This weekend features a ton of talented college football games, but Notre Dame vs. USC on Saturday night has 15 NFL teams sending scouts to watch the game, according to Chase Goodbread of College Football 24/7.
The Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans will all be sending scouts to watch one of college football's best rivalries.
Notre Dame's offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley is one of the top offensive linemen in college football. He is reportedly going to enter the 2016 NFL draft, even though he still has a year of eligibility, as he is a redshirt junior. Stanley is listed at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, and fits the mold NFL scouts are looking for in top-tier linemen. Former Irish linemen Zack Martin was a first round pick by the Cowboys, and he earned Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season. NFL scouts know the talented linemen Notre Dame produces, and it looks like Stanley will be the next Irish lineman to succeed in the league.
On defense, the Irish have arguably one of the best linebackers in College football in Jaylon Smith. The junior linebacker is projected to be a first round pick, and some even think he will be the first linebacker off the board, according to walterfootball.com. Smith has 42 combined tackles this season with a sack, and whenever Notre Dame's defense is on the field it's easy to find Smith cause he is always around the ball. Head coach Brian Kelly had high praise for Smith, saying, "I haven't coached a player like (Smith) before, period," via ncaa.com. "(Smith) can line up with his hand on the ground, He can cover the inside receiver. He can play in the box. He can tackle in open space. There's not much he can't do." Smith will be highly sought after this season, and teams like the Falcons, Colts, and Bears could use a new star linebacker. It will be interesting to see how Smith plays tonight, as he likely knows this is an audition for the next level.
USC has plenty of prospects, scouts will be watching on Saturday night, and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster will be watched closely. The sophomore receiver is having a monster season for the Trojans. Smith-Schuster has 33 receptions for 619 yards with six touchdowns. He is listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and will surely be a top prospect at his position in a year or two. Scouts are keeping an eye on him for the future, as he has another year at USC. Teams like the Titans, Panthers and Rams could all use young talented receivers, and many scouts will want to see how he develops over the next year.
On the defensive side of the ball, scouts will want to see how USC cornerback Adoree Jackson matches up with Irish receiver Will Fuller. Fuller is Notre Dame's best deep threat, and he is expected to make it as NFL wide receiver. Scouts will be watching this matchup closely, as it will show them positives and negatives in each player's respective game.
Notre Dame is trying to save their season after taking their first loss to Clemson, and likely know another loss would end any chance at the College Football Playoffs. USC is just trying to salvage their season after taking their second loss to Washington, and new interim head coach Clay Helton will try to make the most of this opportunity. This Saturday night matchup features a ton of talent, and NFL scouts will want to see how they perform on a big stage.
