Six Pack- Week 6

Each week during the 2024 college football season Draft Nation will take a look at six players who helped their draft stock with solid performances. As the season progresses, Draft Nation will start to zoom in on first round talent. 

Here is the six pack from this past week:

Vanderbilt- Quarterback, Diego Pavia

In what was one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, No. 1 Alabama lost to Vanderbilt 40-38, one week after beating the powerhouse Georgia Bulldogs. The Commodores were led by fifth year senior quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia was flawless and played the game of his life going 16-20 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. On the season the 6-foot-0 signal caller has completed 66.7% of his passes and has thrown eight touchdowns with 0 interceptions. It was a game for the ages, as Pavia stayed calm in the pocket and never let the faster Alabama defensive players rattle him. 

Chances are Pavia will not be a combine invite or be a quarterback on most team’s radar. He has a chance to make a practice squad and eventually grow into a backup quarterback role reminiscent of Saints QB/TE/All-purpose back Taysom Hill. He proved his toughness on Saturday and his decision making over his career has been stellar. No matter what Pavia’s future brings, he will always be known for this amazing upset victory.

Pitt- Quarterback, Eli Holstein

The redshirt transfer from Alabama continues to keep getting stronger each week for the Pitt Panthers. This past Saturday against North Carolina, Holstein completed 25 of 42 passes for 382 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception, in the Panthers 34-24 win over the Tar Heels. What makes Holstein so tough to defend is his running ability, as he ran for 76 yards and one score to help put North Carolina away. 

Holstein has led the Panthers to a 5-0 start by orchestrating new offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s up tempo offense flawlessly in the early going. On the season, Holstein has now thrown for over 300 yards in four of his five starts and has completed 65.7% of his passes for 1,567 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. 

Holstein is still at least a year or two away from any draft talk, but he is really starting to open up some eyes with his arm strength and ball placement. When he decides to tuck the ball and run, he is quick for a big man and picks up chunks of yards. Holstein has NFL size at 6-foot-4 and he has room to add some muscle on to his frame. 

If Holstein can continue to improve and grow, there is no doubt he will be a quarterback near the top of the 2027 draft. 

Indiana- Quarterback, Kurtis Rourke

One of the biggest surprises in 2024 has been the emergence of the Indiana football team under new head coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers are off to a 6-0 start, including sitting at the top of the Big Ten standings with a 3-0 conference record. 

This past Saturday, Indiana went on the road to beat Northwestern 41-24. They were led by sixth-year senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who spent five seasons at Ohio University before transferring. Rourke was 25-33 for 380 yards and three touchdowns against the Wildcats. In six games this season, Rourke has thrown for 1,752 yards and 14 touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions.

Rourke is 6-foot-5 and has some upside in his arm strength but has been very inconsistent on deep balls throughout his career. He will be one of, if not the oldest quarterback to enter the 2025 NFL draft, so chances a team uses a draft pick on him is slim. Rourke has the frame to be a solid UDFA pick up who can secure a backup spot in the right system.

Oregon- Running Back, Jordan James

Oregon junior running back Jordan James continues to rack up rushing yards for the Ducks in 2024. In Oregon’s 31-10 victory over Michigan State on Saturday, James ran for 166 yards and a touchdown. This was James’ third 100-yard-game and he has now run for 552 yards on the season.

James has excellent vision and an explosive first step which helps him get through the hole quickly, putting pressure on defenses. He is also effective out of the backfield and runs precise routes for a running back. 

However, his frame will limit him and his best chance to help a running back room will be as a third-down back. He will not be able to be a workhorse back in the NFL, thus keeping him in the fifth-sixth round grade. 

Ole Miss- Defensive Lineman, Walter Nolen

The Rebels defense manhandled South Carolina on Saturday during their 27-3 victory. Former five-star recruit Walter Nolen has played tremendously since transferring over from Texas A&M. On Saturday, Nolen collected five tackles, three for a loss and two sacks. Nolen could not be stopped with one blocker and ended up battling double teams for the most part.

Nolen is athletic and powerful and he may be playing his way into the first round of the draft. He will be a handful to stop and a player that teams can build the inside of their defensive line around. He was the No. 1 recruit in his high school class and is starting to show the NFL scouts why.

Ohio State- Edge Rush, Jack Sawyer

Ohio State played Iowa on Saturday, and the spotlight was on the battle between the Buckeyes offense and the Hawkeye defense. 

But Ohio State’s edge rusher Jack Sawyer was hard to ignore, and was the best defensive player on the field. He had 1.5 sacks and was in the backfield several times causing havoc. 

Sawyer is a versatile edge rusher that teams can line up all around the front seven and is athletic enough to drop back in coverage and can seal the edge. Sawyer should hear his name called no later than day two. 

Bonus—Ashton Jeanty

Jeanty has made Draft Nation's Six-Pack list nearly every week this season. This past Saturday, Jeanty ran for 186 yards on 13 carries with three touchdowns in a 62-30 win over Utah State. In five games, Jeanty has already ran for 1,031 yards and 16 touchdowns, he is something special.

Expect to see him vaulting up draft boards in April.