Skill players break out on offense and defense; a top overall pick emerges
There weren’t any notable upsets from this past weekend, but there was plenty of entertainment to go around during the weekend with a couple of SEC matchups putting ranked foes on the ropes. Most notably, Kentucky was right there with No. 1 Georgia from start to finish in about as gross of an offensive performance from both sides that you’ll see. The Bulldogs’ defense vaulted them over the Wildcats 13-12. Kentucky failed to put the ball in the end zone at any point.
Elsewhere, Georgia escaped Lexington with the win. LSU had to come back from a 17-0 deficit on the road against South Carolina. Gamecocks quarterback La’Norris Sellers was injured late in the first half, which changed a lot of the game’s trajectory. Sixtheenth-ranked LSU went down the field and scored with just over a minute remaining to take the lead and win the game.
Despite the lack of drama in the overall outcomes on Saturday, there were plenty of impressive prospect performances to highlight. Let’s dive in!
South Carolina Safety Nick Emmanwori ascending
One of South Carolina’s best players is also one of the best athletes in the country. The 6’3”, 225-pound Emmanwori is an athletic freak who had himself a fantastic game on Saturday afternoon in a near upset of LSU. Emmanwori had a pick-six late in the game at the goal line as LSU was driving. He returned it 100 yards, but it was called back on an unnecessary roughness penalty. Emmanwori undercut a route after dropping from his alignment near the line of scrimmage into a hook zone. He easily pulled it in and turned on the afterburners down the sideline.
Despite the play being called back, there’s so much to like about the junior safety. He’s playing great football early this year and led the team in tackles on Saturday with nine. The safety class outside of Georgia’s Malaki Starks is still materializing, but Emmanwori is looking to make a case as one of the 2025 NFL Draft’s top options.
This pick-6 got called back, but it doesn’t change that South Carolina DB Nick Emmanwori is a stud draft prospect.
Massive DB at 6’3” and 227 lbs. Hard hitter with good speed who can play deep safety, slot and in the box. Think he goes Day 2 in 2025. pic.twitter.com/ghokpAJojo
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) September 14, 2024
Missouri WR Luther Burden III breaks through in Week 3
It’s been a quiet couple of weeks for Burden who played significantly reduced snaps against inferior opponents. Burden went for six receptions and 117 yards and a touchdown in a close win over Boston College. He’s lethal with the ball in his hands and is just a very loose athlete. You want to see him continue growing as a route runner as he transitions to the next level. But the athleticism is undeniable and the yards after catch is going to leave NFL decision-makers drooling about him in April. We’re going to see more of him as the Tigers get into SEC play, but it was a great jumping-off point in a competitive contest.
Luther being Luther… pic.twitter.com/mitjEhgNZv
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) September 14, 2024
Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, Jr. could be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
The Colorado Buffaloes are the weekly talk of the town due to their on- and off-the-field antics between head coach Deion Sanders and his son Shedeur Sanders. But there’s a really special talent residing in Boulder in Travis Hunter, Jr. Hunter can do it all on either side of the ball. His ball skills and hands for a player of his size (6’0”, 180 pounds) are some of the best you’ll ever see. It shows up when he’s playing receiver and corner as he engulfs the ball with both hands like he was born to do it. Hunter is one of the most unique and special prospects from a skill (offensive or defensive) perspective in a very long time. Hunter was a long-time commitment to Florida State before flipping on National Signing Day to play for his childhood idol in Deion Sanders at Jackson State while then following him to Colorado. On a week-to-week basis, Hunter plays almost every snap on both offense and defense while remaining in a receiver’s hip pocket 100 snaps into a contest. He’s remarkable.
This past weekend, Hunter caught 13 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. He also had five tackles on defense with a pass defensed and an interception as the Buffaloes blew out Colorado State. On the interception seen below, Hunter was in lockstep with his man and plucked the ball with ease away from the receiver. The talk in Boulder tends to center around Deion and Shedeur Sanders with his controversial antics, but Hunter is the true star of the show and someone may see him as the No. 1 overall player in the class with no elite quarterback emerging at this time. Even if he’s not the biggest player from a weight perspective and he may not be the biggest aggressor as a tackler, Hunter’s built to make plays on either side of the football. Hunter probably only has nine more games of college football before he’s looked upon as a blue-chip face of a franchise.
Travis pic.twitter.com/ho6d6AStVc
— Oh Yes He Did (@OhYesHeDid24) September 15, 2024