The sixth week of college football is here, which means we are back with another edition of the Scouting Notebook.
The Scouting Notebook will feature prospects to watch throughout the day. While some may think it’s too early to start talking about the 2023 NFL draft, there’s never a bad time to talk about the future of the Chargers.
Let’s dive in.
Texas @ Oklahoma
The annual Red River Showdown will have its fair share of NFL prospects, as it always does. Oklahoma left tackle Anton Harrison has played well this season, perhaps launching his draft stock outside a range where Los Angeles would feel comfortable pulling the trigger. Right tackle Wanya Morris, however, is a Chargers possibility if Trey Pipkins can’t continue his early-season momentum. Wide receiver Marvin Mims is a likely 4.4s sprinter who could fill the role of a deep threat.
On the Texas side, national attention will be on running back Bijan Robinson, a likely top-ten pick and someone worth watching as a potential opponent scouting report. Los Angeles will likely focus more on players like linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, a slim 224 lb linebacker with smooth coverage skills. The Longhorns also have a plethora of late-round style defensive linemen and corner/kick returner D’Shawn Jamison.
Utah @ UCLA
Tight end Brant Kuithe tore his ACL at the end of September, but Utah still has another very good player at the position in Dalton Kincaid, an all-around tight end who’s a slightly better receiver than blocker. Cornerback Clark Phillips III is a defensive back Brandon Staley will love, but whether Los Angeles is willing to spend a first-round pick on the position with how Asante Samuel Jr. has performed, plus the money tied up in J.C. Jackson, is an interesting question. Quarterback Cameron Rising is a solid decision-maker who could be a nice backup to Justin Herbert.
Speaking of potential backup QBs, I think Dorian Thompson-Robinson will likely be drafted, given his development this season. The Chargers seem to like having a playmaker-style QB on the roster, given Easton Stick’s tenure with the team, making DTR an intriguing name to keep an eye on. Wide receiver Jake Bobo is coming off his best game as a Bruin and brings a fascinating blend of route running and size that may be worth a Day 3 pick. Guard Jon Gaines is a Senior Bowl watchlist member and potential swing guard if Jamaree Salyer moves into more of an everyman role next season.
Washington State @ USC
Sticking in the Pac-12, the Cougars have a nice team gelling early this season. Quarterback Cameron Ward is likely outside the Chargers’ range, but he’s someone worth keeping an eye on. Left tackle Jarrett Kingston is another potential target as a guard revert after playing on the interior early in his college career. Defense is where this team shines, though, led by pass rusher Brennan Jackson, a 255-pounder on the Senior Bowl watchlist who profiles as a late-round pick. Linebacker Daiyan Henley was a multi-time All-Mountain West selection at Nevada before transferring to Pullman and could be another name on the radar for LA.
Down the street from SoFi Stadium, USC has guys you probably already know all about. Jordan Addison is the headliner. Last year’s Biletnikoff winner is probably only a realistic option if the Chargers severely disappoint this season, but it’s worth keeping an eye on and fantasizing about here and there. Guard Andrew Vorhees might be one of the top interior linemen in the draft but needs to work on his hand usage and keeping his upper and lower bodies in sync. Corner Mekhi Blackmon is one of the few interesting prospects on an Alex Grinch defense that plays like, well, an Alex Grinch defense.
BYU vs. Notre Dame
Jaren Hall leads the Cougars into a neutral site game with Notre Dame as one of the 2023 QBs gaining the most draft steam, but it’s perhaps worth noting that he’ll be 25 in March. Do the Chargers want a paradoxically seasoned rookie behind Herbert? Tight end Isaac Rex has been on my radar for a while now, and it’ll be interesting to see what kind of impact he makes against the Irish. Left tackle Blake Freeland is another popular player in media circles, which could carry him out of LA’s range. BYU also has a trio of linebackers worth watching: Keenan Pili, Max Tooley, and Payton Wilgar.
Notre Dame has had its ups and downs in Marcus Freeman’s first season, but there’s still an abundance of talent on their roster. Tight end Michael Mayer has been heralded as this season’s top man at the position as a classic Midwestern-style player, but I’m not sure that’s what Los Angeles wants at the position. Jarrett Patterson might be this draft’s top center and could be a plug-and-play replacement for Corey Linsley as the latter continues to age. We know Tom Telesco loves his Fighting Irish defenders, and all powder blue-tinted eyes should be focused on edge rusher Isaiah Foskey. Perhaps a bit of a luxury pick with Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Chris Rumph under contract, Foskey is an absurdly explosive rusher with adequate bend and mass (260 lbs) to hang tough in the run game.
WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, Houston
The Chargers experienced early in the season the offensive woes of playing without star wide receiver Keenan Allen. The team needs the proper depth to keep Justin Herbert firing on all cylinders. Tank Dell has great vision in the open field and big plays are naturally magnetic to him. The explosive 5-10, 165-pound receiver understands what it means to be a target hog – Dell has 43 catches, 534 yards, and six touchdowns in six games.
LB Drake Thomas, North Carolina State
The Chargers are doing fine against the run this season with the league’s 14th-best unit and averaging 125.0 yards per game to opposing ball carriers. However, there has been a run of 50 or more yards in each of the last three weeks. Each one has been along the perimeter of the front seven. Drake Thomas, a fourth-year junior for North Carolina State, is a reliable tackler with an 82.2 PFF grade against the run last year. Thomas has 32 tackles this season and is a large reason for the Wolfpack’s No. 14 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll.
