Who to watch in college football: September 14th … After a very quiet weekend on the college football schedule last week, things heat up with a couple of key games involving ranked teams as #6 Georgia and #15 Tennessee open their respective SEC campaigns in Knoxville (3:30 PM ET; ABC), while #8 Notre Dame hosts #16 Texas A&M later that evening (7:30 PM ET; NBC.) Of course, if its Tennessee it would normally be Nico Iamaleava time, but the now former Vols’ QB abruptly left the program and headed west to UCLA this winter in a NIL dispute. Ironically, the Vols were able to fill the gap at QB with Joey Aguilar (#6, 6-3, 225). The Vols will also be without their one legitimate top prospect for the upcoming draft as star CB Jermond McCoy is still rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered in January.
For its part, Georgia has pretty much dominated the draft so far this decade. Indeed, UGA has had 55 players selected since 2021, compared with 44 for Alabama and 40 for Ohio State. And almost assuredly, Georgia is going to add to that total this coming April, although the Bulldogs don’t necessarily have any first-round locks, although LB CJ Allen (#3, 6-1, 235) and DT Christen Miller (#52, 6-3, 310) are currently rated among the top 2-3 prospects at their respective positions, but they’re both 3rd year juniors at somewhat lower-value positions. CB Daylen Everette (#6, 6-0, 190) could also get some late first-round consideration, while the Bulldogs boast one of the more interesting WR rooms featuring transfers Zachariah Branch (#1, 5-10, 180), the former USC speedster who doubles as one of the most electric kick returners in the country, and rangy Noah Thomas (#5, 6-5, 205), who comes over from Texas A&M, alog with veteran Colbie Young (#8, 6-3, 215). Meanwhile, G/T Earnest Greene (#71, 6-3, 320) and TE Oscar Delp (#4, 6-4, 245) figure to be decent mid-round type candidates. Whether the Bulldogs can make it back to the CFP playoffs, though, will depend largely on whether QB Gunnar Stockton (#14, 6-0, 215) can replace Carson Beck who moved on to Miami this winter. Stockton, the former walk-on is a character kid with a great story, but the question is whether he has the tools to deal with tough SEC on a weekly basis.
Meanwhile, up in South Bend the pressure will really be on Notre Dame when the face Texas A&M as the Irish already have a loss – to Florida State in Week One – on their docket and a second this early in the campaign could be very difficult to overcome. It certainly doesn’t help the Irish’s cause that they are in something of a rebuilding mode after making it all the way to last year’s CFP championship game. The one room they won’t have to worry about are the RBs. Indeed, Jeremiyah Love (#4, 5-11, 215) is one of THE top prospects at the position in all college football with legit first-round potential. Love combines with fellow junior Jadarian Price (#24, 5-10, 210) to give the Irish the best 1-2 RB combo in the country outside Penn State. The Irish laso have a pretty good RT with at least some first-round possibilities of their own in junior Aamil Wagner (#59, 6-5, 300), along with a couple of big, physical second-day type receivers in Jaden Greathouse (#1, 6-0, 215) and Malachi Fields (#0, 6-3, 220).
In fact, this game could come down to a battle of top RBs as the Aggies also feature a top 2-3 guy at the position in Le’Veon Moss (#8, 5-10, 210), while LB Taurean York (#21, 6-2, 250) and OG Ar’maj Reed-Adams (#55, 6-4, 325) are both also rated among the top 2-3 prospects at their respective positions and should get at least some late opening round consideration, while LT Trey Zuhn (#60, 6-5, 320), WR KC Concepcion (#7, 5-10, 190), and DE Cashius Howell (#9, 6-2, 250) each have mid-to-later round potential.
