Vikings Draft 2024: Prospect matchups to watch in CFB Week 2

Game No. 5

Matchup: Texas at Alabama
When: Saturday, September 9 at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN

Prospects to Watch: Everyone

Quinn Ewers has endured quite the journey in his young career. After a ridiculous recruiting circuit that led him to Ohio State, Ewers transferred to Texas and took over in 2022. In his first season with the Longhorns, he was in a position to knock off Alabama early in the season but left with an injury as the Crimson Tide snuck out a close win.

Now, in his second season with Texas, Ewers edged out Archie Manning for the starting job and is set to take on Alabama in Tuscaloosa in the game of the weekend. #11 Texas travels to #3 Alabama, with Ewers having the most to gain as he tries to climb the draft boards.

Alabama has a handful of defensive studs that should make things difficult for Quinn Ewers and the Texas offense. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Malachi Moore are two of the top defensive backs in the upcoming draft class, and both would be wonderful fits for the Vikings. If Brian Flores sticks around beyond this season, Moore would be a very fun weapon on his defense.

Offensively, Alabama features running back Jase McClellan and wide receiver Jermaine Burton, among several others. Texas will try to limit the Tide offense with defensive linemen Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat. They also have Jalen Catalon at safety, an Arkansas transfer who can hit as hard as anyone in the country but has struggled mightily with injuries since his high school days.

On paper and from a draft standpoint, this is shaping up to be one heck of a matchup. Plenty of NFL scouts will be in attendance for so many different reasons. This is the game to watch if you have time to squeeze just one into your Saturday schedule.