2023 NFL Draft: Week 7 Stock Report

The market was hot this week, so hot that we only saw gains in our stock portfolios. So who had us flying high?

How can't you be romantic about football? What a beautiful week of games and exciting endings. If you were looking for a week full of big-time football, this was it. 

This week was loaded with teams who had the chance to prove they were as good as advertised and could play with anyone in the country. Both individual players and entire teams had opportunities to show what they're about. Teams like Tennessee and Syracuse were trying to stay undefeated, while players Bijan Robinson and Blake Corum were making Heisman statements. 

We also saw some players making their case as elite prospects and at the top of their positions. With so many new faces on the scene, it is truly the most wide-open year in almost every conference, making it a fun stretch run. Which would make it a perfect year for an expanded playoff, but that's neither here nor there. 

The slate of games this weekend was tremendous; why find any negatives? For this one, we are only giving praise because that is what this week of football deserves.

Heisman Running Backs:

In a sport evolving more and more towards the passing game, this might be the year of the running back. Several top-ranked teams are led by elite running back prospects, which goes against everything football has been about the last few years. It’s great to see because it shows how healthy the game is and that the position is as important as ever. 

Texas’ Bijan Robinson and Michigan’s Blake Corum are two players who proved this fact. Both of these players rushed their teams to victory against very tough opponents. Corum went up against a daunted Penn State defense and easily ran through them. He gained 166 yards and two touchdowns, but it was the constant pressure he put on the Penn State defense. It was like watching a boxer take body punches for an entire fight wearing them down. Eventually, you will open them up for a knockout shot. That is what happened, too, as the game ended up being a blowout. Bijan Robinson had a similar effect on Texas, but they needed to hang on to the game, so his performance was vital to his team’s victory. 

Robinson had his fifth consecutive 100-yard game and imposed his will in the fourth quarter, making very difficult plays look effortless as he extended drives and helped the Longhorn win. Both players are skilled running backs with outstanding balance and can absorb contact to gain extra yards. As incredible as these players are, they are only two of the top-tier running backs in college football today. 

Sorry Mel Kiper, but this year is all about the running backs, and we will see multiple players drafted in the first round.

Showdown In Knoxville:

For the first time in over a decade, Tennessee played host to what will probably be the biggest game for the SEC conference this season and a marquee matchup for their program when hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

In a game with a ton of hype leading up, it featured the reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young versus this year’s front-runner Hendon Hooker and wow, it did not disappoint. These teams showed up in what will most likely be considered the game of the year. 

Hooker and Young showed the country what they were made of as they dueled for four quarters, and neither blinked. Hooker went up against the Alabama defense and put up huge numbers, both through the air and on the ground. Throwing for 385 yards and five touchdowns, he also rushed for 56 yards, and though 56 yards isn’t a big total, every one of those yards was crucial to the Tennessee win. What was a statement game for Tennessee could be a key piece of a special season. 

As for Bryce Young, he made everyone remember why he is the defending Heisman winner. Sure, he put up huge numbers throwing for 455 yards and two touchdowns, but the toughness he showed was most impressive. 

Coming back from injury, Tennessee took advantage of it by teeing off on him the entire game; Young never showed pain and kept playing at a high level all game long. 

A prime matchup that will be talked about as one of the best games of the year, Tennessee got its first win over Alabama in fifteen years, so it will be remembered in Knoxville for a long time. 

Utah Offense:

This game showed just how beautiful college football is as a whole. It was your typical PAC12 offensive battle, with both teams going score for score until the very end. It was also special for Utah because they honored two fallen teammates, so for them to win the way they did and with that crowd ecstatic the whole time, it was pure magic. 

Though it was an offensive battle, two players shined above the rest, Cam Rising and Dalton Kincaid. If this was your introduction to Kincaid, welcome to the party. Kincaid dominated the Trojan defense and helped lead his team to a highly emotional victory. We hear so much about Michael Meyer and Brock Bowers, but Kincaid deserves to be in the conversation for the best tight end in the country. He was unguardable, catching 16 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown, making multiple crucial catches on their final drive. 

