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Good morning New York Giants fans!
Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 7 of the 2022 College Football season. This week we have a potentially great slate of games, with matchups between ranked opponents all day long — as well as some really intriguing games between unranked opponents.
Not only should we have great games all day long, we should also have some “must watch” scouting tape today as top prospects face off against each other in several of these games.
We have so many potentially great games to talk about today that we won’t waste any more time.
(10) Penn State at (5) Michigan
Fox - noon
This game will feature two of the fastest-rising prospects in the upcoming draft class. We’ll start with the more familiar name in Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. (yes, the son of long-time Steelers, Dolphins, and Cardinals linebacker Joey Porter). The younger Porter is a big, long (6-foot-2, 198 pounds), and physical press man corner, which should appeal to Wink Martindale and the Giants’ defense. Porter Jr. has had a strong season so far and is working his way up draft boards, to the point where he could be a solid first rounder.
Michigan’s Eyabi Anoma is quickly climbing the ranks in this year’s EDGE class. He’s had an unconventional path (to say the least), that started at Alabama and has taken him to Houston and UT-Martin before he transferred to Michigan just 3 weeks before the season. The former 5-star recruit had an immediate impact at Michigan, getting a sack on his very first play. His upside is tantelizing, but he will also have to answer questions regarding his character after being dismissed from both Alabama and Houston for violating team rules. Of course, those questions seem to get less important (at least for some teams) when balanced against dominant performances. Good games against ranked opponents could help assuage some teams’ concerns about Anoma off the field.
(3) Alabama at (6) Tennessee
CBS - 3:30pm
This very well could be the best game of the day, and right now it’s the most intriguing. The big question is whether or not Alabama quarterback Bryce Young will play. Young suffered a shoulder injury (a sprained AC) two weeks ago against Arkansas and missed last week’s game. Nick Saban has said that Young is “making progress” and could play. Likewise, he said that it’s more of a pain tolerance issue and throwing the ball shouldn’t make the injury worse.
That said, Alabama remains stacked even if their star QB has to sit out another week.
On the Tennessee side of things, QB Hendon Hooker has been one of the hottest prospects in college football. He’s had a terrific season so far and has seemingly entered the conversation as a challenger for Will Levis as QB3. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see NFL scouts flock to this game, then go back to the tape throughout the draft process.
Unfortunately, star WR Cedric Tillman remains sidelined as he recovers from an injury suffered against Akron. Tennessee has said that Tillman won’t play until he’s “100 percent” healthy. That’s obviously the right move for the young man, but it’s still frustrating to not be able to see Tillman on the field with Hooker is playing so well.
(8) Oklahoma State at (13) TCU
ABC - 3:30pm
I wouldn’t blame anyone who doesn’t give this game a second look, considering it’s going head-to-head against Tennessee vs. Alabama. However, the schedule makers have given us a pretty darn good alternative if you’ve watched enough of Alabama for the time being.
Oklahoma State comes into this game tired and beat up after an injury-filled game against Texas Tech. The Oklahoma State defense was on the field for an incredible 104 plays, and it’s anyone’s guess how they’ll look against TCU. That could make things tricky, as TCU has some very good players on their squad. In particular, the Giants might want to pay attention to cornerbacks Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson and Noah Daniels. While Hodges-Tomlinson is the more highly rated right now, Daniels has the athletic tools that appealed to the Giants before the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Giants will also want to watch TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston. Johnston is a long (6-foot-4, 200 pound) receiver with the burst and speed to truly stretch the field vertically. He’s in the conversation at the top of the wide receiver depth chart and could be one of the top pass catchers in the upcoming draft. He needed to polish his route running coming into this year, but he has the kind of physical skills that get scouts (and coaches) excited.
(7) USC at (20) Utah
Fox - 8pm
There are good players on both teams, with players like USC guard Andrew Vorhees Utah TE/H-Back Dalton Kincaid grabbing attention. However, the (potential) match-up to watch all game long will be between USC WR Jordan Addison and Utah CB Clark Phillips III.
Addison isn’t the biggest receiver (he’s listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds), but he’s very athletic with speed and agility to burn and is also already a technician. That’s a combination that usually means for a quick start at the NFL level, and he’s definitely going to be in the conversation for the first WR off the board. Addison transferred from Pittsburgh to USC, and that has proven to be a very good decision. His skill set is being maximized by Lincoln Riley and he’s set to make a lot of money.
Hopefully Phillips will consistently get matched up on Addison this game. Phillips is an aggressive and versatile cornerback, who’s been very productive so far. He has 5 passes defensed, 5 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns so far this year, and pairs great quickness with good technique. Phillips is built more like a slot corner at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, but if he can shadow Addison and play well on the outside, that will be a huge boost for his draft stock.
Unfortunately, the most intriguing player on the field — USC QB Caleb Williams — is a true sophomore and isn’t eligible for the 2023 Draft. But it’s still a good idea to get familiar with Williams, as he’ll figure heavily in next year’s draft process if he keeps developing at the rate he has so far.
Other games to watch
We really have a great slate of games today, and there’s another half-dozen games to at least check in on over the course of your Saturday.
Maryland at Indiana
ESPN2 - 3:30pm
(15) NC State at (18) Syracuse
ACC Network - 3:30pm
LSU at Florida
ESPN - 7pm
(4) Clemson at Florida State
ABC - 7pm
(16) Mississippi State at (22) Kentucky
SEC Network - 7:30pm
North Carolina at Duke
ACC Network - 8pm
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