FCS Football: Top FCS NFL Prospects To Watch (Week 2)

Week 2 of the college football season kicks off tonight, featuring Western Illinois against Northwestern and Eastern Washington facing Boise State.

There are a good number of FCS vs FBS matchups this weekend, which means another opportunity for FCS prospects to showcase their ability against tougher competition.

Today, we're highlighting four FCS prospects with games that can help boost or depress their draft stock.

Rex Connors | S | UC Davis

Week 2: at Washington

In Week 1 versus Utah Tech, Connors was all over the field, racking up 15 tackles, with eight being solo tackles. He has a hybrid safety build, viewed as a player who can transition to a WILL linebacker at the next level. He is a physical defender with good tackling ability, always around the football.

He will be facing a Washington team led by junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. He is a dual-threat who likes to extend plays with his legs. Connors will have to maintain discipline in coverage, and if asked to roam the middle of the field, will have to make it a priority to tackle Williams in space to eliminate big plays. He will also need to keep an eye on wide receiver Denzel Boston, who is viewed as a player to watch for the 2026 NFL Draft.

DJ Williams | QB | Southern Illinois

Week 2: at Purdue

DJ Williams is a quarterback with a strong arm and the ideal athletic traits for the modern quarterback position. In Week 1, Williams completed 18 passes on 24 attempts for 227 yards passing, three passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. Throughout the game, he did an efficient job of facilitating and allowing his receivers to make plays after the catch.

He had two turnover-worthy plays that he'd like to have back, but overall, his performance was adequate. Williams will be facing a Purdue defense that played majority zone coverage in Week 1, but was more effective when playing man in smaller sample sizes. There will be opportunities for Williams to make plays with his legs as Purdue struggled, allowing five explosive rushing plays, three by the quarterback.

Johnny Harris III | CB | Bethune-Cookman

Week 2: at No. 5 Miami

Harris entered the 2025 season as one of the top HBCU prospects. He started off his season with a solid game against FIU. He totaled six tackles, four solo, two tackles for loss, and one pass breakup. He is a long corner who plays with poise and balance and is an adequate run defender. He will be going up against a Miami team with national championship aspirations and a roster that could be considered one of the best in the nation.

Carson Beck, a former Georgia quarterback, leads the Hurricanes into this game looking to have a better performance than his last outing against a tough Notre Dame defense. Beck will look to feed his talented weapons on the outside, being more of a facilitator, which means a lot of opportunities for Harris to capitalize on his matchups against CJ Daniels, who was the most targeted outside receiver for Beck.

Michael Briscoe | WR | Cal Poly

Week 2: at No. 25 Utah

Briscoe is one of the top offensive FCS prospects coming into the 2025 season. He started his season off with a good performance against San Diego. He amassed seven receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He showed efficient route running, good tracking, and was effective running after the catch.

His ability to stretch the field makes his matchup against Utah intriguing. Utah's passing defense struggled against UCLA, with receivers finding openings in the intermediate and deep levels of the defense. UCLA was unable to capitalize on coverage breakdowns consistently. I'm looking for Briscoe to move around and get some favorable matchups this weekend.