Week 7 of the college football season is upon us and this can be considered the midway point of the year. With plenty of upsets across the country, this week’s slate of games doesn’t provide nearly as many ranked opponent matchups, there are lots of prospect vs. prospect battles to keep an eye on.

Darian Kinnard vs. Adam Anderson

The best prospect vs. prospect matchup of the week comes in the game that everyone has circled. Kinnard has played like one of the best offensive linemen in the country this season. A body type and game that resembles Cody Ford when coming out of Oklahoma, there will be plenty of debates about if he’s best suited as a guard or tackle.

One of the bigger reasons why scouts feel better about his pro projection at guard is because of his inconsistencies with handling rushers that can win the corner quickly. Kinnard has been dominant as a run blocker and made strides as a pass protector. Saturday will be his toughest test yet as he will face a wave of talented edge rushers.

Based on previous tendencies, the one that projects to align over his side the most is Adam Anderson. The most popular senior prospect predicted to make huge strides in his development, the Georgia defensive end has lived up to the hype thus far. With 11 pressures and four sacks through five games, the senior rusher is tasked with the type of blocker that thrives in all of his weaknesses. Anderson’s firmness against the run and ability to finish at the quarterback will both be put to the test.

Charles Cross vs. Alabama

A resume game for Cross, one that scouts will surely look at first, Alabama is fresh off of a crushing 41-38 loss to Texas A&M. Returning to Tuscaloosa and looking to get back on track, all eyes will be on Cross to see how well he plays against a talented defensive front. An athletic and active prospect at the position, Cross is light (290 pounds), but he displays adequate strength at the point of attack. Questions about Cross’s anchor will be the topic of discussion when his name comes up, but he has spurts that provide promise about him continuing to gain weight and adding strength overall.

An aspect that scouts could bring up about Cross is that every season that he’s played, he’s continued to improve. His final two seasons of high school are evidence of that. A 3-star prospect coming into his junior season at Laurel High School (MS), he experienced a breakout campaign that later led to him becoming a consensus 5-star prospect and the top-ranked recruit in Mississippi. That type of trajectory is a trend that could lead to Cross being a top-50 pick. If he has similar success against Alabama, it will go a long way and be a highlight at the top of his pre-draft portfolio.

Roger McCreary vs. Treylon Burks

After being limited to only 10 receiving yards against Georgia, Burks responded with a big day against Ole Miss. Collecting seven receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown, he got back on track for what’s been a good start for the Razorbacks. Facing off against what could be considered one of the more underrated prospects in the country regardless of position, McCreary has been the best defensive player for the Tigers so far this season. With a maturely built upper half coupled with plenty of speed, McCreary is a physical off-man corner that straddles the line of knowing how much physicality he can and can’t get away with.

Prospect Spotlight

Washington CB Kyler Gordon

Quote: “Everyone talks about McDuffie (Trent), but the one opposite of him might be even better.” - AFC scout

Speaking with a scout from an AFC team last weekend, they mentioned Washington redshirt sophomore corner Kyler Gordon as a prospect that’s not talked about enough. With Trent McDuffie nursing a sore ankle over the past month, Gordon has taken advantage of being the team’s CB1. Watching him against Cal, he displayed plenty of fluidity, but it’s his ball skills and physicality that immediately jump off of the screen when watching him. The two-interception performance provided a glimpse of what he’s capable of.

A member of Bruce Feldman’s illustrious Freak’s List, Gordon reportedly owns a 42.5 vertical and has run a short shuttle time of 3.87. Another key note about the Huskies corner, he’s been the program’s Special Teams Player of the Year twice already throughout his career.