by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of ABC57.com.
Do you believe college football is here? Draft 412 is ready for Saturday’s games and wants to make sure you are as well. Each week, we will go through the games and the players to watch on our way to the draft in April 2024.
Here is our preview for - Week 0
#14 Notre Dame vs. Navy (in Dublin, Ireland) 2:30 pm NBC
Line- ND (-20.5)
Draft 412 Prediction- Notre Dame 38 Navy 17
What a fitting way to start the season for the Fighting Irish as they play Navy in Dublin, Ireland. Ranked #14 in the country, the Irish have one of the toughest schedules in college football with games against Ohio State, USC, Clemson and Pitt, so they will want to take advantage of a weaker Navy team in game one.
Here are some players to watch in Saturday’s game:
ND- Quarterback- Sam Hartman
Hartman, the 6th year senior from Wake Forest, has thrown 77 touchdowns over the past two seasons and is looking to improve his draft stock in South Bend.
ND- Tackle - Joe Alt
Joe Alt is a Draft 412 preseason First-Team All-American selection and could possibly be the first tackle selected in the draft.
ND- Cornerback- Benjamin Morrison
Morrison is a pure sophomore and not eligible until the 2025 NFL Draft, but keep an eye on our preseason Second-Team All-American candidate.
Others to Watch
ND- Linebacker- Marist Liufau
ND- Cornerback- Cam Hart
ND- Linebacker- J.T. Bertrand
ND- Tackle- Blake Fisher
ND- Center- Zeke Correll
ND- Edge- Javontae Jean-Baptiste
San Jose State at. #5 USC 8:00 pm PAC 12 Network
Line- USC (-30.5)
Draft 412 Prediction- USC 44 San Jose State 21
The Trojans are considered one of the favorites to make the college playoffs, mostly because their quarterback Caleb Williams has a chance to win back to back Heisman trophies and become the first overall pick in the draft. USC is loaded throughout their lineup and this will be an early chance for east coast football fans to see USC in action. This game should be fun to watch, as it pits the best PAC-12 offense against one of the best in the Mountain West.
Here are some players to pay attention to Saturday night:
USC- Quarterback- Caleb Williams
The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is the odds-on-favorite to win again in 2023. The Trojans have a tool shed full of weapons for Williams and he will be looking to get a jump on the Heisman voters. He enters 2023 as a Draft 412 preseason First-Team All-American.
USC- Strong Safety- Calen Bullock
A Draft 412 preseason First-Team All-American, Bullock is a big safety who has playmaking ability and, for an NFL comparison, look no further than Malik Hooker.
USC-Wide Receiver- Mario Williams
Mario Williams will be counted on to improve on his 2022 numbers, when he caught 40 receptions for 631 yards and 5 touchdowns. Williams is a smaller receiver who can beat you up the seam.
Others to Watch
USC- WR-Tahj Washington
USC- C- Justin Dedich
USC-T- Jonah Monheim
San Jose St- WR-Justin Lockhart
Another Player to Pay Attention to
Ohio- QB- Kurtis Rourke
Kurtis Rourke is a 6’4” 216 lbs. quarterback who is coming off a season that saw him win the MAC Offensive Player of the Year award. He wants to keep climbing the draft boards and will need a big game Saturday at. San Diego State (7:00 pm)