The first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off Friday, and the Las Vegas Raiders will join the NFL in keeping a close eye throughout the tournament.
On Friday, the seventh and tenth seeds matchup when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Indiana Hoosiers. Then, on Saturday, the sixth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions face the 11th-seeded SMU Mustangs, the fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns square off against the 12th-ranked Clemson Tigers, and the night ends with the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers colliding in a battle of the eighth and ninth seeds.
For all teams involved in the playoff, these games not only represent the chance to help their schools claim national superiority, but for the players to build their draft stock as they prepare for a future in the NFL. All 32 NFL teams will be paying attention to see how some of the biggest stars in college football respond to the bright lights, and a successful showing could lead to massive shakeups heading into the new year.
The Raiders will be looking at several players throughout the course of the playoff, and here are four that play this weekend that will capture their attention:
Mikail Kamara, EDGE, Indiana
As Indiana has exploded onto the national radar with a strong season, players like Kamara have seen their stock rise significantly.
A transfer who followed head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Bloomington, the step up in competition has been no trouble for Kamara this season. In his last year at James Madison in 2023, Kamara emerged as a key playmaker with seven and a half sacks and four forced fumbles. That playmaking ability off the edge has continued at Indiana, improving his sack total to 10 and producing two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. While Kamara’s six-foot-one, 265-pound frame is lighter for a traditional defensive lineman, his explosiveness and fluidity of movement balance out his physical limitations. He performs well against the run as well as the pass, meaning he can avoid the dreaded ‘designated pass rusher’ label that gets plastered on to rookie edge rushers on occasion.
For the Raiders, Kamara comes at a great time, considering Malcolm Koonce is a free agent and the team is looking for depth behind Maxx Crosby in a division where a strong pass rush is vital.
If the Hoosiers’ dream season continues, Kamara is expected to play a major role in making that happen.
Brashard Smith, RB, SMU
With the Raiders looking for offensive weapons, a running back that can be a threat on the ground and in the air is always going to get a second look.
A wide receiver convert who made the switch to running back this season, Smith has captured the attention of NFL scouts with his impressive play. One of the most versatile players in college football, Smith finished 17th in the nation with 1,270 rushing yards, as well as scoring 14 touchdowns on the ground. He has not shied away from the big dogs in SMU’s first season in the ACC, either; in the Mustangs’ three games against top-25 opponents, Smith has gone for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
The Raiders would be pleased to draft a player with Smith’s skillset. Not only are they in need of a dynamic running back, but their backfield lacks the proven receiving threat that Smith is. Assuming the plan is to draft a quarterback, the Raiders would be smart to keep Smith in mind as a potential safety valve option.
Smith has gone from gadget player to legitimate playmaker in his first season at running back, leaving scouts hungry for more.
Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
Barron has been covered before here, and he has only continued to get stronger as the season has gone on.
A finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive back, Barron has been asked to do everything in the Longhorns’ defense. While his five-foot-eleven frame suggests he is best suited for a nickel cornerback role at the NFL level, he has impressed as a safety and even an outside cornerback, as well. Barron possesses one of the highest football IQs of any player in the class, diagnosing and attacking on running plays while having the spatial awareness to make plays in zone coverage. His understanding of the game allows Barron to put himself in position to make plays, with his five interceptions tied for third in the nation.
While Barron’s lack of ideal length or long speed make him a scheme-specific player, that is no dealbreaker for the Raiders. With the coaching staff likely in a state of flux going into 2025, if the Raiders want Barron on their team, they should have no problem employing a zone-heavy defensive scheme that allows him to play to his strengths and make plays at a consistent level.
The defensive performance of the Longhorns will go a long way towards helping their national title aspirations, and Barron will be relied on to hold things down in the secondary.
Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
This season certainly did not go all according to plan for Tyleik Williams or the Buckeyes, but that should not erase the potential of the former.
Williams stands out as a high-ceiling, low-floor player that draws varying reactions from NFL teams. Williams has the size, strength, athleticism and big-school pedigree that the Raiders have been enamored with for a long time. He mostly relies on his strength to beat opposing offensive linemen, aiming to overpower his way through blocks. The main thing that Williams will have to work on is his consistency, as he will often have varying results on similar plays in the same game. The good news for his development is that consistency, along with technique, can be coached up at the NFL level.
If the Raiders do decide to target Williams, they will have to do so with the understanding that he is not a finished product. With the hope being that both Crosby and Christian Wilkins are healthy at the start of next season, Williams can serve as a rotational piece on running downs who will not draw much attention due to his more-accomplished teammates in his rookie year.
Williams is more potential than production at this stage of his development, but the NFL will always look for more depth at the most physical positions. The Raiders are no exception, and Williams lines up with what they traditionally look for in prospects.
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