College football Week 2: Games and players to watch for the Giants

Good morning, New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 2 of the 2025 college football season.

Week 1 of the season was billed as the best opening week in college football history with a bunch of potential Playoff matchups. We had a startling upset when Florida State ate Alabama’s lunch, vaulting FSU from unranked to 14th, while Alabama dropped from eighth down to 21st.

We have some very intriguing matchups this week as well, with a game from ranked teams in the prime time slot. I also want to look at a couple teams that have interesting, but under-the-radar prospects.

Duke vs. (11) Illinois

Noon – ESPN

The best player on the field today will likely be Illinois safety Xavier Scott. Scott has quick feet and fluid hips for a safety and can quickly get depth when rotating coverages.

That said, I want to keep an eye on a pair of offensive tackles. Both Brian Parker II of Duke and J.C. Davis of Illinois are both on the Outland Trophy watch list. Parker might get asked to move inside to guard or center at the NFL level, but he was a very dependable pass protector last year. Davis, meanwhile, is a big mauling lineman who’s generally listed somewhere between 320 and 335 pounds.

Players to watch

Duke

Brian Parker II (OT – 53)
Chandler Rivers (CB – 0)
Terry Moore (S – 1)

Illinois

J.C. Davis (OT – 74)
Gabe Jacas (DL/OLB – 17)
Xavier Scott (S – 14)

Kentucky vs. (20) Ole Miss

3:30 p.m. – ABC

The Giants spent a LOT of time in and around the Ole Miss program, so it makes sense to keep an eye on them this year.

DL Zxavian Harris is listed at 6-foot-7, 330 pounds and is coming off of a monster Week 1. Granted, it was against Georgia State, but 5 tackles, a sack, and an interception is still worth noting. Likewise, WR Harrison Wallace III flashed last year with Penn State before transferring to Ole Miss. He could be on the Giants’ radar as a former teammate of Theo Johnson.

On the flip side, WR Ja’Mori Maclin was a 1000-yard receiver at North Texas before transferring to Kentucky in 2024. He only caught 13 passes last year but averaged 24.1 yards per catch and four of his 13 receptions were for touchdowns. Maclin is a compact (5-foot-11, 191-pound) receiver with great twitch and explosive acceleration. He could be a riser to keep an eye on.