On a wild Saturday of college football, Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott stood out as the star of the show.
He had an unbelievable game in leading the Bulldogs to a win over Texas A&M , racking up five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing). We hear a lot about his size, toughness, leadership and intangibles -- almost everything except his arm. Well, I was really impressed with how he threw the ball against the Aggies, especially his downfield throws. He completed 19 of 25 passes for 259 yards and threw one back-shoulder fade that was a big-time NFL throw. It was an eye-opener.
Prescott reminds me a little bit of former Jacksonville Jaguars QB David Garrard, another big, thick, sturdy guy who was a good athlete. Prescott runs better than Garrard, though.
Scouts don't concern themselves with awards, but there's no doubt he deserves to be very much in the thick of the Heisman race.
If he didn't have scouts' attention already, he does now.
Here are my observations on other top prospects I had a chance to watch on Saturday:
Give Wallace his due
I'm not the biggest fan of Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace from what I've seen of him on tape, but I have to give him a lot of credit. His performance Saturday in leading an upset of Alabama is the best I've ever seen him play. He was aggressive, accurate and showed poise. Without a couple of drops by his receivers, it could have been an even bigger day for him. Wallace, a senior, is not considered one of the better quarterback prospects in college football -- he needs to be more consistent with his accuracy and decision making. But he was pretty good in both of those areas Saturday, and that showing certainly helps his cause.
Cooper, Treadwell in top form
Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell, a true sophomore, won't be eligible for the draft until after next season, but he's very quickly building a strong resume for whenever his time to enter the league does come. He's been getting a lot of buzz and lived up to it Saturday vs. Alabama, showing off his rare combination of size, speed and ball skills. In fact, a strong case can be made that the two best wide receivers in college football were on the field Saturday in Oxford, as the Crimson Tide's Amari Cooper had another outstanding game, too. Cooper is so explosive off the line of scrimmage and in and out of his cuts. He showed once again that he's a special player.
Top OT prospect has work to do
I considered Texas A&M's Cedric Ogbuehi the best offensive tackle in college football entering the season, but I want to see him be more physical, show better hand use and do a better job of finishing plays. He was late with his punch and gave up his chest too often Saturday against Mississippi State. Ogbuehi gave up some late pressure when it seemed like he was assuming QB Kenny Hill had already thrown the ball. He's really talented and has a chance to give the Aggies a first-round tackle for the third consecutive year, following Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews. Ogbuehi is not nearly as technically sound as Matthews, though, and must be more conscious of finishing plays.
Golson plays big in key moments
Notre Dame QB Everett Golson made plays when he needed to Saturday vs. Stanford, but it was not a clean game for him, by any means. Now, he was going up against one of the top defenses in the country and rainy, cold weather was a factor in the game, but Golson was pretty inconsistent throughout. He locked onto some receivers and let some balls get away from him while battling the elements. His game-winning TD pass in the late stages was clutch, though.
Rough outing for Stanford's Montgomery
Saturday's game at Notre Dame was Stanford WR Ty Montgomery's worst of the season, by far. He struggled to make catches and dropped at least a few passes, finishing with four grabs for just 12 yards. The weather was a factor in South Bend, but it still was not a good showing for Montgomery.
Solid day for intriguing LB prospect
Mississippi State ILB Benardrick McKinney did a really nice job against the run, showing instincts and playing off blocks Saturday vs. Texas A&M. The 6-foot-5, 249-pound junior has burst to close, but he struggled a bit in space against the pass and run. McKinney was a little tight. When he's matched up one-on-one against a smaller player with some quickness, it's going to be a challenge for McKinney. He's a really good player with unique size for his position. He dropped an interception, had a pass-interference penalty and missed a couple tackles vs. the Aggies, but all in all, it was a good day for him.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.
