NFL Draft Risers and Sliders: Wacky Week 7 Sends Indiana’s Charlie Becker Up and Texas’ Arch Manning Further Down

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What a weekend in college football! Five of the teams ranked in the top 10 coming into Saturday lost, including several nail-biters that were decided on the last play of the game! How strange a weekend was it? Miami quarterback Darian Mensah threw his first interception of the season; that’s how weird it was. This week’s risers and sliders focus on several well-known players as well as a punter. Here are the risers and sliders for Week 7.

Risers

Jeremiah Smith/WR/Ohio State: I feel like a coward claiming the player unanimously considered the top prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft is a riser. How can you rise when you’re already at the top? Yet Smith proved how much he means to the Ohio State offense during the team’s razor-thin victory over Indiana. The numbers were solid and included four receptions, 68 yards, and one TD, which was a magnificent catch that put the Buckeyes up for good. Yet the meticulous way Indiana double-teamed Smith on every snap was amazing to watch and opened the field for his teammates. Smith is not only the top-rated prospect in next April’s draft, but he’s the best player in college football and will contend for the Heisman Trophy in two months.

Charlie Becker/WR/Indiana: Even though his team lost, Becker came out as a winner. He outplayed the aforementioned Smith, catching nine passes for 165 yards, and came through with several incredible receptions during critical moments of the game, as he has in the past two seasons. Becker makes big play after big play and has done so since stepping on the field for the first time last season. He possesses excellent size and speed as well as natural pass-catching hands. With Cam Coleman disappointing at Texas, in large part due to the struggles of his quarterback, Becker now ranks as WR2.

Week 7 just reshuffled the entire draft board in unexpected ways. Subscribe to stay ahead of every rise, fall, and surprise that could reshape April's selections.

Cade Uluave/LB/BYU: The Cougars’ upset victory over Notre Dame was one of the games decided on the final play, and there were several good performances from both sides. Yet Uluave stood out in a variety of ways and continues to prove he’s one of the most underrated off-ball linebackers in the nation. He finished with a game-leading nine tackles, was credited with one TFL, and had several pressures, disrupting Irish quarterback CJ Carr on the blitz. Uluave is fierce, explosive, and incredibly intense. Scouts could tell since his sophomore season at Cal that Uluave had NFL ability, and he presently grades as a Day 2 prospect on the Essentially Sports big board.

Alec Clark/P/Florida: It’s rare that a punter, especially from the ranks of the underclassmen, makes the risers list, but Clark is more than worthy. He almost single-handedly kept the Gators in the game during the first half of the team’s upset victory over Texas. While the Florida offense struggled to move the ball, Clark continually pinned the Longhorns deep, winning the field position battle for the Gators. He averaged almost 52 yards on six punts, with a long of 75 yards; this was the second time this season he’s booted the ball 70 yards or longer. Clark showed the ability to directional punt and put great hang time on kicks. He’s definitely a name to keep on the radar.

Sleeper Prospect – Ja’Marion Wayne/CB/Coastal Carolina: Scouts graded Wayne as a free-agent prospect entering the season, but he’s since proven to be worthy of draft consideration. Wayne has terrific cornerback size at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, and plays tough, physical football. He’s an intelligent cornerback who diagnoses plays and is constantly around the action. In seven games, he’s collected 32 tackles, four passes defended, and two interceptions. Speed is a question mark when it comes to evaluating Wayne, and his testing numbers, specifically in the 40, will be critical in determining if he ends up in the draft’s seven rounds.

Small School Prospect – Kellen Reed/WR/Grand Valley State: Graded as a PFA by scouts entering the season, Reed is making his case to be a Day 3 selection. In seven games, he’s amassed 48 receptions, 910 receiving yards, and 16 TDs, amazing totals. He’s also lent a helping hand returning kicks. Reed is small (5-foot-10, 175 pounds), but he’s a fast, explosive gamebreaker. He also runs solid routes, catches everything thrown to him, and has potential as a slot receiver/return specialist at the next level.

Sliders

Arch Manning/QB/Texas: This should come as no surprise to anyone, as Manning has never lived up to the hype or expectations. He was outplayed by a redshirt freshman who was a backup on the depth chart during the loss to Florida. Manning could not move the offense when the run game wasn’t working, struggled to withstand the rush, and at times looked completely lost. Almost three weeks ago, I mentioned that one NFL general manager compared him to Jake Locker and believed Manning needed to return for another year on the college field, an opinion quickly growing in league circles. Except for one half against Ohio State and a few drives this season, Manning has looked no better than ordinary.

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