Building the Beast: The NFL Draft prospects to know from Indiana, Texas A&M, and this season's CFB surprise teams

0:28Welcome to another episode of Building the Beast. We dive into the players you need to know, the prospects that are turning heads. And this week, we wanted to expand our focus a little bit. By this point in the season, we've talked plenty about the major prospects, the top teams. We wanted to take a look around the college football landscape, identify some surprising teams, some surprising players that maybe we haven't hit on yet that are turning heads, not to mention the big news coming out of State College, Pennsylvania, Penn State parting ways with James Franklin, what that might mean for a team that regardless of their record is stacked with NFL prospects.

1:04A lot to get into there. Another fun episode with Dane and I. Let's get into it.

1:12As always in these episodes of Building the Beast, I'm joined by my buddy, my co-host Dane Brugler, which Dane, I had a whole joke lined up for you about Ohio being like the epicenter of college football right now and also an NFL wasteland at the risk of being mean though like I feel like that's been the case more often than not these last few decades there's a theme right I mean it's it's funny because you know I grew up born and raised northeast Ohio and you know Canton is a stone's throw away so it's like the you know where football started um and you You know, it's a it's a very rich place for high school football, college football.

1:55It's not just Ohio State. I mean, everyone, you know, the Mac is big here. Mount Union, obviously. So but yeah, the NFL, it's just from the 90s till now. You know, my lifespan, it's never been big for professional football, unfortunately, which is it's a shame for all the fans in this area who live and die with those teams each weekend. at least Cincinnati has had a reprieve here these last four or five years but but this uh this season feeling unfortunately really familiar for that half of the state too but if you're listening to this as a as a draft person you you get to spend a lot of time hoping that maybe your team will come away with a buckeye or two because there's going to be plenty of them yeah I mean I think both the Bengals and the Browns last few years that's that's been a strategy is to uh let's just go to Columbus and see what these guys are doing.

2:49And, you know, it's worked out OK for for both teams. But yeah, it's it's going to be another one of those years. Ohio State number one in the nation for a reason. And I mean, is it is it just me or does it seem like really NFL and college? There's maybe a little more parity this year. Like I know Ohio State's won and but I don't know, like if they lost to Michigan again this year, I don't think it'd be like the craziest thing after what we saw happen last November. It just seems like this year is a little more wide open NFL wise. and college football in terms of the top teams. Like I'm watching those games last night, Monday Night Football.

3:23Again, the NFC is like the top 12 teams have a shot. Like the commanders are right now like the 12th team in the NFC in terms of record and some of those metrics. It just seems like a little more. And I know the AFCs, they've got some more bad teams, but, you know, some of the surprise teams, whether it's the Colts or what the Chargers are doing or, you know, the Patriots. It just seems like a little more wide open college. There's not against maybe with the exception of Ohio State and maybe Miami. Like we thought Oregon was in that tier. But after what happened over the weekend, maybe not. So it just feels like a right now, at least this season, NFL, college football, a little more wide open at the top than maybe we are expected to see year in, year out.

4:11You set me up for this beautifully, man. And it's almost like we have production meetings or something, but that is, that's kind of to be expected in the NFL. Even if, even if this year does feel a little more wide open than usual, that's, that's the NFL's whole goal. It's not as normal to see it in college football. And it really does feel like this could be the new normal with NIL increasing the desirability of, of many other teams outside of the usual suspects. And you're absolutely right. There are more good teams and conversely, fewer just absolutely dominant teams than it feels like we've ever seen before.

4:51I mean, I think last season was a similar story, but we're really hammering it home this year. And I want that to be the theme of this show. We call it Building the Beast. We're not here to fixate on the best programs that are chock full of blue chip prospects. We want to look throughout the college football landscape and tell you who you need to be looking for across the sport. There are good players everywhere. And the fact that there are more good players in more maybe uncommon places than ever before leads to some interesting results on Saturday. So the bulk of this show, what I want to do is talk about some teams that are surprising a little bit and climbing higher up the rankings, winning games.

5:37Maybe they weren't expected to win. And obviously, we don't really care what that means for the playoff picture. But if you're stringing enough wins together in a row, I want to know who these guys are that are helping you do it. So that's the goal today. and we've talked about them plenty before, but mainly in the context of their quarterback. And that is the Indiana Hoosiers who look, I'm sorry. I'll just, I'll, I'll wear it. I don't care. I expected Oregon to win that game. I expected that game to look a lot like what it did last year for Indiana, which is yes, you are definitely a good team, but there's levels to this stuff.

6:15You know, we saw what Indiana looked like against Ohio state and against Notre Dame. And if you watch this game out in Eugene, Oregon, completely not the case here. This Indiana team, they won by double digits. They held Oregon to their only second half touchdown in that game was a pick six. They just absolutely maybe maybe beat the brakes off the ducks is a little harsh, but they firmly outplayed Oregon. And so I want to highlight some of the guys on this team that are making this thing go. What did what did you think of Indiana on the whole on Saturday, Dane, and just what they're doing this season?

6:53Yeah, I mean, along the lines of what you're saying, coming into the game, I think we were most interested to see the quarterbacks. Right. Especially from a scouting perspective. And honestly, these both these guys, Dante Moore, Oregon, Fernando Mendoza, Indiana. It was probably the most underwhelming performance for both that they've had all season. And I think that speaks highly of the Hoosiers in that program and Kurt Signetti that they can go on the road, win against a top three opponent without the quarterback truly carrying them. And I think that's because, I mean, let's look at it deep into the fourth quarter.

7:30It's a midway through the fourth quarter. It was a 20 to 20 game. There were swings back and forth. I think credit to both defenses, the way they played the Indiana defense. They allowed one touchdown. And that in that one touchdown was a bust that the safety was frozen by that sprint out action. Easy throw over the top for from Dante Moore. But I think I go back to these defenses. Neither of the offenses were very good on third downs through three and a half quarters. Indiana was two for nine on third downs. The two conversions were Mendoza with his legs and just, you know, taking the yards when they were there.

