Brandon Facyson (CB, Virginia Tech) has allowed one reception in 230 snaps
The Georgia native has had a tumultuous college football career. He broke onto the scene as a freshman in 2013 by winning third-team All-ACC honors and drew the attention of NFL scouts. In 2014, Facyson missed the last nine games due to injury before breaking both his tibia and fibia in bowl practice in December.
This season, Facyson has come back with a vengeance. He has allowed only a single reception in 230 snaps earning a grade of +3.9 over his first four games. What makes this stretch even more remarkable is that one of the Hokies opponents was the number one ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. If Facyson can stay healthy, he has a chance to be one of the better defensive backs in the ACC.
Ezekiel Elliott (RB, Ohio State) is pass blocking with 100 percent efficiency
As a top recruit from St. Louis, no one has ever questioned Elliot’s ability to run the ball. After backing up current San Francisco 49er Carlos Hyde as a freshman, Elliott posted a +29.3 grade while starting as a sophomore. The one knock on him was his ability to pass protect. He earned a grade of -3.7 in those situations in 2014.
Through five games in 2015, Elliott has not allowed a sack, hit, hurry or even a pressure in 40 pass-blocking situations. He is one of only two running backs in the country to earn a PFF college pass-blocking efficiency rating of 100 during the non-conference schedule. This bodes well for Elliott’s potential NFL career, where pass blocking is an essential skill to secure playing time.
Jason Spriggs (OT, Indiana) has allowed just one QB pressure in 437 total snaps through five games
Hometown boy Jason Spriggs is an imposing human being. Standing at 6-7 and weighing 305 pounds, he possesses ideal size for an NFL left tackle. He started as a freshman at Indiana and has been slowly progressing since.
Last year he was a key cog in an offensive line that cleared defenders for Tevin Coleman (Atlanta Falcons) to rush for a 2,000 yard season. This year, Spriggs is taking his game to the next level. His pass-blocking efficiency is tops in the country at 99.6, and his only pressure came last week against the top defensive team in the country (Ohio State). At this rate, Spriggs will undoubtedly be among the top offensive line prospects in the 2016 NFL draft.
Cody Kessler (QB, USC) accuracy percentage under pressure is 83.3 percent — No. 1 in FBS college football
No one has been more accurate when facing pressure than Kessler. His 83.3 accuracy percentage under pressure is 5.5 percentage points higher than the second place QB (Dane Evans, Tulsa). Kessler accomplished this while facing two quality opponents with positive defensive grades (Stanford +48.1, Arizona State +32.0) in Weeks 3 and 4. Overall, Kessler has graded well at +5.3 through four games. Showing he can deliver under less-than-ideal circumstances will only help an NFL draft profile that already includes operating at a high level in a pro-style offense.
Carl Nassib (DE, Penn State) is the best 4-3 DE in college football through 5 games
Originally a walk-on at Penn State, Nassib is showing the country that he should have been a five-star recruit. He currently leads the country in pass rushing productivity at 21.1. PRP, a PFF signature stat, combines sacks and a percentage of hits and hurries per pass rush attempt to determine a pass rusher’s effectiveness. This has translated into eight sacks in five games for Nassib.
His overall grade of +22.9 is second in the nation trailing only the potential first overall selection in the 2016 draft (Joey Bosa, +29.3). Nassib is no slouch in the run game either. Through five games he banked a grade of +10.2. While unnoticed after high school, Nassib is on track to have the country’s attention after college.
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