Evaluating players in college is a very difficult task to do. The task is even harder when a certain prospect hasn’t faced a particularly high level of competition. That is why it is critically important to evaluate players when they are up against high-quality competition. You aren’t going to get an adequate evaluation of a defensive end if he lining up the starting tackle for McNeese State. Therefore, when a player matches up against another who is an NFL-caliber prospect that performance will paint a better picture as to how well that player projects to the next level.

In that same vein, we will now take a look at three matchups that you should keep your eye on this week in college football.

Louisville Edge Rusher Lorenzo Mauldin versus Syracuse Offensive Tackle Sean Hickey

On Friday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, Louisville will take on Syracuse and all eyes will be on the matchup between Louisville edge rusher Lorenzo Mauldin and Syracuse offensive tackle Sean Hickey.

Hickey has good height at 6-foot-5, but needs to add bulk as he is listed at only 291 pounds. He is limited athletically, but more than makes up for it with his footwork and hand placement. He has good mirroring skills, with decent movement skills in the run game. He is not going to overpower his opponent, but rather he prefers to win with technique. He does well against power, but can sometimes struggle with a great speed rusher.

Mauldin lines up as an outside linebacker when Louisville is in 3-4 defense and at defensive end when Louisville goes to four down linemen. He has good size at 6-foot-4 and 252 pounds. Mauldin wins when he is able to use his length to set up his variety of pass-rush moves. He rarely lets offensive tackles get their hands on him, which allows him to set up his swipe and swim moves. He does a good job playing off blocks, but still needs to develop more strength and at times he plays too high.

Hickey and Mauldin haven’t faced any elite competition yet, so this will be a great litmus test for both. This matchup will be interesting because both players’ strengths seem to matchup with each other. Hickey and Mauldin are both great technicians and utilize their hands extremely well. Neither have any amazing physical traits, but they more than make up for it with the subtle nuances of their positions..

Overall, this matchup will come down to which player plays with their hands better. If Hickey can get his hands on Mauldin and stay in balance with his footwork, then he should handle Mauldin just fine. If Mauldin keeps Hickey’s hands off his body and is able to work his fantastic hand-fighting techniques then he should do very well.

Nebraska Wide Receiver Kenny Bell versus Michigan State Cornerback Trae Waynes

When Nebraska takes on Michigan State on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, most will have their eyes on spectacular Nebraska running back Ameer Abudllah, defensive end Randy Gregory or Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook. However, the real matchup will be on the outside between Nebraska wide receiver Kenny Bell and Michigan State Cornerback Trae Waynes.

Bell has adequate height at 6-foot-1, but is very thin at 185 pounds. He will likely need to add more weight before he goes to the next level. Bell isn’t the fastest or quickest wide receiver, but he has solid fundamentals. He does a great job running crisp routes to gain separation from opposing defenders, even if they are more athletically gifted than him. He knows how to set up cornerbacks with his footwork and has great hands to haul in any balls thrown to him.

In a league that puts a high value on long corners, Waynes fits that mold. He is a long and lean cornerback (standing at 6-foot-1 and 182 pounds) that is a great athlete with impressive ball skills. Waynes has the foot speed to keep up with any receiver, along with the hip flexibility to move it and out of cuts fluidly. He is ultra aggressive, which sometimes gets him into trouble when he bites on fakes and double moves. He is at his best in press-man coverage where he can use his physicality and athleticism to blanket opposing receivers.

On paper, it appears as though Waynes should have the clear advantage over Bell. He is the higher rated prospect with much better athletic traits. However, Bell’s impressive route-running skills will give him the opportunity to test just how great Waynes truly is. Look for Nebraska to send Bell on some double-moves in play action to try and take advantage of Waynes aggressive habits. If Waynes can prove he knows how to stay disciplined and be aggressive only in the right situations then he will firmly entrench himself as a first-round type player.

Prospect Spotlight: Ohio State Defensive Tackle Michael Bennett

Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett is a player who follows in the footsteps of 2013’s undersized defensive tackles Aaron Donald and Dominique Easley. Bennett stands at only 6-foot-2 and 288 pounds, which is very small for a traditional defensive tackle. For an undersized defensive tackle to be able to consistently beat NFL offensive linemen, they must have great first-step quickness to go along with a great understanding of leverage to win at the point of attack.

Bennett displays these attributes in every game. While it isn’t on the same level as last years No. 13 pick Aaron Donald, he still gets off the line of scrimmage extremely quickly and attacks up the field at a feverish pace. He keeps his pads low and uses impressive hands that allow him to leverage and defeat blocks on a regular basis. One of Bennett’s underrated abilities is that he takes great angles as he tracks the ball carrier or quarterback. He displays a great swim move, along with an impressive club and rip move.

Bennett struggles most when he faces double teams because he doesn’t have the strength to hold up against two blockers at the point of attack. Too often, you see him three to five yards off the line of scrimmage when he is double-teamed. To help mitigate this weakness, Bennett needs to get a great deal stronger so he can hold up against NFL offensive linemen at the point of attack.

One of Bennett’s biggest downfalls is that he plays the 1-technique defensive tackle position at Ohio State for the most part. This usually results in Bennett taking on a great deal of double-teams in the run game, which mitigates his effectiveness.

In the NFL, Bennett projects best as a 3-technique defensive tackle or “under tackle” in a one-gap aggressive 4-3 scheme like the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions or Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This would allow him to use his quickness to win inside and create a great deal of interior pressure and disruption. Bennett’s hand usage and knowledge of leverage allow him to do well when matched up one-on-one where he knows how to properly stack and shed the opposing lineman.

Thus far this year, Bennett has not had the same level of production as he had in 2013. This has been mostly due to the fact that he has received a great deal of attention from opposing offenses. On nearly every play, Bennett is getting double-teamed or chipped in the run and passing games, which has limited his effectiveness. Still, you can see the flashes of the disruptive, impactful player he is. If Bennett played as an under tackle on a regular basis at Ohio State, he would likely be much more productive than he has been as of late.

Bennett’s value is that he can create a great deal of interior disruption both against the run and the pass. His first-step quickness allows him to get into backfield’s quick and totally disrupt what offenses are doing. Also, it can’t be understated how important it is to move a quarterback of his spot and not allow him to step into the pocket and make timely throws. If you can cause a quarterback to have to move off his spot and reset his feet, he is much more likely to throw an errant pass. Most NFL quarterbacks are adept at stepping up in the pocket because of outside pressure; however, many of them struggle with pressure in their face, which causes them to make mistakes. This is what Bennett can bring to any team he goes to.

At the moment, Bennett has the look of a late first, early second round pick. He needs to develop more strength, so that he doesn’t get washed out of his gap in the NFL. However, his quickness and pass-rush skills make him very valuable in a league that is becoming more and more pass happy every year.