2025 NFL Draft: College football recap, Week 12

Two Longhorns and a running back flying under the radar

Week 12 of the college football season didn’t have any massive upsets by the Vegas numbers. But it did provide some more clarity on the pecking order in some of the country’s best conferences. With just two regular-season weeks remaining, the race still feels as open as ever.

Sixth-ranked BYU was upset by Kansas in a game where the Cougars were only favored by a field goal against an unranked Jayhawks team. BYU’s offense failed to get off the ground. A thrown interception on Kansas’ goal line proved to doom them as they dropped the contest 17-13.

Seventh-ranked Tennessee was a touchdown underdog against No. 12 Georgia on Saturday. The Bulldogs covered the spread and won 31-17 in a game that finally had the look of a Bulldogs offense that was being jump started. Quarterback Carson Beck facilitated and took good care of the football — an obvious winning recipe this year. Tennessee’s offense struggled again on Saturday. The Volunteers don’t have the horses at wideout they’ve had in recent years and redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava just hasn’t been consistent enough with his accuracy in 2024. Those problems culminated in this game.

21st-ranked South Carolina edged out No. 23 Missouri in a thriller in Columbia. There was back and forth punches thrown at the end of the game as Luther Burden III scored on a 37-yard vertical shot to take the lead with just over a minute remaining. South Carolina came back and chunked Missouri’s defense on a six play drive that took all of 47 seconds off the game clock to win 34-30.

Brian Kelly may be approaching hot seat territory sooner than later after No. 22 LSU’s most recent loss on the road 27-16 against unranked Florida. The Tigers’ defense got ripped up and the scoreboard wasn’t necessarily indicative of how dominant the Gators were. LSU ran 92 plays to Florida’s 43. The Tigers’ slim hopes of making the College Football Playoff are now completely dashed. The leader of the program is under plenty of heat while Florida’s Billy Napier has cooled his seat.

With the past week recapped, let’s take a look at three NFL Draft prospects who helped boost their stock with this past weekend’s performance.

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Texas DT Alfred Collins picking up where his predecessors left off; Dominates the front against Arkansas

Former Longhorns Byron Murphy II and T’vondre Sweat are getting their NFL careers started as rookies in 2024 and there was growing concern about what quality of players were returning at the interior defensive line spot with two of Texas’ stud performers leaving for the league. One player who has been recognized for his talent and has taken the next step in his development this year is Alfred Collins. It hasn’t resulted in all-world production this season, but his play has been excellent. That really showed up against Arkansas on Saturday where it felt like the fifth-year senior was all over the place. His motor has been excellent. The measurables and overall impact on the game have really stood out as well. He recorded his first sack of the season in this contest. Collins is a stock-up player and making the most of his former Longhorn counterparts taking off for the NFL.

Texas Nickel Jahdae Barron is a stud and stepped up big against Arkansas

Collins wasn’t the only Longhorn making money on the Texas defense this past Saturday. Nickel player Jahdae Barron is a perceived top-100 draft selection who had himself a day in a game where the Texas offense struggled from start to finish. Barron upped his interception total by one (up to 4 this year). He also had two tackles for loss in the game.

Barron isn’t gifted with the most length or height at the position. He’s stout for his size and built like a nickel should be, but he lacks the overall desirable length. Part of what makes a great nickel is what they do as a playmaker. They have the most opportunity to affect results in the run game of any defensive back by default with how close in proximity they start to the football. Barron makes plays all the time. He’s opportunistic and sticks his nose in screen/run support without fear. I feel comfortable stating Barron will start in the NFL for a long period of time as a starting nickel, and the team that selects him will be very happy they did so.

USC RB Woody Marks quietly eclipses 1,000-yard milestone vs. Nebraska

The talk of USC is always focused on quarterback and the passing game with Lincoln Riley coaching a ball club. But it’s the second season in a row the Trojans have taken an SEC transfer running back in the portal and had great success. One year after the rise and prominence of Marshawn Lloyd (3rd round pick of the Packers) in this offense, the Trojans now have another name you need to know with Woody Marks controlling this backfield.

Marks, a Mississippi State transfer, is having the best rushing season of his career. Marks went for a career-high 146 yards rushing on 19 carries this past Saturday. He’s now USC’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Ronald Jones. Similar to Lloyd a year ago, Marks is working his way into the 2025 NFL Draft top 100 — a true testament to the positive output the transfer portal can bring for prospects searching for better opportunities.