Scout's Eye - College Football Week Eight Preview
- John B. Everett
- Oct 16
- 8 min read
Last Saturday, draft boards shifted across the NFL when potential top overall selection of the 2026 NFL Draft, QB Drew Allar of Penn State, was lost for the season with a knee injury suffered against Northwestern. Although the injury is quite unfortunate timing for Allar, the truth is that he was already spiraling down draft boards prior to his injury due to his inconsistent play, and this only hastens his fall. This weekend features three games pitting ranked opponents and a bevy of top NFL prospects including USC QB Jayden Maiava, Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy, Georgia WR Colbie Young, Alabama WR Germie Bernard, Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell, Ole Miss IDL Zxavian Harris, Alabama EDGE LT Overton, and Georgia CB Daylen Everette.
Game of the Week
(5) Ole Miss at (9) Georgia
Saturday, October 18. 3:30 ET / 12:30 pm PT
Ole Miss Prospects to Keep an Eye On:
· QB Trinidad Chambliss
· RB Kewan Lacy
· TE Dae’Quan Wright
· IDL Zxavian Harris
· LB Suntarine Perkins
Georgia Prospects to Keep an Eye On:
· QB Gunner Stockton
· WR Colbie Young
· TE Oscar Delp
· IDL Christen Miller
· CB Daylen Everette
The Rebels may have been looking past Washington State last weekend, which may explain their lackluster performance in the Rebels’ 24-21 victory, as Ole Miss was looking forward to this week’s game in Athens in a battle of SEC favorites. With Austin Simmons still recovering from his ankle injury, the Rebels have found a confident and productive leader in QB Trinidad Chambliss, the Division 2 National Champion from Ferris State (Michigan), who has elevated the offense’s performance since taking over as the signal caller in Oxford. Chambliss has completed 65.4% of his passes for 1,286 yards, 7 TDs, and only 1 INT through the air and added 281 yards (4.6 YPC) and another 3 TDs on the ground through six games this season. Chambliss is a natural leader who handles pressure well and raises his level of play in crunch time. But Chambliss has never played in a hostile environment like he will face Saturday night between the hedges in Athens. RB Kewan Lacy transferred to Ole Miss from Missouri and immediately upgraded the entire Rebel offense, not only the running attack. Lacy is a complete RB who can run inside and out, is a competent receiver out of the backfield, and a quality pass protector. Lacy, currently SNS’ number four ranked RB for the 2026 NFL Draft, has rushed for 587 yards (4.7 YPC) and 8 TDs and has caught 13 passes for 87 yards so far this season. Ole Miss needs to control the ball and Lacy is key to accomplishing that task. TE Dae’Quan Wright is a quickly ascending talent, currently ranked the number five TE for the 2026 NFL Draft by SNS, and he could become a valuable receiver for Chambliss to use over the middle of the field Saturday afternoon. Wright has NFL size (6’4” / 255 lbs) and athleticism and is a headache for safeties and LBs to handle in coverage. So far on the season, Wright has 16 receptions for 359 yards (22.4 YPR) and 3 TDs. How Wright performs on Saturday is an interesting subplot to follow. The fourth-ranked IDL for the 2026 NFL Draft, Zxavian Harris is a huge man (6’7” / 320 lbs) with rare movement skills for a man his size. Harris excels in stopping the run and has improved as an interior pass rusher. Harris has recorded 25 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 TFLs, 1 deflected pass, and 1 INT on the season. Keep an eye on Harris when Georgia’s kicking teams are on the field – Harris has six blocked kicks in his career. LB Suntarine Perkins’ statistics are down from a year ago when he recorded 10.5 sacks – he has yet to record a sack this season. But Perkins is transitioning to the role of off the ball LB this year and is playing in space more and rushing the passer less this season. Perkins has recorded 26 tackles and 1 TFL so far this year and has looked smooth and fluid in coverage. But Perkins’ best skill is rushing the passer. Expect Perkins to be rushing Georgia QB Gunner Stockton from time-to-time Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs enter Saturday’s game with a 3-1 conference record, one half game back of Alabama, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss, and Georgia cannot afford another SEC loss if they hope to play for the conference title. QB Gunner Stockton is in his first year as a starter and he is showing steady improvement as he gains more experience operating the Bulldog offense. Stockton is completing 68% of his passes this year for 1,264 yards, 6 TDs, and 1 INT and has added 220 yards (4.6 YPC) and 6 TDs on the ground. Stockton’s dual threat ability makes the Bulldogs’ offense roll but he needs to more consistent, especially at the beginning of the game where Georgia seems to struggle get going. Another slow start could prove fatal to Georgia’s SEC championship hopes. WR Colbie Young has the premium size that the NFL covets (6’3” / 215 lbs) and as he showed last week against Auburn (4 receptions / 53 yards), he has the playmaking ability to be a big play threat down the field. From a pure talent stand point, Young looks like a first-round selection. But there are issues with consistency and there are also concerns about off the field issues that cloud his future in the NFL. How the Rebels attempt to neutralize Georgia’s talented WR corps is a fascinating subplot to watch unfold. TE Oscar Delp is a solid NFL mid-round prospect despite his middling production so far this season (6 receptions / 96 yards) because he is an experienced and well-rounded in-line Y-TE who is one of the best blocking TEs in college football. Delp is one of the few TEs in college who can handle an EDGE rusher one on one on the perimeter and the Bulldogs run behind him on critical running downs. Delp and Lawson Luckie make up the best TE tandem in the nation. IDL Christen Miller is the next in line of talented IDL produced by the Bulldogs over the last five seasons. Miller (6’4” / 305 lbs) regularly requires double teams or he wrecks inside running lanes. He has advanced hand fighting skills and he sheds blocks efficiently. Miller is still developing as a pass rusher and has little pass rush production on his resume. But he is a disruptive force against the run – a good card to play with Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy up next. CB Daylen Everette (6’1” / 190 lbs) has been a fixture in the Bulldogs secondary and gives the team a CB with size to be employed against bigger WRs and some TEs in man coverage. Everette already has three passes defensed this season but is still looking for his first pick on the season. Everette looks like a top 75 prospect for next year’s draft.
