If Williams stays healthy the rest of the season, he should continue to cement himself as one of the class’ top D-linemen. In his latest mock draft, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso has the New Orleans Saints taking him with the sixth overall pick.
Is Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers no longer considered a first-rounder?
Ewers was benched for Arch Manning late in the second quarter against the Bulldogs but reentered the game in the third quarter. The junior finished 25-of-43 passing for 211 yards, two TDs and one interception and was sacked five times. In a postgame news conference, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said Ewers is still the starter.
In his Thursday column, CBS Sports’ Mike Renner claimed Ewers (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) hasn’t looked the same since suffering an abdominal injury against UTSA in Week 3, causing him to miss two games.
“That medical red flag is already enough for teams to look elsewhere at the top of the draft,” wrote Renner. “But his performance since returning from the injury likely has scouts taking him out of the first-round conversation altogether.”
Over his past two starts, Ewers completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 410 yards, three TDs and two picks. To quell skeptics, he must rebound in Saturday’s road game against No. 25 Vanderbilt.
Should Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe return to school?
Milroe looked like a QB1 candidate for the draft when Alabama beat Georgia 41-34 in Week 5. Since then, his play has declined.
Over his past three starts, Milroe has more interceptions (five) than TD passes (three), and the Crimson Tide (5-2) have lost two games during this stretch. Renner noted some of the QB’s weaknesses have limited Alabama’s offense.
“The Alabama offense is pretty much screens or deep passes to try to scheme around his deficiencies in the underneath and the intermediate game,” wrote Renner. “That’s simply not going to fly at the NFL level. With one more year of eligibility, Milroe still has a long way to go developmentally.”
Milroe (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) should consider returning to Alabama in 2025 if his passing doesn’t improve this season.
Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson may have tools a starter needs
In a 24-17 Week 8 home win over Alabama, Sampson rushed for a season-high 139 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. The 33rd Team’s Ian Valentino noted Sampson’s excellent performance showed he could be an NFL starter if he lands with the right team.
“Sampson was the engine for the Vols’ offense by producing six first downs and four rushes at least 10 yards,” wrote Valentino. “He had to grind some plays out, and that’s good to see from someone playing in such a spread offense. He’ll be a starting-caliber back in an offense that favors more gap schemes in the NFL.”
Tankathon doesn’t list Sampson (5-foot-11, 201 pounds) among its top 100 prospects. Perhaps he’ll gain more attention if he breaks a school record.
Through his first seven games, Sampson has 17 rushing TDs. He needs two more to surpass the school’s single-season mark that Gene McEver set in 1929. With five regular-season games left, don’t be surprised if he does.
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