Good morning New York Giants fans and welcome to Rivalry Week!
No, you didn’t slip into a turkey-induced coma and sleep until Saturday. It’s Friday and today the college football world is getting a jump on the rivalry games by turning Black Friday into Black And Blue Friday. We have a full slate of rivalry games today before we even get into Saturday’s games.
I hope Joe Schoen and the Giants’ scouting department got a good meal in yesterday and packed those leftovers, because they’re going to be racking up the frequent flier miles. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Mississippi State vs. (7) Ole Miss
ABC – noon
The story of this year’s Egg Bowl is, undoubtedly, the future of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin has done a tremendous amount of work rehabbing his personal life as well as his reputation around the football world since being fired by USC back in 2013. Kiffin is being hotly pursued by both the Florida Gators and LSU Tigers for their vacant head coaching positions. It’s also been speculated that Kiffin could be a candidate to be the Giants’ next head coach due to his relationship with star rookie Jaxson Dart.
As for players to watch on the field, I actually want to take the opportunity to highlight a pair of Bulldogs. We haven’t really talked about Mississippi State yet this year, and this is an excellent opportunity to rectify that.
I want to point out Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones and safety Isaac Smith. Smith is a stout (6-foot, 220 pound) safety who looks more like a linebacker than a defensive back, but has real chops in coverage. He has 3 passes defensed and 1 interception on the season — but has only been targeted 12 times all year and is allowing a passer rating of 16.7 when targeted.
Kelley Jones is the physical opposite of Smith as a long, lanky cornerback at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds. He has twitch athleticism and really knows how to use his length to his advantage. He has 11 passes defensed and 2 interceptions on the season, and is garnering some buzz as a potential 1st round talent. A strong game here against the high-powered Ole Miss offense could set the stage for a meteoric rise should he declare for the draft.
Players to watch
Mississippi State
- Brenen Thompson (WR – 0)
- Seydou Troare (TE – 8)
- Isaac Smith (S – 2)
- Kelley Jones (CB – 1)
(7) Ole Miss
- Trinidad Chambliss (QB – 6)
- De’Zhaun Stribling (WR – 1)
- Dae’Quan Wright (TE – 8)
- Zxavian Harris (iDL – 51)
- Suntarine Perkins (EDGE – 4)
(23) Georgia Tech vs. (4) Georgia
ABC – 3:30 p.m.
Can Georgia Tech produce another upset victory? College football has been chaotic this year, and Georgia Tech has been part of the reason why.
Realistically, they don’t stand much of a chance against the Bulldogs, but GT has outperformed expectations this year. The Giants will likely be most interested in right guard Keylan Rutledge, who could be an under-the-radar option to replace Greg Van Roten, or at least a solid depth and developmental option.
But the majority of the talent will be on the Georgia sidelines.
Giants fans might want to pay attention to linebacker CJ Allen, who’s a smart, aggressive, physical, and athletic off-ball linebacker. Allen has the ability to be a true 3-down linebacker at the NFL level, with chops as a downhill run defender, coverage linebacker, and blitzer.
Players to watch
(23) Georgia Tech
- Keylan Rutledge (RG – 77)
- Jamal Haynes (RB – 1)
- Eric Rivers (WR – 3
(4) Georgia
- Monroe Freeling (OT – 57)
- Earnest Greene II (OL – 71)
- Christen Miller (iDL – 52)
- CJ Allen (LB – 3)
- Daylen Everette (CB – 6)
(16) Texas vs. (3) Texas A&M
ABC – 7:30 p.m.
I’ve been asked before why I still list quarterbacks as “players to watch” for the Giants, and there are two reasons. First and foremost, the Giants only have two quarterbacks under contract for 2026 and could draft one as a long-term backup for Jaxson Dart. The other reason is the impact quarterbacks have on every part of the draft board
Case in point: Much like the game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss, the discussion of this game is going to be dominated by someone who won’t be in the draft. Arch Manning is the biggest name in college football, and has been on a rollercoaster this year. It would be, frankly, stunning of Manning declared for the draft instead of returning to school for the 2026 season. However, his decision will likely have a profound effect on the draft board.
There’s a glut of talent in this game, and rather than highlight any one player, I’d just advise fans to watch, enjoy, and take note of who stands out.
Players to watch
(16) Texas
- Arch Manning (QB – 16)
- Trevor Goosby (OT – 74)
- DJ Campbell (OG – 52)
- Anthony Hill Jr. (LB – 0
- Malik Muhammed (CB – 5)
- Michael Taafe (S – 16)
(3) Texas A&M
- Chase Bisontis (OG – 71)
- KC Concepcion (WR – 7)
- Albert Regis (iDL – 17)
- Cashius Howell (EDGE – 9)
- Taurean York (LB – 21)
- Will Lee III (CB – 4)
(20) Arizona State vs. (25) Arizona
Fox – 9pm
Finally we come to the late game tonight, a showdown in the desert.
The big news here is that wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is listed as “probable” for the game. The Giants need a 1b receiver to pair with Malik Nabers as they transition from “rebuilding” to building around Jaxson Dart. Giving Dart another dependable and dangerous weapon on the outside will not only help the Giants rack up points, but also limit the times when Dart is forced to hold the ball or scramble because nobody is open down the field.
Fans will also want to watch Arizona State CB Keith Abney II, who has been excellent this year with 11 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles.
Players to watch
(20) Arizona State
- Max Iheanachor (OT – 58)
- Jordyn Tyson (WR – 0)
- CJ Fite (iDL – 99)
- Keith Abney II (CB – 1)
(25) Arizona
- Ka’ena Decambra (OC – 52)
- Treydan Stukes (CB – 2)
- Genesis Smith (S – 12)
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