Future Hogs – Week 4: College football players who could help the Commanders

It’s funny how quickly things can change in college football. Ole Miss took down top-10 ranked LSU in Week 3, but got thumped by Florida in Week 4 the Gators potential first-round running back Jaden Baugh. LSU needed win to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, and they got it over Texas A&M. The Aggies, now with two losses in the conference, will need to be perfect and need a lot of teams to lose to even sniff the playoffs. Texas remains the top team in the country after a narrow victory over Tennessee. Oregon keeps their playoff chances alive by taking handing USC their first loss of the season. Iowa and Mississippi State also moved up in the AP Top 25 by beating ranked teams Michigan and Missouri respectively.

Mississippi State, now ranked #16, will have a chance to keep moving up the rankings in Week 5 if they can beat #7 Alabama. #14 Iowa will look to do the same by taking down #5 Ohio State. #8 Florida will look to stay undefeated against #25 Missouri. Clemson has rebounded after getting blown out to start the season, but they will have possibly their toughest challenge against #4 Miami.

Here are a few players who had a good week and might be able to help the Commanders. Let me know what you think about these prospects and feel free to comment with players that stood out to you.

Davis Warren | QB | Senior | Stanford

Marcus Mariota did exactly what a good backup quarterback is supposed to do: run the offense effectively and do enough for the team to win. With it looking more probable that Jayden Daniels will play through his elbow injury, the team needs to have quality backups including young QBs learning and growing in David Blough’s offense.

Davis Warren is an intriguing candidate for developmental quarterback. After spending four seasons at Michigan, Warren transferred to Stanford to play for former Commanders’ QB coach Tavita Pritchard. Warren is not much of a runner, but he’s not a statue. He rolls out of the pocket scrambles effectively making accurate throws on the move. The arm strength is NFL-caliber, an attribute that was on display in the win over Georgia Tech. Where he can improve is with his ball placement. Passes are catchable, but some limit opportunities for yards after the catch. With Warren being an older prospect – he’ll be 25 on draft day – it’s a genuine question of how much he’ll improve. He’s 6’2” but only 200 pounds, so he may need to add size to his frame. Warren completed 22 of 36 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns to beat Georgia Tech.

CJ Baxter | RB | Senior | Kentucky

The Seahawks have a great defense and it limited the Commanders’ run game. While Kaytron Allen figures to be the big back in the Commanders’ rotation, CJ Baxter is a talented back that could also play that role. A transfer from Texas, Baxter is 6’1”, 227 pounds. He tore ligaments in his knee in 2024, but looks to be fully healthy. Where Baxter is at his best is when he is patient and reads his blocks to gain yardage. Things like his ability to evade tacklers in the open field is hindered at his size, but he quick feet that allow him to find open space. With 40 career receptions, Baxter can contribute in the passing game. In a win over South Alabama, Baxter had 149 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts.

Jeremiah Smith | WR | Junior | Ohio State

Terry McLaurin had his best game of the season in order for the Commanders to upset Seattle. He is 31. The next leading receiver, Stefon Diggs, is 32. While the Commanders have seen promise from Antonio Williams, the team still needs impactful young players at receiver.

Jeremiah Smith could be the best player eligible for the NFL Draft in 2027. He’s only a true junior and Smith is the Buckeyes’ all-time leading receiver over Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Emeka Egbuka, even Chris Carter. With elite size at 6’4”, 222 pounds, and elite athleticism, Smith has drawn comparisons to Julio Jones and Andre Johnson. Even at that size, Smith quickness and fluidity during his routes is like that of a smaller receiver. He’s savvy running his routes using head and shoulder fakes to get defenders off balance then exploiting that weakness. Once the ball is in air, Smith uses ever bit of that frame and his sure hands to secure the pass. After the catch, Smith can run away from you or run through you. There are very few weaknesses to his game. He put up career highs in Ohio State’s win over Illinois with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns.

