Potential Patriots Draft Targets Fill Week 7 College Football Slate
New England's next QB could be playing in one of these games
Welcome to The Slate, your home for college football picks at NESN.com. Here you can find our best bets to follow across (mostly) Saturdays in the fall. Let’s keep it pushing with Week 7.
The New England Patriots are in desperate need of a new quarterback.
What does that have to do with college football’s slate this weekend, you ask? Well, all the good ones are playing each other.
We’ve been giving out CFB picks all year long, and while we’ve been doing that, Mac Jones has made it increasingly clear that he’s probably not long-term for New England. That has given us a perfect opportunity in Week 7, with eight draft-eligible quarterbacks about to enter a huge stage of their season.
We’re going to shine a light on those guys, while also making some picks, with all odds coming from DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Colorado (-11) vs. Stanford
(Friday, 10 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Shedeur Sanders is likely going to remain at Colorado for longer than one season, but he’s got a case for being a first-round pick in April. The 21-year-old takes care of the football and has all the physical tools to be successful at the next level. If he comes out, he might fall right into the Patriots’ lap.
In terms of out pick, we’re going to bank on Stanford continuing to stink. The Cardinal have lost four games by an average of 22.5 points per game this season, so we like Sanders to lead a motivated Buffaloes team to an easy victory.
The Pick: Colorado -11
Arkansas @ Alabama (-20)
(Saturday, 12 p.m. ET on ESPN)
K.J. Jefferson is a damn good football player, but is he going to play quarterback at the next level? The 245-pound quarterback is a monster with the ball in is hands, having scored 80 touchdowns throughout his career with the Razorbacks. He’d be an interesting project to work with, no matter what team drafts him.
This is Jefferson’s last chance to beat Alabama, having lost to the Crimson Tide in three consecutive matchups. He did keep things close in 2021, however. We expect him to do that once again, especially against this shaky Alabama squad.
The Pick: Arkansas +20
Oregon @ Washington (-3)
(Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC)
This is where things get interesting. Oregon and Washington each have a potential first-rounder under center. Bo Nix has found his way back into the conversation amid a stellar year with Oregon, while Michael Penix Jr. might just be the best Heisman Trophy bet you can make with Washington.
We think Penix Jr. is the better player, but we’re going to take Oregon to win this one on the road. There isn’t a single thing the Ducks have done this season to suggest they’ll lose this one, with their defense looking like one of the best in the country.
The Pick: Oregon ML
More College Football
USC @ Notre Dame (-2.5)
(Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC)
What’s that, two more potential Patriots targets?
USC quarterback Caleb Williams will be the No. 1 pick, so things would have to completely derail for him to end up in New England. That’s not off the table, though. Sam Hartman will be under center for Notre Dame, and despite coming off some ugly outings, he’s got the feel of a long-time backup in the NFL.
It wouldn’t be smart to bet against USC, no matter how bad that defense is.
The Pick: USC ML
North Carolina (-3.5) vs. Miami
(Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC)
Drake Maye is the consensus No. 2 option behind Williams, and he’s quietly leading North Carolina to a tremendous season. He’s going to have the chance to beat Miami and Tyler Van Dyke while their down, with the Hurricanes completely fumbling their season away last week.
It isn’t nice, but we think the Tar Heels are going to do just that.
The Pick: UNC -3.5
Season Record: 16-14-0
