Photo courtesy of Georgia Bulldogs.
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 9:
#1 Georgia (6-0) vs. Florida (5-2) 3:30 pm CBS (SATURDAY)
Line- Georgia (-14.5)
Draft 412 Prediction - Georgia 34, Florida 10
The Georgia Bulldogs are making their way to Jacksonville for the 100th edition of “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Georgia leads the all-time matchup 55-44 but the Bulldogs will be without stud tight end Brock Bowers and possibly some other starters. They should still have enough firepower to keep the Gators on their heels as Florida looks to upend the #1 team in the country by winning the time of possession battle.
Florida- Running Back- Montrell Johnson Jr.
If Montrell Johnson can get going, it should open up Graham Mertz and the passing game and give the Gators a sliver of hope. Johnson has been effective out of the backfield all season and if Georgia gets blitz happy look for quick screens to Johnson to help beat the pressure. Johnson is a definite NFL prospect with mid round grades and a good showing against the #1 team in the country can only help his stock.
To see more on Draft 412’s profile on Montrell Johnson, Jr.https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-montrell-johnson-jr
Georgia- Running Back- Daijuan Edwards
With Brock Bowers out, the Georgia Bulldogs will need to spread out the offense a little more this week. Daijuan Edwards, not Kendall Milton, is leading the Bulldogs in rushing this season. Edwards has 460 yards and is averaging 5.8 yards per carry taking over the starting duties with Milton’s lingering injury issues. A solid running game will make Carson Beck’s job a lot easier. Edwards is sneaking into the draft as a late round talent who may need the combine to help his draft stock.
Georgia- Quarterback- Carson Beck
Carson Beck has not been spectacular this season for Georgia but he’s not had to be. If Beck plays within himself and doesn’t turn the ball over, the Bulldogs will do what they normally do—win.
The 6’4” 220 lbs. quarterback has thrown for over 2,000 yards and has 12 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions. Beck is a wildcard in the draft process as he has 2 years of eligibility left due to a redshirt and the pandemic year. He can definitely improve his draft stock coming back to Athens for at least one more season.
Florida- Edge Rusher- Princely Umanmielen
For the Gators to have a legit chance on Saturday, they need to win the turnover battle and pressuring Carson Beck will help lead to miscues. Princely Umanmielen leads Florida with 3 sacks and causes matchup nightmares with his speed and length off the edge.
Georgia may be without their star tackle Amarius Mims due to injury, and this should open the door for Umanmielen to be a nuisance. Umanmielen has the skill set that NFL GM’s love in their edge rushers and he has the length and speed to improve on his 3rd-4th round grade.
To see more on Draft 412’s profile on Princely Umanmielen…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-princely-umanmielen
Others to Watch
Florida- Quarterback- Graham Mertz
Florida- Running Back- Trevor Etienne
Georgia- Tight End- Oscar Delp
Georgia- Wide Receiver- Dominic Lovett
#8 Oregon (6-1) at. #13 Utah (6-1) 12:30 PM FOX (SATURDAY)
Line- Oregon (-6.5)
Draft 412 Prediction - Oregon 27, Utah 23
The PAC-12 is giving us quite a season in its last hurrah as a quality conference. Utah, coming off a 34-32 win over USC, now gets to host an Oregon team that has been clicking. This game will feature Oregon’s high powered offense against a very underrated Utah defense.
Oregon- Quarterback- Bo Nix
Bo Nix has had an amazing season and is deserving of his Heisman Trophy mentions. He has completed 78.4% of his passes and has only thrown 1 interception while throwing 19 touchdowns for the Ducks. He will be going up against one of the best defenses he will see all season long and scouts are ready to see how he performs on the road against a stingy D. Nix has put himself in that group of first round quarterbacks and the only question Draft 412 has is, can he play under center in an NFL style offense?