Now let’s talk about quarterback Cam Rising; he not only showed incredible leadership but also stepped up and had a career-defining performance. He threw for 415 yards and two touchdowns while also being his team’s leading rusher with 60 yards and three rushing touchdowns, not to mention the game-winning two-point conversion. The numbers were great, but how he found the endzone on the two-point conversion showed a player willing to do whatever it takes to win, which is something every team looks for in their leader. 

All Orange Everything:

Who had Syracuse being a top team in the ACC this year? Oh, no one? Not surprising, Syracuse is easily the biggest shock in college football. 

It's not a fluke either, they are 6-0 for the first time since 1987, and they are doing it with total team efforts. Coach Dino Babers has his team firing on all cylinders and in every phase of the game, winning games with each side of the ball. 

We already knew about the run game led by Sean Tucker and a few good defensive players, but this is a complete team, and they are playing winning football. Garrett Shrader has been a God send for the Orange using his arms and legs. 

Defensively they play a very aggressive style and get after opponents, putting constant pressure on offenses. They even won a game earlier in the season strictly by special teams, with their kicker hitting five field goals. 

The Orange have a huge matchup at number five ranked Clemson next week, and there is going to be a lot of hype leading up to it, so Syracuse is going to quiet the noise and play their game no matter what.

TCU What you gonna do:

Another surprising undefeated team right now is the TCU Horned Frogs. They have quietly been racking up wins and this week made a statement, taking down the number eight Oklahoma State Cowboys. 

We've discussed wide receiver, Quentin Johnston, a couple of times this season; now it's to give attention to the rest of the team. Max Duggan has played outstanding football so far, and the role players have stepped up in big moments to get wins. 

The Big12 is having a really down year, so the opportunity is there for them to take over, so we will see down the stretch what happens. The other part that makes this more impressive is they are doing it with a first-year head coach, Sonny Dykes. 

For a program to change head coach and play this well is a monumental task, but TCU has been up to it. You have to give the entire team credit because it shows that they have all bought in and are playing inspired football. 

Clemson Is Back:

If there is one top-five team that no one thought would still be hanging around, it was most likely the Clemson Tigers. After what could be considered Clemson's most dreadful year under Dabo Swinney last season, this one may be his best coaching job ever. 

Every success Clemson has had this year starts with quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, no player in all of college football has had more of a dramatic change in his game than he. He had no confidence last season and easily played the most unsure football, holding the ball too long and causing turnovers. 

This year all of his issues are seemingly gone; he looks like a completely different player. Then you have the skill positions, Will Shipley is low-key one of the better running backs in the country, and they have a gambit of wide receivers to throw to. Freshman Antonio Williams has come out of nowhere to become the Tiger's most productive receiver as of late. 

As for the defense, they haven't missed a beat after defensive coordinator Brent Venables took the Oklahoma job and have been just as dominant as usual. It will be a very exciting matchup next week as the undefeated Syracuse Orange venture down to "Deah Valley" and could very well be a good indicator of who will win the ACC this year.

Rebel Yell:

The south has risen again with the undefeated Ole Miss Rebels. Being in the “power” conference, the SEC, not much was expected out of Ole Miss. 

However, the team did not get that memo. Transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart has been awesome as a dual-threat player, and they are doing so much on offense by spreading the ball around to every skill player. They have had 13 players run the ball, and eleven players have caught passes, with twelve different touchdown scorers. 

This type of production is difficult to defend because it shows they trust all their players so that they can pick out the weakest defender every play. 

Defensively, it’s the same recipe; many different get into the game and make plays. This keeps everyone fresh, and every play Ole Miss can go at one hundred percent, so it has made a huge difference in their performance. 

Kudos to Coach Lane Kiffin on this strategy.

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