As the college football season enters its final month on the schedule, national and conference rankings are on the line. While no top five teams are expected to be challenged this weekend, several top prospects will be meeting head to head. Here are the top 2022 NFL Draft prospect matchups to watch in Week 11.
Early Week 11 2022 NFL Draft prospect matchups
One of the best head-to-head matchups between top prospects can be found in the noon kickoff between Michigan and Penn State. Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson has been terrorizing opponents all season and is on a straight shot north up draft boards.
He projects as a first-round prospect and goes up against another potential top-32 player in Rasheed Walker, the Nittany Lions’ athletic left tackle. The game is of utmost importance for Walker, a terrific pass protector who often struggles against the power that opponents like Hutchinson bring.
Another Big Ten matchup featuring a top pass rusher against a highly-rated tackle starts at 3:30 PM ET when Purdue travels to Ohio State. In this case, it’s a pair of juniors expected to enter the draft. George Karlaftis, the Boilermakers’ explosive edge defender, battles Buckeyes left tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere in what should be a classic matchup.
Karlaftis has struggled against big-bodied blockers this season, getting stymied during the Wisconsin and Minnesota games. Petit-Frere is not only big-bodied but athletic, and he’s receiving first-round grades from scouts.
Late Week 11 2022 NFL Draft prospect matchups
The evening contests start with Texas A&M battling Ole Miss in what should be a high-scoring SEC affair. Can the Aggies defense slow down Rebels QB Matt Corral? Can the Rebels’ defense stop Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller?
This game is loaded with underclassmen expected to enter the draft and end up as top-60 picks. I’ve previously reported Ole Miss signal-caller Corral is headed to the draft as is Aggies offensive lineman Kenyon Green. I’m told Green is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to A&M underclassmen ready to jump to the NFL.
We’ll have details in next week’s edition of the Between the Hashes podcast.