National Football League

2017 NFL Draft Prospects Who Must Step Up in Week 9

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:11 p.m. ET

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Oct 24, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya (15) warms up before a game against Clemson Tigers at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

It’s Week 9 of the college football season, which means this is the final set of games before the first College Football Playoff poll is released. The selection committee will be paying attention to the overall performance of each program, while NFL scouts will be focusing on the individuals eligible for the 2017 NFL Draft.

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Just like any other week, there are certain matchups that are especially appealing to talent evaluators as they provide a specific test to the individual prospect. Whether the player will be locked in an intriguing one-on-one matchup, or facing a difficult opponent, Week 9 will help the NFL complete certain aspects of a prospect’s evaluation.

That’s the case for the following prospects who are in need of strong performances this weekend. The seven players will be the focal point for scouts on Saturday as they attempt to boost their 2017 NFL Draft stock.

Nov 7, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) passes the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Brad Kaaya (QB – Miami) vs. DeShone Kizer (QB – Notre Dame)

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If both prospects declare for the 2017 NFL Draft, Brad Kaaya of Miami and DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame are expected to be two of the first four quarterbacks off the board next April. This Saturday in South Bend, Indiana, the two go head-to-head in a rematch of the classic “Catholics versus Convicts” game.

Neither QB has to declare for the 2017 NFL Draft, as Kaaya is a junior and Kizer only a redshirt sophomore. In reality however, it will be difficult for either one to pass on turning pro after this season, especially if they receive first-round grades as expected.

While Kizer currently holds the edge over Kaaya on the big board, this game could go a long way in propelling Kaaya back on top. It will be difficult for either to surpass Clemson’s Deshaun Watson or hold off North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, however both Kizer and Kaaya are on their way to being first-round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Nov 28, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei (93) lines up for a play during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah won 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Lowell Lotulelei (DT – Utah) vs. Washington

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Other than Alabama, the Washington defense has arguably more NFL talent than any other school. Fortunately for the Utes, their defense isn’t void of next-level prospects either. One of those Utah defenders who needs to come up big in this game is defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei.

The Utah defense boasts two potential first-round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, Lotulelei and free safety Marcus Williams. Williams missed the UCLA game last weekend and is doubtful against the Huskies. Utah leads the nation in takeaways, but with Williams out, the defensive line will be asked to step up and force QB Jake Browning into poor decisions. Lotulelei especially will be asked to collapse the pocket and prevent Browning from stepping up.

Lotulelei’s brother Star was the 14th overall pick of the Carolina Panthers back in 2013. That’s a number Lowell will be chasing and could close in on with a strong performance against the undefeated Huskies.

Sep 19, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman (21) runs the ball against the Georgia State Panthers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Royce Freeman (RB – Oregon) vs. Arizona State

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10 yards on 15 carries. That was the production the Ducks got out of Royce Freeman in last week’s loss to California in double overtime. Despite leading the team in carries, Freeman was out-gained by three teammates on the ground. To make matters worse, Freeman goes from facing Cal (ranked 126th against the run) last week to Arizona State (seventh against the run) this week.

Freeman is a projected day-two pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, however his stock has been on the decline for much of the season. After being held to under 100 yards twice all of last season, he’s already fallen short of 100 yards four times in six games this year. As a receiver, he’s gone from adequate to non-existent.

Vision and decision-making, two skills which were graded as poor against the Golden Bears, must significantly improve if Oregon is going to put an end to their five-game skid.

The Ducks are currently 2-5 with five games remaining. Only one of the five opponents left on the schedule (Oregon State) has a losing record. If Oregon is going to win the required six games in order to earn a bowl invitation, they have to pull off a few upsets. If that’s going to happen against the Sun Devils, Royce Freeman must come up big.

Nov 28, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Malik McDowell (4) scores a on an interception return during the second half of a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Malik McDowell (DL – Michigan State) vs. Michigan

It took a miracle like this for Michigan State to beat Michigan last season.

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It’s going to take an even bigger miracle this season as Jim Harbaugh and company will have revenge on their minds.

The one player on the Spartans who can prevent the Wolverines from scoring 50-plus points is defensive lineman Malik McDowell. The Michigan offensive line did a very good job of taking McDowell out of the game last year and clearly frustrated the future first-round pick. McDowell finished the game with just three tackles and was hit with a damaging personal foul penalty on special teams that gave Michigan the field position they needed to take a two-possession lead in the fourth quarter.

McDowell needs to step up not only to help lock-in an early first-round pick, but to help the Spartans get back into contention for a bowl bid. A loss to Michigan would drop Michigan State to 2-6 and force them to win out. With Ohio State and a road trip to Penn State still on the schedule, that would be a near impossible task.

Sep 5, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Travis Rudolph (15) works out prior to the game at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Travis Rudolph (WR – Florida State) vs. Clemson

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There will be a number of NFL prospects on both sides of the ball in this matchup, however the one to watch for is Florida State wide receiver Travis Rudolph. Rudolph is coming off a career-best 13-catch, 238-yard performance against Wake Forest and will look to carry over some of that momentum when the Seminoles host Clemson this Saturday night.

Rudolph has been the team’s most reliable wide receiver this season and has become the favorite target of freshman quarterback Deondre Francois. Clemson is the slight favorite in this game, but someone like Rudolph coming up big could swing the game in Florida State’s favor.

With Mackensie Alexander and Cordrea Tankersley at cornerback, the passing game was limited for the Seminoles in last year’s matchup. Rudolph however was able to catch six passes for 86 yards. No one else on the Florida State roster caught more than three passes or gained more than 27 yards through the air.

The passing game will likely struggle again this time around, but Rudolph is the one player Clemson struggled to cover. If he can provide a similar challenge this season, Florida State will keep this game close.

Nov 29, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Tigers wide receiver Keiwone Malone (7) catches a touchdown pass while being defended by Connecticut Huskies cornerback Jamar Summers (21) during the game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Jamar Summers (CB – Connecticut) vs. East Carolina

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Where is Jamar Summers? That’s the biggest question when watching a few of Connecticut’s previous games this season. He entered his junior campaign as a potential second-day pick and the next Byron Jones, however his stock has been sliding all season.

Summers picked off eight passes last season, but has just one to date this season. It’s not as if opposing quarterbacks are avoiding him either. He was targeted early and often in a few games this season and has not lived up to the hype. Whether he was covering Linell Bonner and Chance Allen of Houston, or Amba Etta-Tawo of Syracuse, Summers was picked on excessively.

This weekend, Summers will be lining up across from Zay Jones of East Carolina. Jones leads the FBS with 95 receptions already this season. He’ll look to add to his total against Summers in what will be one of the best one-on-one matchups of the weekend. It’s going to take a Herculean effort by Summers for the rest of the season to boost his stock back into the day-two conversation. It all starts against Jones and the Pirates.