Week 2 NCAA Stock Watch

Stock Up

Leonard Williams, DT, USC

Arguably the top defensive prospect for the 2015 NFL draft, Williams put his ability on display in USC's win over Stanford. The Junior defensive tackle has a unique blend of size, power, and quickness that makes him a force on the interior of the line. Even though Williams was questionable for the game due to an ankle injury, he still came out and contributed a team-leading 11 tackles and a sack. Those impressive numbers didn't come against a bad O-Line either, even though Stanford's unit is young they are still well regarded and have additional benefits by going to a school known for producing good offensive lineman. Williams has a good chance to go in the top 3 picks this year, and potentially number one overall, as long as he keeps putting on shows like this each week.

Brian Walker, CB, North Carolina

Any time a player returns an interception 100 yards for a touchdown they've already had a good game, and any time that player adds another interception then it turns into a great one. Brian Walker did both of those things and also added 5 tackles in North Carolina's win over San Diego. Walker is one of the better young corner backs in the NCAA but he still needs to work on a few things before making the jump to the next level. He needs to play more physical and strengthen his tackling ability, but he has time to do that. He is only a sophomore and won't be eligible for the draft for two more years.

Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State

Last week it was Todd Gurley, a potential first round pick, who stole the show in the running game. This week it was a lesser known prospect, Jay Ajayi from Boise State. Ajayi ended the game against Colorado State with 219 rushing yards and two touchdowns along with 61 receiving yards with another touchdown. He seems to be a playmaker with the ball and if he can get outside he shows good burst to get down the field. If he can get the ball in space he knows what to do with it and can evade defenders as well as fight through some contact. Ajayi is currently projected as a late day two pick, but he needs to prove he still holds that value since running backs are becoming less and less valued each draft.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

As it stands right now I think Mariota is a little ahead of Jameis Winston in the battle to be the top QB and possibly the top pick in the 2015 draft. He shows good awareness in the pocket and has athletic ability to pressure defenses and keep pass rushers in check. Last week he showed, yet again, that he has all the tools to succeed in the NFL and the poise to pick his team up from a deficit. Michigan State got out to a 9 point lead by the start of the third quarter and the pressure was on for Mariota and the Ducks to put some points up to keep the game from getting out of hand. He responded by leading the team to three straight touchdown drives, along with a fourth late in the game to seal the win. Jacksonville's quarterback situation is (hopefully) solved with Blake Bortles, but Mariota is one to watch in case he somehow ends up in the AFC south.

Stock Down

Austin Hill, WR, Arizona

Hill was considered one of the better WR prospects before he tore his ACL, keeping him out for all of last season. He was hoping to come into this season and start hot early so he could rise back up draft boards, but its hard to see that happening after his performance last week. He only caught two passes for nine yards against University of Texas, San Antonia- a newly eligible FBS team. He is currently considered a third round pick but he will need to show he has recovered from his injury and can consistently produce if he hopes to retain that rating.

Kurtis Drummond, S, Michigan State

Last season Drummond proved himself to be the cornerstone of the Spartan's pass defense and was well regarded as one of the top safeties going into the season. He is known for making plays all over the field and defending the ball well, but he displayed none of that talent last Saturday. He only made three tackles against Oregon and all three came when the ball was already down the field. He got caught messing up his assignment a few times and ended up being more of a liability than an asset to the Spartan's defense. Drummond has a chance to be taken in the first round but he needs to get back to his play from last year to prove he is worth the high pick.

Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State

Not to try and kick Michigan State while they're down, but they had another top player with a poor performance last week vs Oregon. Calhoun is considered to be one of the top pass rushers for this year's draft and is a player to watch as the Jaguars could look to further improve their pass rush. He was dominated throughout the game by tackle Jake Fischer, a day three prospect at the moment. He only had four tackles and failed to record a single sack or even tackle for a loss. He was constantly beat and was unable to do anything to help his team. Like Drummond, Calhoun needs to get back to last year's form to keep from dropping further down draft boards.