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Future Hogs – Week 11: A look at college football players who could help the Washington Commanders

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 26 Texas at Vanderbilt
Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The top four teams in the College Football Playoff rankings had very different outcomes in Week 11 of the college football season. Oregon and Ohio State both sailed to victory in their respective matchups against Maryland and Purdue. Georgia, however, was unable to get anything going offensively against Ole Miss and suffered a substantial loss in Mississippi. Undefeated Miami was upset for the second year in a row by Georgia Tech. The new top four in the College Playoff Rankings are Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, and Penn State. A few other notable games from last week include Alabama thumping LSU to keep their hopes of the College Football Playoff alive. Indiana survived a slugfest against Michigan to stay unbeaten. In the Holy War, BYU bested Utah to remain undefeated and on top of the Big 12.

Looking forward to Week 12, Georgia will look to rebound from their second loss of the season against Tennessee. Oregon will go into a hostile environment against Wisconsin but is expected to win. Ohio State will visit a Northwestern team that the Buckeyes should be able to beat. Penn State will take on a Purdue team that failed to score against Ohio State. BYU will try to stay undefeated against a Kansas team that is playing much better in recent weeks, while SMU will try to stay on top of the ACC by beating Boston College.

Below are just a few players who had a good week and might be able to improve the Commanders’ roster. Let me know what you think of these prospects and feel free to post players that stood out to you.

Riley Leonard, QB, Senior, Notre Dame

Last year, Riley Leonard showed a lot of promise as the leader of a Duke team that overachieved in the eyes of many. However, an injury ended his season early and Leonard transferred to Notre Dame. It hasn’t been smooth for the 6’4”, 216 lb QB, as he has struggled to push the ball downfield. He has improved throughout the season, but has yet put up big numbers in the passing game. Leonard is a deceptively good runner at the position with 13 rushing TDs and 67 rushing yards per game for the season. In a lopsided win over Florida State, he went 14 of 27 for 215 yards and a touchdown and added 11 rushes for 70 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Devin Neal, RB, Senior, Kansas

Just two weeks ago, Iowa State was undefeated. They now have two losses with the most recent coming against Kansas. Devin Neal played a large role in the victory. The Jayhawks’ all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns is 5’11”, 215 lbs and light on his feet. Where he excels is using his patience to find the right hole and exploding through it. Neal makes very quick cuts to elude tackles in space. While he isn’t the best at breaking tackles, he always seems to fall forward and get extra yardage. Neal helped put the Jayhawks on top of the Cyclones with 18 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

Tru Edwards, WR, Senior, Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech came up a little short in their game against Jacksonville State, but Tru Edwards did all he could to get his team the win. His blend of size at 6’3”, 201 lbs, speed, and athleticism makes him a versatile receiver. There are plays where he gets behind the defense and makes an acrobatic catch or, as in the clip below, takes a short pass the distance. I’d like to see a little bit more of his route running down the field, but it looks like he has the ability to be good in this area. Edwards had six catches, 142 yards, and two trips to the endzone.

Jaylin Conyers, TE, Senior, Texas Tech

Colorado came from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat Texas Tech. Despite the loss, Red Raiders’ tight end Jaylin Conyers had a solid outing. The 6’4”, 265 lb senior is a big target that does a great job of tracking the ball downfield and adjusting to it in the air. He has done a little bit of everything to help his team by throwing, catching, and running for a touchdown. In that regard, he’s a little similar to Penn State’s Tyler Warren but may not be as effective as a blocker. Conyers had three catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns.

Kelvin Banks, Jr., OT, Junior, Texas

Texas had no problems taking down Florida. A lot of people will focus on Quinn Ewers day passing, but it wouldn’t be possible without excellent blocking up front. That starts with Kelvin Banks, Jr., the Longhorns’ left tackle. He is 6’4”, 320 lbs and has a chance to be the first offensive tackle drafted. That’s because he has the size and athleticism teams desire at the position. Banks stays attached to his defender and has the strength needed to anchor to stop the rusher. His feet are light and quick enough to stay in front of defenders. His athleticism shows up when he gets out in space and leads the way in the run or screen game. Take a look at #78 below (plus, his teammate at right tackle, Cameron Williams, is pretty good.)

Jordan Burch, DE, Senior, Oregon

People who are 6’6”, 295 lbs should not be able to do the things that Jordan Burch can do. He uses his strength to overwhelm blockers as demonstrated by his bull rush and longarm rushes. He’s also incredibly quick, an attribute Oregon uses to success by lining Burch up over guards. While he doesn’t offer a lot of bend or the burst of a lighter player, he has a high motor that has made him a terror this year. Injury is a little bit of a concern as he missed a few games during this season and left this week’s game against Maryland with a leg injury. Before his exit, Burch had three tackles, a strip sack, a QB hurry, and two deflections.

Jihaad Campbell, LB, Junior, Alabama

Earlier this season, I featured Crimson Tide linebacker Deonte Lawson. His teammate Jihaad Campbell might be even better. Campbell is a big linebacker, standing 6’3” and weighing 244 lbs. At that size, he is a quick-twitch athlete who can cover down field, buzz to the flat, and blitz effectively. He’s a sure tackler and a powerful hitter. LSU struggled on offense largely because of him. Campbell totaled 12 tackles, three tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a hurry, and a PBU.

Trey Amos, CB, Senior, Ole Miss

The front four of Ole Miss is the strength of their defense, but Trey Amos is a talented cornerback for the Rebels. It is fun to watch him pass off his coverage assignments and confuse opposing QBs into making bad passes. At 6’1”, 190 lbs, he has great size for the position and long arms that he uses to get his hands on the ball. Amos has three interceptions and 14 passes defended for the season. In the win over Georgia, he had six tackles and a forced fumble.

Lathan Ransom, S, Senior, Ohio State

Ohio State overwhelmed Purdue, not allowing their offense to score any points. When it looked like the Boilermakers might put points on the board, Lathan Ransom turned them away. He displayed his range as a safety by closing in on a pass to the sideline and picking it off. Ransom used all of his 6’1”, 210 lb frame to lay big hits on Purdue’s ball carriers. He plays with good discipline and instincts, always seeming to be in the right place to make a play. To go along with his interception, he had four tackles.