8:04But I think credit to Indiana for playing their best when it counted. the final eight minutes of this game. Mendoza throws that pick six midway through the fourth quarter, like you mentioned. And then it was a bad throw. He tried to throw it off his back foot. He left it short. Credit to the freshman DB, made a play, returns it for the touchdown. So now Indiana, they get the ball back and it's like, okay, let's see how they respond. They marched down and scored the go-ahead touchdown. They had two huge third downs and they converted both of them. Mendoza to Elijah Surratt that was the theme of that drive and it's the first one beautiful pivot route by surat and then the back shoulder for the touchdown uh he also surat also had that that motion screen that was a perfect call into the oregon they were running zone and he picked up 30 yards in that play so i give a ton of credit to mendoza for eliminating that pick six from his memory and then just going down and helping win the game but to me and this kind of goes along with the way you wanted to set up this conversation.

9:08Surratt was the key takeaway from that drive. Three catches, three targets, three catches, 50 yards and the winning touchdown. Love the connection that him and Mendoza have. The first play of the game was a 20 yard back shoulder. And that's kind of they love to live outside the numbers or at least outside the hashes. It's a very RPO heavy offense with Indiana. And it's a lot of timing routes, a lot of routes where the receiver and quarter back better be on the same plate, same page, or it's incompletion at best pick six at worst. And you can tell how in tune these two guys are with, with Sarat.

9:48I mean, he's a good size target, six, two, two 10. I think he'll probably run in the four fours. Uh, now it might be a four, four eight, but it'll be in the four fours. Uh, I really like his short area quickness. I think we saw it on that pivot route where, okay, sell the slant, hard stop burst back outside. He's a former Hooper and I think that's very unsurprising when you watch his play style reliable hands you like the body control I wish he was a little better in contested situations but Surat's a player man and he's got a fun journey he was a zero star recruit I think he was one of those guys that um COVID it really impacted his recruitment and his the ability for teams for colleges to get eyes on him um he starts out at St.

10:28Francis which is an FCS program was pretty good that one year transfers to James Madison, had his breakout in 2023, transfers to Indiana last year. And so these past two years, he has been outstanding. He leads the FBS right now in first down catches. He has an 80 % rate of moving the chains or scoring a touchdown on his receptions. And so he's really putting himself in the mix to be a potential top 100 pick. That was the number one thing that stood out to me watching the Indiana offense back was, I mean, Surratt for sure, but, oh, and a guy that you've mentioned several times, but Omar Cooper Jr.

11:07as well. And you're so right. Like Indiana was feasting outside the hashes in this game. Like the, the trust that Mendoza has in those two guys to go out and, and win their matchups. And they did time and time again. I mean, Surratt just as a, as a ball winner and the, the separation that he was able to create and the trust that Mendoza had to make anticipatory throws and just get the ball to him. And then Cooper is just a very quarterback-friendly target. That was my big takeaway from him. Like, if you put it on him, he's going to come away with it. I mean, the one-handed snag that he made and the run after catch there to pick up a first out.

11:49Exactly. Yeah, that was awesome. Those two guys are incredibly impressive. And yeah, Kurt Cignetti, I mean, I think this whole thing starts with getting Fernando Mendoza to come over from Cal, but his eye for talent is very, very impressive. Obviously, if Indiana being what it's been for most of its history, you're counting on identifying and developing lesser known players into more polished products. And it looks like a few of these guys are going to have a shot to be drafted high in this upcoming draft. These these three in particular, but across the roster, I mean, with the development that we've seen from these teams over the last couple of years, that seems sustainable.

12:35Yeah, I think you're right. And it's it's it's not just identifying the talent, but getting them on campus and then developing them. And I think that's exactly what they're doing. You know, so much of this early success for Indiana has been the JMU transfers guys that Kurt Signetti had at James Madison brought over in Indiana. And but so now that next step will be, OK, making sure they're getting the guys from the high school level, keeping guys in state, you know, like Caden Curry, Ohio State defensive end, who we've talked about before, you know, leads the Buckeyes and sacks so far this year.

13:09He was an Indiana guy. I mean, he he wanted to go to Indiana. But when Ohio State offered is like, I this isn't really a I can't I can't pass on the Buckeyes to stay home and play for the Hoosiers. And you understood that decision four years ago. Now it's a much tougher decision for these guys. And so I think that'll be key for Signetti. I think, well, first and foremost, I hopefully and I'm not the first one to suggest this, but hopefully he stays at Indiana. I mean, Penn State obviously has a big opening we'll talk about here in a little bit. uh would love to see indiana hold on to signetti and let him keep developing these the program and all that but um yeah and it's and i mentioned the jmu transfers on defense i i the one guy that sticks out more than other is aiden fisher the linebacker he's another jmu guy he is the the straw that stirs the drink on on that on that side of the ball he's a little undersized he's six foot, 230 pounds.

14:06He feels small on tape at times, but man, the play speed, the instincts, he only knows attack mode. Sometimes that'll backfire a little bit, but he's instinctive. The scouts say that he's the best leader on the team, but by far he's what holds the locker room together. All the intangibles are there that will matter to NFL teams. So the feedback on him has been early on day three, but he's a guy that's going to stick because of the way he's wired, the way he plays and just keeps impacting the game, both what we see on tape and then behind the scenes. I was really impressed by the way he navigated the trash against Oregon and just managed to be around the football no matter, you know, there was, there was a rep, I think it was in the third quarter where he just ducked under a block and got to the ball carrier on like a little, you know, quick screen to the receiver.

14:58And I mean, good college linebackers do that, but it's still cool to see against an offense that's done as much as Oregon's has. And yeah, I mean, considering it was at home and considering how glowingly we've talked about him, Dante Moore, not a great day at the office. And, and this Indiana defense, I mean, it was, it was eyeopening and Aiden Fisher, a name to know. Is there anybody else that stood out to you? I know, uh, Mikhail Kamara, the defensive end out of Indiana. I think he had at least some sort of draftable grade during the summer. I don't know where that stands now, but across the board, this this unit looked really good against an offense that we've been impressed by.