Other Noteworthy Games
(20) USC at (13) Notre Dame
Saturday, October 18. 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT
The Trojans travel to South Bend for Saturday night’s game after earning a huge win over Michigan. USC remains in playoff contention because of the continuing maturity of QB Jayden Maiava who shredded the Wolverine defense for 265 yards through the air and 2 TDs in USC’s 31-13 victory. The case can be made that Maiava is the best QB in the nation through the first half of the season. The junior has completed 71.9% of his passes for 1,852 yards, 13 TDs and 2 INTs for the 5-1 Trojans. The Irish defense has been burnt for big plays all season and Maiava can strengthen his Heisman credentials with a quality road performance. LB Eric Gentry has freakish physical dimensions featuring an absurdly large wingspan of over 70 inches. Gentry has employed that length to great results as a senior. Gentry has recorded 41 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 TFLs, and 3 forced fumbles so far and his stats fail to describe how disruptive his length makes him in coverage. Gentry looks like a mid-round prospect next April with starting potential in the NFL. Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love entered the season as the best RB prospect in college football with one area of concern being his ability as a receiver in the passing game. Love has showcased his speed in the open field taking three of his 14 catches for TDs and averaging 11.4 YPR so far this season. Love, SNS’ number one ranked RB, looks like a first-round lock next spring. CB Christian Gray has an NFL skill set but his performances are uneven and inconsistent and he gets beaten more often than he should. This week he will be matched up at times with USC WR Makai Lemon, who is arguably having the best season of any WR in the country. ND’s defense needs to play better and Gray will need to be on his game or it could be a long night for the Irish D on Saturday.
(11) Tennessee v (6) Alabama
Saturday, October 18. 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT
It must be the third Saturday in October because one of the fiercest rivalries in college football is going down Saturday night in Tuscaloosa as the Volunteers prepare to battle the Crimson Tide. Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell (6’5” / 200 lbs) is shooting up draft boards because his on-field production is starting to meet the projections set out when he transferred to Knoxville from Tulane. The junior has 32 receptions for 536 yards and 7 TDs on the season and has proven to be a difference making deep threat whose combination of size, speed, and strength gives him a physical advantage over every DB he faces in coverage. Sixth-year senior IDL Bryson Eason (6’3” / 315 lbs) is an extremely athletic DT with the combination of size and flashes of dominating play to pique the interest of talent evaluators. Eason has moments where he is virtually impossible to block and then other times where he seems to disappear. Eason needs more consistency down the stretch to give the Volunteers a chance to make a playoff run. The Tide continue their streak of games against ranked opponents as they go for their third straight victory. QB Ty Simpson has been a pleasant surprise for Alabama so far this season but having a stacked WR room has certainly eased his burden. Germie Bernard is the most experienced of the WRs with experience at Washington and Michigan State before starting the last two seasons in Tuscaloosa. Bernard has 28 receptions for 412 yards (14.7 YPR) and 5 TDs this year and often serves as Simpson’s most reliable target when under pressure. Bernard typically faces single coverage and proves to be an adept route runner who gains separation consistently. Bernard looks like a top 100 prospect for next April’s draft. EDGE LT Overton, a former 5-star recruit, has always teased with his upside but is finally starting to fulfill those expectations this season. Overton (6’5” / 278 lbs) has already recorded 3 sacks, equaling his career total entering this season. Overton has always been a solid run defender but is now becoming an impactful player in the passing game. The senior’s arrow is definitely pointing up as the Tide enter the second half of the season.
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