College football primer: Quarterbacks on display and another big SEC showdown

Good morning New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 8 of the 2024 College Football season.

Things are really heating up as we race toward the expanded College Football Playoffs. This week features three games between ranked teams and potentially great games with playoff and draft implications in every timeslot.

There has been some definite disquiet among Giants fans with respect to the quarterback position. And it just so happens that this week sees some of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft in games that will almost certainly be must-watch scouting tape. And since those teams also have good players apart from the quarterback position, we should probably check in on them.

Louisville vs. (6) Miami

ABC – noon

We last checked in on Miami in Week 4 against South Florida. The U still hasn’t had a truly stiff test — though they only beat Virginia Tech and Cal by a combined 5 points — but it’s also hard to argue against them being the sixth-ranked team in the country. This will probably be the toughest game on their schedule until they play Syracuse on November 30th.

Quarterback Cam Ward is the highlight of the game, and an incredibly fun quarterback to watch. He excels outside of the pocket, has good arm strength, and incredible arm elasticity to make plays outside of the structure of the offense. So far the 6-foot-2, 230 pound senior has thrown for 2,219 yards (10.4 per attempt), and 20 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. His ability to scramble and extend plays also comes with good field awareness and he does a good job of avoiding sacks when his offensive line gives up pressure.

Louisville boasts a talented defensive front with two linemen who could be drafted in edge defenders Ashton Gillotte and 16th-ranked “Freak” Thor Griffith. Cornerback Quincy Riley could also intrigue in the middle rounds if the Giants look to add depth to their secondary.

Arizona vs. Colorado

Fox – 4 p.m.

Neither of these teams are ranked, but this could be an incredibly intriguing match-up with multiple potential first round draft picks on both sides.

Colorado has the two superstar prospects in QB Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter. As of this writing, the big question in this game is whether or not Hunter will even play. He left last week’s game against Kansas State with a shoulder injury, throwing this week into doubt. Hunter is a true two-way player who has the potential to be an elite receiver OR an elite cornerback.

Shedeur Sanders is among the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft and is highly regarded for his processing, ability as a passer, and mobility. We don’t know whether John Mara would sign off on drafting Sanders, but his potential upside means that if the Giants are at all considering a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, they need to evaluate him.

On the Arizona side of things, WR Tetairoa McMillan is a big, long receiver with a massive catch radius and excellent movement skills given his frame. Leaving Hunter aside as a potential CB, McMillan is generally considered a 1a/b receiving option with Missouri’s Luthor Burden III, with the difference coming down to the needs and scheme of the team evaluating them. Cornerback Tacario Davis is also very interesting prospect with a “Sauce Gardner” like blend of size (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) and athleticism. He uses his length well to close and disrupt passes in zone defense and could be a good counterpart to Deonte Banks.

Finally, Arizona has OL Jonah Savaiinaea, who is massive (6-foot-5, 330 pounds), versatile (playing both right guard and right tackle), and is remarkably athletic given his size. The Giants’ offensive line has been wildly improved this year, but a young and versatile lineman could be very enticing given that they have few proven long-term answers on their line right now.

(1) Texas vs. (5) Georgia

ABC – 7:30 p.m.

We’ve talked about Georgia a fair bit lately, and they remain a talented (albeit flawed) team. The Bulldogs are still working to overcome the disastrous first half of their game against Alabama two weeks ago. A win over Texas would go a long way toward helping people forget about how flat they came out in that game.

The Giants could be interested in QB Carson Beck, who looks every inch an NFL quarterback, though he’s slipping down draft boards in his second year as a starter. They could also be interested in edge defender Mykel Williams and S Malaki Starks.

Teams will also be very interested in Texas QB Quinn Ewers, who recently returned from an oblique injury. Arch Manning played (very) well in Ewers’ absence, but Ewers is the draft-eligible QB. He’ll be protected one of the best offensive tackle duos in the nation in Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams. As mentioned above, the Giants should still be scouting offensive linemen to keep their offensive line stout. Banks will likely be a Top-10 picks, while Williams could be an early second round pick or even a first rounder.

Corner Jahdae Barron and receiver Isaiah Bond will have teams’ eye as well. Barron is an instinctive disruptor, while Bond is one of the most explosively athletic receivers in the nation.

I fully expect the Giants to be well-represented at this game, and we could even see Joe Schoen in attendance even though the Giants are home this week.