15:40Really well coach. They're buttoned up various assignment sound. I mean, really, that that bus for the touchdown for Oregon's touchdown in the in the first half, That was really one of the few times watching the tape back where it was like, oh, yeah, that's you got caught looking in the wrong place. And Oregon made him pay Mikhail Kamara. Yeah, he led the team in sacks and pressures last year, and he's doing it again this year. He's not a he's not someone you're going to see pop up in first round mock drafts, average size, average speed. But I like how he uses his length and he has a good feel for timing in his rush.

16:18So that initial move, how to counter, you know, he'll break out a spin move. He'll break out an inside long arm and he'll do different things to mix up what he's throwing at you. So NFL scouts kind of viewed him as a late round guy coming into the year. And so it's been on him to kind of prove, hey, I'm a little bit better than that. Even if it's we're talking mid rounds, he seems like a guy you want as part of your defensive line rotation. And then in the secondary corner, D 'Angelo Pons, he's small. there's no way around it he's listed at 5 '9 170 i don't have official verifieds but if he's listed at 5 '9 170 uh he you know the the official size is probably a little bit worse than that he's just so dang competitive um he he's it seems almost you know we say a lot with these undersized guys always feisty he's he kind of fits that that that bill i mean it's exactly what he is he will get after it he makes up for his lack of size with the way he competes how physical he is so d 'angelo ponds he's a junior if he does come out i think he'll be uh you know somewhere in that probably third fourth round mix because he the size will work against him but he's someone that you can see sticking in the league it'd be fun to see indiana transition from the hunter to the hunted because after a game like this they are i mean if they weren't already on your radar they're about to be.

17:40And the schedule doesn't look terribly daunting the rest of the way. I mean, they do have to navigate a road game to Penn state, even though they just fired James Franklin. That's obviously a roster with a lot of talent. Plus the added wrinkle that perhaps Penn state will be sniffing around Kurt signet. Well, I'm getting ahead of myself, but they now have to string together a second half of the season where the target is firmly on their back. If it wasn't already no doubt and last week on the pod we mentioned oh it's looking like we you know ohio state oregon showdown big 10 championship game because they they didn't play in the regular season well hey same thing with indiana ohio state indiana do not play in the regular season but at this rate uh it's sure looking like we could see these two teams match up uh in uh at the big 10 championship game at the end of the year and uh ohio state got the best of them last year um it It was a pretty competitive game.

18:35Caleb Downs punt return touchdown kind of swung things later on. But this is a different it feels like a different Indiana team this year. And so I think that'd be I signed me up for that one. I think it'd be a lot of fun to watch. This is not important to our show, but just as general commentary, I am interested. I feel like in this new era of college football, I think it's less of a slam dunk that a Kurt signetti would just leave indiana for a program like penn state and we we're going to talk about penn state later in the show but it feels like we talked about at the beginning it feels like the playing field is a little bit more level and i don't want to speak too soon but i i don't think those jumps to those sorts of programs are are as automatic as they used to be i think a school like indiana has more options available to it to try to keep somebody like this i'm interested to see how that goes and one one area that i think we usually see a big difference between what we perceive as lower level programs and the the top of the top um is in the trenches right where it's just these guys are just bigger stronger more powerful but i and that did not look like the case on saturday this is a very veteran indiana offensive line i don't think they're loaded with prospects i think probably carter smith the left tackle is probably the best of the group and he's a junior um you know the coogan the the transfer center from notre dame um he's solid but he's more of a pfa who's you know trying to convince scouts he's he belongs in the draft um but it just goes to i think what we mentioned before how buttoned up they are the coaching they will hit you in the mouth they are very physical and there wasn't a ton of uh plays in this game where you thought oh yeah the mission the the oregon uh defensive line or offensive line just dominated their opponent in this one.

20:26So this Indiana team, it's not just the quarterback. It's not just the skill talent. The defense shows up as well at every level, and the offensive line plays well enough to give their team a shot. So, yeah, I think this team is for real. They belong in where they're ranked. Kurt Signetti, you know, I was debating people on Twitter Saturday during the game about where Signetti belongs in the hierarchy of coaches in college football. And I said, listen, guys, what's his biggest win so far at Indiana? Is it Illinois? I mean, we just doesn't have that yet. All right. Well, he got it on Saturday against Oregon.

21:01He now has that that one win you can point to and say, hey, that's that's something that you can really build off of. He's got it now, a program defining win for Indiana. Be fun to keep track of how they keep that going. We got plenty of other surprise. I would, yeah, surprise teams we want to get to teams that maybe we haven't featured a lot on this show that are making a name for themselves and their prospects. We're going to do that on the other side of the break.

21:31All right, Dane, the next team I want to talk about, let's be clear. This is this is not a Cinderella team. This is an SEC program that has put a lot of players in the NFL. We know all about them. but little bit of, little bit of unusual territory for the Texas A &M Aggies, who I think it's worth highlighting after they beat Florida by three scores on Saturday, they are six and Oh for the first time in a decade, they are ranked in the top five looking very much like they belong in the sec championship picture, at least at the halfway point of the season. And I basically just wanted to know, all right, well, if you're good enough to start six and Oh, as an sec team and and you played notre dame on the road early in the year surely you gotta have some nfl guys on your roster that makes you worth highlighting and having you know dug into it over a couple of days i feel safe saying that is the case about this texas a &m team yeah i mean the aggies always have nfl guys right like they uh the the whether it's through recruiting nil they're always going to get talent there um it's just can they find enough consistency throughout the roster to stack wins and last year felt like maybe they were close uh and then they fell apart later in the year this year it does feel like with the way that marcel reed is playing at quarterback and some of the supporting cast it feels like they have a shot to because you look at the schedule okay arkansas coming up um they they have to go to missouri which we'll talk about missouri here in a little bit that's not going to be an easy game but then of course uh at the end of the year regular season texas waiting for him which will be a lot of fun just to see where both these teams are at the end of the season uh in their development one uh development for the aggies is levion moss now out with the ankle he is a guy he is your that is a little bit of a bummer no doubt Cause last year he was out, he had an ACL.