Jaleel Skinner | TE | Senior | Louisville

The Commanders’ tight ends have been blocking well to start the season, but there hasn’t been much contribution from the group in the passing game. Getting Chig Okonkwo healthy should help, but a player like Jaleel Skinner could as well. At 6’5”, 230 pounds, Skinner is more of a lot like a big receiver. The big advantage Skinner has over defenders is his straight-line speed that he uses to get open against slower defenders. It also makes him effective running after the catch. Now, Skinner is a lighter tight end, but he’ll get on the line of scrimmage and block for the Cardinals’ productive running backs. Although Louisville was upset by Wake Forest, Skinner put up 84 yards and a touchdown on four catches in the loss.

Harrison Moore | C | Junior | Florida

The interior of Commanders’ offensive line is a group in flux. Nick Allegretti was moved to right guard with Sam Cosmi recovering from a concussion. Lucas Patrick was signed to play center, but is nursing an injury heading into next week. If he declares for the draft, Harrison Moore should be on the Commanders’ radar. After paving the way for Haynes King at Georgia Tech, Moore transferred to Florida. At 6’4”, 293 pounds, he’s a smaller center, but that helps Moore easily reach his landmarks as a blocker. He isn’t a people mover in the run game, but he latches onto his blocks to control them. His play in Florida’s zone-heavy run scheme is a big reason why Jaden Baugh looks like a Heisman favorite. In the pass game, Moore needs to get stronger. He mirrors defenders and stays in front of them, but he can be walked back into the quarterback. Being a younger prospect, the strength will come. Moore along with rest of the Gators’ offensive line help Florida gain almost 500 yards of offense and over 300 yards on the ground on the way to beating Ole Miss. Moore is #52 in the clip below.

Colin Simmons | EDGE | Junior | Texas

The Commanders’ front has been making it difficult on opposing teams’ rushing games. In the pass game they have generated pressure and even had a few hits on Sam Darnold. Colin Simmons projects to be an early first-round pick if he declares for the 2027 NFL Draft. Simmons is a unique blend of speed, power, and length at 6’3” and only 246 pounds. Simmons shows strong hands and an ability to disengage from blockers. His ability to close quickly and secure a sack is one of the reasons he’s so productive. Simmons can rely too little on his technique in favor of his athleticism, something that will work now but not as often at the next level. If he can drop into coverage, Simmons would be a good OLB candidate for the Commanders’ 3-4 defense. Simmons set records for most sacks in a game by a Longhorn in the win over Tennessee with 5.5.

Austin Romaine | LB | Senior | Texas Tech

The linebacker play was essential to Washington’s win over Seattle. Sonny Styles filled the stat sheet while Kain Medrano’s pick six helped seal the deal. They’ll need more of that from Medrano after losing Leo Chenal to a neck injury. Austin Romaine was an All-Big 12 linebacker for Kansas State before transferring to Texas Tech. He’s got the size needed for the position at 6’2”, 240 pounds, and moves well in space. This helps him be effect dropping into zone coverage as well as move lateral to get to the ball. He does a good job of taking on blockers and disengaging, but I’d like to see him get a little lower to prevent players from getting under his pads. Romaine contributed to the Red Raiders win over Sam Houston State with eight tackles and two pick sixes.

Ashton Hampton | CB | Junior | Clemson

Despite the win, the Commanders’ secondary gave up a lot of yardage to the Seahawks’ receivers. Outside of Amik Robertson, the secondary has struggle to perform well consistently. While Trey Amos should improve this unit, injuries haven’t allowed him to see the field this season. Ashton Hampton is a cornerback in the mold of Amos. He’s big, 6’2”, 205 pounds, and he is physical. Hampton is disruptive playing press, throwing off the timing of a throw and barely letter receivers routes develop. Clemson does not play him often in zone, but he looks to have the tools to handle responsibilities in that coverage. In a win over California, Hampton had three tackles and three pass breakups.

Ta’Shawn James | S | Senior | UCLA

UCLA thumped Maryland and Ta’Shawn James with his pick six had more points than the Terps. James is 6’0”, 211 pounds, a good size for an NFL safety. James is particular good playing zone defense where he can keep his eyes on the quarterback and use his quickness to react to a throw. That’s how he’s been able to get three interceptions to start this season. He can also play around the line of scrimmage using his speed to blitz. His style of play seems like it would fit well in Daronte Jones’ three-safety looks. James added four tackles and a pass breakup to his pick six in the Bruins’ takedown of the Terps.

Which college players caught your eye in Week 4 and could help the Washington Commanders?