Six Pack- Week 2

Each week during the 2024 college football season Draft Nation will take a look at six players who helped their draft stock with solid performances. As the season progresses, Draft Nation will start to zoom in on first round talent. 

Here is the six pack from this past week:

Boise State- RB, Ashton Jeanty

Draft Nation tries not to repeat one of our six-pack choices in back to back weeks. But we are making an exception with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. After running for a school record 267 yards against Georgia Southern, he rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns against a top-10 team in the Oregon Ducks. On the season, Jeanty has rushed for 459 yards and nine touchdowns, throwing his hat into the early Heisman talk. Jeanty has an exceptional blend of size, vision and cutting ability that makes him a potential first round pick in 2025.

Pitt- RB, Desmond Reid

Desmond Reid is a 5-foot-8 transfer from Western Carolina who followed his offensive coordinator Kade Bell to the Steel City. This past Saturday, Reid did something that has never been done in Pitt football history—he had over 100 yards rushing (148) and receiving (106) in the same game. 

Reid is fast and surprisingly powerful for his size. In two weeks he has now rushed for 293 yards. He is the first Pitt running back to start his Panthers career with back to back 100-yard-games since former NFL'er Dion Lewis. 

It will be interesting to see how NFL teams embrace a running back like Desmond Reid. Reid is only a junior so he has the potential to put up some huge numbers this season and come back to school in 2025, as he tries to add muscle and bulk to his smallish frame.

Texas- QB, Quinn Ewers

Quinn Ewers took a huge step in proving that he is one of top quarterbacks in this class. Against a very good Michigan defense, Ewers had his way with the Wolverines throughout the game, finishing the day 24 of 36, for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He also showed off his big play ability, connecting on six throws of over 20+ yards. 

Footwork and mechanics were two of the negative parts of Ewers' game in 2023, but he has improved both in the early going of this campaign. He is another name to watch in the Heisman race and is the leader of one of the nation’s top teams that will be battling for a spot in the national championship game.

Ohio State- RB, Quinshon Judkins

Ohio State already had superstar running back TreVeyon Henderson in their backfield when entering the 2024 season. So adding one of the nation’s top running backs from the transfer portal would give them the nation’s top backfield. Enter Quinshon Judkins, who ran for 2,725 yards and 34 touchdowns in his two seasons at Ole Miss. 

People questioned how the Buckeyes will feed both of their running backs the ball. After two games they have split the carries around 50/50 with 22 attempts for Judkins and 18 for Henderson. 

Judkins made the most of his nine carries this past weekend against Western Michigan totaling 108 yards, with two touchdowns. Although he will probably not be able to match the numbers of Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State) or Ashton Jeanty (Boise State), it doesn’t mean he is not the best running back in the nation and could hear his name mentioned first in next year's draft at his position. He is physical and has an exceptional burst that reminds Draft Nation of a young and healthy Nick Chubb.

Iowa- LB, Jay Higgins

The Iowa Hawkeyes lost a close rivalry game to Iowa State this past weekend 20-19, on a 54-yard field goal with only 0:06 seconds left. However, Iowa got a standout performance from their fifth-year senior linebacker Jay Higgins. Higgins was all over the field making plays, collecting 11 tackles and adding a big interception and forced fumble to keep Iowa ahead. 

Higgins is a versatile linebacker who has a high football IQ and instincts that help cover up his average athletic ability. He may not be the quickest linebacker on the field, but his nose for the football and his tackling skills make him one of the top inside linebackers coming out.

Oklahoma State- LB, Obi Ezeigbo

Ezeigbo is a super senior who arrived at OSU in the spring of 2024 after spending five years at NCAA Division II’s Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. In his first start as a Cowboy, he did not disappoint. He helped Oklahoma State hold on for an overtime victory against Arkansas, by compiling nine tackles (3.5 for loss) and two sacks.

Ezeigbo is considered a late round draft pick or UDFA in the 2025 draft. He is raw and most scouts won’t take him too seriously until he can prove these numbers are consistent. Playing at Gannon for five years will make this a tough climb for him. On tape against Arkansas he was quick and strong and made plays so Draft Nation will keep an eye on him as the season plays out.