23:32So he missed like the last four games last year. And that was a bummer that kind of punched his ticket to, he's coming back. You know, he, maybe he went to the NFL after last year, definitely coming back after the ACL. Now he's got the ankle. It's going to be out for a little while. You know, probably a month or so. He's your classic downhill, one cut tempo. He's going to press the whole type of back and he'll break off a big run here or there, but he's a grinder. He'll get you those tough yards. he he's gonna get drafted no doubt and i still think he will this ankle injury is not gonna all of a sudden change that but he not him not being out there will at least hurt this offense a little bit and it's noticeable when he's not on the field i agree with that and i do think a and m's offense took a little bit of a step back in the florida game after he went out with the ankle injury.

24:23But one thing that gives me optimism, if I'm an A &M fan is, uh, holy hell, this offensive line, brother. I mean, if, if I am an NFL fan that needs help on the offensive line and, and maybe we're not talking about like top 10 guys, that's fine. But there are prospects all over this offensive line, little nugget that I got from Saturday and you see it. If you turn on the game against Florida, which, which mind you, I know Florida is in a bad way by their standards right now, but their defense gave LSU Miami and Texas fits like they, I mean, they got talent on their defense. A and M ran the ball for one 83 did not allow a sack or a TFL and was not flagged.

25:14Their offensive line was not flagged in this game. They mauled these guys. And I came away impressed with like two or three different guys. But I think the guy I would mention first is their left tackle Trey Zune, who also played center during this game, by the way. So dominance on top of versatility is very interesting to me. Well, and that's and that's what scouts want to see, because he is a college left tackle who's going to move inside in the NFL. he's he just looking at him he looks like a tackle because he's over 6 '6 he's 315 pounds but I think that his skill set his arm length he's going to move inside whether it's guard or center but the fact that he has that versatility position flex where in a pinch you need him to move the guard in a pinch you need to move outside the tackle that is absolutely something that's going to help him come draft day uh when you know he's in a stack of offensive linemen it's like all All right, well, let's take the more versatile guy.

26:12So, yeah, Trey Zune, definitely someone who is in. Everybody wanted him out of high school. I mean, he was Ohio State wanted him. I mean, he was a highly recruited player. He started almost immediately after he got on campus. And so he's got a lot of experience. And really that entire left side of the Aggies offensive line. Besontis, the left guard, he's a junior. So he'll have an NFL decision to make after the year. Both these guys, when they're in working in tandem, it's a lot of fun to watch. It's they work off each other really well, communicate really well. But I think you could say that about the entire offensive line, like what you were referring to.

26:48That's that's something that will help this team a lot. And I know they've got LSU still on the schedule to watching this A &M offensive line against that LSU front seven. That'll be something that's a lot of fun to watch. I know I don't have to tell you about that LSU front that they've not won't even say that front seven. We got to include those linebackers in there. that A &M offense against LSU defense will be must see TV for sure. And I mean, not to take, not to take any credit away from Marcel Reed, but watching them against Florida, my guy was statuesque in the pocket, just completely unbothered by any pass rushers, the way that they were just walling him off.

27:28I mean, Zune, Zune has allowed three pressures, one hit and one sack on the season. You mentioned Chase Pesontis, the left guard five pressures, no sacks. Again, that's on the season. Uh, just absolutely silly numbers, even by college football standards. And yeah, it's, it's helping, it's helping everybody out. Uh, wide receiver Casey Concepcion is another guy that I think you got to mention. There's, there's a lot of talent on this A &M team, but I just feel like the offensive line is, is giving everybody a chance to show their stuff. I think you're exactly right. Um, now on defense, I think is where they've got some holes, but they also have a lot of talent.

28:09Torian York, the linebacker, to me, he's kind of the key to this defense. You watch him on tape and he feels like the extension of the coaching staff on the field. The football IQ, the communication skills, the play speed. He trusts what he sees and he goes. It's fun to watch when it's clicking. Now, he has safety size. I mean, he looks like a safety out there, even though he plays linebacker. That complicates the evaluation a little bit, but he's an easy player to like with just the way he plays, his smarts. And a guy we've talked about before, Cassius Howell, the pass rusher. And as a prospect, he's going to be really interesting because he's, to me, more of a DPR that designated pass rusher 6 '2", 250.

28:52But I love how much violence that he plays with. And there's just there's twitch in the way that he attacks, whether it's against the run or as a pass rusher. So, you know, that helps him get off blocks. It helps him avoid blocks. I have my doubts that he's going to be an NFL starter, but I want him in my rotation on the edge. A guy that you're going to bring him fresh off the bench and he's going to give you quality reps. And so that, you know, does he get drafted maybe early day three? Does he sneak into the top 100? Maybe. I don't know. But as a projection to the next level, I like him as a rotational player who I know I want as just those fresh legs coming off the bench and giving me quality reps.

29:34I heard from a scout this week that if Howell had like longer, more prototypical NFL style arms, we'd be talking about him like in the in the Reuben Bain sort of breath, which when you watch him play, not not just violence, dude, but a real chip on his shoulder. is probably the nice way to say it. Like he is a, he is a sassy player. He's going to let you know that he's kicking your ass. For reference. So he, for defensive ends, for pass rushers, you want at least, you would love over 34 inch arms, but you want at least 33. And maybe you can live with 32 and a half. He is under 31 inch arms. That that's an issue.

30:19That that's something that is, it works against him when you're, it's just physics, right? I mean, it's just, It's when you're going up against long levered blockers who can attack you before you can get to them. And in the NFL, those guys can control you. And so that's part of why I say I think he's a DPR. And but I don't think he's a a nothing versus a run because of that violence you're talking about. So, yeah, I because of some of the the way he's built, I think it'll be tough for him to be a starter, maybe even tough for him to go top 100. but somewhere on day three, he's a guy that I think teams will look at and say, yeah, we want him as part of our mix on the defensive line.

30:59If you've been listening to the show all season, he was the guy that had three sacks in a row against Bowling Green. And it was kind of, it felt like a novelty at the time. And you're like, okay, well how much does it mean if you get three sacks against Bowling Green? He has eight sacks on the season. He has five sacks in sec play. And three and another three sack game against Mississippi state. So at the very least, he is producing consistently and impressively against stepped up competition. So David Bailey, our guy from Texas Tech, is the only player from a power four team that has more sacks.

