After a week off of this weekly installment, I’m back with some week 4 games to watch. The first game is probably the most interesting college game of the week, #11 Michigan at #13 Wisconsin. For this game I am going to focus on the matchup of top-end running backs, while there is some receiving talent on both teams, I will save those guys for a different day. The second game I’ll look at is less exciting but is still an SEC matchup that features plenty of pro prospects. This game is Kentucky at Mississippi State.
#11 Michigan at #13 Wisconsin
Zach Charbonnet-RB Michigan
Zach Charbonnet is Michigan’s leading back as a true freshman. Heading into this matchup Charbonnet has 41 carries for 190 yards and 3 scores. These numbers aren’t great, but 4.5 yards per carry is also far from underwhelming. In a huge Big 10 matchup, expect the young back to touch the ball around 20 times on Saturday and with that hopefully, we can see some big plays. Charbonnet has great size as a 6’2″ 200+ pound back and he has speed at this size which is harder to come by. With exceptional size, speed, and strength there aren’t a ton of questions to be answered about Charbonnet’s game, but the biggest thing myself and anyone looking at his future at the position will be if he can be used in the passing game. Unfortunately, playing in the Big 10 we likely won’t get that answer before he enters the league.
Jonathan Taylor-RB Wisconsin
Stop me if you have heard this one before. A prototypical running back from the University of Wisconsin who has been used very little in the passing game. Kind of sounds like Melvin Gordon. Outside of 3rd down and receiving usage, however, I’m out of complaints on Taylor. He is an explosive runner and through 2 games Taylor has carried the ball 35 times for 237 yards and 5 scores. To add to these numbers, Taylor has added 5 receptions for 65 yards and 3 scores through the air. If he can continue to show he can be a consistent receiver than Taylor will be in consideration of being the top back in the 2020 class.
Kentucky at Mississippi State
Kavosiey Smoke-RB Kentucky
Smoke may not check all of the boxes (yet) of an NFL running back, but he is someone that should be on people’s radars. The redshirt freshman back will not be eligible to enter the draft until 2021 but in the meantime, he’ll be tearing up the fearsome SEC. Smoke comes in at a measly 5’9″ tall but weighs above 220 pounds. Smoke is a bowling ball who while not slow, has not shown the agility needed to be successful at the NFL level. As a younger back, however, there is certainly potential that Smoke can put it all together and be a starting running back in the NFL someday. On the other hand, Smoke’s floor is a goal-line and short-yardage vulture that will cause fantasy headaches at some point.
Lynn Bowden Jr.-WR Kentucky
The first non-running back for my article this week. Lynn Bowden is by far the top receiver at Kentucky. So far this season, he has 201 yards and 1 TD on 20 receptions. The Junior is on a great pace to improve upon his 745 yards 5 score year he had in 2018. Bowden comes in at 6’1 and roughly 200 pounds which is starting to look like the new aged NFL receiver. My concern with Bowden is that he was not a receiver in high school. This shows in the fact that he has a very limited route tree and most often plays out of the slot. What I will be watching this week and as the season progresses is if Bowden can play on the outside, can Bowden beat press defense, and will he fine-tune his route tree? The third possibly being the most important because even if Bowden has to be an off-ball slot receiver at the next level, he has the speed and athleticism to excel, but he will need better route running to get open in the league.
Kylin Hill-RB Mississippi State
Last but not least we have Mississippi State star Kylin Hill. Hill is about as complete as a running back in all of college football this year but has not had the same workload that you will see out of the other junior running backs looking at going pro. This means one of two things, either Kylin Hill will have fresh legs and take the NFL by storm or he will be unable to handle the full NFL workload. We’re hoping for the former of the 2 options. With 65 carries and 431 yards this year already, we may get the answer to the workload question sooner than we thought. Add to this that Hill already has 5 receptions for 51 yards and this is beginning to look like a true NFL threat. Kentucky’s defense is likely the best Mississippi State will have faced thus far in 2019 and with that means Hill has more to prove in this game than in any of the other previous 3 games. Unless the wheels fall off of Kylin Hill you will see him starting on an NFL field in 2020.
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