The college football weekend was more low-key than expected, with several top programs taking the week off and others cruising in noncompetitive matchups. But as is always the case, the draft eyes never sleep.
Here are three guys who boosted their 2025 NFL Draft status with impressive outings over the CFB Week 4 weekend.
Josaiah Stewart, EDGE Michigan
I was fortunate enough to be inside the Big House to see Stewart’s tour de force performance in Michigan’s win over USC. In a game with several impressive defensive efforts, Stewart definitely deserves special recognition.
Stewart abused the Trojans offensive line with a bevy of power-to-speed moves, showing excellent burst off the block and quick feet to close ground on USC QB Miller Moss in a hurry. I was surprised postgame to find the 240-pound stand-up rusher only got credited with four QB hits; it felt like Stewart was in the backfield on every pass play.
He uses his shoulders and strong hands very adeptly, showing improvement week by week. The body control Stewart showed in not overshooting the point of attack despite screaming around the edge was definitely impressive.
The Senior Bowl also took notice of Stewart:
Michigan EDGE Josaiah Stewart (6007v, 241v, 32 1/4 arm) might be undersized but he sure doesn’t play that way.
Checkout how he sets the tone on first defensive snap of game👇. This is how you set a damn edge with violence & torque! 👀
While stats look good on paper (2 sacks, 3… https://t.co/Xog1EiXzhH pic.twitter.com/zbBKohX0bK
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) September 23, 2024
Terrence Spence, CB, James Madison
James Madison hung 70 on North Carolina in one of the weirdest games of the college season. The Dukes offense was a hot knife through Tar Heel butter all night, but a JMU defensive player stood out the most in terms of elevating a draft profile: CB Terrence Spence.
Spence, a transfer from FCS-level Holy Cross, was only on the prior radar due to his uncanny knack for blocking kicks (he has 6 in his career) on special teams. The 6-foot-1 corner added another blocked punt in this one, which was ultimately returned for a touchdown. Spence also got on the scoreboard himself by returning one of his two INTs on the night for a touchdown.
2 ints
1 blocked punt
TDWhat a game from Terrence Spence 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/Uy6RMHcGIE
— Pavel (@Pavel6813) September 21, 2024
Spence had his moments on Holy Cross film (which I watched for WR Jalen Coker in the 2024 draft), but he had some tackling and grabbing issues. The fantastic night against North Carolina was very clean in those regards, aside from the big plays Spence pulled off. With his special teams prodigiousness, that could be a tiebreaker for a late-round flyer or UDFA invite for some NFL teams.
Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State
Jackson made his 2024 debut for the Buckeyes against Marshall after missing the first three games with an undisclosed injury. The big left guard looked better than ever in Ohio State’s 49-14 win.
Jackson is well-known in draft circles for his power and extremely long arms. In watching the tape, Jackson appears to have dialed in his punch placement from his All-Big Ten status from the last two seasons. His ability to create jolting power off the snap was already appealing, but now it looks even better. Marshall didn’t take a single rep from Jackson all game.
If he can continue to play anywhere close to the level he showed against the Thundering Herd, Jackson should be a top-40 overall pick based on talent and upside. He answered any questions about a possible injury-related regression or rust to his game.