31:37And he's at eight and a half. So that's a good number to have in the SEC, no doubt. we've talked plenty about texas tech but david bailey by the way with another silly performance against kansas over the weekend just video game numbers it's uh i think it's fair to question some of the tackles he's going up against but you know what he can't help that you know he's he's going out there and beating the guy in front of him and uh you know he deserves he deserves all the first round love for what he's doing anybody else from a and m that we're forgetting about i know we've talked about will lee on this show before the cornerback yeah i mean will lee he he's stuck into my top 50 um as a guy that is i mean a and m they run so much zone and so um you know he i think he's a he's a player that is smart he's instinctive and i think he works well like that um you know our our the other corner there um uh des ricks he's he's super talented um i think it was the auburn tape where he kind of he really stood out and it's like okay this guy's a player with how how talented he is but then you know watching him get like the florida tape and they just they kept targeting him over and over again and the missed tackles were really an issue with ricks um you know i i don't need my corners to be outstanding tacklers but i need you to get them on the ground plain and simple you cannot miss tackle especially the way today's NFL game is how much, how much of the NFL game is played on the edges.

33:06I need you to be able to tackle. And so that's one area where, um, you know, Rick's needs to get better, but man, he's talented. So I think this, um, A and M secondary, they've, they've got some dudes that, that we'll be talking about, uh, as NFL players, not trying too hard to poke fun at my Aggie friends, but talking about Indiana A &M is a program that hasn't always thrived in the spotlight and so I think this is a huge opportunity for this team their next three games you mentioned them Arkansas LSU Missouri not only is that a fairly formidable slate but they're all road games and Arkansas is in Fayetteville by the way they're not playing that at Jerry World the way that they often have so a true road game I'm curious to see how they handle it.

33:58And it will say, like I said, it'll say a lot to me if they can handle the spotlight of being a top five team and undefeated this late into the year and keep it rolling. But they, they look good enough to do it, which hasn't always been the case. Right. So it's SEC is tough to go through. It's just a gauntlet. Right. And so, but they deserve their praise for what they've done here for the first six games. Let's keep it rolling. I just mentioned them. We'll just stay in the SEC. and they actually lost on Saturday, but similar to Indiana, Dane, I went into the Missouri Alabama game and in my head, I was like, okay, Missouri, you're, you're five and O that's very nice for you.

34:40We're all very proud, but Ty Simpson is playing great. And this is Alabama and Alabama seems to have shaken off whatever happened to them in week one. And, and to Bama's credit, they got the win late against the tigers, but Missouri absolutely looked like they belonged on the field in this loss to Alabama where they, I mean, they had a chance to win it. I hate to pick on Bo Pribula, but he had a guy wide open on that final drive on the, on the pass where he eventually threw the game ceiling interception. This very easily could have gone in Missouri's favor and we would definitely be talking about them, but halfway through the season, five and one much better than we've come to expect from Missouri.

35:27Who do you want to highlight as to why that might be the case? I know where I would start, but what do you think? I mean, he's not draft eligible, but Ahmad Hardy, the true sophomore running back. I mean, he's, I was so disappointed when I looked him up a few weeks ago and found out that he's not eligible. I was like, damn it. Yeah, I know. He's, he's so much fun. The contact balance, how strong he runs. My gosh, he's, he's fun. He arguably the best running back in the country. It just in terms of production and what he does. So, yeah, he's a lot of fun. And no matter what, he's going to give you he's going to give Missouri a chance to win every single week because of what he brings in the ground game.

36:05I would start with the defensive line. Where where where were you going to start? I'm curious. That's exactly where I was going to start, because if you flick on this game, you just watch these guys wreaking havoc on Alabama's defensive line. They were, I mean, and I think we've brought up Zion young a few times on this show. But Damon Wilson also really caught my eye. And so I went, you know, I did some digging after, after I watched this game back and I was like, ah, Missouri has three defensive lines that had draftable grades during the summer. Like good draftable grades, by the way, heading into the season.

36:46And I'm not surprised that that's the case between Zion Young, Damon Wilson and Chris McClellan. Yeah. And what? At least two of them are transfers, right? Because, yeah, Damon Wilson, Georgia, McClellan, Florida, I believe. And Zion Young, he made my top 50 preseason, top 50 snuck in there. And a lot of it's based off a lot of it was based on potential and upside. because this is a guy that's 6 '5", 255 pounds, super long arms, and I think sometimes we can get obsessed with the length and how much it matters. Against Alabama, you saw how much that length mattered, whether it was poking the ball out for the forced fumble, which if his arms are an inch shorter, he's not getting to it.

37:31Some of the plays where blockers are just not able to control him because of the way he can out-lever and out-leverage the point of attack. And sometimes it works against him because he's a little bit taller and he needs to be a little more natural with his knee bend to get underneath guys. But with that length, it helps make up for some of the leverage concerns with him. But the way that those guys are playing, the constant pressure they're putting on the pocket, on the quarterback, they play just as well rushing the passer as they do stopping the run as well. That defensive line as a whole is just a lot of fun to watch.

38:10And they've done a really nice job. You can tell it was a point of emphasis. Let's build up this defensive line and make sure that, you know, it's going to be a strength for our team. Bama's right tackle. All due respect to him, had a rough time with these guys. I was curious for your thoughts on how Caden Proctor held up. Proctor, man, he's he's a struggle, right? But it's just like every week is something a little bit new with what he's he's on the ground too much. It's there are some plays that you're like, all right, yeah, we're going in the right direction. The timing's a little bit better.

38:52But then he'll have a few plays where it's just like, oh, man, what are you doing? Like it's the hands and the feet aren't on the same page. He gets out leveraged way too easily. he's not getting the proper depth with in some of his past protection. I thought overall Missouri was better than some of what he did earlier in the year, but as a whole, it's just not what you want to see from a guy we thought could be a top 10 pick. I don't know. What did, what did you see when you watched them? I mean, there was the one rep that stands out to me. I think it was Zion young just like took him for not like took him for a ride and like dumped him behind the quarterback.

