As we flip the calendar to November, the stretch slate of playoff implicating fixtures is set to begin. First up this weekend is Big Noon Saturday’s game of the week between Ohio State and Penn State!
Live from State College, Pennsylvania will be FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show, as well as ESPN’s College GameDay! The fact that rival broadcasting crews will be hosting from the same venue this Saturday simply highlights the gravitas of this Big Ten showdown.
As we prepare ourselves for this clash between top five teams, here are three NFL prospects to watch for.
*Rankings are based on ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller’s top 50 prospect list
Abdul Carter | DE | PSU (Overall: #5 / Position: #1)
Just like his Penn State pass rushing predecessor Micah Parsons, Abdul Carter sports the #11 jersey along the defensive line for the Nittany Lions. Carter, who naturally imposes with his 6’3” / 252 lbs frame, is a monster coming off the edge.
He’s a versatile player that has the size and speed to rush the passer and round up the opposition, as indicative of his four sacks and 30 total tackles thus far this season. In addition though, Carter has the ability to wreak havoc when the ball is in the air, which is rather rare for someone who plays so close to the line of scrimmage — Carter has 11 pass breakups and one interception during his time in Happy Valley.
Come Saturday, coach James Franklin and his Nittany Lions will look too Carter to be the team’s tone setter against OSU’s potent offensive attack. If Carter can supply consistent pressure towards quarterback Will Howard, then expect this contest to be competitive down the stretch.
Quinshon Judkins | RB | OSU | (Overall: #26 / Position: #2)
Coming out of high school, the Alabama-native, Quinshon Judkins, was overlooked by his in-state’s flagship university. With Judkins being considered just a three star prospect, Nick Saban and his Alabama coaching staff were searching elsewhere for perceived top running back talent — the Tide signed four star running back Jamarion Miller from Tyler, Texas instead.
In turn, Judkins signed for an up and coming Ole Miss program, led by Lane Kiffin — Kiffin guided Ole Miss to a 10-3 record in 2021, his second season at the helm in Oxford, Mississippi. Immediately, Judkins’s quality stood out when he arrived on campus in 2022, and as a result he scampered for more than 1,500 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns as a freshman. It was clear that Kiffin had found himself an offensive playmaking gem.
In ensuring that his rookie season wasn’t a fluke, Judkins produced another superb year from the backfield as a sophomore — Judkins amassed 1,300 total yards from the line of scrimmage, and struck pay-dirt 17 times in total.
Quinshon then parlayed his back-to-back 1st Team All-SEC campaigns into becoming a hot commodity in the transfer portal market — Judkins was ranked as the nation’s top transfer running back, according to 247Sports. As a result, the Pike Road alumnus was rewarded by earning a transfer to Ohio State.
Since his arrival in Columbus, Judkins’s yardage numbers are down when compared to his time at Ole Miss. However, this has more to do with his workload being shared with TreyVeon Henderson, as opposed to performance issues. Judkins is actually averaging a career best 6.4 yards per carry this term, and is still on pace to record double digits in touchdowns.
Judkins is a dynamic player for the Buckeyes, one that is a factor from both carrying the rock and catching the ball when released from the backfield. If OSU is to succeed on Saturday, then Judkins needs to have himself quite a day inside Beaver Stadium.
Drew Allar | QB | PSU (Overall: #42 / Position: #6)
Unlike OSU’s Judkins, Allar was a ballyhooed prospect coming out of high school. According to 247Sports, Allar was a five star recruit and ranked as the nation’s top quarterback in the 2022 class. As such, Allar came to Happy Valley with the weight of championship expectations on his shoulders — titles that have yet to be realized.
Here in Allar’s third season at PSU, the Ohio-native is producing career highs in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating. As a result, the Nittany Lions are off to a 7-0 start to the season and boast legitimate chances of reaching the Big Ten title game and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.
If such heights are to in fact be reached this campaign, then Allar must perform better this time around than he did a year ago versus the Buckeyes — Allar completed only 42.8% of his passes on 42 attempts en route to a dismal offensive display and eventual loss against OSU.
Watch: No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Penn State | 12:00 p.m. | FOX
Pregame (LIVE from State College, PA): Big Noon Kickoff | 10 a.m. ET | FOX ; College GameDay | 9:00 a.m. ET | ESPN