Stock Up - Stock Down After College Football Week 1

Which draft prospects saw their stock move up, and which moved down, following one week of action?

We’re overreacting today. And we know it. But Week 1 did present some performances that made us take note. Some good. Some bad.

And we’re going to share that information and those opinions with you here every week. Make sure you read Mello’s State of College Football each week for his take on the games and players from a college perspective. This, however, is all about the NFL draft and how player performances impact that stock.

We like to think of a player’s stock as something that can move up and down each week. Much like the stock market, you can have weeks of big gains and one week of a loss that still culminates in a big yearly gain. Or, vice versa, and it results in a big yearly decline. We’ll do our best each week to update you on the weekly and overall, “big picture”, stock for each player.

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Stock Up

Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)

You won’t find a quarterback with a better showing in Week 1 than Ward. A newcomer to Miami, from Washington State, the super senior threw one interception but was otherwise picture-perfect with 385 yards and three touchdowns while showing off his trademark mobility and ability to make off-platform throws. Ward has the size, arm talent, and mobility to really rocket up the rankings if he continues to play like he did in Week 1.

Drew Allar, QB, Penn State

New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was a magic man in Penn State’s Week 1 dismantling of West Virginia. And promising quarterback Drew Allar looked like the player scouts have been waiting for with better command, faster processing, and better overall decision-making. Allar struggled to complete 59.9 percent of his passes in 2023 but was a crisp 11-of-17 for three touchdowns in a game marked by a lengthy weather delay. The tools are all there for Allar. And we may be looking at the surprise riser of this class.