39:32And I think Ty Simpson got out of it and checked out, which, oh yeah, by the way, Ty Simpson, I think he's my favorite quarterback playing college football this year. I don't, I'm not trying to stack anybody or make projections, but Ty Simpson, the light bulb is on and stays on. I am very impressed with this guy, but yeah, Caden Proctor, I thought it was up and down. It wasn't, it certainly wasn't bad enough to stop Ty Simpson from doing what he needed to do. But I think you said it best, dude. On Saturday, I messaged you about Ty Simpson and you said Mac Young with better mobility. Mac Jones, yeah.

40:14Mac Young, Jesus. Mac Jones, yeah, with better mobility. I liked that a lot because his athleticism, his mobility is a weapon. He has it. Like he like he's not some statue back there on top of his processing and the throws that he's capable of making. I think the world of the guy. Yeah, it's and when you dig into his background, you're like, oh, his dad is a 20 year head coach at the FCS level. Hmm. OK, that that little bit of that rubbed off on him. You can tell he, you know, grew up around the game with the way that he carries himself, the way he plays. and oh yeah okay he starting at three years old he was in a college football locker room and on the practice field and so he got his football education you know right there on the practice field at a division one program so that I think speaks a lot to the way he grew up I mean it's Jim Harbaugh gave him his first scholarship when he was in the eighth grade this is a guy who has been uh people have liked for a long time it's just that it's just so rare nowadays that a guy graduates college before he gets his first start at the college level like that just doesn't happen uh but it just he waited his time behind Bryce Young and then two years of Jalen Milrow and since you know it's tough with a guy that has literally a handful of starts like how excited you get we've kind of gone through this with Dante Moore at Oregon we're going through this right now with Ty Simpson it's like man what he's doing out there is really impressive it's all repeatable it's all very consistent you can understand his play his decision making why he's doing this why he's doing that um and you know he will use the entire field he'll get to he'll find that backside dig he will he will find the open receiver he had a couple plays in this game uh on the Missouri tape that were just like okay yeah that's that might be his best throw of what he's done all year so I'm with you I'm a big fan of Ty Simpson you know figuring out exactly where he falls in the pecking order of these quarterbacks is a different discussion just in terms of all right what's his ceiling at the next level and you know does he even come out after this year like he's an older guy and so I could absolutely understand if he does but you know he'll have 13 14 whatever it starts to his name and that's not ideal for going to be an NFL pro but um yeah it's uh we at least have to bring up Ty Simpson because each week uh he is doing something that makes you sit up in your seat and say all right this guy is for real we don't have to stack anybody it's not even Halloween yet we can simply say Ty Ty Simpson is uh pretty off to a pretty exciting start to his career and what that might mean for his draft stock.

43:10Anyway, the point being, go watch Missouri's defensive line. They play Auburn this weekend, which not a good record, but some good offensive linemen on that team. That'll be fun to watch. Let's wrap this up with another exciting team in Ohio, Dane. It's not Ohio State, but the Cincinnati Bearcats off to a five and one start playing some good football as of late. To quote our buddy, Robert Mays, they have my attention. What can you tell me about them? and I was pretty excited for them coming into the year knowing some of the some of the talent that they had um but they looked just awful in the opener when they lost in Nebraska and so it was like okay well maybe this just it's not coming together all right well after that it is they've played really well and they're getting better and better each week um Brennan Sorsby the quarterback is a fun player that we're not talking enough about um you know he's a junior and he might not be in this in this class i'd love to see him go back get better um just be a little more consistent with his mechanics and some of his timing and his accuracy uh but if you take his 10 best highlight throws from this year you're gonna say sign me up and just i mean he he is a fun player he's big and he moves well he's a really good athlete for that size and he he has javelin shots all over his tape so brandon soresby is a name to know um joy joy joe royar one of my top tight ends we talked about him last week a little bit um on line on defense jay golday a linebacker that i'm super excited about 6-4 240 can run can blitz can drop can cover um and then dante corleone uh you know the godfather one of the best nicknames in uh college football so he's he's a cincinnati guy through and through had chances to leave he's yeah he's not going anywhere he's a cincinnati guy hopefully the bangles draft him that'd be a lot of fun he's a he's more of your short squatty run unplugger, not very rangy, but he'll hold the point of attack.

45:01And so, uh, you know, there's definitely a need around the league for those types of guys. Stop me if you've heard this before, but a big 12 team playing good football that doesn't have too daunting of a schedule up in front of them. But I can't wait to see how the big 12 shakes out with all the weirdness that's still to come in league play there. Utah is a good team. I mean, obviously Texas tech, they're top 10, they're undefeated. Like, you know, we've, we've talked a lot about Texas Tech and what they're doing. I mean, Arizona State's one of those teams that is going to play spoiler down the stretch for these teams.

45:36And we're going to look up in November. They're going to be right in the mix. So yeah, it's going to be the Big 12 for as, I don't want to call them mediocre, but all these teams are a little more on the same level. And so we'll see if Texas Tech can actually follow through or if a team like Cincinnati might take the lead. It'll be it'll be a fun college football storyline to watch the rest of the way. Few new teams, plenty of new prospects for you to keep your eye on moving forward. We're going to take our final break. When we come back and talk about the biggest news of the college football week and how that affects the 2026 draft cycle.

46:14I'm going to talk some Penn State.

46:18All right, Dane, I alluded to it just now. Penn State was undefeated playing for the top of the rankings, all of the prestige imaginable just a few weeks ago. And now James Franklin is out of a job. The Nittany Lions fall from preseason number two to out of the polls and looking for a new coach. One of the one of the wildest stories I can remember in college football in recent memory. Obviously, from the standpoint of like who Penn State might hire and all that good stuff like that doesn't pertain to us. But I do. I want to have a conversation with you about what this means for a Penn State roster that as disappointing as the Nittany Lions might be is still chock full of NFL talent.

47:06And I do think this is a really interesting storyline to watch how those guys respond to one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory and kind of digging out of that and understanding that you still have a job to do if you're trying to get drafted into the NFL and what that might look like. what a tightrope i mean if in double overtime game against oregon if oregon doesn't get that touchdown i mean penn state wins that game and who knows what the last two weeks looked like against ucla northwestern um just yeah it just it's crazy uh but whenever we have a mid-season high profile firing like this i'm always a little more interested in the prospects on that team because I want to see, OK, who shuts it down, who goes into cruise control and has one foot out the door.

