Mock Draft Monday 9/23 '24
10 Bands
10 Bands
- NFL Draft ‘25 Build a Board
- Rutgers Hoops
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune off of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is Drake’s 10 Bands.
This song is a bit infamous for being one of the alleged reference tracks that Drake allegedly didn’t write the lyrics for. A lesser-known rapper, Quentin Miller, is allegedly said to have written the words to this song and they collaborated allegeldy. While this sort of stuff allegedly happens a ton in the music industry, it’s allegedly extremely frowned upon in hip-hop.
10 Bands was one of the songs that rapper Meek Mill claimed Drake didn’t write the lyrics for, which in turn sparked a week-long rap feud in the summer of ‘15. It got us Charged Up and Back 2 Back, which could be considered the first real full-on diss records the Toronto rapper ever made.
On to the sports…
Back to building on to the ‘25 Draft Board, here’s what we got so far…
Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa (@officialkalebb)
Kaleb Johnson is from Hamilton, Ohio. In high school at Hamilton Prep, Johnson was 1st Team All-State in football, while also competing in basketball and track. As a freshman in ‘22, Kaleb Johnson played in 13 games while making 6 starts. He rushed for 779 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and 6 TDs, which earned him an honorable mention on the Freshman All-American Team. In ‘23 as a sophomore, Johnson again split time as the Iowa Hawkeye starting tailback as he produced 463 yards (4 yards per carry) and 3 TDs while dealing with an ankle injury that forced him out of 3 games. Johnson returned to Iowa this season in another presumed part-time starting role, however, in just 4 games in ‘24 he has distinguished himself as the clear RB1. So far this season, Johnson is leading College Football in rushing with 685 yards (8.4 yards per carry) to go with 9 rushing TDs. The 6’ junior RB has rushed for 119+ yards with multiple scores in every game so far and with this continued stellar play will no doubt be considered one of the top RBs in this upcoming NFL Draft. Kaleb Johnson has great burst, balance, vision, and size, just looks like an NFL RB already.
Nick Nash, WR, San Jose St. (@_nicknash_)
Nick Nash is from Anaheim, California. At Woodbridge High School in Irvine, Nash was named the ‘17 Pacific Coast League Offensive Most Valuable Player in football while also playing LF for the baseball team. Football is in his family’s blood as his father, Kenny Nash, played 2 seasons of WR at San Jose State before joining the Chiefs for 1 year in 1987. Nick Nash initially out of high school served as San Jose State’s backup QB. From ‘19 to ‘21, Nash made 25 appearances at quarterback as he threw for a 56.1% completion percentage, 1,317 passing yards, and 10 passing TDs with 5 INTs. He also rushed for 844 yards and 5 scores. In ‘22, Nash decided to convert to a WR. While he only made 6 catches for 62 yards and 1 TD in his first year as a pass catcher, he improved in ‘23 with 48 catches for 728 passing yards and 8 TDs. This season has been a totally different dynamic as Nash has come out of nowhere to lead College Football in nearly every receiving stat. In 4 games in ‘24, Nash has an absurd 50 catches for 637 yards and 8 TDs. At 6’3”, he has plenty of size for the NFL and he has displayed an uncanny ability to come down with tough contested catches. Nash’s biggest question will be if he can create separation at the next level and how much more he can develop given he is in his age 25-season at San Jose State. That said, given his production thus far in ‘24 and the fact he can sling the football too, Nick Nash should at least have a shot at being a gadget WR type in the NFL.
Keon Sabb, S, Alabama (@keon.sabb)
Keon Sabb is from Glassboro, New Jersey, however, he finished his high school football days with IMG Academy. A 4-star prospect out of high school, Keon Sabb initially chose to play for Michigan in ‘22. After making just 4 appearances as a freshman, Sabb was a rising sophomore star safety for the National Champs in ‘23. In 14 games played with 5 starts, Sabb had 28 tackles, 7 pass breakups, 2 INTs, and a Pick-6 for the Wolverines. This past offseason, Keon Sabb decided to transfer to ‘Bama to replace S Caleb Downs (who now plays for Ohio State). Sabb had an immediate impact on the Tide as he picked off 2 balls in his ‘Bama debut against Western Kentucky.
Josaiah Stewart, Edge, Michigan (@j0saiah_)
Josaiah Stewart is originally from the Bronx but played his high school ball in Massachusetts where he was a 3-star prospect. His high school senior season in the fall of ‘20 was canceled because of COVID so he only had a year and a half’s worth of football experience. At the Mass Prep School, he played both tight end and defensive end. In ‘21, he made his collegiate debut with Coastal Carolina and immediately made an impact with 15.5 tackles for loss to go with 12.5 sacks. This earned him All-Sun Belt first team. While he wasn’t able to replicate the sack numbers in year 2, Stewart in ‘22 was All-Sun Belt second team with 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. As a junior in ‘23, Stewart transferred to Michigan and made an immediate impact for the National Champs. Stewart led Michigan’s defensive linemen in tackles with 38 while picking up 8.5 TFLs along with 5.5 sacks. His biggest sack came in the Rose Bowl Semi-Final against ‘Bama and he also had 5 tackles in the National Championship Game. So far this season as a senior, Stewart has picked up 4 sacks, including 2 this past weekend against the USC Trojans. PFF College has named him their Defensive Player of the Week in Week 4, as he graded out at a 94.9 in pass-rushing situations.
