Who should you be watching on the first day of Rivalry Weekend?
Good Morning New York Giants fans, happy Friday and welcome to Rivalry Weekend!
Wait… Friday?
Yes, the college football schedule makers broke Rivalry Saturday up into two days to take advantage of the long weekend to get more big games on national TV. So don’t worry, your post-Thanksgiving food coma didn’t last all the way until Saturday.
Rivalry weekend features some of the biggest games of the year. And not only does that get college football fans excited, it also makes for some fantastic scouting tape. And in the spirit of the Holiday, we’ll be having a double helping of prospects to spotlight this weekend, so let’s get to it.
Harold Fannin Jr (TE/H-Back, Bowling Green)
vs. Miami (OH) — ESPNU, noon
At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Fannin doesn’t have an easily classifiable body type. He’s bigger and more powerfully built than most wide receivers, but isn’t as big as most tight ends. Likewise, he’s leggier and higher-cut than most true fullbacks. That said, he’s a feisty, fiery competitor who gives good effort as a blocker and also fights for every inch as a pass catcher.
But what really sets him apart and the reason why the Bowling Green product is being talked about as a second round prospect is his plus route running, soft hands, and surprising open-field athleticism. Fannin is versatile enough to line up at every skill position spot in the offensive formation, and he’s a mismatch wherever he lines up.
Fannin was an unrecruited receiver/safety coming out of high school, but now he’s one of the best pass catchers in the country. He might be a small school tight end, but he absolutely should be on your radar as one of the best offensive weapons in the draft.
Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss)
vs. Mississippi State — ABC, 3:30 p.m.
We’ve talked about a few Ole Miss players this year, but we haven’t really touched on CB Trey Amos. He’s a well-traveled senior who started his college career with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns before transferring to Alabama and finally landing with Ole Miss for the 2024 season.
He’s a long corner at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds and plays with good patience in man coverage and instincts in off coverages. Amos has quick-enough feet and fluid hips, to go with a good downhill trigger and willingness to defend the run. He knows how to use his length to close and play the ball at the catch point and currently has 12 passes defensed and 3 interceptions on the season.
He might not be among the very best corners in the draft, but he could be a real gem on the second day of the draft.
Elic Ayomanor (WR, Stanford)
vs. San Jose State (CBS, 4:00 p.m.)
The Medicine Hat, Alberta, native (no, I didn’t make that up) is a very intriguing wide receiver prospect. He has a prototypical frame for an outside receiver at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, but that isn’t what makes him interesting. Ayomanor has the ball skills, soft hands, and competitiveness to be a reliable option in high-leverage situations, as well as the acceleration and straight line speed to threaten the defense at all levels.
It really isn’t a surprise that he set the Stanford school single-game record for yards with a massive 13-catch, 295-yard, 3-touchdown effort against Colorado last year.
Ayomanor is a red-shirt sophomore, so it’s no guarantee that he declares for the draft, and he also needs to hone his skills as a route runner to maximize his skill set. But his athleticism, play strength, ball skills, physicality, and competitiveness are all NFL caliber. He could hear his name called before the end of the second round — and certainly before the end of the third round — should he declare.
Jalon Walker (EDGE/LB, Georgia)
vs. Georgia Tech (ABC, 7:30 p.m.)
Georgia’s strength is their defense, and the strength of that defense is safety Malaki Starks and EDGE Mykel Williams.
But the third member of that disruptive trio deserves attention as well, and I want to take the time to mention Jalon Walker. Where Williams very well could be the first edge defender selected thanks to his prototypical frame and elite traits — not to mention that he’ll still only be 20 on draft day — Walker’s draft stock is a bit harder to pin down.
He has an explosive first step, runs a 4.5-second 40, is a high-effort player, and is a coach’s son. However, Walker is also undersized at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds and there are concerns regarding his ability to take on blockers directly. He also doesn’t have a wealth of experience thanks to Georgia’s deep defensive roster, and teams might not be sure whether he’s an EDGE or off-ball linebacker at the next level.
Walker should still be drafted highly, but his draft stock may depend on the eye of the beholder.
Kaleb Johnson (RB, Iowa)
vs. Nebraska (NBC, 7:30 p.m.)
It’s almost too bad that Ashton Jeanty is out there running roughshod over the stat sheet, because there’s a host of talented runners having great seasons across the country.
For instance, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson would be firmly in the Heisman conversation in almost any other year. Johnson has exploded in his junior season to the tune of 223 carries for 1,492 yards (6.7 per carry) and 21 touchdowns.
Johnson has almost ideal size for a modern running back at 6-foot, 225 pounds, and is a down-hill, one-cut runner. He has excellent contact balance and is able to run through arm tackles or traffic around the line of scrimmage. Johnson isn’t the type to dance and out-athlete defenders behind the line of scrimmage, but his vision allows him to pick out running lanes and excel in Iowa’s zone-based running scheme.
Note: Ordinarily I would highlight games to watch. However, this weekend has good games on every channel all game long, so just pick your favorite and enjoy.
Quarterback tracker
- Shedeur Sanders vs. Oklahoma State — ABC, noon
- Jaxson Dart vs. Mississippi State — ABC, 3:30 p.m.
- Carson Beck vs. Georgia Tech — ABC, 7:30 p.m.
