7 prospects Cowboys should eye USC-Arizona St., HBCU matchup of the week
With the Trojans facing the Sun Devils, a rivalry is reignited with two schools going in opposite directions. USC boasts an undefeated 4-0 record, the top spot in the PAC-12 as well as the No. 6 rank nationally. Arizona State on the other hand just recently fired their head coach after an intense struggle to the start of their season, with only one win coming against Northern Arizona.
Both schools boast NFL-caliber talent and some names that should be on the radar of the Dallas Cowboys as they look to bolster their roster for the future. Here are a host of names to keep an eye on for Saturday nights game (kickoff at 9:30 p.m. central time).
USC | WR Jordan Addison
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Jersey: No. 3
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 175 pounds
Addison burst on the scene as Kenny Pickett’s favorite target last year at Pitt. His incredible stat line lead him to team up with fellow transfer Caleb Williams at USC and the pair look to be dynamic as ever.
Addison is an extremely well-rounded receiver with reliable hands, refined route running and good overall athleticism. He is only a true junior but has enough hype and performance to catapult his name into the first round of the upcoming draft.
Arizona St. | QB Emory Jones
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Jersey: No. 5
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 210 pounds
Jones is a Florida transfer who was a former four-star and top-100 national recruit. This hype quietly faded as his tenure as a Gator was extremely up and down.
He is still an extremely toolsy player with a fantastic arm and dynamic athleticism. As he looks to bring some consistent performances to the struggling Sun Devils, he makes his case for the NFL as a developmental backup with a lot of natural gifts to work with.
USC | DT Tuli Tuipulotu
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Jersey: No. 49
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 290 pounds
Tuipulotu is brother to Marlon Tulipulotu of the Philadelphia Eagles and followed his steps at USC. He has played since he was a freshman and has gotten better every year.
Tulipulotu is a slightly undersized interior lineman but brings good strength, speed and has improved as both a pass rusher and run stopper. His consistent performances line him up with an early to mid round selection and would be an ideal piece for DC Dan Quinn to play with.
Arizona St. | OG LaDarius Henderson
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Jersey: No. 77
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 310 pounds
Henderson is from the Dallas area and originally came into Arizona St. as an OT. In 2021 he shifted over to guard and performed extremely well, securing down that position.
He has shined in pass protection but has also been serviceable as a run blocker, seen by the over six yards per carry but the main RBs for the Sun Devil offense. If he continues to play with consistency he would be a fantastic pick up on Day 2 in a relatively weak IOL class.
USC | RB Travis Dye
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Jersey: No. 26
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 205 pounds
Dye is another transfer, this time coming south from Oregon to USC. He is the brother of Troy, current LB for the Minnesota Vikings and Tony Dye, former safety for the Cincinnati Bengals.
He is a crafty runner with solid athleticism and shows promise as a receiving back at the next level. Dye would be a great late round pick to try and replace Tony Pollard should he depart this offseason.
Arizona St. | LB Kyle Soelle
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Jersey: No. 34
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 235 pounds
Soelle brings great size, athleticism and balance to the linebacker position for the Sun Devils. He got his first chance to start in 2021 and hasn’t looked back since as he has shown consistent progress.
So far this season he leads Arizona St. in tackles and interceptions, becoming the clear leader for a defense in dire need for some impact. This is a name to with in the later rounds as a solid backup with some potential development there.
USC | Edge Solomon Byrd
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Jersey: No. 51
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 249 pounds
Byrd is an underrated pass rusher who played all of his career at Wyoming up until this season. He opted out of the 2020 season and is using his extra eligibility to play for the Trojans.
While at Wyoming he posted elite pressure rates but struggled after the COVID year. He has started this season hot and should he finish the season strong he could see his name called to be a Cowboy once more as a rotational pass rusher.
HBCU Spotlight: Prairie View A&M vs Grambling
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In this weeks HBCU spotlight we take a look at two SWAC West teams who look to rebound off up and down starts to the season.
The Panthers from Prairie View, Texas have struggled offensively, leaning heavily on QB Trazon Connely and RB Ahmad Antoine. Defensively they have played well with CBs Jamias Presley and Gerald Smith leading the secondary with S Tariq Mulmore claiming the title as one of the most deadly senior trios in the SWAC.
For the Tigers, their offense flows through WR Lyndon Rash as their option-heavy offense tries to find some consistency. On defense they have a team effort mindset with the likes of LB Lewis Matthers, DL Sundita Anderson and SB Christopher Daigre leading the Hue Jackson-led unit.
