Owen McCullor
YT: Weekly Huddle
The 2021-22 CFB season starts back up in the late summer and there are plenty of players looking to up their stock for the 2022 NFL Draft. We anticipate a stellar class of defensive playmakers, and some break out stars to emerge as the college season progresses, but the draft community already has their eyes on some specific players who need to show out if they hope to be selected early on when April rolls around. Whether it was due to injury, not playing up to expectations or the rise of competition for the top spot in their positional group, these players need to put out or risk falling down draft boards come the next draft.
1. Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma
The newest Lincoln Riley project had plenty of hype heading into the COVID-19 NCAA season. However, Rattler struggled against teams like Kansas St(3 INT) and Baylor(44.6 QBR) while also crushing Kansas and Florida. Inconsistency was the name of his game in 2020. His highs were that of the next big time college quarterback with flashy arm plays and plenty of athleticism to spare. While his lows were exposures of his slow processor and iffy mechanics. With the rise of small school prospects like the super athletic Malik Willis from Liberty and the gigantic Nevada missile launcher, Carson Strong, Rattler needs to put together a complete and consistently solid season to have a shot at the big pay day as the first QB drafted in 2022. With where it stands, I don’t give him much of a chance as the struggles he experienced this past season leads me to believe he will be a better collegiate single caller than pro. My personal bet will be him losing out to Malik Willis for QB1.
2. Chris Olave/Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio St
This spot is being held by both Ohio state wide receivers which is one of the biggest issues these players need to overcome to try and be the first pass catcher taken in next year’s relatively weak position class. Olave and Wilson have had some of the best seasons by receivers in the NCAA while Justin Fields was throwing them passes. However, they must now compete for targets from a substantially less talented and less offensively versed quarterback. Olave and Wilson not only need to compete against the rest of the field, but against themselves to prove that they can produce despite the drop off in Quarterback level next season at OSU. Putting my predictors cap on, John Metchie from Bama will take the top spot as the two Buckeyes won’t be able to star as they had when Fields was tossing them dimes.
3. Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
The bruiser for the Aggies is the top back going into the next season, however he does have some to prove to solidify him as a 1st rounder come April of 2022. He has supernatural power as a runner while currently being only 19 years old, but he doesn’t have nearly enough break away speed to scare defenses at the next level. If he’s able to correct that by shedding a few pounds while still retaining his amazing contact balance, he should be the unquestioned RB1 after this season concludes. However, if he isn’t able to develop that part of his game there are some names from big programs who are looking to make that jump and prove they can be the star back teams should take over Spiller.
Zamir White from Georgia and Kyren Williams out of Notre Dame also have stakes to claim as the top back and will have the added chip of being the underdogs for the position heading into the season. Zamir tops Spiller in lateral agility and breakaway speed while Williams adds top end speed in a compact frame for in between the tackle running. My personal belief is Spiller will continue to establish his high-end strength while also showing off his deceptively good receiving chops. Spiller is the favorite for the top spot but does have a path to falling out of favor with NFL teams.
4. Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
The number one player with the absolute most to lose in the upcoming college season is Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross. Ross lost all of last season to a neck injury obtained in a Spring practice, ending his season before it even began. This followed him being banged up during the 2019 season and not being able to match his 2018 output in any category outside of receptions.
He decided to return to school in place of declaring for the 2020 draft where he would have fallen due to his major spinal injury and the stacked class that was last year. He is now banking on a comeback season that matches his 2018 and healthy 2019 tape despite a major injury and the loss of one of the best collegiate quarterbacks in the past decade leaving due to the draft.
2021 is a relatively weaker receiving class in comparison to 2020, however Ross’ game leaves much to be desired when I dove into it this past week. He uses his 6’4” body well, but doesn’t have elite route running or speed, forcing him to rely on 50/50 balls and physically dominating at the point of attack. With the downturn in quarterback play, an injury that may impact how physical he can be when going for contested balls, his lack of elite traits outside of using his size, the competition of players like the aforementioned Ohio St duo and John Metchie and the major injury red flags, I can’t see a future where Ross is close to being the first WR off the board unless he has one of the greatest seasons in college football history.