6 NFL Prospects to Watch During College Football's Opening Weekend

Thousands of college students are ecstatic. Football is finally here to alleviate the pain felt by the ending of summer and the realization that it's time to hit the books. 

Tonight marks the end of the most tumultuous offseason in college football history, and the true start of the 2013 NFL draft evaluation process. 

As you feast on a full slate of college football this weekend, keep your eye on these six outstanding NFL draft prospects. 

Marcus Lattimore

At 6'0'' and a chiseled 218 pounds, Marcus Lattimore is a grown man. 

The South Carolina running back has drawn comparisons to Darren McFadden and Adrian Peterson as a truly powerful, every down runner with home-run hitting ability. 

As a true freshmen for the Gamecocks in the SEC, Lattimore ran for 1,197 yards at 4.8 yards per carry and scored 17 rushing touchdowns. 

He was on pace for an even better season in 2011, averaging five yards per carry through seven games before a knee injury prematurely ended his sophomore campaign.

Fully healed, a hungry Lattimore takes on the Vanderbilt Commodores tonight to kickoff the college football season. 

Lattimore will be in the spotlight this evening to begin his run at the Heisman Trophy and it'll be the first time to showcase his immense skill for NFL coaches and general managers. 

Jackson Jeffcoat

The Texas Longhorns haven't been, well, the Texas Longhorns the last two seasons, but that doesn't mean they've stopped being a factory for sound NFL products.

Jackson Jeffcoat is the newest, and potentially the best, NFL prospect out of Austin in the last three years. 

At 6'4'', and 250 pounds, Jeffcoat—the son of former Dallas Cowboys great Jim Jeffcoat—has ideal size to play as a 4-3 defensive end and the athletic ability to play as a 3-4 OLB. 

He doesn't have a full arsenal of pass-rushing moves, but he's deceptively powerful and is quick off the ball. 

Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor formulate one of the premier edge-rushing duos in football. 

Have fun dealing with them, Wyoming. 

Taylor Lewan

It's not easy to live up to the expectations set by No. 77 Jake Long playing left tackle for the Michigan Wolverines.

Taylor Lewan has hardly disappointed following in Long's giant footsteps. 

Right now, he's not the NFL prospect Long was, but is undoubtedly one of the premier left tackles in all of college football entering the 2012 season.

He's a mammoth 6'8'' and nearly 310 pounds, and has the nimble feet to deal with fast pass-rushers flying off the edge.

Lewan will be tested in the Wolverines' season opener against the always defensively talented Alabama Crimson Tide, but if he holds his own, it'll be a confidence-building start to what should be a sound season protecting Denard Robinson's blindside.  

Matt Barkley

Barkley would have been a first-round pick had he entered himself in the 2012 draft. With a year to further develop his skill set and football IQ, the USC quarterback could be the preeminent quarterback prospect after the 2012 season. 

His Trojans are off probation and are absolutely loaded on offense and defense. 

Robert Woods and Silas Reed formulate an electric wide receiver-running back duo and Barkley's cerebral style of play, mixed with his impressive arm strength and accuracy, have allowed USC to emerge as one of the nation's top teams once again. 

Though he's not 6'4'' with amazing scrambling ability, he's a traditional drop-back signal-caller who's flourished in his first three seasons in Southern California. 

He should begin his legitimate Heisman campaign with a solid performance against Hawaii this weekend.

LSU's Star Pass-Rushers, Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo

Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo—the most intimidating pass-rushing duo in the country. 

LSU is essentially the NFL's farm team, cultivating future first-round picks with otherworldly athleticism every year, especially on defense. 

Montgomery is a defensive end who totaled 49 tackles and 9.5 sacks in 2011. He plays with a non-stop motor and a drive not seen in most collegiate prospects. His power and burst off the ball could make him one of the top picks in the 2013 draft. 

Mingo, the hybrid of the two at 6'5'' and 240 pounds, is a freakish athlete with amazing footwork and acceleration off the edge. In 2011, he accumulated 15 tackles for loss with seven sacks as a sophomore.

These two should be extremely destructive all season, and they'll begin wreaking havoc against North Texas.