Football

College football primer: We need to talk about Ashton Jeanty

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2 weeks ago

November 9, 2024

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College football primer: We need to talk about Ashton Jeanty

Good morning New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 11 of the 2024 college football season.

We’re in the real meat of the college football season where every single game is significant. The expansion of the College Football Playoffs from 4 to 12 teams has given competitive teams a larger margin of error to make the dance, but every win (or loss) matters now.

The schedule makers gave us two heavyweight showdowns this week that will have big playoff and draft implications.

The first is the afternoon game between (16) Ole Miss and (2) Georgia, which will be followed by the rivalry game between (14) LSU and (11) Alabama at 7:30 p.m.

Dontay Corleone, iDL, Cincinnati

Cincinnati vs. West Virginia – FS1, Noon

The Giants have a singular force in the middle of their defensive line in Dexter Lawrence II. But while the Giants’ other defensive tackles are fine as rotational depth pieces, there’s a definite step down when Lawrence needs a breather. They need another player who can be stout at the point of attack as well as threaten the backfield.

Corleone is getting lost in the shuffle of a deep and talented defensive line class, and that could make him a hidden gem.

Corleone is a stoutly built defender at 6-foot-2, 320 pounds, and combines excellent play strength with surprising quickness and agility for his build. He lacks length overall, and that will limit his upside as a pass rusher, but he’s also notched three sacks in each of 2022, 2023, and (so far) in 2024. Corleone is also a high-effort player with a white-hot motor, and that’s sure to appeal to the Giants.

He could be a great value on the second day of the draft.

Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss

(16) Ole Miss vs. (2) Georgia – ABC, 3:30 p.m.

This is a highlight game for a bunch of players and one of two “can’t miss” games this weekend. Harris was listed as questionable and a game-time decision last week, and was ultimately scratched for Ole Miss’ beatdown of Arkansas.

Assuming he’s healthy enough to go against Georgia, this could be definitive scouting tape.

Harris has prototypical “X” receiver size at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and leads the team with 59 receptions for 987 yards despite missing a game. The Giants could look to add another receiver if they move on from Darius Slayton and don’t have faith in Jalin Hyatt as an every-down receiver.

Harris could become an interesting piece for the Giants if they wind up drafting Jaxson Dart in the first round. Adding a good skill position player with familiarity has been a common tactic among front offices to help young quarterbacks get comfortable quickly.

Mansoor Delane, CB, Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech vs. (13) Clemson – ESPN, 3:30 p.m.

The Giants have viewed their defensive secondary as an issue dating back to before the 2024 NFL Draft. Dru Phillips has been a good player as a slot defender for the Giants, but they need another every-down cornerback to play the outside.

Mansoor Delane out of Virginia Tech is an intriguing prospect who isn’t getting much buzz at the national level. And to a certain extent, that’s to be expected. After all, VT is only 5-4 on the season and Delane lacks the physical traits that get scouts excited and talking at this stage in the process.

He is, however, a potentially good fit for Shane Bowen’s defense and brings a playmaking mentality. Delane is a long, lean corner with great instinct in zone coverage and a knack for creating big plays (5 passes defensed, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles). He has solid closing quickness to pair with his instincts and also brings an aggressive, competitive demeanor as well as a short memory.

Josh Conerly Jr, OT, Oregon

(1) Oregon vs. Maryland – Big Ten Network, 7 p.m.

Josh Conerly is going to be an fascinating player to follow through the draft process. He could give us a lot of insight into how the NFL — or various NFL teams — view offensive linemen.

Conerly is a former 5-star recruit who has matured into a very good offensive tackle at the collegiate level. He has great athleticism and technique in pass protection as well as good leverage and play demeanor. However, he’s also undersized for an NFL tackle at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds (school measurements).

Will teams look at him as a guard because of his size, or offensive tackle because of his feet and experience? Other teams may have no idea what to do with him and look at him as a four or five-tool back-up.

His upside as a tackle and potential versatility as a utility lineman if starting doesn’t pan out could make him an intriguing option for the Giants. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see them draft a developmental tackle on the second day, just in case they move on from Evan Neal or in case of injury.

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

(12) Boise State vs. Nevada – FOX, 8 p.m.

I’m going to get this out of the way right now: I’ve seen Jeanty linked to the Giants in the first round, usually with the justification of “something, something, Saquon Barkley”. And my response is “No. Just no. Stop.”

However, we can appreciate that there are great seasons, and there’s what Ashton Jeanty is doing this year for Boise State. So far he’s carried the ball 190 times and racked up 1,525 yards and 20 touchdowns — through 8 games. He has yet to have a game with less than 125 yards on the ground and has more games with over 215 yards rushing (3) than fewer than 130 yards rushing (2). Jeanty is averaging 8.0 yards per carry on the season and has averaged at least 10.0 yards per carry four of his eight games this year.

Jeanty has a dense build at 5-foot-8, 217 pounds and blends good play strength with speed, quickness, and explosiveness. He has great vision and contact balance and also somehow manages to look like he’s playing the game in fast-forward while everyone else is at normal speed.

Jeanty isn’t going to make it to the second round of the draft, and because of that I don’t want the Giants anywhere near him. But we can still marvel at what he’s doing on the field.