College Football Stock Report: Risers and Fallers from Week 8
After a few weeks of at least one CFP contending team faltering in their matchup, all of the top dogs in college football did their job this week. We still saw No. 7 ranked Penn State and No. 8 Oklahoma State lose, but every team did their job for the cream of the crop (even Oklahoma survived a first-half scare against Kansas!)
With the regular season now officially halfway over, each team in every conference can now be defined by their strengths and weaknesses relatively easily. There are currently six, maybe seven, teams fighting for those illustrious four playoff spots, and watching down this second-half stretch to see if any falter will be fascinating.
What is also fascinating is seeing these 2022 NFL Draft prospects either take that next step or not live up to the hype. My job is to bring you a select few of these players every week, so here they are for the Week 8 iteration of the NFL Draft Stock Report!
STOCK UP: QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
In what has been discussed as a down year for the quarterbacks not just in college football, but the NFL Draft as well, analysts keep searching for a name that can have a rise up boards such as Mitchell Trubisky, Joe Burrow, and Zach Wilson experienced during their final college years. Hendon Hooker still has one more year of eligibility, but he’s been playing like a potential future starting QB.
The former Virginia Tech Hokie was the backup heading into the year until the other transfer gunslinger Joe Milton was hurt in their first game, and Hooker took over. He has since run away with the starting position, totaling 21 total touchdowns to only two interceptions.
What impresses me plenty with Hooker is his consistency - he’s a solid all-around football player who possesses great size and measurables (10 ½ inch hands verified).
He has some accuracy issues pushing the ball down the field, and he’s a little green between the ears, but he’s a play-action savant with good arm talent and pocket mobility. Think of him as a Ryan Tannehill-type, which may not excite everyone but you could do so much worse.
STOCK DOWN: Jahleel Billingsley, Alabama
The current state of the potential 2022 NFL Draft tight end class is a mess as of now. A lot of the players projected near the top heading into the season have been either injured or disappointing. One of the players fits into the latter category, which is a real shame because Jahleel Billingsley’s talent is apparent beyond words.
Projected to be the #2 option for the Crimson Tide over the summer, Billingsley found his way into Nick Saban’s doghouse and was listed as the team's TE3 on their initial depth chart. Since then, he’s barely made any noise, putting up an 11-186-2 receiving line in 2021 thus far, with more than half of that yardage total coming against Southern Miss.
Billingsley is an athletic freak prototype of today’s “move tight end” in the National Football League. In limited snaps in 2020, he was able to show off crisp route running and ball skills when targeted.
Now barely seeing targets, watching himself be exposed as a poor blocker (not to mention drop issues), and dealing with an arm injury suffered against Tennessee, it would be shocking to see the junior pass-catcher declare.
STOCK UP: CB Derion Kendrick, Georgia
I’ve gone over previously how stacked the upcoming cornerback class is for the NFL Draft in 2022. Not only is the top-end talent insane, but the depth is equally as absurd.
One player who has made the most of his new opportunity is Georgia cornerback Derion Kendrick. After being arrested during his time at Clemson, Kendrick has tried to stay on the straight and narrow while at Georgia this year and has done just that.
Not only is the junior corner staying out of trouble, but he’s also been imposing on the field. A scheme versatile boundary cornerback with solid length and great athleticism, primarily in his lower half, Kendrick has been one of the key cogs in this all-time great Bulldogs defense.
The numbers on the stat sheet don’t look great--seven tackles, two pass breakups, and one pick--but that’s precisely why we don’t box score scout!
No one wants to throw to the receiver that Kendrick is covering. Seeing Kendrick ball out in addition to not being a distraction is doing wonders to his stock, and the Georgia coaching staff reportedly loves him and lauds him as one of their leaders. Don’t look now, but there is some potential late first-round potential here.
STOCK DOWN: LB DeMarvion Overshown, Texas
Sadly, for yet another college football season, Texas is, in fact, not back. The Longhorns had the perfect opportunity to become true contenders several weeks ago before choking to the Oklahoma Sooners and promptly losing to Oklahoma State.
Now at 4-3, they will likely only be competing for a bowl game. The offense of the Longhorns, led by Casey Thompson and Bijan Robinson, has been terrific.
The defense, on the other hand--yikes! The UT defense leads the nation in missed tackles overall, and one of the biggest culprits is safety to linebacker convert DeMarvion Overshown.
To be fair, a player who still has some very high potential, Overshown has had a very productive year. The problem is he’s taken a massive step back in his coverage ability from 2020, and the lack of aggression in run defense and poor angling is still a significant issue.
After totaling two interceptions and seven passes defensed last season, Overshown has a combined zero interceptions or passes defensed. He’s playing closer to the line, which is a miscue by the coaching staff not putting him in the best position to succeed, but the effort and lack of improvement is disappointing to see.
In a linebacker class with minimal consensus at the top, Overshown may need to return in 2022 as a fifth-year senior to give himself one more shot to be considered a top-flight linebacker prospect.
STOCK UP: OC Alec Lindstrom, Boston College
Another name that has risen in a relatively solid offensive line class is Boston College center Alec Lindstrom. The redshirt senior was named a Phil Steele preseason All-American for the 2021 season, and he’s played good enough for that to be a respectable opinion.
After being named First-Team All-ACC in 2020, Lindstrom has taken another big step in his progression this year. With a somewhat similar playing style to Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum, the best center in the country, Lindstrom isn’t extremely strong at the point of attack. Still, he makes up for it with textbook footwork, great hand placement, and smart instincts, making him a pass-pro savant.
It also helps that he has NFL bloodlines (his older brother Chris is a stud right guard for the Atlanta Falcons). As for Alec, he’s done nothing but help his cause this season.
STOCK DOWN: DT Chris Hinton Jr., Michigan
When a positional group is as poor as the 2022 interior defensive lineman class (outside of Leal and Jordan Davis), any player whose stock drops is not a great thing. Another player with NFL bloodlines is Chris Hinton Jr, whose dad by the same name was a seven-time Pro Bowler in the NFL.
Hinton was projected to have a monster year on the Wolverines defensive line, and while he hasn’t been particularly bad, the expectations have not been met.
He remains an active player on the d-line, opening up opportunities for better players such as Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. However, Hinton still struggles against bigger offensive linemen and has been washed out in the run game.
The two pass deflections have been nice, and the effort and athleticism have been apparent, but with only one sack to show for in 2021, his ceiling as a prospect is now up for question.
Related
- College Football Stock Report: Risers and Fallers from Week 7
- College Football Stock Report: Risers and Fallers from Week 6
- College Football Stock Report: Risers and Fallers from Week 5
- College Football Stock Report: Risers and Fallers from Week 4
- College Football Stock Report: Risers and Fallers from Week 3
- College Football Stock Report: Risers and Fallers from Week 2
- College Football Stock Report: Risers and Fallers from Week 1
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