Tag: Missouri football

2025 Senior Bowl: Five prospects I’m most excited about watching

2025 Senior Bowl: Five prospects I’m most excited about watching this week in Mobile

One of the best weeks of the year is finally here with the 2025 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama! For me, this is my 7th season covering the event and it’s always such a surreal experience. From the talent on the field to bumping elbows with key personnel members of each NFL team, it’s always humbling.

As we move onto draft season, the Senior Bowl is the first step for the off-season. The players at this event get their first crack at trying to impress NFL decision makers. If there’s any struggles or concerns with a specific player, teams will adjust their draft boards accordingly. The same goes for the players that make a strong impression.

Now that my draft board is starting to take shape, here’s five prospects that I’m most excited about here in Mobile for the 2025 Senior Bowl!

Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin Jr 

Not enough people are talking about Fannin as one of the better prospects in this draft or even at his position. Now, I’m not discrediting Colston Loveland from Michigan or Tyler Warren from Penn State but Fannin should be in the same category as both of them for the top tight end in this draft.

As for the talent at the Senior Bowl, Fannin is near the top for best players here. His production is off the charts with 117 receptions for over 1500 yards and 10 touchdowns. In addition to that, he’s only got a 2.2% drop rate and was asked to do a variety of things in the Falcons offense such as blocking, catching, passing and he even has 33 carries for five touchdowns in his career.

Teams will love his ability to threaten defenses vertically. Going up the seam, getting open and running after the catch is a great perk to his game. When running routes, he consistently dips his shoulders to avoid contact from defenders and it helps keep him clean as he looks to change direction in and out of his breaks. During the draft, he’ll only be 20 years old, so teams should be jumping at the chance to mold him into the next great tight end. Look for him to have a strong week in Mobile.

Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart

The Aggies have three defensive linemen at the Senior Bowl, and two of them have the first name Shemar. I’ll talk about one here and the other in a separate article. For starters, we’ve got to talk about Shemar Stewart. He’s listed at 6’6″ and 285 pounds and he screams first round talent.

Stewart has a nice blend of speed and power to his game but there’s an arsenal of moves that he uses and it’s very impressive. For example, you’ll find him take a post step and create separation with his inside arm but while maintaining that separation, he can counter inside or outside on the opposition.

 

The lack of production will be concerning — only 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in three seasons. However, teams will be chomping at the bit to try and develop his rare physical traits into something that is elite. Stewart will be labeled as one of the better prospects in Mobile, and he’s got a chance to solidify his status as a first-round pick.

USC RB Woody Marks 

There’s a lot of love for running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft and you can add USC running back Woody Marks to that list. Potentially, he’s one of the most underrated players in Mobile and in the entire draft. Highly productive during his 57 games played and five year collegiate career, we saw Marks really take off for USC this season.

After four seasons at Mississippi State, Marks transferred to the Trojans and saw his first season with over 1000 rushing yards. Most importantly, his production as a pass catcher didn’t decline. This season, he had 47 receptions for 321 yards.

 

Overall, Marks will be primarily viewed as a pass catcher. After all, he’s recorded 261 receptions for over 1500 yards in his career. But don’t let that fool you, he’s got good vision and burst to make defenders regret poor angles when he attempting to tackle him. In high school, he was on the track and field team and his PR for the 100-meter dash was 11.16 seconds as a junior. On his scouting report, I wrote down “open field nightmare” so we’ll see if he proves me right this week at the Senior Bowl.

Missouri OT Armand Membou

Just off studying some of the tape of each offensive lineman at the Senior Bowl, it appears that Armand Membou from Missouri is the best one in Mobile. It felt like he may go “under the radar” some with the love for other offensive tackles in this class, but that’s starting to change quickly. Through some of the limited measurements recorded so far for players at the Senior Bowl, Membou checked in at 6036, 332 and 3400 arms.

