Future Hogs – Week 5: A look at college football players who could help the Washington Commanders

The marquee matchup in Week Five of the college football season between Georgia and Alabama lived up to the hype. Alabama jumped out to a huge lead in the first half only for Georgia to fight back and take the lead late in the fourth quarter. However, a late touchdown by wide receiver Ryan Williams, a 17 year old that should still be in high school, put the Crimson Tide ahead for good. The win vaulted Alabama to the top of the rankings.

There were other good matchups his past week. Miami needed all 60 minutes and a controversial call on the last play of the game to beat Virginia Tech. Kentucky upset a sixth-ranked Ole Miss team that has aspirations of winning the SEC. After a tough loss to Michigan, USC got their first Big Ten win in a comeback against Wisconsin. Kansas State also bounced back from a loss by beating Big 12 rival Oklahoma State. I’ve been wondering if an undefeated Indiana is for real and they definitely looked it in a win over Maryland.

In Week Six, an undefeated Missouri that’s ranked in the top ten will be tested by a Texas A&M team whose defense is playing very well. Iowa’s tough defense and improving offense will take on third-ranked Ohio State. Clemson will face a reeling Florida State team that has struggled all season. In what should be a fun matchup, Syracuse will play a undefeated UNLV team that is hoping to represent the Group of Five in the playoff.

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.

Tyler Shough, QB, Redshirt Senior, Louisville

Tyler Shough isn’t the best quarterback prospect in the country, but he is a good candidate as a player to develop behind Jayden Daniels. Shough has prototypical size at 6’5”, 225 lbs. For that size, Shough has good athleticism and will get out of the pocket to make throws. In the pocket, he has good throwing mechanics and is fairly accurate. He threw his first interception this season in a loss this past weekend to Notre Dame, but it was a dropped pass. He did, however, lose a fumble on a 46-yard run. The two knocks against Shough off the field are he’s had multiple injuries and he will turn 26 his rookie season. Other than the turnovers, Shough was 24 of 41 for 246 yards and three touchdowns against the Fighting Irish.

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Tahj Brooks, RB, Senior, Texas Tech

In his last year of eligibility, Tahj Brooks hopes to break the Texas Tech rushing record. It will happen if he has a few more games like he had against Cincinnati. Brooks used patience and vision to pick his way through the Bearcats’ defensive line. It’s impressive to see how quickly he can get in and out of cuts without losing much speed. That is aided by being only 5’10”. That height and his 230 lbs make him tough to bring down. Brooks helped the Red Raiders stay undefeated with 32 carries for 172 yards and two touchdowns.

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Elijah Sarratt, WR, Junior, Indiana

Indiana’s coach Curt Cignetti, in response to how he sells players on his vision, said “I win. Google me.” Cignetti built winners at Elon, at James Madison, and appears to be doing the same thing at Indiana. To establish the foundation, several of his former players at JMU transferred to the Hoosiers. One of those players, Elijah Surratt, is helping the Hoosiers’ hot start. He’s demonstrated an ability to make contested catches and will fight for additional yardage after the catch with his 6’2”, 209 lb frame. His speed is a concern, but he was able to get open against an athletic Maryland secondary to the tune of seven catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.

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Elijah Arroyo, TE, Redshirt Junior, Miami

The Hurricanes have a good chance to win the ACC largely because of their offense. The team has put up at least 38 points in every game this season. In a win over Virginia Tech, Elijah Arroyo had only two catches for 88 yards but found the endzone on one of them. The 6’4”, 245 lb tight end has good speed and athleticism, but needs to be a more sure-handed receiver. He’s less of a true inline tight end, but is a good blocker in space and gives great effort.

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Josh Simmons, OT, Senior, Ohio State

Watching offensive tackles, I’ve noticed a lot of the good ones wear #71. Hmm, I wonder why that is. Anyhow, Josh Simmons is one of those prospects. The athleticism jumps off the screen as he moves with ease. Some of that is because he is only 310 lbs, so he will need to develop more strength. That said, the movement skills are there. Simmons needs to clean up his technique and hand placement, but he shows a lot of promise as an OT. With some development, he might be ready to step in for Andrew Wiley when his contract ends.

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Donovan Ezeiruaku, DE, Senior, Boston College

You might think a player that, against Michigan State, had eight tackles and two sacks would take it easy in a game against Western Kentucky. Not 6’2”, 247 lbs Donovan Ezeiruaku. He has found a way to get a sack in four of his five first games. For his size, he is strong enough to set an edge and stun blockers. There is a maturity to his game with how he uses various pass rushes move, times the hands of blockers to avoid them, and retraces his steps as a rusher to get to the QB. The Hilltoppers had no answer for him. He had 14 tackles and three sacks including a strip sack. After this weekend, Ezeiruaku is college football’s sack leader.

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Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB, Senior, Kentucky

A local prospect from Hyattsville, Maryland, Jamon Dumas-Johnson is a bit of a throwback linebacker. At 6’1”, 245 lbs, he is heavier than many other linebacker prospects. That allows him to take on blockers in the hole – a task some smaller linebackers avoid – and secure tackles. While he might not be a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker, he does have good range. He helped Kentucky pull off an upset of Ole Miss by contributing seven tackles, half a sack, and a tackle for loss.

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Tacario Davis, CB, Junior, Arizona

Tacario Davis is a lot like his teammate, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. He is huge for his position at 6’4”, 195 lbs, but he moves like a smaller player. His height makes it harder for him to sink down in his back pedal, but his transitions are smooth and he shows an ability to stick to receivers. At his size, speed might be a concern, but it is adequate. Combine that with his length and it is hard to complete passes against him. Utah found that out in a loss to the Wildcats. Davis had seven tackles and five pass breakups. He’ll hear his name called early in the draft, especially if he can turn some of those breakups into interceptions.

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Billy Bowman, Jr., S, Senior, Oklahoma

Last year, Billy Bowman, Jr. picked off six passes and returned three for touchdowns. Bowman, Jr. is small for a safety at 5’10”, 194 lbs, but what he lacks in size he makes up for with toughness. Wherever he is aligned on the field, he makes plays in both the run game and the pass game. He isn’t a safety you’d align often in a single-high look, but he excels everywhere else. In a win over Auburn, Bowman amassed eight total tackles.