Player Report – Week 4

Senior WR Austin Watkins Jr. (UAB)

He finally had that breakout game this season against South Alabama.  He caught seven passes for a career-high 183 receiving yards and a score.  Watkins Jr. is 6’3, 210 pounds with an athletic frame and very good speed.  He should run in the 4.4’s at the Combine.  He is one of the top deep threats in the entire nation.  He shows great ball skills and consistently catches the ball away from his frame.  He rarely drops passes.  Watkins Jr. has strong hands and makes contested catches on a regular basis.  He has NFL bloodlines.  Sammy Watkins is his cousin.  He only played high school football for one year.  Then he spent two years at a junior college in Kansas before transferring to UAB.  In 2018, he played in the first four contests and then redshirted his first season.  In 2019, he finished the year with 57 catches for 1,092 yards and six TD’s.  Expect him to build on his performance from Thursday night and wind up at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL.     

Senior QB Kyle Trask (Florida)

Trask was in midseason form during the season-opener against the Rebels.  He completed 30/42 passes for 416 yards and six TD’s.  Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, but his performance reminded me of how Joe Burrow played in the opening game last season.  Trask looks so much more comfortable operating Dan Mullen’s offense in his second season as the starter.  You could see that Mullen has complete trust in him, and has opened up the passing offense a bit.  Trask will be the driving force for the Gators this year.  His story has been well-documented and he has come a long way in his development.  He is a pocket passer at 6’5, 240 pounds.  If he is given time in the pocket, he will pick defenses apart.  Against Ole Miss, he spread the ball around to 11 different receivers.  He was efficient in the red zone and outstanding on third down.  He was very accurate on throws in the short and intermediate area.  He throws a catchable ball.  His ball placement was impeccable.  He hit the receivers in stride, and they were able to get yards after the catch.  In the third quarter, Trask recognized coverage and made a great audible on one particular play.  He was able to complete a 71-yard TD pass to TE Kyle Pitts.  At this point, he looks like the clear cut top senior QB in next year’s draft. 

Junior TE Kyle Pitts (Florida)

He was a matchup nightmare against Ole Miss defense.  He was Trask’s favorite target on Saturday especially in the red zone.  Pitts had eight receptions for 170 yards and scored four TD’s.  He is 6’6 and 240 pounds.  He is a terrific athlete with very good speed.  He showed his wheels on the 71-yard TD reception in the beginning of the third quarter when beat the LB against man coverage.  Pitts is also extremely long.  He displays an enormous catching radius.  He made an impressive back-shoulder catch at the end of the first half.  He has gotten stronger over the offseason.  He fought through press coverage on the outside against a DB, used his hands to get separation and gained inside leverage for a first down reception.  In the fourth quarter, he made a contested catch against double coverage for a 17-yard TD reception.  He high-pointed the ball and displayed strong hands to come up with that catch.  He has worked hard on his blocking.  I saw him giving great effort in the blocking department.  If he continues to dominate the way he did on Saturday, he will be a top 10 pick in next year’s NFL Draft.  

Junior WR Elijah Moore (Ole Miss)

Moore caught 10 passes for 227 yards against the Gators.  He will be the featured receiver in Lane Kiffin’s offense this year.  I am just imagining the possibilities after week one.  He is a slot WR with good speed.  He is a playmaker who is explosive after the catch.  Moore shows outstanding quickness in tight quarters.  He made a terrific leaping grab on the deep ball.  He is also a weapon on jet sweeps and adds value as a punt returner. 

Junior Safety Bubba Bolden (Miami, FL)

The safety started his career at USC in 2017.  In 2018, he was suspended by the Trojans.  He transferred to Miami and wasn’t cleared to play until the fifth game of last season.  An injury cut his season short.  Against FSU, Bolden recorded four tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, an INT and tipped a pass in the red zone, which bounced into the hands of his teammate for another interception.  He stands 6’3 and 200 pounds with long arms.  He is a very instinctive safety with great speed.  He can deliver the big hit, but also displays the range in the deep half.  He has been a major reason for the Hurricanes hot start this season. 

Senior DE Patrick Jones II (Pittsburgh)

Even with DT Jaylen Twyman opting out of the season, Pitt defensive front is extremely talented.  Patrick Jones II (6’5, 270 pounds) stood out against Louisville.  On the first sack, the senior DE showed his power on the bull rush and shoved the LT into the lap of the QB.  Right before halftime, he used a spin move to beat the RT off the edge and wrapped up the QB for his second sack of the day.  In the second half, he blew up a run play after beating a LG with an inside move and got penetration in the backfield.  On the third sack, he used his quickness off the edge versus the LT and shed the block quickly.  He looks like a day two pick.      

Senior WR Osirus Mitchell (Mississippi State)

Mitchell was the go-to-receiver for the Bulldogs in the win against LSU.  He caught seven receptions for 183 yards and two TD’s.  He has terrific size, good body control and shows reliable hands.  He has a large catching radius.  He consistently extended his arms and caught the ball away from his frame.  He tracked the ball extremely well over his shoulder on a couple of downfield throws.  Mitchell made two short catches on crossing routes and displayed the ability to pick up yards after the catch.  He will get plenty of opportunities this season in the passing game in Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense. 

Senior Safety JaCoby Stevens (LSU)

Versatile defender who has played a lot of different positions during his career.  He shows good speed and is a very good open field tackler.  With CB Derek Stingley Jr. missing the game against Mississippi State, Stevens was the leader of this young defense.  He recorded six tackles, two TFL’s, two sacks and two fumble recoveries.  On the first defensive possession of the game, he came on a timely blitz and sacked the QB.  He also forced a key fumble as he stripped the QB off the ball in the fourth quarter.