 

Membou was a 13-game starter at right tackle for Missouri this season. He’s got a thick frame with a strong lower half. He’s consistently square with his base in the run and also the pass game. For a player of his size, he moves well laterally when zone blocking. That lateral movement helps him reach block effectively but it also helps him follow or stay attached to a guard with his drag hand when blocking in zone.

There were times on tape that his foot speed would get tested against line stunts and blitzes. Additionally, his hand placement can hit wide in pass protection. Seeing how those aspects of his game improve throughout the week will be important.

Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas

During the draft process last year, I loved what I saw from Renardo Green at Florida State. Compared to the consensus, Green ranked relatively high for me and it’s trending in that same direction for his college teammate, Azareye’h Thomas.

https://x.com/RussNFLDraft/status/1883933450450919471

The Florida State corner is listed at 6’2″ and 198 pounds and really looks the part on the perimeter. He’s at his best when playing press-man and he ONLY gave up 94 total yards this season.

Playing with tremendous body control and fluidity, Thomas just always seems to be in the right place at the right time. His arm length is a bonus for how he can break up passes but jamming and redirecting receivers is what he does best. Teams searching for a boundary corner will be intrigued with Thomas’ skill set, and if all goes right, they should go from being intrigued to in love after the Senior Bowl.

Georgia LB, top player in transfer portal, commits to Missouri

Georgia transfer pass rusher commits to Missouri football. UGA has lost eight key edge rushers and defensive linemen to the portal and draft

Georgia Bulldogs sophomore pass rusher Damon Wilson has committed to the Missouri Tigers over the Ohio State Buckeyes. Wilson was the top-ranked available player in the transfer portal, per 247Sports.

Wilson was projected to be Georgia’s top pass rusher in 2025. Following Wilson’s departure, Georgia is losing seven of its top eight edge rushers and defensive linemen.

Who exactly is Georgia losing?
Linebacker Jalon Walker, defensive end Mykel Williams, defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse, defensive tackle Warren Brinson, edge rusher Chaz Chambliss, and defensive end Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins all declared for the 2025 NFL draft. UGA additionally lost Damon Wilson and defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett to the transfer portal.

Wilson joins former Georgia pass rusher Darris Smith at Missouri. Smith missed the 2024 season after suffering a knee injury.

Wilson is coming off a career-best season and his departure is a brutal loss for UGA. In 2024, Wilson recorded 22 tackles, three sacks, and forced two fumbles.

Georgia’s loss is Missouri’s gain. The Tigers are finished with a 10-3 record, but missed out on the College Football Playoff and did not win many big games.

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Georgia’s pass rush will look completely different in 2025. The Bulldogs are likely to dip in the transfer portal for an edge rusher and/or a defensive lineman to help with depth. Yes, UGA signed a pair of five-stars in defensive end Elijah Griffin and outside linebacker Isaiah Gibson, but Georgia can’t expect them to replace to production of the six rotation edge rushers and defensive linemen that entered the NFL draft.

Georgia LB, No. 5 player in transfer portal visits with SEC rival

Georgia transfer outside linebacker visiting Missouri football

Georgia Bulldogs sophomore pass rusher Damon Wilson is the top-ranked available player in the transfer portal according to 247Sports.Wilson recently visited the Missouri Tigers.

Wilson could join former Georgia edge rusher Darris Smith at Missouri. Smith missed the 2024 season after suffering a knee injury.

The talented linebacker is coming off a career-best season. Georgia has had a number of elite front seven players enter the 2025 NFL draft, so Wilson’s likely departure is a tough loss for UGA.

Wilson is projected to commit to the Ohio State Buckeyes, per On3. The former five-star recruit saw significant playing time in 2024 behind Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker (who are both headed to the NFL). In 2024, Wilson recorded 22 tackles, three sacks, and forced two fumbles.

Georgia’s pass rush will look far different in 2025. The Bulldogs are likely to dip in the transfer portal for an edge rusher and/or a defensive lineman. Yes, UGA signed a pair of five-stars, defensive end Elijah Griffin and outside linebacker Isaiah Gibson, but Georgia is losing seven rotation edge rushers or defensive linemen to the NFL draft.

