It was a wild weekend of college football that will affect the national rankings and playoff picture. Oregon, LSU and Texas A&M all lost, which will likely knock them out of the playoffs.
Texas lost to Oklahoma in the last seconds of the Red River Rivalry and will be knocked from the top perch of the rankings. Georgia beat Alabama to remain the only undefeated team in the SEC. And don’t look now, but UCLA is 5-0.
Coming to future NFL prospects, several offensive tackles were incredibly impressive in both wins and losses, helping boost their draft stocks. Here are the risers and sliders for Week 6.
Risers
Carter Smith/T/Indiana: Smith entered the season with solid middle-round grades, yet there were questions about his next-level position. Would he be able to line up at the left tackle spot, the position he’s held down at Indiana the past four seasons, on Sundays? Or would he have to move into guard?
The fact is, Smith has done nothing over the past three years to make next-level decision-makers believe he’s incapable of being a blindside protector in the NFL. Measuring under 6-foot-5, he’s probably a little shorter than what teams desire in a left tackle. Yet, Smith is fundamentally sound, smart, and efficient.
He was terrific during the Hoosiers’ comeback victory over Nebraska and has done an outstanding job protecting four different quarterbacks at Indiana.
Earnest Greene III/OL/Georgia: Greene is another blocker who lines up at left tackle on Saturdays but will get consideration at guard come Sundays. Regardless of what position he plays in the NFL, Greene has starting potential. During Georgia’s victory over Alabama, he was devastating as a run blocker and did a terrific job against the Tide’s outstanding pass rushers, shutting them down and protecting his quarterback. The ability to move his nearly 330-pound frame quickly to the second level and effectively block in motion was also impressive.
There was a wide range of opinions from scouts on Greene coming into the season; some graded him as a third-round prospect, while others believed he’s an undrafted free agent. I stand with the former and feel he’ll end up in the late part of Round 3 in next April’s draft.
Elijah Pritchett/T/Nebraska: The Cornhuskers played possibly their best game in a decade, but they could not hold on and lost a heartbreaker to Indiana. Yet the Nebraska offense moved the ball well, and a star was born on the offensive line. Well, sort of.
Elijah Prichett was graded as a late-round pick by scouts entering the season, but he has really elevated his game this season and looked spectacular against the Hoosiers. He’s a big left tackle who measures 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, yet he’s mobile and athletic. Prichett is a terrific pass protector, and his ability to block in motion and take defenders out at the second or even third level was impressive.
Prichett began his college career at Alabama and is experienced at both left and right tackle positions, which will only enhance his draft stock.
Donnie Smith/LB/Troy: Smith is little-known outside the scouting community, but he’s considered a draftable prospect by NFL decision-makers. Over five games, the forceful linebacker has five sacks, 5.5 TFLs, two forced fumbles, and 20 tackles.
Smith is an athletic defender who measures just under 6-foot-3.5 and 230 pounds and has the ability to add weight to his frame. He needs to improve his ability in coverage, but he offers possibilities as a pass rush specialist on Sundays.
Sleeper Prospect – Tawfiq Thomas/DT/Georgia Tech: The well-traveled Thomas, who made stops at Louisville then Colorado before settling on Georgia Tech, was on no one’s scouting radar entering the season. That has completely flipped the first half of this season. Five games into the 2026 campaign, the powerful defensive tackle has posted career numbers for tackles, sacks, and forced fumbles.
He was an indomitable force during the Jackets’ victory over Duke, totaling seven tackles and one TFL. Thomas is massive, listed at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, and plays to his size. In a draft that will be lacking depth at the defensive tackle position, Thomas is certainly moving from draft nonentity to late-round pick the way he’s played.
Small-school Prospect – Abubakarr Kamara/S/Yale: You’ll be hard-pressed to find draftable defensive prospects from the FCS level in 2027, but in a limited pool, Kamara rates as the best. He’s a large safety who tips the scales at 211 pounds, yet he moves around the field like a 200-pound defensive back. Kamara is smooth, fluid, and stands out defending the run. Against Dartmouth on Saturday, he posted four tackles as well as his first interception of the season during the Bulldogs’ victory. I would expect Kamara to end up in a postseason All-Star game and then get consideration in the late rounds of next year’s draft.
Slider
Xavier Chaplin/T/Florida State: After two sensational seasons at Virginia Tech, when scouts justifiably graded him as a potential top-10 prospect, Chaplin has watched his game fall off a cliff. The slide began at Auburn last season, when he was constantly flagged for illegal motion penalties and showed a lot of inconsistent play. There have been times this season when Chaplin flashed the dominance displayed early in his career. Yet, for the most part, his game looks as if it’s in disrepair.
Late in the second half against Louisville on Friday, when the Seminoles were driving for a desperately needed score after surrendering a 14-point lead, Chaplin set the offense back with an illegal motion penalty, followed by allowing a pressure that finished the drive. People no longer question where in the draft Chaplin will land. Rather, they wonder if this once-highly rated prospect will be selected at any point during the seven rounds.
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The post NFL Draft Risers and Sliders: Offensive Tackles Shine in Week 6 as Indiana's Carter Smith and Georgia's Earnest Greene III Stand Out appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.