College football week 2 - Scouting S Kyle Hamilton, games and players to watch

Good morning New York Giants fans, happy Saturday and welcome to week two of the college football season!

This week doesn’t see quite as many matchups between ranked opponents as we saw back in week one, but there will still be good prospects on the field throughout the day. As an added bonus, this week the player Joe DeLeone and I highlight as our Prospect of The Week is Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton could be the best player in the upcoming draft and would be a phenomenal addition to Patrick Graham’s defense.

(12) Oregon at (3) Ohio State

Noon - Fox

I’d like to start by thanking the schedule makers for not making us wait for a potential marquee game.

Ohio State always boasts talent on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Most eyes will be on OSU’s receiving duo of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, who both offer tantalizing upside and diversity in skillset. Giants fans might want to keep an eye on OSU left tackle Thayer Munford. The senior tackle isn’t overly athletic, but he has made some impressive strides in his career as a Buckeye.

But the big question surrounding this game is the health of Oregon EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux simply leapt off the screen last year as a true sophomore and could be one of the first five players off the board come the 2022 draft — His athleticism, fluidity, body control, and burst off the edge are simply rare. A battle between he and Munford could be required viewing for scouts this year, but as of this writing we just don’t know if Thibodeaux will be on the field. He suffered a sprained ankle in Week 1 and is currently listed as “day to day”.

Players to watch

Oregon

• Kayvon Thibodeaux (EDGE)
• Verone McKinley III (S)
• Mykael Wright (CB)
• D.J. James (CB)
• Devon Williams (WR)

Ohio State

• Thayer Munford (OT)
• Chris Olave (WR)
• Garrett Wilson (WR)
• Jeremy Ruckert (TE)
• Zach Harrison (DE)
• Tyreke Smith (DE)
• Haskell Garrett (DT)
• Sevyn Banks (CB)

(10) Iowa at (9) Iowa State

4:30 pm - ABC

This is probably our other contender for marquee game of the week. There’s few things like a game between intra-state rivals who both happen to be ranked in the top 10. It’s actually pretty remarkable that we’re getting this game in September.

Depending on how the Giants’ offensive line develops over the course of the season, Iowa interior offensive lineman Tyler Lindbaum could be a guy to watch. He’s still new to the center position after transitioning from defensive tackle in 2018, however he’s strong, athletic, and has shown improvement since 2019.

Players to watch

Iowa

• Tyler Lindbaum (OC)
• Tyler Goodson (RB)
• Tyrone Tracy Jr. (WR)
• Zach Vanvalkenburg (DL)
• Matt Hankins (CB)

Iowa State

• Breece Hall (RB)
• Charlie Kolar (TE)
• Greg Eisworth (S)

Washington at Michigan

8 pm - ABC

Not a match-up between ranked opponents, but still two of the biggest programs in their respective conferences.

Washington was regarded as a potential scouting destination school a few years ago, but never quite managed to capitalized on the talent they attracted to their program. However, players like Jaxson Kirkland, Zion Tupuola-Fetui, and Kyler Gordon all have the potential to work into the first round with a solid season.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is perpetually on the hotseat, but Michigan remains a perennial scouting powerhouse. Top prospects Daxton Hill and Aiden Hutchinson will be the focus on the Michigan defense, but OL Ryan Hayes could be interesting to watch as well. Michigan’s Pro Style offense has produced a number of NFL starters over the years, and Hayes could be the next. He has good size for the left tackle position, but his relative inexperience leaves plenty of room for intrigue.

Players to watch

Washington

• Jaxson Kirkland (OL/G)
• Cade Otton (TE)
• Zion Tupuola-Fetui (EDGE)
• Trent McDuffie (CB)
• Kyler Gordon (CB)
• Edefuan Ulofoshio (LB)

Michigan

• Ronnie Bell (WR)
• Hassan Haskins (RB)
• Daxton Hill (S)
• Aidan Hutchinson (EDGE)
• Josh Ross (LB)

Prospect of the week

Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

Overview

Hamilton is a big, athletic, smart, and versatile safety who can do just about anything a defensive coordinator could ask in just about any scheme.

He has enough size to easily play in the box, while having the athleticism to play in coverage on most offensive skill position players. He is a capable tackler, disruptive in the passing game, and able to be a true “center fielder” free safety. There are few weaknesses in Hamilton’s game, and he’s widely considered to be one of the very best prospects in the upcoming draft class.

Pros

• Rare size, tall with long arms, but not slightly built.
• Fantastic range. Has the ability to be a true sideline-to-sideline player.
• Smart player who sees the whole field.
• Processes and acts on new information quickly.
• Easy mover in space.
• Good closing burst - uses his length to disrupt at the catch point.
• Reliable tackler - doesn’t give up yards after contact.

Cons

• Height and size can work against him when matched up on quick receivers.
• Can be over-aggressive at times, leading to some poor angles.

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