Prospects of interest for the Bengals around college football this week

The Bengals have added two offensive linemen to the team from Miami recently. In 2024, they selected Matt Lee in the 7th round. This year, they selected Jalen Rivers in the 5th round.

The Miami Hurricanes will be playing the Florida Gators this week. Both teams have potential first-round offensive line prospects.

For Miami, they have Francis Mauigoa. He has been the starting right tackle for the Hurricanes in all three of the seasons he has been on campus. Some draft analysts think he will kick inside and play guard at the next level. Could the Bengals find a long-term solution for the right guard position to pair with Dylan Fairchild on the left? I think that could be a real possibility after another season-ending injury to star quarterback Joe Burrow.

The other offensive lineman prospect to keep an eye out for in that game will be Austin Barber. Barber is a 6’7” offensive tackle prospect. Orlando Brown Jr. will have only one year left on his contract after this season. Barber could be a player the Bengals target to be his replacement when that time comes.

Sticking with the offensive line theme for a moment, let’s take a look at a pair of Utah offensive tackles. Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu are both projected top fifty draft selections this year.

Fano has played both left and right tackle for the Utes in his three seasons with the team. Fano is one of the most aggressive finishers I have watched at the position in years. He has the movement skills of a tight end. He is a bit lighter at just over 300 pounds. However, that has not stopped him from being one of the best run blockers in all of college football the last couple of seasons. His PFF grade as a run blocker was an astronomical 93.6 for the 2024 season.

Lomu redshirted his first season with the team, but took over the left tackle spot as a redshirt freshman last season. He is the more prolific pass protector of the Utah duo at offensive tackle.

Those Utah offensive tackles will face a tough test this week. They are going up against a Texas Tech defense that has NFL-caliber talent all along the defensive line. They are led by a pair of transfer players on that line in David Bailey and Lee Hunter.

David Bailey transferred to Texas Tech from Stanford. Bailey put up an incredible 46.5% win rate on true pass sets during the 2024 season. He recorded 39 total pressures and 7 sacks on the season. He has picked up right where he left off, having amassed 16 pressures and 2 sacks already to begin the season.

Lee Hunter is another talented transfer that was added to the Texas Tech defensive line this season. Hunter spent the last three seasons playing for Central Florida. He has been an iron man for a defensive tackle. He has played in over 500 snaps each of the previous two seasons. He plays with controlled violence on the football field. His best attribute is stopping the run. He can still apply pressure with pure power and effort as a pass rusher.

Another top twenty-five contest this week in college football is Illinois versus Indiana. Both teams have talented defensive line prospects of their own.

Gabe Jacas is a defensive end prospect for Illinois. Jacas is a 6’3” 270-pound member of the Feldman Freak list. He gives relentless effort and pursuit at all times on the field. He had a fantastic 44 pressures and eight sacks during the 2024 season.

On the opposite defense will be Indiana edge rusher Mikhail Kamara. Kamara doesn’t have ideal height and length at only 6’1”. What he does have is a quick first step and a good pass rush arsenal that he uses to be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

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