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Future Hogs – Week 14: A look at college football players who could help the Washington Commanders

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NCAA Football: Oklahoma State at Colorado
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

I’ve been writing these articles for a few years now and I feel like this is my first Week 14 article. The final week of college football’s regular season kicked off with arguably the biggest rivalry in the sport: Michigan vs. Ohio State. The defensive battle featured just two touchdowns, but in the end the Wolverines made a late field goal that lifted them past the Buckeyes for the fourth year in a row. Notre Dame replaces Ohio State in the top four, but the Buckeyes are still in the playoff picture. The other teams in the top four – Oregon, Penn State, and Texas – cruised to victory. Another notable upset this weekend was Miami losing to Syracuse and missing out on the ACC Championship Game. Georgia needed overtime to get past Georgia Tech and secure a trip to the SEC Championship Game.

Championship Week will feature several teams attempting to claim their conference title despite this being their first year in the conference. In the ACC, newcomer SMU will face mainstay Clemson. Oregon’s first year in the Big Ten will see them taking on Penn State for the championship, a matchup of teams in the top three. After their inaugural season in the Big 12, Arizona State will play Iowa State for the conference championship. To round out the Power Four, Georgia gets a rematch against Texas, who is in their first in the SEC, to see who will be the SEC champ.

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.

Walker Eget, QB, Redshirt Junior, San Jose State

Earlier this season, I highlighted the Spartans wide receiver Nick Nash but his quarterback deserves a closer look. Walker Eget has ideal size for the position at 6’3”, 225 lbs. The arm is big enough to make throws in the NFL. Eget isn’t a runner, but he is mobile enough to navigate the pocket and scramble to throw. His accuracy and decision making need improvement. Eget helped the Spartans beat Stanford by going 33 of 49 for 385 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.

Mario Anderson, Jr., RB, Senior, Memphis

Memphis has been a hotbed for NFL running backs and it looks like they have another one in Mario Anderson, Jr. The transfer from DII Newberry College, Anderson has a lot of what the NFL likes in a running back. He’s stocky at 5’9”, 209 lbs. That build helps him handle contact with ease. He’s got really quick feet, good burst through the hole, and plenty of speed once he gets in space. There are shades of Ray Davis in his game. His 46 receptions shows he can play in the pass game. In a win over Tulane, Anderson, Jr. carried the ball 24 times for 177 yards and a touchdown.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Redshirt Sophomore, Arizona State

At the start of the season, I don’t think many people thought the Sun Devils of Arizona State would be competing for the Big 12 championship. Jordyn Tyson is a big reason why. Only a redshirt sophomore, there’s a good chance he’ll return to school especially since he suffered a shoulder injury this past weekend. If he doesn’t, someone will get a 6’1”, 195 lb receiver that has shown he can do it all. The way he snatches the ball out of the air shows he’s confident in his hands. There are several examples of his excellent body control at the catch point. His speed and shiftiness makes him a solid runner after the catch. Tyson helped the Sun Devils take down the Arizona Wildcats with eight receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Caden Prieskorn, TE, Senior, Ole Miss

Ole Miss is the winner of this year’s Egg Bowl trophy after defeating rival Mississippi State. The offense is loaded with playmakers like Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins, but don’t sleep on Caden Prieskorn. The 6’6”, 255 lb tight end has a knack for getting behind linebackers in the seam and making catches downfield. The hands are reliable and he can run after the catch. As a blocker, he’s good at making contact but could do a better job staying attached to his defender. Prieskorn had four catches for 53 yards and a TD.

Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Senior, Boston College

Boston College finished the season with a win over Pittsburgh and Ozzy Trapilo helped lead the way. The right tackle for the Eagles is big at 6’8”, 309 lbs. You might think that size would allow defenders to get under his pads, but he’s good at sinking his hip to ensure he maintains leverage. His size makes it hard for defenders to go around him, and they have a tough time going through him. In the run game, he is good at locating targets in space and dispensing of them.

Mikail Kamara, DE, Senior, Indiana

At 6’1”, 265 lbs, Mikail Kamara is not the prototypical defensive end. What he might lack in length, he certainly makes up for in effort. Kamara displays numerous pass rush moves to get pressure on QBs, but I don’t often see him bull rush offensive linemen. Despite not being the most agile pass rusher, his size allows him to bend around tackles to pressure passers. His motor and effort are superior and reasons why he is a double-digit sack player. In a win that allowed Indiana to claim the Old Oaken Bucket Trophy, Kamara had two tackles, a half sack, and two QB hits.

Chris Paul, Jr., LB, Junior, Ole Miss

The Ole Miss defensive front has a lot of talented players, but Chris Paul, Jr. is an important cog in their defense. He’s 6’1”, 235 lbs, and is one of the better coverage linebackers in college football. He does a good job flowing to the ball at the line of scrimmage with enough speed to pursue and make a tackle. If there is an area of his game that could improve, it’s his ability to take on and shed blocks in the run game. Paul, Jr. had six tackles, a sack, and an interception for the Rebels in their win.

Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Junior, Colorado

The time has come for a conversation about Travis Hunter. The presumptive Heisman Trophy winner – although, Ashton Jeanty might have something to say about that – is a 6’1”, 185 pound athlete that has logged a huge amount of snaps as a two-way player for the Buffs. Where does he play at the next level? Personally, I’d have him play cornerback full-time with some offensive packages. In zone, his awareness and quickness makes him special and he has the ability to bait QBs into bad throws where he uses his ball skills to make plays. He’s also great in man too, but I think he’d be better if corner was his main position. He can still play receiver occasionally, but I don’t think he could play WR full-time and flip to CB as successfully. I’d love to hear what others think in the comments. On defense, Hunter had a tackle and an interception in the blowout of Oklahoma State. On offense, he had 10 receptions for 110 yards and three TDs.

Makari Paige, S, Senior, Michigan

Another year, another Michigan victory over Ohio State. The unranked Wolverines were led by their defense and Makari Paige was a big part of that. He’s a tall safety at 6’4”, 208 lbs, and has shown to be a versatile part of the defense. Paige was most effective against the Buckeyes dropping into coverage, but he can also come from depth to deliver big hits and play around the line of scrimmage. He looks fast coming up in run support and covering ground in deep coverage. He had three tackles, a pass breakup, and an interception against Ohio State.