To see more on Draft 412’s profile on Bo Nix…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-bo-nix
Utah- Safety- Cole Bishop
When you watch a Utah football game, Cole Bishop is a player you notice on film or on the field right away. He is a safety who makes plays in the run game and passing game and can even put occasional pass rushing pressure on the QB.
On the season, Bishop has 35 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. He needs to play a big part in this game if Utah is to pull off the upset against the Ducks. He will be looking to make Bo Nix’s life miserable and watch out Ducks, as he lines up all over the field. Bishop is locked into a solid second day pick in this year’s draft.
To see more on Cole Bishop…
https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4676004/cole-bishop
Oregon- Running Back- Bucky Irving
Irving is averaging 7.5 yards per carry so far this season and is the biggest weapon in the high powered, fast paced offense. He can beat you running the ball or making plays out of the backfield as a pass receiver and will be a handful for the Utes to stop. He is a riser on many draft boards and with his three down capabilities, may be inching towards a second day draft pick.
To see more on Draft 412’s profile on Bucky Irving…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-bucky-irving
Utah- Quarterback- Bryson Barnes
When Cameron Rising went down with an injury, the Utes had to turn to Bryson Barnes, and he delivered. Last week against USC, he brought Utah back and led them downfield to set up the winning field goal and the 34-32 win. He needs to have another outstanding performance against a fast Ducks defense that can make big plays.
Others to Watch
Oregon- WR- Troy Franklin
Oregon- DE- Brandon Dorlus
Utah- DE- Jonah Elliss
Utah- RB- Ja’Quinden Jackson
#6 Oklahoma (7-0) at. Kansas (5-2) 12:00 PM FOX (Saturday)
Line- Oklahoma (-10)
Draft 412 Prediction - Oklahoma 44, Kansas 31
After upsetting Texas, Oklahoma almost laid an egg against Central Florida last week but eked out a 31-29 win. They will travel to face a tough Kansas team that was 4-0 and ranked but has since lost 2 of their past 3 games. This may be the toughest test left for the Sooners as they try to carve out a path to the playoffs.
Oklahoma- Quarterback- Dillon Gabriel
Dillon Gabriel is a winner and even though he is just 5’11”, he has opened some eyes this season. He has completed 71.2% of his passes and has been a dual-threat who excels at throwing on the run. He passed for 285 yards and ran for 113 yards against Texas and single handedly brought Oklahoma back to beat the Longhorns. Though he most likely won’t get drafted due to his size, don’t be surprised to see him in an NFL camp making some noise next year.
Kansas- Running Back- Devin Neal
When Devin Neal runs well, the Jayhawks win. For Kansas to have a chance, he will need to be fed the ball 20 plus times, which will help keep the Kansas defense off the field. Neal has run for 659 yards and was a big reason they started 4-0. Neal has shown great vision and hits the holes hard, putting pressure on the second tier of defenses.
To see more on Draft 412’s profile on Devin Neal…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-devin-neal
Kansas- Defensive Line- Austin Booker
The transfer from Minnesota has been quite a find for the Kansas defense. He leads the team in sacks with 5 to go along with 31 tackles. The 6’6” 245 lbs. sophomore is someone to watch for the next couple of seasons.
Booker is fast and has violent hands, and will need to be playing his “A” game this Saturday for the Jayhawks to slow down a high powered Oklahoma offense.
Oklahoma- Linebacker- Danny Stutsman
With Kansas most likely trying to establish a run game, look for Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman’s name to be called early and often. Stutsman has 70 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 interception so far in 2023 and will be a big reason why Devin Neal can’t gain traction on the ground. Stutsman is a little undersized but has the tackling ability and heart that every defensive coordinator in the NFL wants.
To see more on Draft 412’s profile on Danny Stutsman…
https://www.draft412.com/post/nfl-draft-prospect-preview-danny-stutsman
Others to Watch
Oklahoma- RB- Marcus Major
Oklahoma- WR- Nic Anderson
Kansas- QB- Jason Bean
Kansas- WR- Lawrence Arnold