47:57And then who really digs in and focuses on keeping the team together and saying, I still have a chance to put good things on tape. And that that's something that will matter through my draft process. So Penn State's a great example for this. You know, if you want to talk about coaching candidates and all that, that's a different podcast. listen to Bruce and Stu and those guys. But we're going to talk about the prospects. And I think for Drew Shelton, left tackle, he's a great example for this, right? I love the size and speed. 6 '5", 305, outstanding foot quickness. The athletic ability is outstanding.

48:35Still just 21 years old. He's a young player, but inconsistent physicality, especially in the run game. That's where it really shows up. And he just struggles to counter power. And if you can't do that in the Big Ten, good luck doing it in the NFL. So in terms of talent, Drew Shelton is a clear first round talent, but the tape isn't close to first round. So I'm very eager to see the second half of the year. What does that look like in terms of his development? Can he turn it on, flip the switch? Because if he can, he'll probably end up going high. But if he can't, I don't he'll be a tough guy to really put your stamp of approval on any evaluation process.

49:15And I think there's a few guys like this. Nick Singleton at running back has not been a great year for him. Zane Durant, defensive tackle, has flashed. He's had his moments, but consistency is not there. Same thing with AJ Harris at corner. These are all top 100 type of players. Zaki Wheatley at safety, same type of thing. So all guys we thought would be at worst day two players. And so very eager to see how they respond in a program shifting week. And I'm the biggest guy, Drew Aller, right, who is going to say the elephant in the room is that Drew Aller won't be part of it. Unfortunately, he would have been on that list, too.

49:54As guys, I can't wait to see the second half of the year just to see how things change. But, yeah, his college career is now over, which is a bummer for for him and bummer for his evaluation. Had an ankle injury. Sounds like it's pretty serious. the first month of the year did not go according to plan what they what he wanted to do and what Penn State was hoping to see what scouts were hoping to see and now he doesn't have the second half of the year to iron out some of those issues and show improvements and guys get better guys improve and we really could have seen that from Drew Aller the second half of this year but now we don't have that opportunity and it really puts his draft projection in limbo because and we don't know all the details yet about the ankle and surgery and you know we just don't know when he'll be back and healthy but this puts his ability to play in an all-star game uh that puts that in in limbo can he work out at the combine who knows you know we don't know how long this is going to take i still think allure is going to be drafted probably on day two uh but the pre-draft process is is key if he's going to be drafted say early day two you know the the will Levis, the Tyler Shuck range where 33 to 40, or are we talking about he's going to be a mid to late third round kind of dice roll where a team, you know, we see the talent.

51:16We don't really feel great that he's going to turn in anything, but we'll take that chance. And so I think Drew Aller, his, his draft projections really up in the air right now is, you know, first and foremost, he needs to get healthy, but then teams need to figure out, okay, where is he in his development? And then how much better can he be? Or is what he put on tape, is that just kind of who he is? And the upside is maybe not as high as we were hoping for over the summer. It speaks to just how talented the guy is that like day two is still a possibility based on what we saw this season. But I mean, the flashes, we don't have to relitigate this whole thing, but the flashes are that enticing that assuming everything checks out with the ankle.

52:00That makes perfect sense to me. And even if I haven't been a big believer and wasn't a big believer coming into the Oregon game and the meat of their schedule, I really hate it for him. Because if he's healthy, Penn State has had the potential to be such an intriguing team. I mean, they play Ohio State and Indiana like soon. and as disappointing as they've been, what an opportunity that could be to sort of rewrite the script and just take everybody by surprise. That is still on the table, I suppose, but it's easier to imagine if Drew Aller is part of it. And I hate it for him that this will be his final impression going into the draft process.

52:46Yeah, it's a bummer. And he's a guy that we have to remember has not been playing quarterback for a long. He didn't become a full-time quarterback until high school. like he is still learning on the job and figuring things out and so that's why I thought the second half of this year was going to be such a big part of the evaluation process for him just to better understand him as a quarterback um and yeah like you said with with some of those big games still on the schedule um just as a as a measuring stick to see how he would do against that Ohio State defense that is just nasty and I'm biting my tongue so I don't talk about Ravel Reese again but uh i i kind of want to uh but and then indiana as well so yeah it's a it is a bummer all around but at the same time it's still an opportunity for guys like drew shelton and those other guys we talked about to kind of make a statement even though the season is uh for all intents and purposes um over for them i will brag for you dan don't worry you were on arvel reese in late august and early September.

53:46So if you listen to this show, you're like, yeah, I I've known about Arvel Reese. I feel like good. I, I feel like the national spotlight has finally caught up to Arvel Reese. Whereas here on building the beast, he's old news. Like we know he's the man already. And that's, that's courtesy of you, my friend. It's funny. Cause if you read my preseason top 50 and before the season started, I had a line in there, but Arvel Reese, cause I credit to a scout that said hey he's not in here but he will be by the end of the year so he saw it coming and uh after the texas game yeah you could tell right away this guy's different it's a matter of and i took i took some heat for saying he's gonna be drafted ahead of caleb william or caleb downs but i i'm holding true to that because the what uh arville reese is putting on tape is guys that go top five top seven um he he's gonna go he is nasty the the length the strength the speed the versatility he gives you it's just it's it's really unique and so I'm I hope he keeps it up the rest of the year because the talent is out of this world and it really makes that Ohio State defense a lot of fun to watch it's my favorite subplot of the season is uh Dane just not never wrong just early as Arvel Reese ascends into superstardom all right before we get out of here we can do it quickly but another, another very enticing looking week in college football.

55:10If you're trying to have your eye on some prospects, shout out the Friday night game gets us started a little bit early. Louisville, Miami. We've talked plenty about Ruben Bain. Another opportunity for Carson Beck, your guy, Chris bell, the wide receiver on Louisville, plenty of reason to tune into this. If you're not busy on Friday night. Yeah. And Louisville feels like one of the few teams left on Miami schedule that could maybe pull an upset. But ACC, they have three teams in the top 25 right now. Miami, obviously, and then Georgia Tech and Virginia, neither of which is on the hurricane schedule this year.

