Tag: michigan wolverines

3 scouting standouts from CFB Week 4 to know

Breaking down three 2025 NFL Draft prospects who played very well in CFB Week 4 and helped boost their scouting profiles

The college football weekend was more low-key than expected, with several top programs taking the week off and others cruising in noncompetitive matchups. But as is always the case, the draft eyes never sleep.

Here are three guys who boosted their 2025 NFL Draft status with impressive outings over the CFB Week 4 weekend.

Josaiah Stewart, EDGE Michigan

I was fortunate enough to be inside the Big House to see Stewart’s tour de force performance in Michigan’s win over USC. In a game with several impressive defensive efforts, Stewart definitely deserves special recognition.

Stewart abused the Trojans offensive line with a bevy of power-to-speed moves, showing excellent burst off the block and quick feet to close ground on USC QB Miller Moss in a hurry. I was surprised postgame to find the 240-pound stand-up rusher only got credited with four QB hits; it felt like Stewart was in the backfield on every pass play.

He uses his shoulders and strong hands very adeptly, showing improvement week by week. The body control Stewart showed in not overshooting the point of attack despite screaming around the edge was definitely impressive.

The Senior Bowl also took notice of Stewart:

 

Terrence Spence, CB, James Madison

James Madison hung 70 on North Carolina in one of the weirdest games of the college season. The Dukes offense was a hot knife through Tar Heel butter all night, but a JMU defensive player stood out the most in terms of elevating a draft profile: CB Terrence Spence.

Spence, a transfer from FCS-level Holy Cross, was only on the prior radar due to his uncanny knack for blocking kicks (he has 6 in his career) on special teams. The 6-foot-1 corner added another blocked punt in this one, which was ultimately returned for a touchdown. Spence also got on the scoreboard himself by returning one of his two INTs on the night for a touchdown.

https://twitter.com/Pavel6813/status/1837568878525685824

Spence had his moments on Holy Cross film (which I watched for WR Jalen Coker in the 2024 draft), but he had some tackling and grabbing issues. The fantastic night against North Carolina was very clean in those regards, aside from the big plays Spence pulled off. With his special teams prodigiousness, that could be a tiebreaker for a late-round flyer or UDFA invite for some NFL teams.

Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State

Jackson made his 2024 debut for the Buckeyes against Marshall after missing the first three games with an undisclosed injury. The big left guard looked better than ever in Ohio State’s 49-14 win.

Jackson is well-known in draft circles for his power and extremely long arms. In watching the tape, Jackson appears to have dialed in his punch placement from his All-Big Ten status from the last two seasons. His ability to create jolting power off the snap was already appealing, but now it looks even better. Marshall didn’t take a single rep from Jackson all game.

If he can continue to play anywhere close to the level he showed against the Thundering Herd, Jackson should be a top-40 overall pick based on talent and upside. He answered any questions about a possible injury-related regression or rust to his game.

Oregon Ducks drop a spot in US LBM Coaches poll after bye

Oregon enjoyed a bye week and watched some others play around the country as they switched places with Tennessee in the US LBM coaches poll.

One had a bye and the other had an impressive road victory in the SEC.

After Tennessee’s 25-15 win at Oklahoma to move to 4-0, the Volunteers took over the No. 6 spot in the US LBM Coaches poll. The Ducks sit at No. 7 after a bye week and now they prepare to get back into action with a road game at UCLA.

It’s also Oregon’s first-ever Big Ten Conference tilt.

Michigan is making the biggest poll jump this week as the defending champions rebounded with a 27-24 win over USC. As for the Trojans, the disappointing loss in the Big House dropped them to No. 16, down four spots.

It was a fairly quiet day in the world of college football as there weren’t many upsets.

BYU did however upset the former No. 13 team Kansas State Wildcats, as the Cougars dumped the Cats 38-9. For their efforts, the Cougars moved into the poll for the first time this season and went to 4-0.

