Good morning, New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 2 of the 2025 college football season.
Week 1 of the season was billed as the best opening week in college football history with a bunch of potential Playoff matchups. We had a startling upset when Florida State ate Alabama’s lunch, vaulting FSU from unranked to 14th, while Alabama dropped from eighth down to 21st.
We have some very intriguing matchups this week as well, with a game from ranked teams in the prime time slot. I also want to look at a couple teams that have interesting, but under-the-radar prospects.
Duke vs. (11) Illinois
Noon – ESPN
The best player on the field today will likely be Illinois safety Xavier Scott. Scott has quick feet and fluid hips for a safety and can quickly get depth when rotating coverages.
That said, I want to keep an eye on a pair of offensive tackles. Both Brian Parker II of Duke and J.C. Davis of Illinois are both on the Outland Trophy watch list. Parker might get asked to move inside to guard or center at the NFL level, but he was a very dependable pass protector last year. Davis, meanwhile, is a big mauling lineman who’s generally listed somewhere between 320 and 335 pounds.
Players to watch
Duke
- Brian Parker II (OT – 53)
- Chandler Rivers (CB – 0)
- Terry Moore (S – 1)
Illinois
- J.C. Davis (OT – 74)
- Gabe Jacas (DL/OLB – 17)
- Xavier Scott (S – 14)
Kentucky vs. (20) Ole Miss
3:30 p.m. – ABC
The Giants spent a LOT of time in and around the Ole Miss program, so it makes sense to keep an eye on them this year.
DL Zxavian Harris is listed at 6-foot-7, 330 pounds and is coming off of a monster Week 1. Granted, it was against Georgia State, but 5 tackles, a sack, and an interception is still worth noting. Likewise, WR Harrison Wallace III flashed last year with Penn State before transferring to Ole Miss. He could be on the Giants’ radar as a former teammate of Theo Johnson.
On the flip side, WR Ja’Mori Maclin was a 1000-yard receiver at North Texas before transferring to Kentucky in 2024. He only caught 13 passes last year but averaged 24.1 yards per catch and four of his 13 receptions were for touchdowns. Maclin is a compact (5-foot-11, 191-pound) receiver with great twitch and explosive acceleration. He could be a riser to keep an eye on.
Players to watch
Kentucky
- OL Joshua Braun
- WR Ja’Mori Maclin
- OLB Kam Olds
(20) Ole Miss
- OL Diego Pounds
- DL Zxavian Harris
- EDGE Princewill Umanmielen
- LB Suntarine Perkins
(18) Oklahoma vs. (15) Michigan
ABC – 7:30 p.m.
Finally we come to a matchup between ranked opponents.
Most of the NFL will likely be concentrating on Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer as the 2026 quarterback class takes shape over the coming weeks and months. That said, wide receiver Deion Burks and edge R Mason Thomas are definitely interesting. The Giants should be set at edge, but they could be looking for help at receiver after the 2025 season. Burks is undersized at 5-foot-9, 190 pounds, but is a natural separator and hands catcher who can operate out of the slot but also has the athleticism and route running chops to win on the outside.
On the Michigan side of things, safety Rod Moore and linebacker Jaishawn Barham could be very interesting for the Giants. Barham, in particular, is a well-built linebacker at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, and reportedly ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash coming out of high school. He’s has the traits to be a true three-down defender who can defend the run in the box or play in space.
Players to watch
(18) Oklahoma
- QB John Mateer
- RB Jaydn Ott
- WR Deion Burks
- DL Gracen Halton
- EDGE R Mason Thomas
(15) Michigan
- EDGE Derrick Moore
- EDGE TJ Guy
- LB Jaishawn Barham
- S Rod Moore
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