I hope everyone had a better week after the Eagles finally squeaked out a win against the Jet. Hopefully the wins keep on keeping on, but luckily, there are a ton of great college football match ups this weekend. As conferences get deeper into their own schedules, we see more and more premier talent facing off against each other. Here are the 10 players Eagles fans must watch this weekend.
Jacoby Brissett, Quarterback, NC State: While people continue talk up Jared Goff as the top quarterback in the upcoming class, I believe that honor belongs to a signal caller all the way on the other side of the country. The 6-4, 230 pound quarterback has tremendous size, arm strength and athletic ability. He has a great feel for the game and is a true playmaker as a passer, but also can make plays on the ground. He is the type of quarterback to challenge a defense vertically on a regular basis, but who can all play efficiently in the intermediate game.This week, Brissett faces off against a very talented Lousiville team (Saturday, 12:30 on ESPN3). This is by far the most talented team NCSU has faced this season and it will be Brissett's biggest test to date. Every week, I become more and more weary of the Eagles' rostered quarterbacks, and I think Brissett would be a tremendous player for the team in the future.
Jason Spriggs, Offensive Tackle, Indiana: The need for youth on the offensive line is imperative heading into the offseason and Jason Spriggs seems like a perfect type of lineman for the Philadelphia offense. the 6-8, 305 pound tackle has immense size and arm length. Despite his tremendous height, the former tight end moves light on his feet. Even better, the word finesse only applies to his feet, as he loves to maul guys in the run and passing game. His biggest issues are coaching issues, as he needs to play with better leverage and place his hands better on his punch. Spriggs is still relatively raw, but his upside is immense. He faces a huge test against Ohio State (Saturday, 3:30 on ABC) where he could see match ups with a potential number one pick in Joey Bosa. The Buckeyes defense is incredibly stout and Indianna's offensive success, as well as a chunk of Sprigg's evaluation will rely on how he faces one of the most talented defenses in the country.
Corey Coleman, Wide Receiver, Baylor: The Eagles, on paper, do not seem like they have a need at wide receiver, but through three games, no one is really making plays among the wideouts besides *maybe* Jordan Matthews. While this is due, in large part, to the quarterback play, it could not hurt to take a look at one of the most exciting players in college football this year. Now, Corey Coleman has only caught 17 passes through three games... Wait, he is scoring touchdowns at a rate of almost every other catch and is averaging over 27 yards per catch... The 5-11, 190 pound wide receiver is also an absolute athletic freak. Sounds fun! He is also facing a defense in Texas Tech (Saturday, 3:30 on ESPN2) that gave up literally a billion yards last week to TCU. Maybe not Coleman's biggest challenge, but it will be hell of a lot of fun to see him put video game numbers up again.
Landon Turner, Guard, UNC: It is frustrating to continue to harp on guard play, since it isn't as sexy to write about as stud wide receivers and quarterbacks... But as long as Allen Babre takes snaps for my favorite football team, I will not rest! Guards! Anyway, Turner is a very talented offensive lineman. The 6-3, 325 pounder does not have the top tier movement skills that the Eagles may want, but he is an incredibly physical blocker with imposing strength. Turner and the Tarheels faces a talented and physical Georgia Tech defense (Saturday, 3:30 on ESPNU) and Turner's ability to protect the interior of the offense will be a big component of UNC's success.
Greg Pyke, Guard, UGA: Guards! But seriously, Greg Pyke (6-5, 315) has been a huge part of the Bulldogs' ability to run the football last season and has been a big part of their success this year. While Pyke is not an ideal athlete in space, he is an incredibly smart and very, very physical player. He absolutely bodies defenders in the run game and does so using great awareness and strength. In pass protection, he looks very natural moving laterally and can block all types of defenders. Pyke is quickly becoming one of my favorite guards in the country and he has a huge test this weekend against Alabama's front seven (Saturday, 3:30 on CBS). The Tide's front is loaded with legit NFL talent and Pyke will need to play lights out in order to help Nick Chubb and the Bulldogs going.
Vernon Hargreaves III, Cornerback, Florida: I know what everyone is going to say... "He is too short (5-10, 190)!" "He is going way too high for the Eagles to pick him!" Alright, this may be, but he is participating in probably the best one on one matchup in college football on saturday against wide receiver, Laquon Treadwell and Ole Miss (Saturday, 7 PM on ESPN). Both Hargreaves and Treadwell are blue chip football players and have incredibly natural ability. Neither may directly be on the Eagles radar, but this is a must watch game for this match up alone.
Ethan Pocic, Center, LSU: Everyone loves to talk about Leonard Fournette and for good reason, he is a stud. However, a big chunk of Fournette's success is owed to the talented fat men up front for the Tigers, namely Ethan Pocic. The 6-7, 300 pounder is a nasty player at center and just wants to kick someone's ass on every down. He is incredibly smart and has good athletic ability. His size and physical ability makes me think he could plug and play all along the offensive. However, it makes the most sense for him to play along the interior due to his immediate impact there. The Eagles need all kinds of help and depth on their offensive line and Pocic looks like the physical brand of football player the Eagles want in the trenches. While LSU's matchup with EMU (Saturday, 7 PM on ESPNU) is not a huge challenge, Pocic could have another field day in the trenches and it will be fun to take notice as he does so and Leonard Fournette runs for another six or seven miles.
Mackenzie Alexander, Cornerback, Clemson: The 5-11, 195 pound cover corner is a lot more in the vain of what the Eagles want in their defensive backs. Alexander is a great man cover defender, who possesses not notch footwork and is very physical. In my opinion, he is the second best corner in the draft. Alexander has a huge test this weekend against Notre Dame (Saturday, 8 PM on ABC) and their star wide receiver, Will Fuller. Fuller has incredible vertical ability and Alexander will be challenged heavily in coverage. He will play a pivotal role in shutting down the Fighting Irish's go to guy on offense. This is Alexander's biggest test of the year so far and how he responds could be pivotal in his NFL outlook.
Joshua Dobbs, Quarterback, Tennessee: I touched on Dobbs last week and his game against Florida, but strangely, he was not used very often as a passer. Not surprisingly, the Volunteers lost, in part due to their complete misuse of the passing game. This weekend, Dobbs and the Vols should rebound against a struggling Arkansas team (Saturday, 7 PM on ESPN2). Dobbs has all the tools to be a very good passer; Brains, pocket movement, accuracy and the legs to extend plays and threaten defenses on the ground. Tennessee needs to put their trust in him against a stronger run defense and let him go to work. Hopefully he gets to shine as a passer this weekend, because he definitely is talented.
Will Redmond, Cornerback, Mississippi State: The 6-0, 185 pound cornerback has a good frame for the Eagles, but needs to add a bit of bulk to his body. However, Redmond has tremendous movement skills at the cornerback position, looking like an ideal man cover corner. He does not have great strength or physicality, but his work in coverage looks dominate at times. Consistency is still an issue, but he has the tools you want in a defensive back; Speed, ball skills and confidence. Redmond will face an explosive group of Texas A&M wide receivers (Saturday, 7:30 PM on SECN) and he will need to be on the top of his game to keep the high powered Aggies offense in check.
This week has a ton of great match ups with teams and players, so be sure to be glued to your TV all of saturday.