The second week of the college football season is upon us. The headliner this week is 24th-ranked Tennessee against No. 17 Pittsburgh. Here are the six prospects that Green Bay Packers fans should be watching on Saturday.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
Musgrave is coming off an impressive outing last week against a talented Boise State secondary. Musgrave finished the game against the Broncos with six receptions for 89 yards and one touchdown.
Luke Musgrave is a playmaker. Keep an eye on him at Oregon State.
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) September 4, 2022
Musgrave moves incredibly well at 6-6, 250 pounds. He has the speed (4.51) to threaten the seam. That speed for a man his size is a big reason why Musgrave was listed on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks list.
This offseason, Musgrave vertical-jumped 36 1/2 inches, broad-jumped 10-1 3/4, clocked a 4.51 40 and did 4.21 in the pro agility — all terrific numbers for a tight end this size.
The Oregon State tight end has natural hands and is comfortable making catches in a crowd. Musgrave is wired right as a run blocker and does a good job of sustaining.
Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State
Hutchinson opened the season with a bang last week against Southeast Missouri State. The Cyclone wide receiver finished the game with eight receptions for 128 yards and three touchdowns.
Dekkers ➡️ Hutchinson = 💰💵
Hunter Dekkers had an impressive outing today, throwing for 293 yards and 4 TDs. Three of those were to Xavier Hutchinson who had 8 catches for 128 yards. pic.twitter.com/GlwAO9YPas— Reina Garcia (@ReinaGarciaTV) September 4, 2022
Hutchinson may find the terrain to be rougher this weekend against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa’s offense may be a joke, but their secondary, led by cornerback Riley Moss is no laughing matter.
Hutchinson has excellent hand-eye coordination and makes contested catches look like a walk in the park. He has outstanding body control and does a good job of adjusting to the ball.
“Essentially, you will not find many weaknesses at all in his game,” Nick Olsen, the Iowa State beat writer for 247sports.com said. “Even though Xavier won’t blow you away with his speed, his body control and route running ability help him to get open. He also has terrific hands, and is consistently one of the hardest workers on the field.”
Trey Dean, DB, Florida
A cornerback turned safety, Dean is capable of wearing multiple hats. He has the versatility to play safety, in the slot, or on the boundary.
Dean has a good combination of length and quickness for the position. He covers a lot of real estate in coverage and flies downhill against the run.
The Florida defensive back finished last season with 92 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, and 10 pass deflections. During the Gators’ upset victory against Utah, Dean recorded a team-leading 12 tackles.
“His overall physicality for the position,” Graham Hall, the Florida Gators reporter for 247sports.com said. “While he’s not a perfect tackler, his speed for his size also allows him to cover a significant portion of the field. He’s strong and has a really good work ethic and is continuing to improve in coverage, too.”
Connor Galvin, OT, Baylor
Galvin entered the 2022 season with 37 career starts under his belt and started all 14 games at left tackle last season for the Bears. At 6-7, Galvin has an NFL frame.
He has quick feet and has a strong core to stay balanced through contact. According to Pro Football Focus, Galvin had one of the lowest pressure percentages among offensive tackles last season.
Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Addison is a bonafide playmaker. The 2021 Biletnikoff award winner opened his USC career with five receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Now he’ll face off against one of the top cornerbacks in the country (Kyu Blu Kelly).
Addison is a sudden athlete and a crisp route runner. The Pittsburgh Panther transfer does a good job of changing up his route speed to keep defensive backs off balance and create separation.
Caleb Williams ❌ Jordan Addison connection just getting started at USC 🔥
(via @USC_FB) pic.twitter.com/3qy6xdM6aR
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 3, 2022
On the NFL Stock Exchange, they had the Packers selecting Addison in their latest mock draft. From the podcast:
“I don’t think he’s a freak athletically…The dude knows what he’s doing as a wide receiver. He can be Aaron Rodgers’ best friend.” Trevor Sikkema.
Tyler Beach, OT, Wisconsin
Beach enters Wisconsin’s matchup against Washington State with 14 starts at left tackle and seven starts at right tackle. Due to his lack of lateral quickness, a kick inside at the next level is likely. That weakness for Beach was on full display last season when he struggled against Michigan’s edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo.
The Packers have had great success drafting offensive tackles and kicking them inside. Beach is best suited to playing in a phone booth. He has good size, strong hands, and creates movement in the run game. With his tackle-guard versatility, Beach could carve out a long career as a backup offensive lineman.
“Tyler is an excellent run blocker,” Matt Belz, the Wisconsin beat writer for Si.com said. “He is best suited to play guard at the next level because he is great in close quarters and able to generate tremendous push as a run blocker given his size/strength, and ability to move. He is also a very smart player.”