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Georgia Bulldogs 3-0 1,350 (35)
2 Texas Longhorns 4-0 1,324 (18)
3 Ohio State Buckeyes 3-0 1,279 (2)
4 Alabama Crimson Tide 3-0 1,185
5 Ole Miss Rebels 4-0 1,145
6 Tennessee Volunteers 4-0 1,094
7 Oregon Ducks 3-0 1,016
8 Penn State Nittany Lions 3-0 967
9 Miami Hurricanes 4-0 912
10 Utah Utes 4-0 904
11 Missouri Tigers 4-0 887
12 Michigan Wolverines 3-1 692
13 LSU Tigers 3-1 632
14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 3-1 553
15 Clemson Tigers 2-1 542
16 USC Trojans 2-1 520
17 Louisville Cardinals 3-0 509
18 Oklahoma Sooners 3-1 404
19 Iowa State Cyclones 3-0 386
20 Oklahoma State Cowboys 3-1 326
21 Illinois Fighting Illini 4-0 307
22 BYU Cougars 4-0 167
23 UNLV Rebels 3-0 124
24 Texas A&M Aggies 3-1 119
25 Kansas State Wildcats 3-1 116

Schools Dropped Out

No. 22 Nebraska; No. 23 Memphis

Others Receiving Votes

Washington State 94; Indiana 67; Pittsburgh 50; Boise State 42; UCF 35; Iowa 34; Arizona 16; Boston College 15; Duke 14; James Madison 13; Nebraska 7; Washington 6; Rutgers 5; Colorado 5; SMU 4; South Carolina 2; Navy 2; Liberty 2; Arkansas 2;

Best images from Big Ten football Week 4 action

A look at all the Big Ten football action in Week 4.

Week 4 of Big Ten football is over, so now is the perfect time to relive some of the best moments captured in photos. Two teams solidified their top 25 cases, and another, the Michigan Wolverines, played their best game of the season.

The conference as a whole went 8-7 including head-to-head conference games, by far their worst overall weekly record. It’s not a bad stat because there were four conference matchups, so ignore the weekly win-loss record going forward.

Iowa, Rutgers, Maryland, and Indiana all landed big wins. The Hawkeyes ran away from the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the second half, Maryland topped the Villanova Wildcats, Rutgers got the upset road win at Virginia Tech, and Indiana logged their third consecutive 40-plus point output on offense.

We also saw UCLA continue their up-and-down season, USC falter, and Purdue and Northwestern forget they were playing a football game.

Before we move on to Week 5, the first week of strictly Big Ten conference play, let’s look back at Week 4.

Will Johnson’s playmaking panache on full display vs. USC

Michigan CB Will Johnson scored a huge play vs. USC that spared him from an otherwise underwhelming performance

Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is one of the consensus top 2025 NFL Draft prospects. The Wolverines corner showed the sizzle that makes him so appealing in Michigan’s win over USC in Ann Arbor on Saturday.

Johnson stepped in front of a quick Miller Moss pass to the short left and caught it on the dead run. He didn’t stop until he was in the end zone and had Michigan Stadium threatening record decibel levels.

https://twitter.com/BillyM_91/status/1837612959943516356

It was effectively the only positive play of the entire third quarter for Michigan, and the defensive score saved the day in the 27-24 win in the Big Ten debut for visiting USC. It also helped boost up Johnson and his draft profile despite what was an otherwise underwhelming game for the 6-foot-2 cornerback.

Being at the game, much of my focus when USC had the ball was on the Michigan secondary. Two things stood out about Johnson’s game:

–USC wasn’t afraid of throwing his way

–Johnson was an apathetic run defender

Moss and the Trojans were careful to only throw in front of Johnson, just as Fresno State and Arkansas State had done. Johnson plays off-man and some zone, and he cedes the shorter routes and (very frequent) comeback routes that teams target in front of him. USC threw four like that his way. All four got caught–but the last one was one that Johnson caught.

Johnson left the game with an apparent shoulder injury after getting truck-sticked by USC running back Quinten Joyner on the drive after the pick-six and did not return. That was Johnson’s third missed tackling opportunity of the afternoon, including an edge contain assignment where there wasn’t much apparent effort to get off a block and make a play. Postgame reports indicate that Johnson could have kept playing.

