College Football

Can Illinois' game-wrecker stop Drew Allar? Here's who can wow NFL scouts in Week 3

Published Sep. 13, 2023 7:27 a.m. ET

Watch Week 3 of the college football season like a professional scout with this handy viewing guide.

At first glance, it might seem that Week 3 of the 2023 college football season lacks the eye-popping matchups that made the last two Saturdays so compelling. After all, even with some key conference clashes scheduled, there isn't a single game in which both teams are ranked.

But from a scouting perspective, Week 3 might just offer the most tantalizing slate of games yet in this young season. There are several one-on-one matchups between future NFL draft picks that could determine whether their respective teams win or lose this week.

And perhaps best of all, these player personnel showdowns come at a variety of positions. So whether your favorite NFL team is on the lookout for a new young quarterback, offensive tackle, pass rusher or cornerback, Week 3 offers a glimpse into the future for virtually everyone.

And on the heels of Texas' big win in Tuscaloosa last week, those looking for games with possible playoff implications won't have to wait long.

The action kicks off early with No. 7 Penn State hoping to exact some revenge on Illinois — a squad that stunned the Nittany Lions (that also was rated seventh at the time) in a historic nine-overtime win two years ago in Happy Valley.

Penn State at Illinois (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

True sophomore quarterback Drew Allar was leading Medina High School in Ohio to an undefeated regular season when Penn State was clipped by the visiting Illini in the first nine-OT game in NCAA history, so he, personally, may not feel the same need for revenge that many of his teammates certainly do. But, if he is to lead Penn State to a possible College Football Playoff berth — as many have forecasted — a perfect regular season gets its first real challenge this Saturday in Champagne.

RJ Young previews best Week 3 games: Can Illinois upset Penn State?

Given that Illinois lost a week ago to Kansas (and needed a last-second field goal to beat Toledo in Week 1), some might overlook this game as a potential hiccup for the uber-talented Nittany Lions.

Illinois boasts a game-wrecker in defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton, however, who could single-handedly disrupt Penn State's lofty plans.

On a team full of draft picks last year, the 6-foot-2, 295-pounder collected a team-high 14 tackles for loss and tied for the national lead with 19 quarterback hits, earning nearly consensus All-American honors. This season he already has two sacks in as many games, setting himself up to obliterate the 5.5 QB takedowns he had as a true sophomore.

Newton has a stubby, powerful frame, and he's both quick upfield and quite agile. For such a young player, he uses his hands quite well to push and pull would-be blockers aside, ripping through them in a relentless pursuit of the ball. He is a classic penetrator in the mold of eight-year NFL veteran Javon Hargrave, who collected a career-high 11 sacks a season ago for the Philadelphia Eagles and signed a four-year, $84 million dollar contract with the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason.

While speed rushers on the edge are often listed as a quarterback's worst nightmare, the most direct line to them, of course, is the straight line from a defensive tackle lining up with his nose on the ball. Bret Bielema and his staff wisely move Newton all over the defensive formation, where he may prove quite a hindrance to the young Allar, who is making just the third start of his career and first outside of Happy Valley.

Allar has been every bit as good as advertised, thus far. The prototypically-built 6-foot-5, 242-pounder has completed 78.2% of his passes and between this season and spot duty last year, he has tossed eight touchdowns without throwing an interception. He has ideal arm strength, flicking the ball 30-plus yards with just a flick of his wrist, and unlike most long-limbed quarterbacks, Allar has an efficient setup and delivery. Not eligible for the NFL until 2025 at the earliest, Allar still has plenty of fine-tuning to do before the scouts will really focus on him, but he certainly looks like a future star.

San Diego State at Oregon State (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1)

The FOX cameras will certainly be locked on Allar and Newton in the previously mentioned contest, but only those willing to take their eyes off the ball — like scouts — will have a true appreciation for the two very talented and frankly, overlooked, offensive tackles "squaring" off when the Aztecs invade Corvallis on Saturday.

San Diego State has a long history of churning out burly blockers, and in 6-foot-6, 310-pound senior Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, they have their next one. The long-armed Crenshaw-Dickson has good initial quickness off the snap and attacks defenders with a powerful punch and leg drive. He's surprisingly agile, forcing pass rushers to run a wide arc to beat him on the outside but can get caught leaning and leave the gate open for counters.

