We want to welcome back The Scouting Notebook.
The Scouting Notebook will feature prospects to keep an eye on when most of the college games occur. While some may think it’s too early to start talking about the 2024 NFL draft, there’s never a bad time to talk about the future of the Chargers.
That said, here are the players to watch for in Week 0.
S Calen Bullock, USC
Alohi Gilman is set to be a free agent this season. JT Woods has shown plenty of promise this summer after a rough rookie campaign, but we won’t be able to evaluate his growth until the regular season. For now, it remains to be seen. Nonetheless, the safety position could still be a priority.
Bullock, the 6-foot-3 and 195-pounder, is an instinctive and rangy free safety with great size, burst and a high motor who makes plays from the deep middle part of the field and arrives at the ball aggressively through the air and in the run game.
In his three-year career, Bullock has 87 tackles, seven interceptions, one which was returned for a touchdown and eight pass breakups while appearing in 26 games with 14 starts.
– Gavino
Matchup: USC hosts San Jose State at 5 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network
DT Rylie Mills, Notre Dame
A key cog in the middle of the defensive line in Austin Johnson will hit the free agency market after the season. Sebastian Joseph-Day will only have one more year remaining on his contract. That’s why it’s imperative that they continue to build through the trenches.
After playing between 275-290 pounds, Mills is now an imposing 6-foot-5 and 306-pound force for the Fighting Irish. Even with the added weight, he is just as, if not more athletic while possessing the explosion and power.
A member of The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s Freak List, Mills benched 450 pounds, did 225 pounds for 30 reps, squatted 635 pounds and hit 20.64 MPH on the GPS (up from 19 miles per hour last year), vertical-jumped almost 33 inches and did 31 pull-ups.
Last season, Mills posted 24 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Look for him to take a big leap in 2023.
– Gavino
Matchup: Notre Dame plays Navy in Dublin at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC
EDGE Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
With injury concerns looming around Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack not getting any younger, the Chargers need to add to the edge defender room.
Amaewhule, an All-CUSA Second-Team performer last season, enters the 2023 season ranking second on UTEP’s all-time sacks list (17.5), only needing three more sacks to break the record.
Amaewhule is a relentless and hard-working rusher who displays good movement skills and can attack with power and set the edge consistently with his length and heavy hands.
– Gavino
Matchup: UTEP takes on Jacksonville State at 2:30 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network
S Dashaun Jerkins, UMass
A transfer from Vanderbilt and Mississippi, Jerkins is a sixth-year senior who should rotate in at strong safety for the Minutemen. Against a New Mexico State offense that found its footing down the stretch and led the Aggies to a bowl win, Jerkins and UMass will face a decent test.
Jerkins is also a core special teams player with ample experience on kickoff units at both of his SEC stops. While not likely to be a draft pick next April, he profiles as the type of player who will be signed as an undrafted free agent and potentially surprise a team in camp.
– Alex
Matchup: UMass takes on New Mexico State at 4:00 p.m. PT on ESPN
QB Kurtis Rourke, Ohio
The younger brother of Jaguars QB Nathan Rourke, the Bobcats’ starter returns following a phenomenal season that resulted in the MAC Player of the Year award. Rourke also returns nearly all of his starting receivers, including #1 option Sam Wiglusz, another draft-eligible player worth keeping an eye on.
If you’re not satisfied with the Chargers’ options at backup QB, Rourke is a name to pencil down. His arm is good enough to make every throw and he has ample play extension ability, but his level of exposure in the MAC will keep him a bit of a secret to the casual observer. In San Diego this weekend, Rourke will have an opportunity to make a statement against one of the better defenses in the nation.
– Alex
Matchup: Ohio faces San Diego State at 4:00 p.m. PT on FS1
S Jaylen Mahoney, Vanderbilt
Represented on the watchlists for both the Shrine and Senior Bowls, Mahoney brings the type of versatility Brandon Staley typically likes in his defensive backs. After playing at cornerback for the majority of his college career, the 5-foot-11 and 195-pounder shifts to free safety for the Commodores this season.
Hawaii has Brayden Schager, a decent college quarterback, helming the offense. That matchup should give Mahoney a nice warmup before facing the SEC quarterbacks once Vanderbilt hits conference play. With plus ball skills and experience, he could sneak into the end of the draft with a strong season.
– Alex
Matchup: Vanderbilt hosts Hawaii at 4:30 p.m. PT on the SEC Network
WR Devonta Lee, Louisiana Tech
Lee spent three seasons at LSU as a top 200 recruit out of Amite High School in Louisiana but never cracked the uber-deep receiving rotation for the Tigers. After a brief move to linebacker, where Ed Orgeron said Lee reminded him of 2021 sixth-round pick JaCoby Stevens, Lee moved on to Louisiana Tech. He did not play in 2022.
Players like this are the kinds of athletes the NFL loves to rehabilitate. Lee will need to produce in any sort of fashion in order to come onto the radar, but he’s on the Senior Bowl’s watchlist due to a 6-foot-2 and 215-pound frame. Against what should be a pretty soft Florida International defense, Lee will have his first opportunity to prove he’s more a football player than idea.
– Alex
Matchup: Lousiana Tech hosts Florida International at 6:00 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network
