Most Improved: Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Bech impressed all week in practice and was voted the best receiver on the American squad by opposing safeties and corners leading into Saturday. He certainly didn’t let off the gas on gameday, totaling six receptions for 68 yards and the game-winning touchdown as time expired. Bech took home the game’s MVP award.
Bech is an athletic and reactive receiver with near-perfect hands and a catch radius wide enough to grab any ball thrown even remotely near him. He adjusts to the ball’s flight in traffic to make safe catches, but he can also climb the ladder and get vertical to make leaping grabs. Bech fights to make catches through contact and shows elite concentration tracking the ball downfield through tight coverage. He’s also a strong and willing blocker with the frame (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) to be a solid contributor in the run game.
Bech earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors with 62 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns on the 2024 campaign. He came into Mobile as a late Day 2/early Day 3 prospect, but has likely cemented himself as a third or even late second-round pick after a week spent dazzling scouts with all aspects of his game.
Honorable Mention: Oluwafemi Oladejo, EDGE, UCLA
If Oladejo wasn’t a name you knew at the beginning of last week, that would have been understandable. But after some stellar outings in Mobile, he most certainly deserves a spot on your radar. The converted middle linebacker showed his prowess as a pass rusher throughout practice all week and delivered on Saturday with two solo sacks.
“Femi” is a bit short (6-foot-2) for a modern edge but makes up for it with his unique build, a lengthy and athletic rusher at 260 pounds who can attack tackles with power while also demonstrating solid bend. His versatility to play in the box or on the edge could make him a more enticing prospect to some teams depending on roster needs, and his background as a mike shows in his cerebral play. While this versatility makes him a bit difficult to forecast, Oladejo started the week as no more than a late-round pick and ended Saturday in the top 100 of many analysts’ boards.
Stock Up:
Sebastian Castro, DB, Iowa
Castro was simply all over the field on Saturday, a player who’s clearly spent time in the film room, always anticipating where the ball is going. Castro totaled four tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup, showing his versatility to both play in the box in run support and hold his own against receivers in the passing game. Taking full advantage of his time in Mobile, Castro has certainly earned himself a Day 3 pick from a team in need of ready-to-play depth at safety.
Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
Arroyo was one of the more impressive players of the practice week, consistently lighting up the field in 1-on-1s. Coming into Mobile widely ranked around the TE5-7 range, Arroyo’s stock rose tremendously as he displayed his versatility to line up tight or in the slot and the quick, long strides that make him a bonafide deep threat. There’s still a lot of raw athleticism to be polished, but Arroyo could find himself picked early in the early second round if his stock continues to rise throughout the draft process. He’s also the kind of player who, with a stellar combine, could hypothetically earn himself a Round 1 pick off athleticism alone.
Stock Down:
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Milroe is a physically talented passer with a big arm, but against live defenders — both in practice and on gameday — Milroe didn’t look like a player who is comfortable enough with reading and dissecting defenses to master and execute an NFL offense. He took a concerningly long time to move through his reads, taking a number of would-be sacks during non-live practice sessions. The same showed on Saturday, when Milroe used most of his limited passing reps on last-second checkdowns. The Alabama product has raw talent that will certainly still entice a number of teams, especially in a relatively shallow quarterback class. But this week in Mobile made it clear that the mental aspect of his game could use plenty of work.
Arian Smith, WR, Georgia
It’s worth noting that Smith definitely appeared to be one of the fastest players on the field all week in Mobile, giving opposing corners headaches all week in 1-on-1s. But he dropped numerous passes in practice, including three on Wednesday alone, and had a quiet gameday with no recorded stats. If Smith can fix the drop issue, he’s a game-changing talent. But speed only does so much if your quarterback can’t trust you to catch the ball.
Other Notes:
- While he struggled to break out on gameday, Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten displayed elite burst and vision on outside runs all week. His ability to get outside and hit the gas can hang with any other back in this class.
- Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa had a number of impressive grabs in practice. He’s athletic at the catch point, has good hands and tracks the ball well.
- Marshall edge Mike Green was electric in practice 1-on-1s. The 2024 FBS sack leader (17.0) showed his skills against top offensive line talent, proving he can hang at the next level.