Xavier Scott, CB, Illinois (@xayscott_)
Xavier Scott is from Riviera Beach, Florida. In high school, Scott was not only a football player but an All-County 1st Team hooper as well. He chose to play for Illinois because “I saw the brotherhood here. The players and coaches were very welcoming and I saw that they had great intentions for me.” After limited playing time as a freshman in ‘22, 5’11” CB became a starter as a sophomore. In ‘23, Scott was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention as his 11 pass breakups led the Big Ten’s regular season play. He also came down with 2 interceptions as well. This season, Xavier Scott has taken yet another jump as he has already picked off 3 balls in 4 games in ‘24. Scott took his first pick-6 to the house against Jalon Daniels and the Jayhawks in Week 1, as he forced a total of 3 turnovers in his National Defensive Player of the Week effort.
Previewing possible College Basketball starting 5s for this upcoming season. So far it’s been Duke, UConn, St. John’s, Kansas, Alabama, Houston, Gonzaga, and UNC. This week it’s the Rutgers Scarlett Knights.
Jeremiah Williams, G, Senior (@jwilliams3x)
Jeremiah Williams is from Chicago, Illinois. As a senior at Simeon High School, Williams averaged 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. His initial college after high school was Temple where he made 37 starts in his first two collegiate seasons while averaging 9.4 points, 4.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. After the ‘22 season, Williams decided to transfer to the Iowa State Cyclones, however, an Achilles injury in October of ‘22 forced him to miss the whole season. The 6’4” guard then chose to transfer once more to Rutgers where he didn’t make his Scarlet Knight debut until this past February. Williams immediately made an impact for Rutgers as soon as he recovered from the injury, starting the final 11 games and leading the Scarlet Knights in points at 12.2 per game. Not only did the graduate student show his potential as a scorer, but he also flashed his potential on the defensive side of the floor as he rejected a 7-foot center’s dunk attempt while blocking a season-high 3 shots against Northwestern. Jeremiah Williams will bring some tough veteran leadership to the Scarlet Knight and while he’s proven he can lead the team in scoring, will likely take on more of a secondary scoring role this upcoming season.
Jordan Derkack, G, Junior (@derkack)
Jordan Derkack is from Colonia, New Jersey, where he attended Colonia High School. As a senior in high school, Derkack averaged 13.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. The 6’5” guard’s previous experience in college was at Merrimack in Massachusetts. The Merrimack Warriors became a Division 1 basketball program in ‘19, previously playing Division II for decades before joining the Northeast Conference (this year they have joined the MAAC). Derkack as a freshman in ‘23 was more of a role player who averaged 7.4 points, 4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. Last season his role increased as he led the Warriors in scoring (17 ppg), rebounding (6 rpg), and assists (3.9 apg). For his great season in ‘24, Jordan Derkack was named not only the NEC Player of the Year but the NEC Defensive Player of the Year too. This past spring, the Jersey native decided to join the Scarlet Knights with his role focusing on the defensive side of the floor while chipping in as a secondary scorer.
Zach Martini, F, Senior (@zach.martini)
Zach Martini is from Warren, New Jersey. He played high school hoops at Gill St Benard's High School in Gladstone, New Jersey, where he had over 1,000 points and rebounds. Initially out of high school, Zach Martini decided to play for Princeton. After two seasons as a bench player, Martini became a starter for Princeton last season averaging 8.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. The 6’7” forward is a great 3-point shooter who will help space the floor for the Scarlet Knights as one of their newest transfers. Martini also has some valuable March Madness experience being a part of the Princeton team that reached the Sweet 16 in ‘23. Not only is Zach Martini a Jersey native, but he’s a massive Jets fan as well…
Dylan Harper, G, Freshman (@dylharpp)
Dylan Harper is from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. He is the son of former NBA champion, Ron Harper, who won NBA titles with Michael Jordan’s Bulls and the Shaq&Koke Lakers. Dylan Harper’s older brother, Ron Harper Jr., played for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was an All-American in ‘22 averaging 15.8 points per game. Dylan Harper played high school hoops for Don Bosco Prep averaging 23 points per game while being named the Gatorade High School Player of the Year in New Jersey. The 6’6” lefty PG became the first player in Rutgers history to win the McDonald’s All-American Game’s MVP award. He also won the MVP in the Jordan Brand Classic. According to ESPN’s Recruiting, Dylan Harper is the #4 ranked prospect in this freshman class. This upcoming season could very likely be his one year with RU before deciding to go pro where he’ll have a shot at being a lottery pick in the ‘25 NBA Draft.
Ace Bailey, F, Freshman (@airiousbailey)
