Clemson-Syracuse, Washington St.-Cal, Week 7: TV schedule, game time, 2018 NFL Draft prospects to watch

Greetings 49er Faithful! We are back with our breakdown of college football's Week 7 action - keeping our sights set on the 2018 NFL Draft. And maybe you can use a distraction after the decision to release linebacker NaVorro Bowman.

Each week throughout the college season we will break down a few college football games providing highlights and profiles of a few notable draft-eligible prospects you should pay attention to. This will help people build a list of names to know when we get into the offseason.

We'll start things off covering tonight's match-ups pitting No. 2 Clemson vs. Syracuse and No. 8 Washington State vs. California. So, sit back, put your scouting hat on, and let's get things started with Week 7.

* = indicates junior status
** = indicates redshirt sophomore status
+ = injury status

No. 2 Clemson at Syracuse

Time: 4:00 PM PST
Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN

Clemson Tigers

*WR Deon Cain, No. 8, 6’1” - 210 lbs., 4.48 40 - (2nd)
*OT Mitch Hyatt, No. 75, 6'5" - 295 lbs., 5.08 40 - (1st)
OG Tyrone Crowder Jr., No. 55, 6'2" - 340 lbs., 5.53 40 - (4th-5th)
*OG Taylor Hearn, No. 51, 6’5” - 325 lbs., 5.43 40 - (2nd-3rd)
OG Maverick Morris, No. 69, 6'4" - 305 lbs., - (UDFA)
**DE Clelin Ferrell, No. 99, 6’5” - 265 lbs., 4.78 40 - (1st)
*DE Austin Bryant, No. 7, 6’5” - 265 lbs., 4.78 40 - (2nd)
*DT Christian Wilkins, No. 42, 6’4” - 310 lbs., 5.04 40 - (1st)
OLB Dorian O'Daniel, No. 6, 6'1" - 215 lbs., 4.69 40 - (7th)
CB Ryan Carter, No. 31, 5'9" - 180 lbs., 4.55 40 - (7th-UDFA)
CB Marcus Edmond, No. 29, 6'0" - 175 lbs., 4.50 40 - (UDFA)

Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

**DE Clelin Ferrell, No. 99, is a young prospect that has shown the capacity to improve throughout his young collegiate career. With a complete game showing dominance both against the run and the passing game, Ferrell offers a perfect blend of size, length (long arms), strength, and athleticism. He displays great burst off the edge utilizing his length to his advantage playing with excellent leverage, body control, and balance, adept at holding the point of attack and releasing with nice change of direction skills, agility, foot quickness, and power.

Ferrell also displays an excellent ability playing front-side blocks at the point of attack utilizing his length and power to successfully stack and shed showing a solid game setting the edge. Moreover, he brings impressive skills defending back-side blocks with nice athleticism, length, and closing speed.

Clemson's draft-eligible prospects to keep an eye on:
*WR Deon Cain, No. 8
*OT Mitch Hyatt, No. 75
OG Tyrone Crowder Jr., No. 55
*OG Taylor Hearn, No. 51
*DE Austin Bryant, No. 7
*DT Christian Wilkins, No. 42
OLB Dorian O'Daniel, No. 6
CB Ryan Carter, No. 31

Syracuse Orange

QB Zack Mahoney, No. 16, 6’2” - 206 lbs., - (UDFA)
WR Steve Ishmael, No. 8, 6’2” - 213 lbs., 4.53 40 - (7th)
WR/RB Ervin Phillips, No. 3, 5’11” - 184 lbs., - (7th-UDFA)
OT Jamar McGloster, No. 65, 6’7” - 303 lbs., - (UDFA)
OLB Jonathan Thomas, No. 23, 6’1” - 214 lbs., - (UDFA)
OLB Parris Bennett, No. 30, 6’0” - 225 lbs., - (7th-UDFA)
ILB Zaire Franklin, No. 4, 6’0” - 244 lbs., - (7th-UDFA)
FS Jordan Martin, No. 2, 6’3” - 206 lbs., - (UDFA)
K Cole Murphy, No. 48, 6’3” - 226 lbs., - (UDFA)

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

WR Steve Ishmael, No. 8, is the younger brother of current Atlanta Falcon’s safety Kemal Ishmael. Steve currently leads the nation in both receptions (56) and receiving yards (729). The go to guy for the Orange, Steve offers a nice combination of size, strength, athleticism, and physicality. Although he lacks ideal explosion and speed, Ishmael is a reliable and natural pass catcher with strong hands and does a great job working his strong hands and quick feet in concert to win at the point of attack (excellent size and strength to counteract when pressed) and wins in a crowd.

Ishmael shows fluidity in route running with the ability to break in and out of cuts and separate from defensive backs with decent suddenness. He showcases a great ability to elevate attacking the football at its highest point with strong reliable hands (extends arms to make the catch), solid body control, and excellent ball skills (impressive vision to track passes over the shoulder).