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Fourteen Georgia Bulldogs, including quarterback Carson Beck, have entered the transfer portal since it opened in early December.

Get to know an explosive WR the Browns are constantly linked to in mock draft

Browns fans might want to familiarize themselves with Missouri WR Luther Burden III

The Cleveland Browns and Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III tend to be a consistent pairing in mock drafts as the season winds down and we inch closer to the 2025 NFL Draft.

That’s something to keep an eye on as the Browns have just three wide receivers under contract after this season with a minimum of 15 career catches to their name in 2025 (Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, David Bell). Sitting with a top 10 pick currently in the draft, a name like Burden III is firmly on the table.

Daft on Draft wrote a thorough breakdown of the Missouri wide receiver, what he does well, and how he translates to the NFL level. Speaking of his fit with the Browns specifically here, drafting the YAC-monster Burden would give the Browns relief in their run game as he is a playmaker who can stretch the field sideline-to-sideline as well.

Not only that, but Burden III is a lethal playmaker down the field and along the boundary with elite body control as well. So what did Daft on Draft have to say about the potential of Burden? Browns fans might want to pay attention to this one:

“Watch how Burden III is used at Missouri, watch his explosiveness, play strength, and fluidity, and imagine more for him at the NFL level. That is a superstar-caliber playmaker who possesses lightning in a bottle every time he touches the football.”

You can find Daft on Draft’s full breakdown of Burden III, including film room clips, in the link above.

Wisconsin football listed as team to watch for top transfer portal quarterback

Wisconsin football listed as team to watch for top transfer portal quarterback

Wisconsin football has emerged as a potential landing spot for Texas A&M transfer portal quarterback Connor Weigman.

Weigman announced his plans to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Since that decision, Wisconsin Syracuse, Louisville, Iowa and Missouri have emerged as potential landing spots for the former five-star recruit.

As a sophomore with the Aggies, Weigman completed 64-of-114 passes for 819 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in six games.

Weigman also endured his fair share of ups and downs throughout his 2024 campaign. Following a bumpy first performance against Notre Dame, he responded with a solid performance in a win over McNeese State. An injury to his AC joint in his throwing shoulder sidelined him until Week 6 against Missouri — a game in which he led the Aggies to a 41-10 blowout win.

From there, he played just three more games of the season. He finished with a 37-yard, one-interception performance vs. New Mexico State before redshirt freshman Marcel Reed took control of the job.

Still, the highly-touted recruit has flashed his brilliance. As a freshman in 2022, Weigman made the first start of his career against Ole Miss and set a school record with 338 passing yards. His 896-yard, eight-touchdown season-long output earned him 2022 ESPN Freshman All-American nods, and it appeared as if he was on a trajectory to be Texas A&M’s pass-thrower for the long haul.

Plus, 247Sports’ composite listed Weigman as No. 22 overall recruit in the 2022 class and the nation’s No. 2 quarterback. The potential is there.

Now, the Texas native is in the portal. Given Wisconsin starting quarterback Braedyn Locke’s late-season struggles and uncertainly revolving around Tyler Van Dyke’s ACL recovery, Weigman’s link to the Badgers makes sense.

The Badges are also set to roster a batch young quarterback talents including Mabrey Mettauer, Carter Smith and Landyn Locke, who may not be ready to take over the quarterback responsibility. The Badgers have acquired their last two starting pass-throwers — Tanner Mordecai and Van Dyke — in the portal. Weigman would fit that same mold.

Electric playmaker named ‘stellar fit’ for Browns in NFL draft

Is Luther Burden III the Browns’ ideal fit in the 2025 NFL draft?

Even with a game today on primetime television, the Cleveland Browns likely have one eye on the 2025 NFL draft and potentially Missouri standout wide receiver Luther Burden III.

