Get a look at a few future Raiders this weekend
Conference Championship Weekend gives the Las Vegas Raiders and fans a great opportunity to get a look at how some of this year’s top NFL Draft prospects perform on a big stage. Below is a glimpse at a few players Raiders fans should keep tabs on this weekend. All times are PST.
Mountain West: 20 UNLV vs. 10 Boise State
- Time: Friday 5:00 p.m.
- Channel: FOX
- UNLV prospects: S Jalen Catalon, LB Jackson Woodard, WR Ricky White
- Boise State prospects: RB Ashton Jeanty, WR Chris Marshall, CB Jeremiah Earby
Jeanty, the Heisman hopeful, is obviously the big draw here. But don’t sleep on Woodard, who has some impressive instincts and is a good run defender. Woodard had a pretty good performance against Jeanty the first time these two teams met and could be a good Day 3 target in April.
Big 12: 16 Iowa State vs. 15 Arizona State
- Time: Saturday 9:00 a.m.
- Channel: ABC
- Iowa State prospects: CB Darien Porter, WR Jayden Higgins, WR Jaylin Noel
- ASU prospects: RB Cam Skattebo, WR Jordyn Tyson
To be honest, this game lacks some star power when it comes to the draft. However, Skattebo is worth the watch as he has impressive power and is solid at making people miss in open space. Also, Porter has eye-catching size at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds to be an under-the-radar prospect whose stock could rise with a strong performance on a national stage.
SEC: 5 Georgia vs. 2 Texas
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- Time: Saturday 1:00 p.m.
- Channel: ABC
- UGA prospects: QB Carson Beck, LB Jalon Walker, CB Daylen Everette
- Texas prospects: QB Quinn Ewers, CB Jahdae Barron, DL Alfred Collins
There’s no shortage of draft prospects here as nearly every player on the field will at least get a shot to play on Sundays. Both quarterbacks are worth taking a look at, though Beck and Ewers are currently projected as mid-rounders and are firmly behind Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward for the QB1 race. Barron is a really interesting guy to watch as he could be a good Day 2 target in the secondary.
Big 10: 3 Penn State vs. 1 Oregon
- Time: Saturday 5:00 p.m.
- Channel: CBS
- Penn State prospects: QB Drew Allar, S Kevin Winston Jr., RB Nick Singleton
- Oregon prospects: OT Josh Conerly Jr., WR Evan Stewart, LB Jeffery Bassa
I get the feeling Allar’s stock might rise during pre-draft events like the Senior or Shrine Bowls and the NFL Combine. He doesn’t have eye-popping numbers but Penn State’s wide receivers aren’t good, and he has a lot of arm talent as well as decent athleticism. Oregon has a handful of second-round guys who could be good fits in Las Vegas, especially Conerly who could develop into a potential replacement for Kolton Miller.
ACC: 17 Clemson vs. 8 SMU
- Time: Saturday 5:00 p.m.
- Channel: ABC
- Clemson prospects: LB Barrett Carter, DL DeMonte Capehart, OT Blake Miller
- SMU prospects: RB Brashard Smith, EDGE Elijah Roberts, OT P.J. Williams
Carter is an impressive coverage linebacker who has plenty of speed and athleticism that should transfer to the NFL. The Raiders are going to need a run-stuffing defensive tackle to replace John Jenkins this offseason, and Capehart could be a good mid-round target to fill that role. As for SMU, they’re more of a good team than a squad that has a lot of NFL talent, but Smith is an interesting running back who has over 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns this season.