Syracuse's draft-eligible prospects to keep an eye on:
WR/RB Ervin Phillips, No. 3
OLB Parris Bennett, No. 30
ILB Zaire Franklin, No. 4

No. 8 Washington State at California

Time: 7:30 PM PST
Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN

Washington State Cougars

QB Luke Falk, No. 4, 6'4" - 225 lbs., 4.87 40 - (2nd)
RB Jamal Morrow, No. 25, 5'9" - 201 lbs., - (7th-UDFA)
RB Gerard Wicks, No. 23, 6'0" - 227 lbs., 4.59 40 - (UDFA)
WR CJ Dimry, No. 88, 6'5" - 201 lbs., - (UDFA)
OT Cole Madison, No. 61, 6'5" - 315 lbs., 5.17 40 - (6th-7th)
OG Cody O'Connell, No. 76, 6'8" - 354 lbs., 5.56 40 - (5th)
*DE Hercules Mata'afa, No. 50, 6'2" - 255 lbs., 4.75 40 - (6th)
DT Daniel Ekuale, No. 90, 6'3" - 290 lbs., - (UDFA)
OLB Frankie Luvu, No. 51, 6'2" - 230 lbs., - (UDFA)
+ILB Peyton Pelluer, No. 47, 6'0" - 235 lbs., 4.83 40 (7th-UDFA) out for the year with broken foot on 9/16/17.
ILB Isaac Dotson, No. 31, 6'1" - 224 lbs., 4.69 40 - (UDFA)
ILB Nate DeRider, No. 54, 6'1" - 226 lbs., - (UDFA)
CB Marcellus Pippins, No. 21, 5'10" - 175 lbs., - (UDFA)
CB Kirkland Parker, No. 10, 6'1" - 185 lbs., - (UDFA)
FS Robert Taylor, No. 2, 5'10" - 180 lbs., - (UDFA)
K Erik Powell, No. 46, 6'1" - 195 lbs., - (UDFA)

QB Luke Falk, No. 4, is a former walk-on prospect that has quickly become one of the most accurate passers in college football. The lanky Falk thrives in the quarterback friendly "Air Raid" offense boasting a strong arm capable of making all NFL throws and navigates well around the pocket with tremendous poise and good decision making. Although he dominates operating in a clean pocket (a luxury in the NFL), I love the subtle steps he uses to maneuver and climb constantly keeping his eyes down the field reading progressions across all parts of the field (not a one-read QB) with no pause in the pocket displaying great awareness, pocket presence, and feel.

Falk has a compact release with a nice snap of the wrist getting the ball out quick with tremendous pinpoint accuracy (accuracy his one of his best assets) and a quality zip on the ball with good ball placement. Needs more consistency with his downfield game lacking the necessary velocity on deep throws putting too much air under the ball allowing defenses to adjust and cleanly attack the football. Not a true dual threat, but does have decent mobility to escape.

Operating exclusively from the shotgun, Falk will need to learn to operate under center at the next level. Although coming from a high producing college offense inflating eye popping numbers, Falk possesses enough traits and intangibles that will project success at the next level, and with his workman-like intensive film study routine always eager to improve his game, he possess the necessary capacity to improve, which will bode well for his success at the next level.

Washington State's draft-eligible prospects to keep an eye on:
RB Jamal Morrow, No. 25
OT Cole Madison, No. 61
OG Cody O'Connell, No. 76
*DE Hercules Mata'afa, No. 50

California Bears

RB Vic Enwere, No. 23, 6’1” - 245 lbs., - (UDFA)
FB Fabiano Hale, No. 34, 6’0” - 225 lbs., - (UDFA)
WR Jordan Veasy, No. 15, 6’3 - 225 lbs., - (UDFA)
OT/C J.D. Hinnant, No. 77, 6’4” - 300 lbs., - (UDFA)
DE Rusty Becker, No. 90, 6’4” - 280 lbs., - (UDFA)
DT James Looney, No. 9, 6’3” - 280 lbs., 4.93 40 - (4th)
OLB Hamilton Anoa’i, No. 11, 6’2” - 250 lbs., - (UDFA)
ILB Devante Downs, No. 1, 6’3” - 245 lbs., 4.82 40 - (6th)
ILB Raymond Davison, No. 31, 6’2” - 235 lbs., - (UDFA)
CB Darius Allensworth, No. 2, 6’0” - 190 lbs., - (7th-UDFA)
CB Marloshawn Franklin, No. 18, 5’11” - 190 lbs., - (UDFA)
SS Luke Rubenzer, No. 17, 5’11” - 200 lbs., - (UDFA)
K Matt Anderson, No. 9, 6’0” - 195 lbs., 4.87 40 - (UDFA)

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

DT James Looney, No. 9, is the younger brother of former 49ers’ offensive guard Joe Looney. James is a thick-framed defensive tackle that is very athletic and nimble (nice balance) for a man his size with decent speed and great foot quickness. The former high school track and weightlifting athlete displays a high motor with relentless pursuit, quick burst off LOS, uses hands very well and is a disruptive force in the backfield. Shows good awareness and excellent instincts with a nose for the ball and closes fast hitting with explosion.

Looney displays a good ability to play front-side blocks at the point of attack with solid functional strength and the quickness and fluidity to disengage. He shows an excellent ability to defend against back-side blocks maneuvering through the trash with impressive quickness and closing speed. Looney is a versatile defensive lineman capable of playing all up and down the line; however, his ideal fit is a 3-technique as a quick penetrating disrupter.

California's draft-eligible prospects to keep an eye on:
ILB Devante Downs, No. 1
CB Darius Allensworth, No. 2
K Matt Anderson, No. 9

Player measurables courtesy of team pages. 40 times projected.