Photos courtesy of On3.com, Sports Illustrated, Eleven Warriors, Michigan Athletics, and Oklahoma State University Athletics.
Each week during the 2023 college football season Draft 412 will take a look at six players who helped their draft stock with solid performances. As the season progresses, Draft 412 will start to zoom in on first round talent.
Here is the six pack from this past week:
Ohio State- WR- Marvin Harrison Jr.
Featured in the game of the week against the undefeated #7 Penn State Nittany Lions, Harrison stamped his ticket as a top 5 pick and the probable first non-quarterback selected in the 2024 draft. He made contested catches all day long and finished with 11 receptions for 162 yards and 1 touchdown. This is against a Penn State secondary who will have 2 cornerbacks playing in the NFL next season as well (Kalen King, Johnny Dixon). Harrison is an elite receiver who is going to do big things in the NFL. His hands are soft and his route running is as precise as any prospect in the draft. He’s hauled in 42 passes for 766 yards and 6 touchdowns this season in only 7 games.
To see Draft 412’s profile on Marvin Harrison Jr.…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-marvin-harrison-jr
Minnesota- S- Tyler Nubin
Minnesota upset Iowa 12-10 last weekend and held the Hawkeyes to 11 yards rushing. Golden Gophers safety Tyler Nubin played a big part in the mayhem they created on defense. He collected 4 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
Nubin is a physical run stopper and one of the elite safeties coming out in 2024. He has NFL size and will be a big hitter in the NFL. He’s slated by many as an early 2nd day pick and still has the rest of the season and the combine to jump into the late first round. Nubin has 31 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions on the year.
To see Draft 412’s profile on Tyler Nubin…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-tyler-nubin
Oklahoma State- RB- Ollie Gordon II
The sophomore running back Ollie Gordon II had his 4th consecutive 100-yard game when he ran the ball 29 times for 282 yards and 4 touchdowns against West Virginia this past weekend. He was unstoppable from the opening snap and was a huge reason the Cowboys beat the Mountaineers 48-34. Gordon has elite vision and can beat you with speed or power, which WVU learned last week the hard way. He’s also a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield and has 17 receptions to go along with his 816 rushing yards on the season.
Utah- QB- Bryson Barnes Jr.
Backup junior quarterback Bryson Barnes Jr. stepped in for starter Cameron Rising and helped Utah to defeat USC this past weekend 34-32. He engineered an 11-play, 54 yard drive in the final 1:46 to set up the winning field goal. He finished 14-of-23 for a career high 235 yards and 3 touchdowns. He has won back to back starts for Utah in Rising’s absence, the last one being the biggest of his career so far for the 6-1 Utes. He is not on the scouts' radar yet and with another year or two of eligibility, Barnes has some time to add to his resume. With Rising most likely leaving after the season, Barnes will be in position to lead a talented Utah team in 2024.
Michigan- QB- J.J. McCarthy
With Caleb Williams struggling the past couple of weeks, J.J. McCarthy has quietly entered the Heisman Trophy talk and this past weekend did nothing but strengthen his campaign. He was almost perfect against Michigan State going 21-of-27 for 287 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Wolverines 49-0 annihilation of the Spartans. On the season, he is completing 78.1% of his passes and has passed for 1,799 yards and 18 touchdowns and has also rushed for 3 touchdowns for the Wolverines.
McCarthy has the ability to throw on the run as well as he can take off and pick up chunks of yards. His decision making has improved each season and he has only thrown 3 interceptions in his 169 attempts this season. He has also shown some improvement in his pre-snap reads and there are whispers about him sliding into round 1 in next year's draft.
To see more on Draft 412’s profile on J.J. McCarthy…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-j-j-mccarthy
Miami, FL- DL- Rueben Bain Jr.
For the second consecutive week, Draft 412 has a freshman as part of our 6-pack of the week. Reuben Bain Jr., a true freshman for Miami, FL had a dominating performance in Miami’s double OT win against Clemson. He finished the game with 8 tackles, 2 sacks, including a strip sack and was in the backfield all game long causing havoc. The 6’3” 275 lbs. defensive tackle is surely on Draft 412 and other scouts' radar and has a couple of years to add more weight and muscle and become a high draft pick. This season he has 19 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Remember the name—Rueben Bain Jr.—as he could be the next great Hurricanes' defensive lineman.