Senior Bowl invitations are being accepted, conference championship pictures are beginning to form, and draft boards are being built as the College Football season rolls on. Each week for the rest of the College Football season, the DallasCowboys.com Draft Show will highlight at least three games full of potential draft talent.
The list will focus on positions of need first before moving on to overall prospects that will be big names come next April. Here are the games and prospects to watch for the week of November 21.
Indiana at Ohio State, 11:00am CT, FOX
Raise your hand if you said this would be the marquee matchup in the Big Ten this season!... Cool, me neither. Indiana has been the biggest surprise in college football with a 4-0 start and a climb to being ranked ninth in the most recent AP poll. They've done so thanks to a couple big wins over Penn State and Michigan, with a chance to shock the world again this week against Ohio State. The majority of the NFL Draft talent still remains on the Buckeyes' sideline, but there are a few draft-worthy players that could work their way into the limelight for the Hoosiers this season.
- Shaun Wade, OSU (Cornerback) – Starting things off with the most likely player to end up as a Dallas Cowboys, Wade flashes everything you want in a corner. The ability to move between the outside and inside guarding some of the bigger receivers in the Big Ten and some of the shiftiest slot guys is something he hangs his hat on. A fundamentally sound player with a quick first step and fluidity to his game, he could easily transition into the NFL, especially in a division full of talented receivers out of the slot.
- Wyatt Davis, OSU (Guard) – Some will say that Davis is at the very top of a good class of guards in this year's draft. His balance and body control are pretty remarkable when you consider the aggressiveness he plays with at the point of attack. Better as a run blocker, but reliable enough in the passing game that he could tie it all together at the next level. He's consistently gotten better as his career has gone along and with the 6-foot-4-inch frame and the fundamentally sound hands he has, I don't anticipate that changing any time soon.
- Justin Fields, OSU (Quarterback) – Obviously, you have to put Fields name at the top of the list in terms of popular names to hear come this April, even from a Cowboys perspective. With the uncertainty around Dak Prescott's future with the team and Dallas potentially going to land one of the top picks in the Draft, some would argue for the young signal caller. The almost guaranteed top-10 pick has exploded out of the gates this season by showing his natural skill and the physical tools that you need in a franchise quarterback. This week marks just another opportunity for Fields to cement his already sky-high draft stock.
- Ty Fryfogle, Indiana (Wide Receiver) – Entering the year, Indiana never really had a ton of names in the conversation for NFL Draft consideration. However, their blistering start has allowed guys like Fryfogle to shine. Some would argue that his teammate and fellow senior Whop Philyor would make a better draft name, but I think the tools that Fryfogle brings could translate better. First of all, his 6-foot-2 frame is much tougher to bring down initially and he still has breakaway speed should he reach open space. Good hands and a decent route runner that seems to find holes in the defense, especially in the redzone. He had 200 yards last week against a struggling Michigan State defense, watch for him to be targeted early and often against the Buckeyes.
Oklahoma State at Oklahoma, 6:30pm CT, ABC
A rivalry game with conference championship implications AND plenty of NFL Draft prospects? Bedlam has it all again in 2020. Oklahoma has seemingly found their footing behind Spencer Rattler at quarterback, but Oklahoma State still remains above them in the Big 12 standings and could take a huge step towards solidifying a spot in the conference championship game at AT&T Stadium. Oklahoma is a young squad and doesn't have the same number of high-profile prospects like Dallas' own CeeDee Lamb or Neville Gallimore, but it is known that the front office is not afraid to show the Sooners a bit of love come draft week.
- Tylan Wallace, OSU (Wide Receiver) – A borderline top-10 receiver in this year's class, Wallace has been a cornerstone for the Cowboys' offense since he stepped on campus. Paired with some of the best route running in the nation, he also displays the ability to high point the football, make the spectacular grab and make catches in traffic. Oklahoma State does a really nice job of getting the ball in his hands underneath but should see some vertical looks down field against a very thin Oklahoma secondary. This could be a big-numbers week for Wallace and a chance to show off his skills in primetime.