While scouts like his raw talent and versatility (he's started at both left and right tackle), Crenshaw-Dickson needs to play well. He was suspended for SDSU's first two games of the season due to an undisclosed violation of team rules and was a bit rusty at right tackle against UCLA last week.

The Beavers, meanwhile, boast their own Earth-mover in junior Taliese Fuaga, who is even more massive than his counterpart at 6-foot-6 and nearly 340 pounds.

Fuaga earned second team All-Pac-12 honors from both the AP and league coaches a year ago and for good reason, as he has not yet been charged with allowing a sack in 29 games for Oregon State.

He is shockingly quick off the snap for such a large man, routinely beating the rest of his linemates off the ball (a rarity for a right tackle). He plays with very good knee bend for a big man, allowing him to anchor effectively, and yet also possesses the balance to shuffle laterally to remain squarely in front of defenders. Perhaps most exciting about him, however, is the raw power Fuaga provides. He generates consistent movement at the point of attack, giving the Beavers offense some bite.

South Carolina at Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET)

If there is going to be a team able to knock off the two-time defending champion Georgia Bulldogs, they are probably going to feature a quarterback with a gunslinger mentality, like South Carolina's Spencer Rattler.

You may recall that Rattler initially signed with Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma as the most celebrated prep quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class. He threw for 28 touchdowns and just seven interceptions a year later, earning Co-Newcomer of the Year in the Big 12 and All-American accolades before struggling in 2020 and ultimately being overtaken by Caleb Williams, who, of course, has since followed Riley to USC.

Rattler went to his own USC in 2022, guiding the Gamecocks to an 8-5 record while scoring 22 touchdowns (18 passing, three rushing, and one receiving) with 12 interceptions. He is the kind of passer who knows he can squeeze the ball into tight spaces and isn't afraid to do it. That kind of "cocky" persona can spark a fire with teammates and certainly will intrigue scouts, but to do so in Athens, Rattler will need help up front. He was sacked nine times in USC's season-opening loss to North Carolina.

While there are plenty of defenders for Georgia we could highlight here, the best player on the team is tight end Brock Bowers, who I've maintained for quite some time is the best player at that position I've ever seen at the college level.

Of course, it remains to be seen how well Bowers' success at Georgia translates to the NFL. But he's proven a dominant force in the SEC, totaling 20 touchdown receptions over his first two years. He is a rare weapon in the passing game, reminding me of a young George Kittle, showing a blend of acceleration, body control, and sticky hands that, barring injury, will ultimately make him a first-round selection.

Western Kentucky at Ohio State (4 p.m. ET on FOX)

Just like how the aforementioned Georgia Bulldogs would be wise to take Rattler and visiting South Carolina seriously, the Ohio State Buckeyes better keep their eyes on the horizon as the Hilltoppers' Austin Reed is an intriguing prospect in his own right.

Reed was a dominant player at the D-II level, leading West Florida to a national championship in 2019. He took over for Bailey Zappe at WKU a year ago as a graduate transfer and simply led the nation in passing with an eye-popping 4,744 yards and 40 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. He also won the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year award, as well as MVP of the Hilltoppers' 55-36 win over South Alabama in the New Orleans Bowl.

Like his predecessor Zappe (who led college football in passing in 2022 and is now a member of the New England Patriots), Reed does not boast the howitzer for an arm scouts would prefer. What he lacks in pure RPMs, however, Reed makes up for with field vision, anticipation and very good accuracy, including when throwing deep. He consistently throws receivers open, leading them away from the defense with his pillow-soft touch.

Of course, nothing Reed has seen to this point in his career can quite prepare him for the speed and talent he'll face Saturday against Ohio State. As is often the case, the Buckeyes feature legitimate NFL prospects at virtually every position, and their secondary is among the most gifted in the country.

Perhaps the best of the bunch is junior cornerback Denzel Burke, whom Reed would be wise to avoid completely. That is the strategy most opponents have taken so far this season, which is why Burke has registered just a single tackle through two games. He has two pass breakups, however, and intercepted a pass last week in Ohio State's win over Youngstown State.