Despite a down season, sitting at just 61 catches, 800 total yards, and eight touchdowns, Burden III is one of the premier talents in all of college football and in all of the NFL draft. He entered the season with a ton of hype, racking up 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023 before fighting through subpar quarterback play all season.

And where Burden III is projected to be drafted, his scheme fit, and the positional need in Cleveland may just make him the perfect match that checks every box by the time April rolls around. Daft on Draft, an NFL draft site, thinks so at least.

Luther Burden III deemed “stellar fit” for Browns in 2025 NFL draft

Daft on Draft tabbed Burden III as one of eight “stellar fits” between NFL teams and 2025 NFL draft prospects as we trek toward the pre-draft process. Here is what Daft on Draft had to say on the fit between the Browns and the Missouri standout wide receiver:

“The Cleveland Browns have sought ways to create explosive plays, and they have mostly come with Deshaun Watson not on the field. Wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman have become legitimate threats down the field, but what they are missing is a player who can become an extension of their run game.

Elijah Moore is not that player, and he is a free agent at the end of the season. Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III is that player. Not only is he Deebo-like with the football in his hands and hard to bring to the ground, but his ability to win down the field and along the boundary elevates his game even more.”

Why Burden III to the Browns makes sense

It’s no secret the Browns have been trying to push the ball toward the boundary with Moore and other playmakers offensively to no avail. It’s also no secret that they have limited weapons, namely just tight end David Njoku, who can create after the catch.

Burden III solves both of those issues.

While Burden III plays predominantly in the slot, over 80 percent of his snaps there, this projection comes down to whether or not the Browns think he can play on the outside at Z as well. Given his film, that answer is a resounding yes.

The body control, level of physicality, and explosive juice that Burden III possesses when working down the field and along the boundary makes it known that he can also win outside if asked to do so at the NFL level. Fitting into a room with Cedric Tillman and Jerry Jeudy, Burden III fits like a puzzle piece.

With Tillman playing the prototypical X receiver, Burden III gives Jeudy and the Browns the freedom to line up in the slot or at Z with him doing the opposite to create mismatches and advantages for both players.

Sitting at 3-8 and with a need at wide receiver, could the Browns and Burden III be a match made in heaven when the NFL draft rolls around?

Browns land Deebo Samuel-like WR in new mock draft

Missouri’s Luther Burden III is a threat to hit the home run every time he touches the football

As the Cleveland Browns moved down to six spots in the 2025 NFL draft order and out of range for a new quarterback in a weak class of gunslingers, they instead took Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III in a new mock draft.

With Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders coming off the board to the Tennessee Titans with the No. 2 pick in Daft on Draft’s new mock draft, the Browns have to look elsewhere for a quarterback of the future. In a weak offensive tackle class, LSU’s Will Campbell was off the board as well.

This left the Browns to take Burden III. With Elijah Moore set for free agency this offseason, the Browns must look for a playmaker who can create fireworks every time he has the ball in his hands. Burden III is that playmaker.

Hard to bring down in the open field, Burden III is coming off of a season with 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns. He is experiencing a down year this season as the Tigers have gone through bouts of instability at the wide receiver position, sitting with just 450 yards and four touchdowns through eight games.

Burden III is not just a YAC threat underneath either, as he proves capable of running route to every level of the field from both Z and slot looks. With Moore set for free agency, a wide receiver room of the ascending Cedric Tillman, Jerry Jeudy, and now Burden III is quite the appealing option.

Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz seemingly screamed expletives at Alabama’s defense after a bad hit on Brady Cook

Eli Drinkwitz was livid after this hit on injured QB Brady Cook.

Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz was heated on Saturday during the Tigers’ road game against Alabama on Saturday, and not in a good way.

The No. 21 Tigers went to Tuscaloosa and got shut out by No. 15 Alabama in a 34-0 loss, and they played with quarterback Brady Cook, who was injured in last week’s comeback win against Auburn. Cook was reportedly extremely limited in practice this week because of a sprained ankle and was considered doubtful to take on the Crimson Tide.

