It feels like every week is headlined by the quarterbacks looking to build (or rebuild) their draft stocks each Saturday. There's a race for QB1 between Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, and Dante Moore. For College Football Playoff aspirations and their collective stocks, all eyes will be under center.
This week, though, I want to focus on a pair of linebackers facing entertaining offenses and two offensive linemen staring down ranked opponents. Their stocks hang in the balance, and despite the lack of hype, Week 12 offers each of these prospects a crucial opportunity to make a statement ahead of bowl season.
Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt (vs. Notre Dame)
Louis began his season in the conversation for the best off-ball linebacker in college football. All he's done in 2025 is continue to dominate the ACC. Through eight games, he's logged 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks, interceptions, and fumble recoveries.
The problem defining his profile, though, is his frame. At 220 pounds, he'd be entering the league with 13th-percentile weight, an obvious red flag.
Louis must prove he can be playable on early downs, and Notre Dame is Pitt's biggest test of the season, especially on the ground. Running back Jeremiyah Love is among the best players in this class. As road favorites, Notre Dame will be more than happy to establish the run and put Louis to the test. How he holds up could determine his viability as an NFL linebacker.
Brian Parker II, OT, Duke (vs. Virginia)
Frankly, Parker hasn't been on my radar for very long. There's caution necessary in a platform-season breakout, and he's been inconsistent against high-level competition. However, he's flashed against the better teams on his schedule, too, and a ranked match against Virginia gives him a chance to add credibility to his profile.
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Parker is a good athlete for his size, has experience at both tackle spots, and is more NFL-ready as a pass protector than a run blocker. Each of those should buy him time to figure things out on Sundays, should he be thrust into a starting role.
Jake Slaughter, iOL, Florida (at Mississippi)
Another ranked matchup with NFL Draft implications is Slaughter. He began the year as a second-round pick on my board but hasn't quite lived up to the hype.
His stock has fallen in recent weeks, playing a part in the rollercoaster of the Gators' offense. He's still one of the best pass protectors in this draft, and three-year starters at center are easier to trust. Slaughter is capable of moving to guard if necessary, although his run blocking hasn't always risen to the occasion.
To his credit, he played well against Georgia -- the best defense on his schedule. Like Parker, a high-quality opponent is a chance to put quality reps on tape. Slaughter is more likely drafted at the top-100 turn than the top-50 selection I once anticipated, but his stock isn't tumbling. Playing well down the stretch could foreshadow a strong pre-draft circuit, and games against Mississippi and Tennessee will put him under the microscope.
Lander Barton, LB, Utah (at Baylor)
Barton brings a traditional linebacker's skill set to the middle of Utah's defense. He's at his best filling gaps against the run and using straight-line speed to make plays at and around the line of scrimmage. At 240 pounds, he has the violence and power to do so.
Baylor, however, is happy to spread the ball out and stress linebackers both horizontally and vertically. Sawyer Robertson's tools create an issue for the Utes, and his aggressiveness is a stress test for Barton, who is less qualified in coverage.
Likewise, Baylor's offense will task Barton with making tackles in space and flipping his hips in coverage, neither of which is a strength. The NFL has a need for run-defending linebackers, giving Barton some viability, but if he is going to be exposed on passing downs, he won't see much playing time.
Baylor isn't ranked, but for Barton, Week 12 is perhaps his biggest litmus test of the season.
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