2024 NFL Draft: Week 4 Prospect Stock Report
By Jack Brentnall
Week 4 of the college football season is in the books. Which prospects boosted their draft capital? And which saw it take a tumble? Here are four prospects who saw their stock shift after this weekend.
Stock UP: Spencer Rattler – QB, South Carolina
If Spencer Rattler feels like a name that has been on the NFL Draft radar for ages, that is because he has. The former Oklahoma quarterback was once considered a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 class. After a benching and a subsequent transfer to South Carolina, it is fair to say things didn’t end up quite as he probably planned. Nevertheless, he has continued working and finds himself once again earning the attention of NFL scouts.
Rattler was absolutely surgical against Mississippi State in Week 4. He completed 18 of his 20 passes, with an adjusted completion rate of 90.0%. He averaged a massive 14.4 yards per attempt, throwing for three touchdowns and no interceptions and finishing the game with a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Rattler also showed up as a scrambler, with 43 yards and two first downs on eight carries.
Stock UP: Braelon Allen – RB, Wisconsin
After earning a reputation as a workhorse back during his first two seasons in Wisconsin, Allen has taken on a slightly different role so far in 2023. After averaging 19.2 carries per game in 2022, he has shared the Badgers’ rushing workload with Chez Mellusi. With Mellusi going down with an injury against Purdue in Week 4, Allen needed to step up and he delivered.
He tore through Purdue’s defense over and over again, averaging 7.3 yards per carry as he racked up 116 yards on 16 attempts. Allen also forced eight missed tackles. As things stand, Allen feels like a leading contender for the RB1 spot in the 2024 NFL Draft. With the potential for a bigger workload down the stretch, he’s only likely to strengthen that case.
Stock UP: Jonah Elliss – EDGE, Utah
Elliss comes from a storied football family. His father Luther played as a defensive tackle in the NFL for 10 years. His three older brothers, Kaden, Christian, and Noah are all playing in the NFL. Those are some big footsteps to follow, but if Jonah keeps performing like he did in Week 4 then he could well become the best of the bunch.
He played a huge role in Utah’s win over UCLA in a hotly contested 14-7 game. He was a relentless presence as a pass rusher, finishing the game with nine pressures on 42 pass rushing snaps. Four of those pressures resulted in sacks. Elliss also managed to contribute nine defensive stops. That is the highest single-game mark by a defensive lineman this season.
Stock DOWN: Shedeur Sanders – QB, Colorado
Week 4 was the first truly big test for Colorado this season. It was always going to be tough for them to go to Oregon and get anything out of that matchup. That said, it was hard not to be concerned by the performance that Sanders put in in that game, and it will no doubt have an impact on his draft stock moving forward.
He finished up with just 159 passing yards, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. He made a couple of very questionable throws that he was fortunate were not picked, but the real issue was just how overwhelmed he looked under pressure. Sanders was pressured on 15 dropbacks and he took a sack on eight of them. On those dropbacks he completed just three passes for 25 yards. For a player who is earning first round hype, you would like to have seen more.
