NFL Offensive and Defensive Prospects of the Week: Malik Nabers and Jack Sawyer

Another weekend of college football come and gone, and it is always a challenge to isolate the two best performances of so many impressive players. On Saturday, two players were major factors in their teams winning and winning big. LSU’s Malik Nabers and Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer are this week’s top prospects.

LSU had their first game in conference play on Saturday with a showdown against Mississippi State. The Tigers made Malik Nabers the focal point of their offense and he rewarded them in a big way. The junior receiver caught 13 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. LSU’s next leading receiver had only 60 yards, showing just how central Nabers was in dismantling the Bulldogs in this 41-14 win. He accounted for 45% of the team’s total yardage on Saturday.

Malik Nabers was a thousand yard receiver for the Tigers last year and expectations remained high for him this season. Nabers had hardly been a non factor in the first two games of the year, totaling 154 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches, but he was hardly taking over games. For Nabers to come out in SEC play and put on a show like this exhibits what kind of player he can be for LSU and what he could bring to the NFL.

Defensively, Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer stood out in the Buckeyes win over Western Kentucky. Sawyer didn’t log a sack, but was a nonstop terror on the edge forcing pressure after pressure when given the chance to rush the passer. He played a key part in a Ohio State defensive performance that limited the Hilltoppers to only 10 points.

Ohio State is still finding its bearings on offense in the Post-Stroud era, but defense has hardly been a problem for the Buckeyes through three weeks. They have only allowed 20 points through three games and Jack Sawyer is a big reason why. Sawyer has post gaudy box scores to match him impact on the game, the one thing missing from what has been an impressive junior season for him. Every game he proves to be a difference making pass rusher, playing with great burst, playing strength, and a hot motor. Surely the sacks will come in closer games later this season.