55:43So, you know, Louisville, they've you know, we know they have a high or a passing attack that will at least put up points in yards. And Chris Bell is a big reason for that. I think it's going to be a hard time keeping up with Miami at the end of the day, but they'll at least hopefully we'll keep it close for three quarters. This is a great spot to mention. You know, we, we highlighted the LSU South Carolina matchup heading into last week. And for both Garrett Nussmeyer and Lenora Sellers, I just, I just came out of it in the same spot, really, where like Sellers displayed all of the athleticism that, that you would want to see and just was nothing doing against that LSU defense.

56:31I gotta, I gotta pull up the stat. Hang on. I saw this. I saw this on Tuesday morning. Yeah. Cold, uh, Cole Kubelik who had the sideline for the LSU South Carolina game. Shout out to him for this. Well, Norris sellers ran 19 times for 22 yards against LSU. His total distance traveled in the game was 894 yards. Like LSU, that's a real set him on the run that, that, that, that according to Cole and And according to team works that like they, and I believe it, if you watch the game, I completely believe it. So nothing doing for Lenora sellers against LSU and Garrett Nussmeyer, very much more of the same, in my opinion.

57:13So big opportunities for both, for both of those guys. Again, sellers gets Oklahoma this weekend and Nuss gets a surprisingly good Vanderbilt team on the road. So one more opportunity for one of these guys to, uh to make a bigger statement than they did against each other i was a little more optimistic after watching um nussmeyer and lsu um i nussmeyer looked healthier which is a good sign first and foremost he did look better throwing the football that is that is fair he had two just horrible one was the it was the interceptions one was a horrible decision um in the red zone the other one was just an overthrow that turned into an interception um but you know and those unfortunately I think are going to be part of Nussmeier's game that's who he is going to be and so that's where and that's part of the Tony Romo comparison is you know Tony Romo's a guy that he had 18 19 interceptions you know in the NFL in a season like that's just he will he will throw it to the other team because he's so eager to go make a play and gives his guys a chance and sometimes that will backfire I just think that's who Nussmeier is but he's another guy that again has a second half of this year to put good stuff on film and, you know, really convince teams that, Hey, I can be a starter at the next level.

58:30Sellers, he had trouble. And it's more of a supporting cast than I think anything with him, but he really had trouble seeing the field against LSU because he was feeling pressure after a second and a half. And so going up against Oklahoma, which Oklahoma is the number one ranked defense in the FBS is not going to get the easier um the pass protection is tough i just hope the game cocks come with a better more answers whether it's boots and movement with the pocket just you have to lean into that athleticism to give him time to go make plays if you're just trying to win in the drop back game it's not going to work with the pass protection your team's giving you usc notre dame definitely a game worth highlighting we've talked makai lemon just continues to be a badass.

59:19And obviously we know about the talent on Notre Dame. That is definitely something worth turning into on Saturday night. And another big matchup weekend in the SEC elsewhere, Tennessee, Bama and Georgia Ole Miss, which I guess Ole Miss probably qualifies for a team that has exceeded expectations a little bit. I just I didn't know what else to say about them after barely escaping Washington, Washington State on Saturday morning. But a huge opportunity for them. And I mean, if they if they put their best foot forward against Georgia, I'm going to be asking you what else is going on with Ole Miss besides just the fun story of Trinidad Chambliss.

1:00:02Who is playing well, man. I mean, I still don't know that he's going to get drafted, but it's all of a sudden more of a conversation than what we would even have guessed coming into the year. So, yeah, credit to you. You wanted to talk about him quicker than I ever did. I mean, I'm going to I'm going to put that feather in my cap for sure. Well deserved. I'm eager for this one to see how that Ole Miss offense does against this Georgia defense, specifically C.J. Allen. He was everywhere on the Auburn tape. I mean, whether it was dropping into coverage, working downhill, the range sideline, the sideline.

1:00:40He reminded the tape reminds me so much of Roquan Smith when he was at Georgia. And I don't want to put that on Allen necessarily. But I still think this is a first round pick playing at linebacker. And it speaks to this linebacker class is just it's it's crazy. I mean, when we did my top three last week, it was Arville Reese, CJ Allen and then Sonny Styles. And but we couldn't stop there. We had to talk about the LSU guys. We had to talk. I mean, there's a lot of linebackers in this class that are really fun. And Allen's near the top of that list. USC Notre Dame is going to be fun for I want to see the USC receivers against the Notre Dame corners.

1:01:15Leonard Moore is one of the best defensive players in the country for Notre Dame. He's a sophomore, so we're not talking a lot about him because he's not draft eligible just yet. But Christian Gray is a good player. Mikai Lemon, he lines up primarily in the slot. Two thirds of his snaps will come in the slot. And so what does Notre Dame do to do they move their corners around? Do they still play their traditional nickel defense? But I'm eager to see that we I mean, I can't say enough good things about Lemon and what he does out there. And I want to mention Jaden Maiava, USC quarterback, who we're probably not talking enough about.

1:01:51And you think about all the quarterback prospects or recruits that Lincoln Riley has had a lot of five stars, a lot of high recruited guys. is Maiava was a three-star guy. He was like the thousandth best recruit coming out in 2022. Had that one productive year at UNLV, transfers to USC last year, pretty inconsistent. There wasn't a lot of hype coming for him coming into the year based on what he did last season for the Trojans. But the way he's playing this year, it's been really fun to see Riley develop him. And aside from one really bad decision against Michigan that turned into an interception, he played a pretty clean game.

1:02:29And so I think the run game with what the USC is doing with their running backs with, I mean, it was a walk on that did it against Michigan. So they're deep there. It's they're going to South Bend. It's that's a not an easy place to go play. But I think this should be with the way USC can score points. This should be an interesting game. There was a stat a week or two ago about how like six of Lincoln Riley's quarterbacks are starting in the NFL right now. So we should absolutely be paying attention to Jaden Maiava. That is, that is a great call. Looking forward to that one. Looking forward to another weekend of college football.

1:03:07Thank you again, Dane. Thank you. Thank you to y 'all for listening and rest assured on the other side of it. We'll be back talking prospects until then. Talk to y 'all soon.

1:03:27Thank you.