2015 NFL Draft Watch: Washington's Marcus Peters and Shaq Thompson in the 1st Round?
By Jason McIntyre
Each Friday, we’ll preview some college football players to watch ahead of the 2015 NFL draft. Some teams we’ve covered this season: Clemson/Georgia, Wisconsin/LSU; Oregon/Michigan State, USC/Stanford; UCLA/Texas, Arizona State/Colorado, Tennessee/Oklahoma; Florida/Alabama, Clemson/Florida State; Arkansas/Texas A&M, Oregon State/USC, Missouri/South Carolina, Mississippi State, TCU, Oklahoma, Nebraska & Michigan St and last weekend, Baylor, Missouri & Washington State.
Notre Dame at Florida State, 8 pm, ABC
NOTRE DAME – Everett Golson, Redshirt Junior, QB: Strange career. Very good freshman year, suspended for his sophomore season (cheating scandal) and for much of this year, has looked like a future NFL QB. Yes, he’s prone to trying to do too much, either with his arm or with his feet, but it’s not like he’s surrounded by future star NFL skill players. He’s “only” 6-foot-1, so names like Russell Wilson and Drew Brees will pop up, but Golson has a plus arm and there’s talk he’s got better pocket presence and is cooler under pressure than UCLA’s Brett Hundley. This showdown with Winston could be for the Heisman lead. It’ll be the best defense he faces this season.
NOTRE DAME – Cody Riggs, Redshirt Senior, CB: The Florida transfer should be used to the FSU speed, given his time with the Gators, and he’ll have a difficult assignment: Rashad Greene, who has quietly become one of the best receivers in FSU history. Riggs is a future pro, and has an opportunity to impress scouts going against Greene. Riggs (5-foot-9, 195 pounds) is the son of former Falcons/Redskins Pro Bowler Gerald Riggs. Riggs appears to be in the 3-4-5 round range right now.
Washington at Oregon, 8 pm, Fox Sports 1
WASHINGTON – Marcus Peters, Redshirt Junior, CB – Has he become the best cornerback in college football? His size (6-foot) certainly helps, and than extra inch or two he has on most corners might eventually get him compared to Kyle Fuller, the 1st round pick of the Bears in 2014 who looks like a keeper. He’s got three interceptions in five games, and likely will be matched up often Devon Allen, the speed Oregon freshman who has six TDs this season. Is he too aggressive? With other corners like Oregon’s Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Michigan State’s Trae Waynes struggling at times, Peters has made a case he could be the No. 1 corner off the board in 2015.
WASHINGTON – Shaq Thompson, Junior, OLB – One of the best defensive playmakers in the Pac-12, Thompson has an astonishing four defensive touchdowns already this season, and even one rushing. The media loves him. He’s having an All-American caliber season. He’s living up to the hype he generated coming out of high school a few years ago. At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, he’s got the size and speed and skills to be a 1st round pick, although he hasn’t said whether or not he’s entering the 2015 draft. Against Stanford, all he had was a tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble returned for TD, and seven tackles. Supposedly ran a 4.4 40 in high school, and if he can somehow sniff that, he’ll be in the Top 15 discussion.