Good morning New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 11 of the 2026 college football season!
The college schedule is taking a bit of a breath after last week’s insane slate of games. So I want to take the time to focus on a few deep cut players who haven’t gotten much national attention just yet, but could be real risers once the draft process gets underway.
And, of course, they’ll be players at positions of (perceived) need for the Giants. We’ve spent quite a bit of time talking about
defensive tackle and wide receiver, so this week I’m focusing on offensive line, defensive back, and running back.
Iowa State vs. Cincinnati
TNT – noon
Player spotlight – Evan Tengesdahl (LG, Cincinnati)
The Giants extended Jon Runyan Jr. just before the start of the 2026 season after a strong off-season and pre-season. However, he has had frustrating lapses in both pass protection and run blocking this year. The Giants might not be able to move on from Runyan easily in 2027, but it might be a good idea to have a successor in the pipeline.
Tengesdahl is a big (6-foot-3, 320-pounds) mauler of a left guard who brings heavy hands and the ability to distort the line of scrimmage. He’s a solid pass protector as well as a powerful downhill run blocker, which should make him an intriguing fit in Greg Roman’s man-gap heavy run schemes.
(5) Notre Dame vs. Boston College
NBC – 3:30 p.m.
Player spotlight – Luke Talich (S, Notre Dame)
I wouldn’t ordinarily call attention to a game like this. Notre Dame should win handily against BC and this will probably be something of a snoozer. However, I wanted to take the opportunity to call attention to a player who could catch John Harbaugh’s eye in Notre Dame senior safety Luke Talich.
Talich is a huge safety at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, but also has rare versatility. His size obviously suggests a player who can thrive in the box as a pseudo-linebacker, however he has the ability to impact a game as a true “STAR” or defensive weapon. Talich currently has 43 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, and a sack, which is expected for a safety of his size. What’s less expected is the fact that he leads a very good Notre Dame secondary with 3 interceptions. He also had 3 interceptions a year ago, as well as one as a sophomore.
He moves surprisingly well for a player with his size and obviously has fantastic instincts for playing the ball in the air.
It would be irresponsible to directly compare Talich to Kyle Hamilton, but rest assured that the “shades of…” comments will be coming once the Draft Process gets underway. And given that the Giants’ “Ravens Style” defense loves versatile defensive backs, Talich could be high on their board come draft time.
(24) Boise State vs. Oregon State
USA – 6pm
Player Spotlight: Dylan Riley (RB, Boise State)
This game has the potential to be a fun one. Boise State has been making noise lately, and they might even be a dark horse to get a College Football Playoff berth. Oregon State, meanwhile, has one of the most fun offenses in college football and freshman wideout Jesse Legree is quickly becoming a star.
And since the Giants weren’t able to secure a running back to provide explosive runs at the trade deadline, I’m turning my attention to the draft.
Junior running back Dylan Riley isn’t a rumbling power back at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, but he is an absolute sparkplug with the ball in his hands. He’s currently averaging 6.7 yards per carry on 184 carries (1,241 rushing yards) with 11 rushing touchdowns — as well as 17 catches for 218 yards (12.8 per catch) and another 2 touchdowns. He has fantastic patience and vision behind the line of scrimmage, as well as a very good burst and long speed for breakaway runs. Riley also has more toughness and power than his frame would suggest, and doesn’t have a problem running between the tackles or finishing behind his pads.
The Giants will be running back hunting this year, and Riley could be a much better value than a player like Jadan Baugh (Florida) or Keywan Lacey (Ole Miss) while offering similar upside.
