2025 ��Draft: Top 25 Senior Bowl prospects at midway point of college football season

2025 ��Draft

2025 ��Draft: Top 25 Senior Bowl prospects at midway point of college football season

Published: Oct 18, 2024 at 02:59 PM

Chad Reuter

Draft Analyst

Back in August, Reese's Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy and his experienced scouting staff released their watch list for next year’s game, which spotlighted from more than 180 college football programs. The list included underclassmen for the first time, a product of the ��changing its rules last November to allow for draft-eligible underclassmen to participate in all-star games.

Below, I rank my top 15 players from that list and provide the next 10 who are the cusp of making the top 15, but I don't stop there in this piece. In addition to those 25 names, I've included 25 more 2025 ��Draft hopefuls to keep an eye on in the second half of the season.

The 2025 Senior Bowl will be held at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, on Feb. 1, 2025 and broadcast live on ��Network (2:30 p.m. ET).

NOTES:

* denotes player is an underclassman.
Heights and weights are via school measurements.

15) Carson Beck, QB, Georgia (6-foot-4, 220 pounds)

Beck is the leader of Georgia's offense and projects as a solid ��starter in the Kirk Cousins mold. The senior passer possesses enough arm strength and the anticipation to fit throws into tight windows. Beck moves safeties with his eyes before delivering to his primary target and displays good touch. He's mobile enough to make off-platform throws and run for first downs. He also displays the toughness to bounce back after taking a hit. Scouts will undoubtedly note the mistakes Beck made in the first half of Georgia's loss to Alabama earlier this season, including two interceptions, but they should also remember the competitive fire he displayed in bringing the Bulldogs all the way back from a 28-0 deficit to briefly take the lead, before the Crimson Tide's game-winning, 75-yard touchdown pass.

14) Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia (6-5, 265)*

Williams was an inside-outside pass rusher for the Bulldogs in his first two seasons, recording nine sacks in a role that was a lot like the one played by 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker when he was at UGA. Williams' length and power allow him to win against interior linemen, but he can also take the edge against tackles and chase down ball-carriers. Williams has not played many snaps this year due to an ankle injury. If he's healthy for the second half of the season, I expect him to move up on lists like this one.

13) Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona (6-5, 212)*

McMillan caught 10 passes for 304 yards and four scores against New Mexico in the season opener, but ��scouts were already aware of his talent. "T-Mac" reminds me of Falcons receiver Drake London. He can overwhelm defensive backs with his size, physicality and surprising short-area quickness, whether downfield or at the top of a hitch route. McMillan doesn't have elite speed off the line, but his long strides test smaller corners. ��quarterbacks will appreciate how he'll either come back for the ball or head deep when they are on the run.

12) Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri (5-11, 205)*

The East St. Louis product stayed to play for his home-state Tigers, turning down offers from Alabama and Georgia. He takes the top off defenses by gliding past the opposition with track speed. Burden's extreme quickness and strength after the catch also make him dangerous on short-to-medium routes. Though he doesn't possess great height for the position, his strength and ability to catch the ball away from his frame give him a larger catch radius than most wideouts his size. ��defenses will certainly feel burdened trying to game-plan against him.

11) Nic Scourton, Edge, Texas A&M (6-4, 285)*

Scourton returned to his home state of Texas after garnering All-Big Ten honors his sophomore year at Purdue. He ranked top 10 in the FBS with 10 sacks in 2023 and has 4.5 through six games this season for the Aggies. He does not have elite bend and doesn't win with his hands on every snap, but he can change direction quickly enough to harass quarterbacks trying to leave the pocket, and he can drop into zone coverage. Scourton's power and length will serve him well in the NFL, both as a pass rusher and run defender.

10) Abdul Carter, Edge/LB, Penn State (6-3, 252)*

Carter's game is a cross between those of former Penn State first-round defenders Micah Parsons and Chop Robinson. He played off the ball early in his career, attacking plays from sideline to sideline and ripping into the backfield on blitzes, much like Parsons did while in Happy Valley. Nittany Lions coaches moved him to the edge to replace Robinson this season, where Carter uses his speed to win outside and shows surprising power to push lesser tackles into the backfield.

