what a smart quarterback he is, too, because he took what the defense gave him all game long, not making mistakes or turnovers, and it kept his team alive. Then on the final drive, he started taking bigger risks because he knew what the team needed to win. It was an outstanding performance to watch and should have reminded the nation who he is.

RB Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State:

This is a top-tier running back prospect that doesn’t get the respect he deserves, and it’s time we start to recognize how good Vaughn is. In a dominating 40-12 win over Missouri, he shined the brightest. Gaining 146 rush yards and two touchdowns, Vaughn carved up the Missouri defense all day long. He averaged six yards per rush which is a great number, especially for a player who isn’t known for being a power running back, though he does a lot more power than he gets credit for. Vaughn has now gained over 120 rushing yards in each of his team's games, so needs to be recognized for the work he does. It is surprising to see how little he is being used in the passing game, however, because he is a great receiving running back and would give Kansas State a whole new dimension to their offense. 

WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest:

When it comes to big-bodied receivers who can take the top off a defense, Perry has to be near the top of the list. Perry is coming off of a massive yet quiet 2021 season and is hoping to solidify himself this year. This week’s performance is a good step toward accomplishing this goal. He had 142 yards, 1 touchdown, and on only five receptions. His biggest play came on a 68-yard bomb of a touchdown, one in which he easily outran the opposing secondary. If Perry can get close to the season that he had last year, there is a very good chance you will be hearing a lot about him as a first-round prospect. 

WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State:

This is the son of a Hall of Fame receiver, so he already has an abundance of football knowledge, he just needed it to translate to the field, and that is exactly what happened Saturday. Though it was against a weaker opponent, Harrison Jr put up monster numbers. On just seven receptions Harrison had 184 yards and three touchdowns, competition becomes irrelevant when you are talking about stats like this. He is a much bigger player than his father Marvin Sr. but has the same skill set so Jr. could become lethal when fully develops. 

DB Micah Abraham, Marshall:

In what was the most stunning outcome of the weekend, Marshall went into Notre Dame and came out with the win. The game turned into a slugfest with the Marshall defense having a dominant performance. One of the players who made the biggest impact was Abraham. He really filled out the stat sheet with three tackles, half a sack, one pass deflection, and one interception. The Herd took full advantage of Notre Dame’s shaky quarterback play, and though the score wasn’t a blowout, Marshall owned that game. Abraham is a player who will benefit greatly from this performance because he did it at Notre Dame, which in case you don’t know, is the most storied program in the country. He is a long and very athletic cornerback who is not afraid of making a tackle. Don’t be surprised when you start hearing about this Marshall defense and the prospects they have, because that is what happens when you rise to your biggest occasion.

LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas:

Speaking of filling up a stat sheet, no player did that better this week than Sanders. The linebacker from Arkansas had 11 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflation. This isn’t just a great performance for his team, Sanders deserves some Defensive Player of the Week recognition. Arkansas is now 2-0 on the season and it looks like they finally have the defense that can keep up with their offense because this is a team who usually has good offensive prospects. Sanders is a long pass rusher who uses his aggressive play style and length to take advantage of opposing blockers. He's bendy and is can dip under the offensive lineman’s block, which is very impressive for his size. If the team can continue playing great all-around football, they could be a surprise SEC contender. Led by their two veteran linebackers in Sanders and Bumper Pool, this defense has become relentless on teams, and it could propel them to a lot of notoriety come season end. 

Losing Steam

QB John Rhys Plumlee, UCF:

There were big expectations for both UCF as a whole and Plumlee coming into the, but unfortunately that hasn’t come to fruition. Plumlee had a great opportunity Friday night on national television against a Louisville team that wasn’t expected to have a good defense, where he really could have opened eyes to how talented his team could be and instead looked very shaky. He seemed overwhelmed much of the game and was extremely inconsistent, many of his passes coming late and off target. Though he led the team in rushing, some of his carries were unnecessary and he had receivers open. The UCF defense played a great game and gave the offense several opportunities to get a win, unfortunately, the offense couldn’t sustain a drive whatsoever. It was such an ugly performance that Plumlee ended the game with only 131 passing yards, one interception, and 0 touchdowns. In a big year for the team, where their conference is wide open, and next season you will be in the Big12, you really hoped to see more out of Plumlee. If things don’t change, UCF could be in for a very long year. 

RB Bijan Robinson, Texas:

Texas was in this game until the very end and had a lead for most of the game so a great performance by Robinson could have taken over the top of Alabama. Robinson is the top-ranked running back in this class and is known for being a powerful runner, so this is the type of game he should be able to take over and win. Alabama has a great defense of course, but the opportunity was right in front of him. He didn’t have to put up huge numbers, his team just needed two more first downs and they win that game. It was pretty disappointing to see how many times he was dropped in the backfield, especially at the end of the game when he should be able to eat up some yards. This performance won’t hurt his draft stock, but it did put him on notice a bit and will be something to monitor going forward.

DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin:

In the grand scheme of this particular game, it first needs to be said that this was a defensive battle. However, it was also a battle of field position so you would like to see your highly ranked nose tackle take over here. Benton only mustered up one tackle in the entire game and ultimately Wisconsin lost to Washington State. Washington State is usually a team with a high-powered offense, so the fact that Wisconsin was able to keep them to a game of field position and they lost said game. It’s not a good look for your star player when he is someone who should be able to dominate the line scrimmage and only records one tackle. It will have to be seen if this was just one game or something that turns into a problem, either way, this was a week Benton should have owned and he ended up having zero impact on the outcome. 

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