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Another Saturday on the college football schedule and another shakeup at the top of the rankings, as Oregon held off second-ranked Ohio State by a score of 32-31 and will now be ranked second nationally.
Starting Friday evening, there were several outstanding performances from next-level prospects graded as late-round or even free-agent picks.
This week, I will focus on prospects considered average athletes yet terrific football players. Here are the risers and sliders for Week 7.
2025 NFL Draft stock: Risers after Week 7 of college football
#1 Tyler Warren (TE/Penn State)
It was a record-breaking day for Tyler Warren, who is in the midst of a career season. The senior made a Penn State record of 17 receptions for 224 yards with one TD during the Nittany Lions’ overtime victory against USC.
That’s 40 receptions in six games for Warren, who caught 34 passes all last season. Despite knowing quarterback Drew Allar would target Warren, the USC defense could not stop him. Yet Warren is more than just a pass-catching tight end, as he's a terrific blocker on the line of scrimmage.
He’s not the fastest tight end in the world, nor is he a downfield threat, but he’s a three-down player at the position.
He’s similar to Drew Sample of the Cincinnati Bengals, a second-round pick in 2016, and like Sample, Warren won’t impress at the combine; rather, he will be selected early in the draft for his polished football skills.
#2 Cam Skattebo (RB/Arizona State)
After years of being the doormat in the state of Arizona, the Sun Devils moved to 5-1 after upsetting Utah on Friday. The offense has put up 30 points in all but a single game this season, and the unit is being powered by Skattebo.
The big back has rushed for 773 yards with eight TDs this season, including 158 yards on 22 carries against the very tough Utah defense. More than just a one-dimensional player, Skattebo also has 19 receptions for 250 yards to his credit this year and is very effective blocking when called upon.
His playing style is similar to Carson Steele, the undrafted free agent vying for playing time with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He’s a powerful ball carrier with an explosive style, and though he’s not someone who’ll time well in the 40, Skattebo has terrific playing speed. Unlike Steele, I would expect Skattebo to land in the late rounds.
#3 Kyle Kennard (Edge/South Carolina)
Kennard did not receive a draftable grade entering the season, yet he’s raising eyebrows in the scouting community based upon his outstanding season.
He turned in another terrific performance during the Gamecocks’ two-point loss to Alabama, finishing the game with seven tackles, three TFLs and two sacks.
In six games, Kennard has been one of the best pass rushers in the nation with 7.5 sacks as well as 11.5 TFLs. And while he’s a terrific football player, Kennard is an average athlete with poor size/speed numbers.
He has linebacker size at 6-foot-4.5 and 250 pounds and defensive lineman speed with an estimated 4.85 seconds in the 40. Those numbers will push him deep into the draft, yet Kennard has the necessary skills to line up as a pass-rush specialist on Sundays.
#4 Jay Higgins (ILB/Iowa)
The Hawkeyes have had one of the best defenses in the nation the past two years, and Higgins has been the leader of the unit.
After amassing a team-leading 171 tackles as well as five PBUs last year, Higgins is once again tops on the Iowa defense this season with 62 tackles after six games.
He is a tough and instinctive run defender who quickly locates the ball handler then sells out to make the tackle.
Measuring just over six feet tall and barely 230 pounds, with a 40 time that hovers around 4.8 seconds, Higgins is another that’s more football player than athlete.
As a result, he’ll end up in the very late stages of the draft, but he offers value as a two-down run defender who can play special teams.
Sleeper Prospects in 2025 NFL Draft class
#1 Mike Green (Edge/Marshall)
In one of the wildest games of the weekend, Georgia Southern scored 21 fourth-quarter points to come from behind and defeat Marshall, taking over first place in the Sun Belt Conference.
Yet the Thundering Herd has a rising star in redshirt sophomore Mike Green, who did all he could to stop the Eagles comeback. Green finished the game with three tackles, two TFLs and a sack, bringing his season totals to 10.5 TFLs and eight sacks after six games.
Three of those sacks occurred in games against Virginia Tech and Ohio State. Green burst onto the scene last year and was a pass-rushing terror at Marshall.
He’s a well-built defender with the athleticism necessary to bend the edge upfield or make plays in space. Green presently has a third-round grade on my board and is building a buzz for himself in the scouting community.
Small-school Prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft Class
#1 Lan Larison (RB/UC Davis)
The interstate rivalry between UC Davis and Cal-Poly turned out to be no contest, as the UC Davis Aggies won by a final score of 56-10.
And it was another game in which Larison further established himself as not only one of the better small-school backs in the nation but also a top third-down back for the next level.
He finished the game with 76 yards on 13 carries and two TDs while adding five receptions for 90 yards and another score. His totals this season include 639 yards and six TDs on 142 carries and 34 receptions for 449 yards and five TDs through the air.
Larison is a natural ball carrier with great vision and the ability to create yardage. He’s also a playmaker, catching the ball out of the backfield, catching 80 passes the previous three seasons.
I have a sixth-round grade on Larison, who would benefit from a good showing in the months leading up to the draft.
2025 NFL Draft stock: Week 7 Sliders
#1 John Pius (Edge/Wisconsin)
Pius was a pass-rushing terror at small-school William and Mary, finishing with 40.5 TFLs and 24.5 sacks during his three seasons with the Tribe.
After transferring to Wisconsin, scouts expected to see much the same and graded him as a Day 3 prospect. Thus far, Pius has played more like a street free agent. In six games this season, he’s totaled seven tackles and just a half-sack.
He’s an athletic defender with the ability to stand over tackle, but the lack of production is worrisome and could push Pius out of the draft unless he quickly turns it around.
