Week 4 in college football is loaded with names the Detroit Lions should already have circled, and the headliner is the noon showdown between Texas and Tennessee. With conference play getting rolling across the sport, this is the kind of weekend that gives NFL teams a clean look at prospects under real pressure.
One of the first players to watch is Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy, the former Auburn defensive back who stayed in the SEC after moving to Knoxville for the 2026 season. McCoy brings speed and man-coverage ability, with an estimated 4.30 time in the 40, and he profiles as a press corner who could fit Kelvin Sheppard’s defense well.
He’s held opponents to about a 50 percent completion rate over his career when targeted, and he last gave up a touchdown in 2024. The drawback is his size; Tennessee lists him at 5-foot-11.
He’ll have his hands full with Texas’ wide receivers and projected top-five pick Arch Manning.
Texas safety Michael Taaffe is the other defensive back worth tracking in that game. He’ll be helping lead the Longhorn secondary as Texas tries to slow Tennessee and quiet the crowd in Austin.
At 6-foot-2, he has good size for the position and brings real thump as a tackler, missing only five last season. His downhill run defense stands out, and his athleticism makes him a problem.
The question is coverage consistency, especially in man, and his role fits more like a linebacker/safety hybrid than a true deep-third defender.
Up front, Michigan edge rusher Micah Daley is another player on NFL Draft boards. Daley, who was a star at Utah before following coach Kyle Whittingham to Ann Arbor this offseason, has made an immediate impact.
He leads an elite Michigan defense with 2.5 sacks and has helped steady an offense that could have gotten off to disastrous starts in Whittingham’s first year with the Wolverines. The former All-American is on track for All-Big Ten honors.
Daley plays with a high motor and a strong bull rush, and his 2025 pass-rush win rate of 28.9 percent put him among the best in the class that returned to college. For the Lions, adding Daley next spring would mean three separate Wolverines on the edge and open the door to a dangerous speed-rush package.
Florida running back Jadan Baugh is the top offensive player to keep tabs on this week. He enters Week 4 as the FBS leader in rushing touchdowns after returning to Gainesville following a 1,168-yard season last year.
He’s already matched his sophomore touchdown total with nine games still to play. Baugh is a 230-pound bruiser who would pair nicely with Jahmyr Gibbs.
His route running needs work, but he has solid hands on swing passes and screens, which would complement Gibbs’ more diverse receiving skill set. Baugh is also patient, waiting for blocks to develop before using his size to finish runs.
He looks like a complete back, and the source here pegs him as a possible first-round running back in 2027. Florida meets Ole Miss at 3:30 p.m.
EST.
The Group of Six name to know is UMass safety Jordan Harmon. The veteran has bounced around, with stops at Ball State and Kent State before breaking out for the Minutemen.
His three interceptions are second in the FBS, and this isn’t just a case of being in the right place at the right time. Harmon grades as a top-five safety in the FBS, with a coverage ranking inside the top 20.
His tackling and pass-rush numbers also rank in the top 10 among players with at least 75 snaps. In coverage, he’s allowed five catches for fewer than 30 yards this season, though the penalty count is already up to two.
If you’re looking for a #MACtion watch, UMass heads West to play Sacramento State at 9 p.m. EST.
In Other News...
Isaac TeSlaa May Be Giving The Lions Offense Something New
Isaac TeSlaas Week 3 breakout against the New York Jets gave the Lions another encouraging look at what their passing game can become when the opportunities arrive. He caught all three of his targets for 66 yards, and his work on crucial fourth-down plays and on the long grab that helped set up the game-winning score stood out in a game Detroit needed to finish strong after another uneven start.
What made TeSlaas night matter beyond the box score was the way he described his role. He pointed to the value of blocking and helping create chances for teammates, which fits a Lions offense that has often needed more consistency early in games before finding its rhythm later. If TeSlaa can keep adding that kind of versatility, Detroit may have found another piece that helps smooth out those slow starts. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Ended Up On The Wrong Side Of A Stafford Milestone
Matthew Stafford added another line to a career already packed with them, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to top 20,000 passing yards with two different franchises. He reached the mark with the Los Angeles Rams, building on the massive production he had already piled up during his long run with the Detroit Lions.
It came in a game against the Denver Broncos, where Stafford threw for 390 yards while crossing into rarefied territory again. For Lions fans, it is another reminder of how much of his rsum was built in Detroit, and how his work there still sits alongside what he has done since moving on. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Just Caught A Break Before A Favorable Week 4 Matchup
Jaycee Horns injury gives the Lions a little extra room to breathe heading into their Week 4 trip to Carolina. The Panthers cornerback suffered a torn quad in Week 3 and is expected to be out indefinitely, with injured reserve now a possibility, a tough blow for a pass defense that had been one of Carolinas best early-season strengths.
For Detroit, the timing matters because this matchup was already lining up as one it could attack through the air. Losing Horn changes the look of the Panthers secondary and could force Carolina to adjust on the fly, which is exactly the kind of wrinkle an offense wants to see before a road game. The Lions will still have to handle a defense that has played well overall, but the absence opens a clearer path than they were facing a week ago. [Read more 🡒]