It was a wild third weekend of college football, with upsets and nail-biters aplenty. But the biggest story of the day, as far as NFL prospects are concerned, was the injury suffered by UCLA quarterback **Brett Hundley** vs. Texas. He left in the first quarter of the game with an arm injury, and the Bruins rallied behind backup Jerry Neuheisel for a win. We're all waiting to hear more details about Hundley's injury, but I came away from the game so impressed with UCLA coach Jim Mora and the toughness he's built in his team physically and mentally to hold on in a situation like the one they faced on Saturday.
Here are my observations on the Saturday performances of some of the top prospects in college football:
Gurley impresses again
Georgia came up short at South Carolina, but Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley had another impressive showing in the game, rushing 20 times for 131 yards and a touchdown. One NFL executive I talked to compared him to former Jacksonville Jaguars star Fred Taylor -- I agreed with that take, and see shades of Marshawn Lynch in Gurley, too. Now, if there's one part of his game where he needs to become more consistent, it's in pass protection. When he stays on his feet, he's really good, but he had some misses when he tried to cut block. Overall, though, Saturday was a very good day for Gurley.
USC's Williams, rest of Trojans defense were no-shows
USC's front seven as a whole was really bad in Saturday's loss to Boston College. Leonard Williams, one of the top prospects in college football, didn't make his presence felt and got caught upfield a couple of times as Boston College racked up 452 yards rushing. Linebacker Hayes Pullard didn't fare any better -- he missed the first half as part of the penalty for the targeting foul he was called for last week against Stanford and didn't make any impact in the second half.
Jack flashes at RB
UCLA LB/RB Myles Jack made plays on both sides of the ball in the Bruins' win over Texas. As I watched him run the ball, especially as he converted on a key third down, I couldn't help but wonder about how he would perform if he played exclusively on offense. Obviously, he's playing well on defense, but, selfishly, I'd like to see more of him as a ball carrier. He had just five carries vs. Texas.
South Carolina RB Davis overshadowed
South Carolina's **Mike Davis** ran really hard vs. Georgia on Saturday, but finished the day with just 66 yards on 17 carries and two catches for 16 yards. I think he's a lot stronger when he stays between the tackles. He's not at his best when he gets out on the perimeter. Gamecocks running back Brandon Wilds actually stole Davis' thunder on Saturday. Wilds ran for 93 yards and a TD on 14 carries. He's a big, powerful guy and I'm intrigued by him.
Knight stings another SEC team
I really like the way the ball jumps out of Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight's hand. He has a live arm, and Saturday's win over Tennessee was the second time he tore up an SEC defense. He made strides throughout last season and played the best game of his career in a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. I continue to be impressed by the redshirt sophomore.
Carden makes statement
East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden was viewed as a potential late-round pick heading into the season -- he's not all that highly thought of in scouting circles, but he had a very good game Saturday in the Pirates' upset of Virginia Tech. He has good size and a nice touch on his deep ball, but he doesn't have a huge arm and his accuracy was inconsistent on Saturday. However, he showed a lot of poise on ECU's game-winning drive late in the game.
Hardy outdone by fellow Pirates WR
Justin Hardy is considered to be East Carolina's top wide receiver, but he was outplayed Saturday by Cam Worthy, who made six catches for a whopping 224 yards to Hardy's four for 47. Worthy has good size and showed impressive high-point skills, although he lacks elite speed. He jumped on the radar screen today. Hardy didn't get a lot of action Saturday, as he was often matched up the Hokies' Kendall Fuller, one of the better corners in college football. Hardy could have really helped himself with a big game, but instead, I came away more intrigued by Worthy.
Murphy a candidate for position change
Boston College quarterback Tyler Murphy is going to have to change positions in the NFL -- he's not a pro-caliber passer -- but he ran the ball very well against USC on Saturday, rushing for 191 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. He's an intriguing guy with some size. I wouldn't rule out an NFL team taking a look at him as a safety or receiver.
Strong showing for Gamecocks WR Roland
I love the way South Carolina wide receiver Shaq Roland adjusts for the ball downfield. He was impressive on Saturday against Georgia and definitely will be generating some buzz within scouting circles. He can stretch the field and has a nice knack for going up and getting it.
Swann dive for Georgia CB
Saturday was a rough one for Georgia cornerback Damian Swann. He struggled badly against South Carolina. His speed in coverage wasn't good, and his tackling was also poor. He didn't help himself with that showing.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.