9) James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee (6-5, 243)*

Pearce has not racked up as many tackles for loss or sacks this year as he did in his All-SEC sophomore campaign, much like Will Anderson Jr. over his final two seasons at Alabama. He did not dominate against Oklahoma or North Carolina State (facing left tackle Anthony Belton, whose name you'll see below). Pearce stood out against Florida, though, forcing and recovering a goal-line fumble, getting into the backfield multiple times in the fourth quarter and stopping an overtime run play that led to a missed field-goal try. He'll be a top-10 pick with a productive second half of the year.

8) Will Campbell, OT, LSU (6-6, 323)*

Arriving in Baton Rouge as , Campbell immediately stepped into the Tigers' starting left tackle job. The tall, athletic lineman has added lower-body strength while maintaining quickness out of his stance and blocking on the move. He's tough to beat when fluid in his movements, wide in his base and using one or two hands inside as a pass protector. Campbell plays a bit high and narrow at times, but he's still a young player who could work his way into an elite starter at the next level.

7) Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas (6-4, 320)*

Banks possesses a guard's build, but his length and agility have kept him at left tackle during his three years with the Longhorns. His anchor is too strong for most pass rushers to push him backward, but he also manages to cut off their advances with initial quickness and strong hands. Banks redirects defenders around the pocket, staying engaged to keep them from cutting the corner to the quarterback. The junior lineman will bend at the waist at times, slipping off run blocks, but he's still a top talent.

6) Mason Graham, DT, Michigan (6-3, 320)*

The 2023 first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection is the best front-seven defender in this draft class. His motor, strong hands and ability to win off the snap at 320 pounds are exquisite, and he's not afraid to leverage double teams on run plays so his teammates can attack the ball-carrier. Graham plays inside and outside on the Wolverines' front, consistently tracking down running backs and quarterbacks (he had two sacks against Minnesota in September). Regardless of how tall or long he measures at the ��Scouting Combine, Graham will be a thorn in the side of pro offenses for years to come.

5) Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State (5-9, 215)*

The top back in the country coming into the season, Jeanty has not disappointed. He's been electric for the Broncos, leading the FBS with 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground in just six contests. He presses the hole quickly but uses his vision to adeptly avoid defenders blitzing against the run. Jeanty's strong lower body and compact build help him power through contact, while his speed and elusiveness in the open field make him a home-run threat. Add in his soft hands as a receiver, and you've got an excellent all-around weapon who could be a top-10 selection.

4) Will Johnson, CB, Michigan (6-2, 202)*

Johnson was named an All-American last season while helping the Wolverines capture a national championship, intercepting a pass and against Washington. The Michigan native returned both his interceptions for touchdowns this season ( and ). He has the speed, long arms and short-area quickness to stay with top receivers downfield and baits quarterbacks into throwing passes his way when in off-coverage. Unlike some past top-rated corner prospects, he's also physical in coverage and willing to cut down ball-carriers in space. Johnson's talent makes him a likely top-five pick.

3) Cam Ward, QB, Miami (6-2, 223)

Ward is following the trajectory of Jayden Daniels, who skyrocketed from a Day 2 prospect heading into the 2023 college season to the No. 2 overall pick. The former Incarnate Word and Washington State star is the most consistent pocket passer among the top prospects, possessing a quick three-quarters delivery, NFL-caliber arm strength, very good anticipation and an uncanny ability to change his arm angle to find a passing lane. He can place throws in the hole versus Cover 2, find targets over the middle and stretch the field. Ward is more than just a move-the-chains runner, as well. He'll misread coverages on occasion and throw across his body trying to make a play, but his decision-making has improved -- as has his draft stock.

2) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (6-2, 215)

Sanders' knowledge of reading defenses makes him deadly when his feet are set. He steps up into the pocket when the interior offensive line does its job, ripping fastballs over the middle or to the sideline and layering throws between defensive levels. The showed his ability to throw downfield from outside the pocket. Sanders holds onto the ball for too long at times, and he loses too much yardage trying to spin out of pass rushers' advances. Balancing his natural playmaking ability with smart decisions will make him an ��star.

1) Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado (6-1, 185)*

Hunter is the most talented player listed here. He could play two different positions in the ��at a high level. He's a highlight machine at receiver because of his elite body control, hand-eye coordination, long speed and agility after the catch. Hunter could also be a shutdown corner because of those ball skills, his length and competitive nature. Barring injury (he missed time with a lacerated liver last season and hurt his shoulder against Kansas State last weekend but is expected to play this week), he'll be a special player at the next level.