Burke has started all 26 games in which he's played for the Buckeyes. He earned Freshman All-American honors in 2021 by leading Ohio State with 13 pass breakups, but struggled a bit with consistency a year ago, dropping to just five PBUs and allowing too many plays to, frankly, inferior competition.

Burke is listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds and shows impressive pure athleticism for this size, changing directions quickly and accelerating smoothly. Scouts love "twitchy" athletes, and Burke certainly possesses that, showing an exciting closing burst as the ball arrives. He gets his hands on the football often, and with a little more focus and ball skills, he has the talent to warrant early-round consideration.

Ohio State names Kyle McCord starting QB: How good are Buckeyes?

Tennessee at Florida (7 p.m. ET)

Though he also is a transfer, Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III is about as different as a signal-caller as one can get from WKU's aforementioned Reed.

Blessed with prototypical size (6-foot-5, 235 pounds), a rocket for an arm, and terrific athleticism, Milton is one of the more intriguing breakout quarterback prospects in the entire country.

For as gifted as he is, however, Milton will be starting just the 13th game of his college career. What makes that unusual is that this is his sixth season of college football. He will turn 24 in March.

Milton began his college career at Michigan, where he started five games in 2020 before opting to transfer to Tennessee. There, he actually beat out his roommate, Hendon Hooker, for the starting job, before losing the role due to an injury suffered in the second game in 2021. Milton then took over for Hooker when the latter tore his ACL late last season. So far this season, he's completed a career-high 66.7% of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions for the No. 9 Volunteers (Coaches' Poll), with another three scores on the ground.

The Gators are a fascinating matchup for Milton and the visiting Volunteers for many reasons. First, this is Milton's first start in his home state of Florida, and The Swamp can be as formidable as any venue for an opposing quarterback. Also, there are some interesting similarities between Milton and former Florida wunderkind Anthony Richardson. Not only does each possess rare traits for the position, but they also lack experience. The Indianapolis Colts gambled on Richardson's upside with the fourth overall pick this past spring despite him, too, having started just 13 games over his college career.

Like with any relatively inexperienced starting quarterback, scouts are eager to see how Milton handles the pressure — both internal and the pass rush — that The Swamp provides. While a road loss at Utah to start the season stung, Billy Napier can quiet critics with an upset, and he has the royal pass rusher to do so in fourth-year junior Princely Umanmielen. Umanmielen has the burst to disrupt any rival passer and is coming off of a breakout season of his own in 2022, setting career-highs in tackles (39), tackles for loss (9.5), sacks (4.5) and forced fumbles (two) a year ago.

Like the quarterback he will be chasing in this game, however, Umanmielen has thus far shown more flash than finish. He has terrific initial quickness to challenge the edge, and the 6-foot-5, 255-pounder can convert speed to power as an effective bull rusher, as well. However, he needs to incorporate more variety in his approach.

TCU at Houston (8 p.m. ET on FOX)

They say "everything is bigger in Texas" and that may very well be the case in this key Big 12 clash, where scouts' eyes will be directed to the offensive line, regardless of which team has the ball.

Lost amid the hype revolving around future first-round wide receiver Quentin Johnston and quarterback Max Duggan (among others) a year ago, was a talented TCU offensive line. It was a surprise to some when TCU guard Steve Avila was selected 36th overall by the Los Angeles Rams last spring, despite a stellar showing at the Senior Bowl. History could repeat itself this year with 6-foot-6, 320-pound Brandon Coleman taking over at left guard and turning heads, both literally and figuratively.

Cut from a similar cloth as his former teammate, Avila, Coleman is massive, mauling and mean. He's surprisingly quick for his thick frame and latches onto opponents with strong mitts and impressive leg drive. Also like Avila — who the Rams feel can play any of the three interior spots for them — Coleman is versatile, having started at left tackle all 15 games a year ago and previously at right guard.

Meanwhile, his counterpart in Houston, fellow senior Patrick Paul, is a terrific pass blocker. He's only surrendered four sacks in 24 career games at Houston — all at left tackle — since joining the team as a three-star recruit. He moves very well for a 6-foot-7, 315-pounder, playing on the balls of his feet and showing good knee bend, lateral agility and balance. He also has NFL bloodlines with his older brother, Chris Paul, a 2022 draft pick by the Washington Commanders, after also playing on the offensive line, but for Tulsa.

Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on Twitter @RobRang.