Will there be any future Giants on the field?
Good evening New York Giants fans!
The 2024-2025 college football season is almost at a close, and there’s just one more game to play. Tonight, seventh-ranked Notre Dame will take on eighth-ranked Ohio State in the College Football National Championship game.
This game marks the culmination of the expanded College Football Playoffs. This is the first year of the new 12-team format, and both of these teams owe their presence in the game to the expanded format.
Previously, neither Notre Dame nor Ohio State would have made the College Football Playoffs, as it was limited to just the top four teams. Both Notre Dame and OSU ran the gauntlet to get here, beating multiple Top 4 teams. Notre Dame had to take on both Georgia and Penn State, while Ohio State faced Oregon and Texas over the last two rounds.
The fact that two teams that wouldn’t have made the playoffs in the previous format are competing for the Championship is proof positive that the change is a good one.
Of course, this is also an excellent chance to get some scouting done for the 2025 NFL Draft. These are two talented teams and there will be plenty of prospects on the field. In a slight change in how we’ve done things this year, we’ll be highlighting an offensive and defensive player for each team.
(7) Notre Dame
It isn’t a surprise that Notre Dame had the opportunity to get to this game. Their status as an independent program gave them a pretty clear path to the College Football Playoffs. However, they’ve been bitten hard by the injury bug over the course of the year, which even claimed their best prospect in CB Benjamin Morrison. So with that in mind, it is a bit of a surprise that they beat (2) Georgia and (4) Penn State to get here.
Offensive player to watch
Mitchell Evans (TE)
The Giants probably don’t need to add a tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, that doesn’t mean that they won’t or can’t add a tight end if the value is right. This year’s draft class could be pretty deep at tight end, and there are prospects to fit most roles and schemes in the NFL.
Evans is the next in a long line of Notre Dame tight ends who feature a prototypical build and a well-rounded game. He has great size at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds and is a good blocking tight end — he was their blocker opposite Michael Mayer in 2022. Evans has also emerged as a good receiving tight end in his own right since becoming the TE1 in 2023.
He makes great use of his size and is one of the best contested catch players in college football, and is also tough for individual defenders to bring down.
NFL teams will want to do their due diligence on Evans after he tore his ACL and MCL in 2023. A good performance could make him a solid Day 2 prospect.
Defensive player to watch
Xavier Watts (S)
It’s too bad that cornerback Benjamin Morrison was lost for the year to injury. But that makes Watts the top prospect on the field for Notre Dame, and one of the top prospects in the game. Watts has good size for the position at 6-foot, 205 pounds, and can play deep as a free safety as well as close to the line of scrimmage as a box safety.
He’s a smart, instinctive player who consistently takes smart angles to the ball and is a ballhawk. Watts has fantastic ball skills which, when combined with his instinctive play, has resulted in 13 passes defensed and 13 interceptions (1 touchdown) over the last two years. The Giants just drafted Tyler Nubin in the second round and Dane Belton has stepped up when he’s gotten the chance, but Watts’ ability to generate turnovers should put him in strong consideration for the Giants.
(8) Ohio State
If Notre Dame’s presence in the National Championship game is something of a surprise, Ohio State’s probably shouldn’t be. The Buckeyes season wasn’t up to their usual standards and they certainly had to earn their way to the big game, but the Buckeyes also boast one of the most thoroughly stacked rosters in the nation. There will be future NFL players at almost every position for Ohio State tonight.
As usual, my advice is to enjoy the game and take note of whichever players leap off the tape.
Offensive player to watch
Emeka Egbuka (WR)
Wide receiver might not be the most pressing need for the Giants, but Egbuka is an intriguing one. He could fill a variety of holes for a variety of teams, depending on scheme and the roster around him.
He has great run-after-catch ability and could be a primary receiver for a team that makes a point of scheming YAC into their passing game. On the other hand, he’s also a savvy route runner with reliable hands and solid size (6-foot-1, 205 pounds), and could be a reliable possession receiver on the outside. He has played alongside and behind some of the best receiving prospects to come out of college in recent years, and his ability to find a role opposite them speaks to his ability.
The Giants need to continue to upgrade their offense, and a player like Egbuka could be a versatile piece as the Giants rework their offense around a changing quarterback situation.
Defensive player to watch
Jack Sawyer (edge)
Sawyer has been one of the best edge defenders in college football over the last two years, and he’d be a welcome addition to almost any defense.
He has prototypical size for an edge defender at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, and should be able to play in a three or four-man front at the NFL level — though he might fit best as a traditional 4-3 DE. He’s probably best described as a “solid, if not spectacular” athlete, but is able to use his play strength, motor, and sky-high football IQ to make up the difference. Sawyer understands how to rush with a plan, gets after blockers, and never gives up on a play. He’s also a reliable run defender who never really has to come off the field.
Where Sawyer is drafted will likely come down to how he performs at the Scouting Combine. A good workout would check a lot of boxes and make teams feel better about drafting him highly.
How to watch
TV: ESPN
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Announcers: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit
Radio: ESPN Radio
SiriusXM: National broadcast – 80, Notre Dame – 84, Ohio State – 81
