by J.T. Toth
Photos courtesy of ESPN, Newsbreak, Tomahawk Nation, Sports Illustrated, Southern Miss, and Arizona 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:
Ole Miss- RB- Quinshon Judkins
Judkins was a preseason 2nd team All-American selection by Draft 412 and the sophomore running back has not slowed down. After rushing for 1,567 yards as a freshman in 2022, NFL scouts have put Judkins front and center on their 2025 draft boards. This past weekend, he ran the ball 17 times for 124 yards and 1 touchdown. He has run for over 100 yards in 3 of the past 4 games and has 691 yards in 8 games this season for the Rebels. He is a prototypical NFL back with big time speed and the body to run you over if needed. He is exceptional as a pass catcher and will be a starting 3-down back in the NFL.
Colorado- CB- Travis Hunter
Travis Hunter is best known as the two-way player for the Colorado Buffaloes. His ability to play a full game on both sides of the ball is old school, to say the least, but Draft 412 thinks scouts will be talking about Travis Hunter—the cornerback—when it comes to the NFL Draft.
Last week in a loss to UCLA, he showed off his big play ability picking off 2 passes and collecting 4 tackles. He single handedly kept Colorado in the game. On the season, he has 18 tackles and 3 interceptions to go along with his offensive numbers of 32 receptions for 360 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hunter is going to be a future #1 draft pick in 2025 and will give a team a lot of options on both sides of the ball and special teams.
Southern Miss- RB- Frank Gore Jr.
Frank Gore is #3 on the all-time NFL rushing list with 16,000 yards, and if that doesn't make you feel old, his son Frank Gore Jr. is a senior at Southern Miss and putting up big numbers like his dad. Gore is short and stout like his dad, and at 5’8” 195 lbs., he runs low to the ground and is tough to get a square hit on. He tore up Appalachian State this past weekend, running for 247 yards on 24 carries and 2 touchdowns.
Gore is a complete running back who excels at running routes and catching passes out in space. He needs to add bulk to play at the next level and if he does, he could turn out to be a diamond in the rough in the 6th or 7th round.
Florida State- QB- Jordan Travis
Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and then…Jordan Travis?
Travis is playing his way into that discussion as a first round pick with his stellar play for the Seminoles. This past weekend, he lit up Wake Forest on 22-35 passing for 359 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the season now, Travis has thrown for 2,109 yards and 18 touchdowns, while only throwing 2 interceptions. His decision making is near the top of the class, and he understands how to move around in the pocket and knows when to take off. He’s done better with his progressions this season and has done an excellent job of spreading the ball out to all his weapons at Florida State. He is a tad undersized but Draft 412 thinks most scouts are not holding that against him.
To see Draft 412’s profile on Jordan Travis…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-profile-jordan-travis
Arizona- QB- Noah Fifita
Here is a name you probably haven’t heard yet—Noah Fifita. Fifita, a freshman for Arizona, has now beaten 2 top 20 teams each of the past 2 weeks. He went 25 of 32 for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns this past weekend against #11 Oregon State and started 4 games since taking over for the injured Jayden de Laura. He has completed 75.8% of his passes and thrown 11 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Fifita is only 5’11” and will most likely not be on many scouting radars when he comes out in several years. If he keeps putting up these types of numbers, he could be worth a profile.
Miami, FL- S- Kamren Kinchens
Kam Kinchens showed off his big play ability this past weekend in a 29-26 (OT) win against Virginia. He had 9 tackles and picked off his 3rd pass of the season, returning it 29 yards for a touchdown. On the season Kinchens has 41 tackles and a quarterback sack to go along with his 3 interceptions. He is a big time playmaker who is all over the field and is a physical defender in both the run and the pass. Though he has moments of being overly aggressive, he is still a good candidate to be a first round pick and the first safety off the board.
To see Draft 412’s Draft Profile on Kam Kinchens…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-kam-kinchens