College Football week 3 - Spotlighting OT Evan Neal and games to watch

Good morning New York Giants fans, happy Saturday and welcome to week 3 of the College Football season!

Today we’ll be taking a look at the top offensive lineman in the upcoming draft in Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal.

We’ll also break down some of the best and most accessible college games of the day. Today’s slate will give us second looks at both Penn State and Alabama, as well as our first look at one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft.

So without further ado, enough talk, let’s get to the football.

Player of the week

Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

Neal is a big, powerful, and surprisingly athletic (for his size)offensive lineman from the University of Alabama. A three-year starter, Neal started his career as Alabama’s left guard, moved to right tackle as a sophomore, and is now their left tackle as a junior.

Neal will be a sought after prospect whenever he decides to enter the NFL draft, and will likely be selected in the first five picks. There are few true holes in his game and he should be able to contribute to an offense immediately. Neal’s traits, skillset, and background should allow

Pros

• Prototypical build with great size and thickness throughout his frame
• Effortless power
• Easy mover within his range
• Good technique and leverage
• Versatile and experienced - Has started at three different positions
• Reliable pass protector
• Able to generate movement at LOS
• Enthusiastic blocker in space

Cons

• Range and lateral agility are limited
• Can get overly aggressive in his blocks
• Winds up on the ground too often

Games to watch

Nebraska at (3) Oklahoma

Fox - Noon

Sorry, ‘huskers, but this one is almost certainly going to Oklahoma, and I’m not going to pretend that it would be a major upset if they Oklahoma didn’t win.

Looking at the game from a draft perspective, cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is the player to watch on the Nebraska side of things. He is a good sized corner with strong ball skills who could work his way into the early middle rounds with a good year.

All eyes will be on QB Spencer Rattler on the Oklahoma side of things. Rattler is projected to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft, boasting strong athleticism and arm talent. He isn’t big, listed at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, but considering Lincoln Riley’s success with Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts, size shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Interestingly, many of Oklahoma’s top draft-eligible prospects are on the defensive side of the ball. EDGE Nik Bonitto could be an intriguing name to follow over the course of the season. He’s an athletic but unrefined rusher who could rise throughout the process.

Nebraska

• Cam Taylor-Britt (CB)
• Samori Toure (WR)
• Austin Allen (TE)
• JoJo Domann (OLB)
• Connor Culp (K)

Oklahoma

• Spencer Rattler (QB)
• Tyrese Robinson (iOL)
• Eric Gray (RB)
• Austin Stogner (TE)
• Nik Bonitto (EDGE)
• Isaiah Thomas (DL)
• Perrion Winfrey (iDL)
• Woodi Washington (CB) *RS Sophomore

(1) Alabama at (12) Florida

CBS - 3:30 pm

It’s not often that we can say that it would be a significant upset if the twelfth ranked team in the country were to win in week 3, but that’s what happens when you’re playing the machine that is Nick Saban’s Alabama.

Florida has a talented squad that would hold up well against just about any other team in the country. They have players on offense, and some of the best defenders in the nation... But they’re going against an Alabama team that’s just stacked at every position.

From a scouting perspective, it’s safe to say that “Alabama” rules are in effect for this game. Watch, enjoy and see who jumps off the field for you. Personally, I think the biggest question will be Florida EDGE Brenton Cox Jr. Cox is one of the better EDGE players in college football and would be at home as a rush linebacker in the NFL. The question comes from the fact that he suffered a Jones fracture in his foot last season, requiring surgery to fix it in June. He’s playing in this game — at leas as of this writing — but isn’t expected to be back to full strength until mid-season. How he responds and plays against Alabama’s offensive line could be telling.

Alabama

• Evan Neal (OT)
• John Metchie III (WR)
• Jalen Tolbert (WR)
• Jahleel Billinglsy (TE)
• Christian Harris (LB)
• Henry To’o To’o (LB)
• Jordan Battle (S)

Florida

• Kaiir Elam (CB)
• Brenton Cox Jr. (EDGE) *foot
• Zachary Carter (DL)
• Amari Gainer (LB)
• Trey Dean III (S)

(22) Auburn at (11) Penn State

ABC - 7:30 pm

While Florida vs. Alabama will probably have the most top prospects on display, this could wind up being the “best” or maybe most competitive game of the day.

Auburn’s strength is on the defensive side of the ball, with a trio of intriguing defensive backs in CBs Nehemia Pritchett and Roger McCreary, as well as safety Smoke Monday. They also have two good coverage linebackers in Zakoby McClain and Owen Pappoe. McClain is probably the more polished of the two, but Pappoe has the athleticism to be a fast riser over the course of the draft process.

We’ve already been over Penn State, and linebacker Brandon Smith is definitely the guy to watch out there. Something else to watch for is if the reported interest between Penn State head coach James Franklin and USC for their newly-vacant head coaching job becomes a distraction.

Auburn

• Shaun Shivers (RB)
• Nehemia Pritchett (CB)
• Roger McCreary (CB)
• Smoke Monday (S)
• Zakoby McClain (LB)
• Owen Pappoe (LB)

Penn State

• Jahan Dotson (WR)
• Rasheed Walker (OT)
• PJ Mustipher (iDL)
• Brandon Smith (LB)
• Jaquan Brisker (S)

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