How scouts view Johnson’s game will depend on what they’re looking for in a corner. This wasn’t the first Michigan game I’ve attended where Johnson didn’t seem really engaged with his fellow DBs and preferred to let others make tackles in the run game when he could have been involved. However, his playmaking panache and closing burst to the ball are exceptional, something Johnson has proven time and again.

Social media reacts to Big Ten football Week 4 action

The Big Ten had a ton of must watch action in college football Week 4, and social media had plenty to say.

Some of the best college football played in Week 4 happened in the Big Ten. Two conference matchups involved four ranked teams, and some of the more intriguing non-conference battles included Big Ten schools as well.

The weekend started with a battle of quarterbacks in Lincoln, Nebraska as Cornhuskers QB Dylan Raiola and Illinois Fighting Illini’s QB Luke Altmeyer combined for 512 pass yards and seven passing touchdowns in Illinois’ 31-24 upset road win.

Each team won a half of play, but Nebraska’s missed pass touchdown and missed field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter led to their collapse.

The other thriller saw the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines stave off a second straight home loss to a ranked opponent, squeaking past the No. 11 USC Trojans, 27-24.

The Trojans scored 21 of their 24 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to slow down Michigan RB Kalel Mullings and the offense. Newly anointed Wolverines starting QB Alex Orji attempted 12 passes and threw for 32 yards.

A lot happened on Twitter/X during Big Ten football action. Here is some of the best.

The hollowed out husk of Deadspin managed to point out something to keep Michigan’s ego in check following their upset of USC.

Jokes aside, the Wolverines saved their season with this win. There was reason to celebrate.

Illinois won, but Nebraska reaching 400 consecutive home football game sellouts is awesome. Fans deserve some consistency.

Rutgers winning in Blacksburg leads the best of the rest from Twitter/X’s reactions to Big Ten play.

And the icing on the cake for the Big Ten nightcap.

Michigan goes for 32 passing yards in win over USC

Michigan’s passing game was inept against USC

Michigan gave ground and pound a new meaning in its victory over USC on Saturday at the Big House.

The Wolverines rushed for 290 yards on 46 attempts. That’s the good news from the Wolverines’ offense in the 27-24 win.

The bad news is the passing game. Michigan quarterback Alex Orji was 7-of-12 for 32 passing yards.

ESPN College Football determined it was the least passing yards for the Wolverines since a game in at least 1996.

Orji had more rushing yards — 43 — than passing yards.

Kalel Mullings’ 63-yard run sets up Michigan’s game-winning touchdown

Michigan edged USC on a late Kalen Mullings touchdown

Kalel Mullings had a 63-yard run to put Michigan in scoring position. It was fitting that the linebacker turned running back got the game-winning score on 10-play, 89-yard drive that gave the Wolverines a 27-24 victory over USC.

The game on Saturday at the Big House was USC’s first as a Big Ten school.

Mullings scored on a one-yard run with 37 seconds left for the decisive points.

First, the long run that saw him shake multiple defenders.

Mullings finished with 17 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Eight of his carries came on the final drive.

The Wolverines got a big play in the third quarter when Will Johnson took an interception of Miller Moss 42 yards to the house in the Big House.

]That gave Michigan a 20-10 lead.

USC came back with two9 touchdown passes from Moss to take the lead at 24-20 setting the stage for the late heroics.

The Wolverines need a touchdown late rather than a field goal to tie because USC had blocked an extra-point attempt by the Michigan after the Will Johnson pick-six.

USC’s Woody Marks ‘steals’ football after Michigan recovers Trojan fumble

Woody Marks of USC with a heady play after a Trojan turnover

A brilliant play turned a USC turnover into Trojan football in the quarter on Saturday at the Big House.

Quarterback Miller Moss fumbled the football and Kenneth Grant recovered it.

However, the 6-foot-3, 339-pound defensive lineman didn’t keep a firm grasp on the football and Trojan RB Woody Marks stole the ball back for USC.

3rd & Goal at MICH 6
(2:40 – 3rd) Miller Moss sacked for a loss of 3 yards to the MICH 9 Miller Moss fumbled, recovered by MICH Kenneth Grant , return for 18 yards fumbled, recovered by USC , return for 0 yards

The heady play led to a TD pass by Moss and USC trailed Michigan 20-17 as it entered the fourth quarter of its Big Ten debut.

