Patriots Prospect Preview: Six College Players To Watch In Week 1

Welcome to the Patriots Prospect Preview, the only place to find college football prospects worth keeping your Patriots-happy eye on throughout the season. Let’s keep it moving with Week 1.

We got a nice little taste of college football last weekend, with the Week 0 slate offering us a glimpse at some potential offensive and defensive lineman that Bill Belichick certainly had his eyes on.

That’s why we’re going to spare you from lineman talk this week, as the full slate of games gives us an opportunity to talk about some of the fast guys! Let’s quit wasting time and jump into the list of college players all Patriots fans should keep an eye on this weekend.

Storm Duck (#29), CB, Louisville
Week 1: vs. Georgia Tech (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)

Let’s all appreciate the name and move on quickly, because Storm Duck (haha) is a legit football player.

Duck was incredible as a freshman at North Carolina, but injuries kept him off the field in both his second and third seasons. He returned to form in 2022, being named Second-Team All-ACC and recording three interceptions, but will likely need one more campaign to prove that he’s worthy of being invested in during the upcoming draft. He’ll hope that comes at Louisville, where we picked his first game as a measure to see how well he can defend the run against Georgia Tech.

There’s an ability to play both cornerback and safety, which could be on full display against the Yellow Jackets.

JoJo Earle (#11), WR, TCU
Week 1: vs. Colorado (Saturday, 12 p.m. ET on FOX)

A random wide receiver from TCU? That’s boring, which is why we’re choosing a TCU wideout that transferred in from Alabama and has all the tools needed to be successful at the next level.

Earle seemed to crack the rotation as a sophomore last season with the Crimson Tide, but an early-season injury hampered his ability to stay in the rotation. He still managed to score three touchdowns and provide some value on special teams. If there was ever a week to show up and show out, it will be in his first game with the Horned Frogs, which comes against Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.

Jacob Dobbs (#27), LB, Holy Cross
Week 1: vs. Merrimack (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

This one is for folks local to New England, who can head on down to Worcester, Mass. and watch one of the best linebackers in the country go to work for Holy Cross.

Jacob Dobbs is (literally) a freak, returning to full-scale workouts just three months after dislocating his elbow — which caused him to tear his forearm, UCL and triceps tendon. The four-time Crusader captain made 137 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss in his last full season, helping contribute to his mile-long list of accomplishments. The fifth-year senior has done just about everything in his career, and a solid return from a nasty injury could be enough to put him on the map as a potential NFL draft prospect.

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Ja’Tavion Sanders (#0), TE, Texas
Week 1: vs. Rice (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX)

The Patriots could very well enter the 2024 NFL Draft without Hunter Henry or Mike Gesicki on the roster, so it’s time to start looking at tight ends.

Sanders might be the second best in this class (we’ll get to the best eventually) and a matchup against lowly Rice might just be the perfect time to take a peek at what he can do. The 6-foot-4 pass-catcher’s tape will be all about progress, as a crowded receiver room might keep his numbers at a pedestrian level. You shouldn’t be fooled, though, as he’s able to do just about everything that you can ask of a tight end. This could be a big week for the junior.

Antwane Wells Jr. (#3), WR, South Carolina
Week 1: vs. North Carolina (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC)

We’re going to end this thing off with a pair of wideouts, because that seems to be the talk of the town lately. Antwane Wells is perhaps the lesser known of the two we’ll discuss, but has an opportunity to break out as one of the top receivers in the country this season.

Wells started his career at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, transferred to James Madison and broke the receiving record, then transferred again to South Carolina, where he led the Gamecocks in receiving in his first season. He’s got a physical play style that should pop off the screen in the SEC, with another big season putting him in contention of being a top-50 pick.

Johnny Wilson (#14), WR, Florida State
Week 1: vs. LSU (Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC)

Johnny Wilson is listed at 6-foot-6 and 237 pounds, putting him in the 98th percentile of all NFL wideouts. He’s a true “X” receiver, who can block, make contested catches and appears to have some ability after the catch. The Patriots have been spurned by selecting players of his mold in the past, but it never really seems to stop them.

If they don’t ever draft him, which is obviously the likely outcome, it will still be worth watching him put on a show against LSU.