2024 NFL Draft: College Football Recap, Week 3

Week 3 of the college football season didn’t promise a fun Saturday due to a bunch of lopsided matchups on paper, but it sure did deliver intrigue and plenty of near upsets. Not a lot of those upsets came to fruition, but we did get an exciting day nonetheless. There were a multitude of nuclear performances to note this week from draft-eligible prospects. Let’s discuss three big-time stat lines that caught our eye.

LSU WR Malik Nabers Goes Off Against Mississippi State

Nabers didn’t start the year the way he wanted to against Florida State in the season opener, but Nabers was out to prove why he is one of the best wideouts in the country against the Bulldogs. Nabers went for 239 yards on 13 receptions. He caught all 13 of his targets for two scores. Mississippi State’s defense had no answer for the speed of Nabers, as he quickly ate up ground on Bulldogs defensive backs playing in off coverage. He had a lot to prove heading into this week, and he showed he’s still one of the more dangerous players in college football Saturday afternoon — torturing Mississippi State from the slot vertically all afternoon.

Colorado State WR Tory Horton Shines Bright Amidst Instant Classic Against Buffaloes

The Rams blew a two-score lead in the fourth quarter to ultimately lose in overtime to Colorado, but Colorado State has a high-flying passing attack that’s carried by its receivers. Horton is the best of the bunch with a skillset that shows off strong, soft hands, elusiveness, and explosiveness. There was nothing fancy about the Rams’ usage of Horton, as they consistently ran him on shallow crosses and drags. He continuously caught the ball over the middle and regularly made the first defender miss. Horton’s best play of the night came on a tightrope act on the sideline reeling a ball in that was a couple of yards past the chalk. Keep your eye out for Horton come April. He will be a good one. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see him compete more against Colorado star Travis Hunter in this game, but Horton stood out in a big way on Saturday night.

Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. Is A DUDE Surrounded By DUDES At Wide Receiver

The next lefty thrower on deck to be an NFL starter may be current Washington Huskies signal caller Michael Penix Jr., who’s lighting up the scoreboard through three weeks of football. He has thrown easily over 70% as a passer and over 400 yards in each of the first three contests. He has an elite arm and his accuracy is improving. Penix looked like a fading quarterback who would turn out to be a dart throw and not more than a ball of traits when he was at Indiana. The transfer to Washington has ignited him and he’s loaded up with a supporting cast of three NFL-caliber wide receivers in Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan. Penix is a legit Heisman contender and he’s a key reason that the Huskies are lighting up every team they line up across from this season.