But he was out there anyway Saturday — even if he maybe shouldn’t have been — and got fairly beat up while sharing time with backup passer Drew Pyne.

And after a hard hit on Cook early in the game, cameras captured Drinkwitz seemingly yelling expletives toward the Alabama defense on the field, as AL.com reported:

Alabama’s LT Overton was called for a personal foul for hitting on Missouri quarterback Brady Cook on a third-and-12 play on the Missouri 17. There was confusion on the play, however, as Cook appeared to believe the play was dead, but no whistle could be heard.

Drinkwitz looked livid on the sidelines after this, and that’s when he appeared to yell, “[Expletive] you!” multiple times.

If Drinkwitz was with Cook in believing the play was dead, he’s right to be angry. Any unnecessarily rough and violent plays are not OK. But maybe the injured quarterback — who later left the game with an apparent hand injury — shouldn’t have been out there in the first place.

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Who does Nick Saban, College GameDay crew think will win Alabama-Missouri game?

Who does Nick Saban predict to win Alabama-Missouri and other Top 25 games in Week 9?

Nick Saban and the full College GameDay crew believe the Alabama Crimson Tide will win their Week 9 SEC matchup against the Missouri Tigers Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Saban and the GameDay crew made their predictions for Alabama-Missouri and other Top 25 games live from Bloomington, Ind., where the No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers (7-0) are hosting the Washington Huskies in a Big Ten showdown.

During his prediction, Saban also offered a word of encouragement for Kalen DeBoer.

“I think Alabama’s bouncing back. I think Kalen has taken the right approach with the TNT, ‘Takes No Talent.’ Get all those things fixed that really are just discipline type things (and) that can make Alabama a really good team.”

Lee Corso and celebrity guest picker Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies agreed with Saban and favored Alabama to win, as did Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee.

RELATED: Staff predictions for Week 9 matchup between Alabama and Missouri

Saban’s full Week 9 SEC, Top 25 college football picks

In other SEC action, Saban picked No. 7 LSU to win Saturday’s prime time showdown against No. 14 Texas A&M at Kyle Field, and No. 6 Texas to win at Vanderbilt.

In other Top 25 action, Saban picked No. 11 Notre Dame to defeat No. 24 Navy and No. 1 Oregon to beat No. 20 Illinois. Saban also picked No. 3 Penn State to get past Wisconsin.

As for Indiana vs. Washington, Saban said it was “hard to go against the spirit” of the fans in Bloomington before picking the Hoosiers.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama news and notes, plus opinions.

Is Alabama football playing with ‘anxiety’ again? Nick Saban suggests so

Nick Saban used the dreaded ‘A’ word when discussing Alabama’s 2024 woes on College GameDay Saturday.

During his finals two seasons as Alabama football coach, Nick Saban often used the word “anxiety” when discussing how his team performed.

Saban, now a regular part of ESPN’s College GameDay each week, alluded to it again Saturday morning when discussing the 15th-ranked Crimson Tide’s struggles in 2024.

Alabama fell 24-17 to the Tennessee Volunteers last Saturday in Knoxville to drop to 5-2. They’ve struggled in each of the past three weeks, including a 40-35 loss at Vanderbilt and a nail-biting, last-second win over South Carolina on Oct. 12.

Per Saban:

“All these things that have been going wrong, they’re not talent-oriented. They’re mental errors of snap counts, all these different things. And I think the No. 1 thing Alabama has to do is not worry about winning; they have to worry about getting back to playing to a standard. I think if they play to a standard, with the talent they have, they’ll be able to come out on top.”

That’s when Saban used the dreaded “A” word again.

“There’s so much pressure at Alabama to win every game. Sometimes that affects the players. They get anxious, they’re worried about outcomes instead of focusing on what’s in front of them and playing one play at a time.”

Alabama hosts the 17th-ranked Missouri Tigers today at 2:30 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game can be seen on ABC.

RELATED: How to watch Alabama vs Missouri today: Time, TV channel for Week 9 game

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama news and notes, plus opinions.