The fourth 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 keep an eye on throughout the day. 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.
Buy Chargers TicketsWith that being said, here are a handful of prospects to watch for in Week 4.
EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Latu began his career with Washington in 2019. He suffered a neck injury in his sophomore season, forcing him to sit out in 2020 and medically retire from football in 2021. He entered the transfer portal and UCLA brought him in ahead of the 2022 season.
In 2022, Latu appeared in all 13 games, recording a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks to go with three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass defended. This season, he is already up to 16 quarterback pressures and four sacks.
A technician off the edge with great hand techniques and effort, Latu would be a welcomed addition to a positional room that could need more talent to go alongside Tuli Tuipulotu, depending on the futures of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
-Gavino
TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State
Bell is one of the best multi-use players in college football this season – Florida State has moved him all over the formation as both a receiver and blocker. That’s contributed to a phenomenal Seminoles offense, especially in the red zone, where Florida State has used Bell to open up space in short yardage.
While his versatility is nice, Bell is also the latest case in the study of the “positionless” player: if you don’t have a position, where do you fit in an NFL scheme? In an ideal world, of course, coordinators have the creativity to use abnormal players in abnormal ways, but the NFL has shown that that’s rarely the case unless you’re a truly transcendent talent.
Against Clemson, Bell has a chance to show that he’s a legitimate tight end, not a fullback or H-back or some other sort of gadget player. Not only do the Tigers have plenty of talent to go up against in the passing game – linebackers Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter and safety Andrew Mukuba – but the Clemson defensive linemen will provide a worthy challenge for Bell as a run blocker.
-Alex
TE Erick All, Iowa
We highlighted All’s partner-in-crime, Luke Lachey, recently. Unfortunately, Lachey is done for the season after suffering an ankle injury. Fortunately, for the Hawkeyes, they have another stud tight end who can fill the void left by Lachey in All.
A Michigan transfer, All played in only three games last season. However, he was at his best in 2021, appearing in 13 games with eight starts and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention. He had 437 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2021.
A well-rounded tight end, All has excellent hands, fluidity as a route runner, and the ability to make contested catches in traffic. He also works as a blocker, as All can pass protect and hold the edge and clear running lanes for backs.
-Gavino
CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame
Hart has everything the Chargers have looked for in a corner prospect under general manager Tom Telesco. He’s a team captain, has the requisite height, length, and speed LA likes, and plays for the Fighting Irish.
Okay, I’m joking a bit on the last point, but Hart is a pretty seamless fit for this Chargers defense. He’s a fluid athlete who could hang in the slot but also has the physicality as a press corner and natural instincts to stick on the outside. A former wide receiver, Hart does have some fundamentals to iron out, but his general profile is one of a future Day 2 pick.
Notre Dame hosts Ohio State in by far their best matchup of this season so far, and Hart will have his hands full with future pro receivers Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Julian Fleming. Even if Hart doesn’t spend all day on Harrison – expect sophomore standout Benjamin Morrison to get some action against the future top 5 pick as well – his entire game will be against NFL competition.
-Alex
DT Tim Smith, Alabama
Smith has been a part of a deep Alabama defensive line since his arrival in 2020. He steadily contributed as a rotational piece, recording 20 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack in 2022. But he is set to make a big impact as the Crimson Tide begins conference play.
The 6-foot-4 and 302-pound Smith is a run-stopping specialist with the ability to get after the quarterback. He has the desired aggression, strength and plays with great leverage. Now it’s a matter of putting it together with an expanded role.
-Gavino
EDGE Brennan Jackson, Washington State
In perhaps the friendliest conference matchup of all time, Jackson’s Cougars team hosts Oregon State in the first annual Pac-2 jamboree at 4 pm PST on Fox.
The Beavers have two NFL-caliber players starting at tackle in Joshua Gray and Taliese Fuaga, which will make for a marquee matchup against Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. Gray and Fuaga got third and fifth-round feedback from scouts this spring, respectively. At the same time, Jackson clocked in with a sixth-round grade.
We’ve seen what Oregon State QB DJ Uiagalelei looks like under pressure from his time at Clemson, and the results have been subpar. If the Cougars want to pull the upset at home against their conference realignment allies, Jackson will likely need to make a tangible impact on the stat sheet against Gray and Fuaga. If he does, it could also come with a nice boost to his draft stock.
-Alex
CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Iowa produced the first white corner in the NFL since Jason Sehorn when Riley Moss was drafted by Denver last April. They’re on the verge of a second one with DeJean, who may also be an early surprise in the first-round conversation.
DeJean can play corner or safety, and the Hawkeyes move him all over the defensive formation to force their opponents into bad matchups. A former basketball and track star with more career points than NBA veteran Harrison Barnes and a 10.71 100m state title, DeJean is a talented athlete with the instincts of a former quarterback. Much like Bell, his positional fluidity will be a point of discussion, but DeJean has shown that, at the very least, he’s a competent slot corner from the jump.
-Alex
