The expanded College Football Playoff resumes today. And you know that I’ll be keeping an eye on any potential Chicago Bears prospect fits while games are going on — starting with tonight’s Penn State-Boise State showdown.
Chicago Bears prospect watch begins with the college football playoffs
Using prospect rankings from CBS Sports, I have listed all the prospects who check in among the top 150 whose teams are playing this weekend:
Boise State vs. Penn State
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
Abdul Carter, Penn State edge defender (8th overall, EDGE-2) Ashton Jeanty, Boise State running back (13th overall, RB-1) Tyler Warren, Penn State tight end (36th overall, TE-2) Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State safety (57th overall, S-3) Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State defensive lineman (68th overall, DL-14) Nicholas Singleton, Penn State running back (76th overall, RB-4) Jaylen Reed, Penn State safety (118th overall, S-9)I don’t know if enough quarterbacks will go high enough to drop Abdul Carter into a spot where the Bears can draft him. Even if that could happen, I still feel as if Chicago’s football team would need to lose out *AND* get some help in the form of wins from teams ahead of them on the draft board. It seems unlikely that Carter would drop into the Bears’ laps. But I can dream, right?
With that being said, it wouldn’t take much to get me on board with pairing Abdul Carter with Montez Sweat on the Bears defensive line. Carter teaming up with Sweat, a healthy Andrew Billings, and an upstart Gervon Dexter Sr. (who leads the team in sacks and QB hits) in 2025 would be a welcome sight.
MORE: How the Bears Can Land a Top-5 Pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
In my perfect world, Chicago’s football team would address its offensive and defensive line needs in free agency and via trade to the point where it could take the best player available on draft day. And in a fun world, the Bears would add Ashton Jeanty, the game-changing running back from Boise State, to run behind a new-look (and improved) offensive line. Jeanty’s running style is something I could get used to watching in the winter months of the football season — especially if Chicago can reel in Lions OC Ben Johnson as its head coach. Watching the Lions operate with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery has me dreaming about what the Bears could do with a talented backfield combo.
Arizona State vs. Texas
Wednesday, Noon CT on ESPN
Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas offensive tackle (9th overall, OT-1) Isaiah Bond, Texas wide receiver (35th overall, WR-5) Cameron Williams, Texas offensive tackle (59th overall, OT-7) Jahdae Barron, Texas cornerback (60th overall, CB-6) Alfred Collins, Texas defensive lineman (95th overall, DL-18) Cam Skattebo, Arizona State running back (135th overall, RB-8)Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. has been one of the players most often sent to Chicago in mock drafts. If the Bears could come away with the 2025 NFL Draft’s top offensive tackle prospect, I’d be a happy camper. And I imagine quarterback Caleb Williams would feel similarly if his offensive line added the award-winning offensive lineman.
It is early for me to do a deep dive on potential Bears draft prospects. But the vibes Kelvin Banks Jr. gives off are kin to what I am used to seeing for prospects deemed to be safe. As far as I’m concerned, getting a “safe” plug-and-play lineman prospect is the type of draft-day move I would welcome with open arms.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesOregon vs. Ohio State
Wednesday, 4 p.m. CT on ESPN
Josh Simmons, Ohio State offensive tackle (19th overall, OT-3) Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State wide receiver (24th overall, WR-3) Jack Sawyer, Ohio State Edge defender (26th overall, EDGE-7) Donovan Jackson, Ohio State interior offensive lineman (27th overall, IOL-2) Tyleik Williams, Ohio State defensive lineman (33rd overall, DL-5) Derrick Harmon, Oregon defensive lineman (34th overall, DL-6) Denzel Burke, Ohio State cornerback (37th overall, CB-4) JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State edge defender (43rd overall, EDGE-9) Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State running back (45th overall, RB-2) Evan Stewart, Oregon wide receiver (69th overall, WR-7) TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State running back (76th overall, RB-5) Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State cornerback (78th overall, CB-7) Lathan Ransom, Ohio State safety (99th overall, S-6) Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon offensive tackle (102nd overall, OT-14) Jordan Burch, Oregon defensive lineman (105th overall, DL-20) Ajani Cornelius, Oregon interior offensive lineman (117th overall, IOL-5) Terrance Ferguson, Oregon tight end (120th overall, TE-6) Tez Johnson, Oregon wide receiver (134th overall, WR-20)It is going to take some time for me to get used to seeing a matchup between the Ducks and the Buckeyes as a Big Ten showdown. In the meantime, I’ll occupy my time sorting through this list of prospects — of which there are plenty to choose from in this game. This might be the most loaded playoff game this postseason has to offer college football fans — and it is a Round 2 matchup. Who let this happen and didn’t try to make this a semifinal or final-round showdown?
MORE: How the Bears Can Pick as High as Fifth in the 2025 NFL Draft
Georgia vs. Notre Dame
Wednesday, 7:45 p.m. CT on ESPN
Mykel Williams, Georgia edge defender (11th overall, EDGE-3) Malaki Starks, Georgia safety (14th overallll, S-1) Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame cornerback (17th overall, CB-2) Jalon Walker, Georgia edge defender (22nd overall, EDGE-6) Tate Ratledge, Georgia offensive tackle (63rd overall, OT-9) Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia defensive lineman (65th overall, DL-13) Smael Mondon Jr., Georgia linebacker (72nd overall, LB-5) Howard Cross, Notre Dame defensive lineman (80th overall, DL-15) Oscar Delp, Georgia TE (92nd overall, TE-5) Xavier Watts, Notre Dame safety (111th overall, S-8) Dylan Fairchild, Georgia interior offensive lineman (129th overall, IOL-7) Earnest Greene III, Georgia offensive tackle (139th overall, OT-15)I said it ahead of the Fighting Irish’s first playoff game, and I’ll say it again: The best-case scenario here would be any result that eliminates Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman from consideration to become the next Bears head coach. With all due respect to Coach Freeman, I am looking for something else out of whoever is coaching the Bears in 2025.
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