Michigan CB Will Johnson gets a shot at prospect validation against USC

Michigan CB Will Johnson hasn’t played like the best CB in the 2025 NFL Draft yet in 2024, but Johnson gets a big proving stage against USC

Before we go any further, let’s get it out of the way: Will Johnson is still a very good player and one of the best cornerback prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, through the first three games of Michigan’s college season, Johnson’s play hasn’t matched the lofty preseason hype. The No. 1 overall player on some respected analyst boards entering the season, Johnson hasn’t flashed the dominance or shutdown coverage that comes as an expectation of such praise.

In three games, Johnson has allowed 12 receptions on 18 targets, surrendering 143 yards — including 38 after the catch. Teams haven’t shied away from Johnson, who was incredible in 2023 in allowing only 256 yards and 17 catches in 12 games for the national champion Wolverines. He’s been victimized by a lot of comeback routes and quicker outside throws that negate his length and outstanding closing burst in space.

This weekend, Johnson gets a prominent stage to prove he still belongs as a top-10 overall prospect when USC rolls into Ann Arbor for the first Big Ten meeting between the two schools.

USC will be a challenge because the Trojans don’t have a true No. 1 receiver. In fact, their leading receiver through two games is tight end Lake McRee. It’s not unusual for top-shelf cornerbacks to have some relative struggles when the opposing offense doesn’t have a go-to target or NFL-caliber adversary, and Johnson needs to guard against falling into that trap again.

Against Texas, the one passing offense Michigan played that has any NFL talent at receiver, Johnson played well. He allowed just one catch all afternoon and was quick to terminate it. However, Fresno State and Arkansas State both threw at Johnson without trepidation in their “throw to who’s open” passing schemes.

Johnson got the last laugh in the opener, returning Fresno State’s last pass his way for a long pick-six on a play where it looked like Johnson was the intended receiver.

USC quarterback Miller Moss has looked strong in his first two games as Caleb Williams’ successor. He’s a pocket passer with a good arm and a willingness to challenge down the field. That’s precisely the type of game where Johnson has excelled in the past, presenting No. 2 with a chance to prove he is still CB1 in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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3 Big Ten football teams on upset alert for Week 4

Three Big Ten teams on upset watch heading into Week 4 of the college football season.

The final week of Big Ten football that is widely non-conference games is actually here. Thankfully, that also means the end of widespread blowout spreads and potential disasters by top teams against small schools.

The scope has been narrowed. Which three teams are on upset alert ahead of unfiltered Big Ten conference play?

Nebraska Cornhuskers

vs Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday, September 20

Nebraska hosts Illinois in a battle of two teams trying to stay in the top 25. Both squads have notable wins with the Cornhuskers beating Colorado in Lincoln, and Illinois knocking off then No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks in a tight contest in Champaign.

Illinois’ secondary has taken a major step forward from 2023, but the rest of the defense has been exploited. Last week’s nine points allowed was welcomed, but that needs to happen against teams as good or better than them.

The Cornhusker defense has allowed 6.7 points per game through three contests. Can Illinois move the ball in unfavorable conditions?

The Illini are 7.5-point underdogs and traveling to a revived fanbase ready to show out in primetime.

Iowa Hawkeyes

at Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday, September 21

Being 2.5-point road favorites isn’t a bad way to open Big Ten play, unless you’re a Hawkeye fan still not over last year’s upset loss to Minnesota.

Iowa has added incentive to win because a second loss in four games would all but end their chance at the new 12-team College Football Playoff setup.

The Golden Gophers could clinch a third straight shutout if they keep all phases of Iowa out of the end zone.

USC Trojans

at Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, September 21

Listen, there is little to believe in when it comes to the Wolverines, but being a nearly one touchdown home underdog is intriguing. There is also the change at QB from Davis Warren to Alex Orji.

The new starter swag, plus Big Blue having talent littered on defense, puts the team from out west on upset alert. Lucky for the Trojans, this game is happening in Michigan in September and not November.