- Rodarius Williams, OSU (Corner) – Mobile will look like a Mike Gundy practice as Williams will be joining Wallace at the Senior Bowl this season. In his fourth year as a starter for the Pokes' defense, it'll be hard to find someone with as many snaps and experience under his belt entering the draft. Williams is a lengthy corner who is solid down field and has been tested on a number of occasions due to the vertical passing shown in the Big 12. Sometimes can get exposed with underneath routes which you can expect plenty of from Lincoln Riley's offense. This will be a massive test week for the redshirt senior.
- Creed Humphrey, OU (Guard) – If it wasn't for a poor outing in last year's Big 12 Championship game against Baylor, Humphrey may have been a first or second round pick in this past year's draft. Instead, the Oklahoma native elected to return for a final go in Norman and Oklahoma is happy he did so. The anchor for one of the best offensive lines in the conference and a truly massive human being, Humphrey somehow makes his '56' on the jersey look small and his pancake blocks look big. He does a really nice job on getting downhill in run blocking and uses his hands exceptionally well in the process. Fails to find leverage at times on passing downs and gets lost against athletic interior linemen while trying to find his footing.
- Ronnie Perkins, OU (Edge Rusher) – Keep your eye on Perkins this week. With Oklahoma State's quarterback Spencer Sanders and tailback Cubba Hubbard, this is going to be the best chance for Perkins to eliminate some of the negative marks against him since 2019. He became known for being undisciplined at time in the running game and allowing cutback lanes for ball carriers out of the backfield (Hubbard's specialty). He has tons of speed and solid bend off the edge enough to make some noise from snap-to-snap, but his aggressiveness against blockers gets him in trouble.
Cincinnati at UCF, 2:30pm CT, ESPN
It's always easy to give all the love to the 'Power 5' schools in action, but how about some of the best 'Group of 5' schools over the past decade duking it out? Cincinnati has seen a resurgence to the credit of head coach Luke Fickell and the play of redshirt junior Desmond Ridder, who I'm not going to throw into this article because I'm not entirely sure he will declare for the draft this time around. UCF is in a bit of a down year after back-to-back losses to fellow American Athletic Conference foes Tulsa and Memphis, but still boast multiple NFL-ready individuals especially in the secondary.
- Myjay Sanders, UC (Edge Rusher) – Sanders is a physical freak off the edge standing at 6-foot-5 and nearly 260-pounds but wears his weight extremely well. He started all 14 games last season for the Bearcats and has elevated his play this year by beating double-teams to the tune of sacks or tackles for loss in five of the seven games already this season. Motor, hands, speed, it's all there for Sanders off the line of scrimmage and you can see him get to the outside shoulder on the first step of his attack. This is an early candidate for 'Pet Cat' territory.
- James Wiggins, UC (Safety) – Another Senior Bowl invite makes the 'Players to Watch' this week as Wiggins borders on the line of being a Top 150 player in this year's draft. The only thing holding him back from a higher draft ranking is his injury history (torn ACL in 2019) but he is healthy and playing above what he did as a sophomore. An incredible athlete with sideline-to-sideline ability as well as the headspace to quickly attack a ball carrier or stay effective in coverage. Will come up and make a play in the box or be a ball hawk in the secondary (had his first interception last week). His versatility really impresses me, and we should see that on display against the Knights passing game.
- Richie Grant, UCF (Safety) – Right around the same area on the draft board as Wiggins sits his safety counterpart who is a big play waiting to happen. Three interceptions, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries this season through just seven games for the redshirt senior shows just how impressive he's been for the Knights. That probably sounds like music to the ears of the Cowboys fanbase seeing that they've been looking for a turnover forcing, big play safety. But he does come with his flaws, one of which being that his overaggressive sometimes creates miscommunications and missed assignments in the secondary. Cincinnati will certainly test him in that category early and often, but if he can improve that part of his game, he could sneak his way further up those draft boards.
- Aaron Robinson, UCF (Cornerback) – Another highly touted piece of the UCF secondary is Aaron Robinson. Most likely a mid-round option at corner that transferred to the Knights by way of Alabama earlier in his career. Has some really impressive closing ability that he relies on a little too often when back in zone. Has the ability to work from the slot thanks to his quickness though his frame at 6-foot-1 would translate more to the outside along with a bit slower of a trigger. Not as fluid as some of the other college football corners but still someone to keep your eye on as a mid-round option for a team that needs corner depth.
