Week 2 SCOUTING NOTEBOOK: Ewers excels, Tommi Hill dominates and more

By Jack Brentnall

With another week of college football in the books there is plenty to digest from an NFL Draft perspective. We saw some stellar showings from high profile prospects, as well as some notable performances from those going a little more under the radar.

This week’s scouting notebook has a bit of both. Here are the players that caught my eye in Week 2.

Ewers stars as Texas demolish Michigan

The much-anticipated matchup between the Longhorns and Wolverines looked set to be the marquee matchup of Week 2. In reality it turned into a one-sided affair with Texas dominating from start to finish, in large part thanks to quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Ewers has shown plenty of promise during his time at Texas, but his accuracy and pocket management have raised concerns when projecting to the next level. Judging by his performance against Michigan he looks to have made a marked improvement in both areas.

Ewers completed 24 of 36 attempts for 246 yards and three touchdowns. While the box score production might not be the flashiest, the tape certainly was. He was consistently able to mitigate pressure, taking just one sack on 11 pressured dropbacks. His ability to quickly decipher coverages and blitzes against a challenging Wink Martindale defense was also impressive and he did a stellar job of taking care of the football.

This performance was a significant step in the right direction for Ewers, who has shown glimpses of his potential but has struggled with consistency in the past. If he can maintain this level of play throughout the season, he will no doubt continue to climb draft boards.

Tight end takeover in Penn State vs Bowling Green

The matchup between Bowling Green and Penn State was an unexpected shootout, with both offenses showcasing their dynamic potential. Both teams also saw impressive performances from their tight ends.

Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. had a career-best performance, logging 11 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown. Penn State’s talented defense was unable to keep him covered and also struggled to bring him down after the catch. Fannin –  who led all MAC tight ends with 13 missed tackles in 2023 – averaged 7.3 yards after the catch against Penn State. His athleticism, soft hands, and willingness to block make him an intriguing NFL prospect.

Not to be outdone, Penn State’s Tyler Warren also had a career-best outing on Saturday. He finished the game with an average of more than 20 yards per reception, racking up 141 yards on his seven catches. Warren managed to account for 71% of the Nittany Lions’ passing yards.

NFL teams are always on the look out for versatile tight ends who can create mismatches. Both Fannin and Warren fit that bill and are names to watch as the season progresses.

Tommi Hill helps shut down Sanders and Hunter

One of the biggest stories of the weekend was the near-total collapse of the Colorado offense against Nebraska. The Buffaloes were beaten 28-10 and didn’t score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.

While the post-game focus has unsurprisingly been on Shedeur Sanders and his father, credit should really be given to the performance of Nebraska’s defense and in particular their senior cornerback Tommi Hill.

Hill was given the unenviable task of helping to shut down a Buffaloes offense that had excelled in Week 1. Their receiving duo of Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. had combined for a whopping 330 yards in their opener and looked primed for another big outing.

Hill was clearly ready for the challenge and his physicality, explosiveness, and ball skills were on full display. He allowed just 56 yards in coverage in this game. 45 of those went to Hunter, whilst he held Horn to a single five yard reception. The highlight of his game was undoubtedly his pick six in the first quarter, giving the Huskers a 14-0 lead.

Hill was already a name on draft radars thanks to his playmaking potential – four interceptions and six pass breakups in 2023 – and a performance like this against a talented opponent will only help boost his stock further.

Jihaad Campbell looks good despite Alabama’s stumbles

The final score of 42-16 might suggest a one-sided victory for Alabama over USF in Week 2, but the game was much closer than expected. While Alabama ultimately prevailed, there were some impressive individual performances, including that of Campbell.

A former five-star prospect and top 20 player in the 2022 recruiting class, Campbell has shown significant growth under new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. In Week 2 against USF he made a crucial pass breakup on a third down to force a field goal. He also recorded a third-down sack in the second half.

Campbell’s athleticism and tackling ability were on display throughout the game, as he successfully executed all eight of his tackle attempts and led the team with seven defensive stops.

While Campbell’s potential has always been evident, the question for scouts was whether he could take the next step on the field and become a lynchpin of this Crimson Tide defense. There is still a lot of football to play, but the signs are certainly pointing in the right direction.

Jeanty just brilliant once again

I feel like I can’t write a column at the moment without mentioning Jeanty. I was full of praise for him in last week’s Scouting Notebook after a career-best outing against Georgia Southern and I mentioned him as a player to watch in Week 2 as the Broncos headed to Eugene to face off against Oregon. He didn’t disappoint.

Jeanty showed that he can hold his own against top competition and put the Ducks defense to the sword for 192 yards and three touchdowns on his 25 carries. He forced nine missed tackles and had four explosive runs.

Whilst Boise State weren’t able to come away with the win, scouts will be pleased with the performance Jeanty put on tape. Through two weeks he has 459 yards and nine touchdowns and appears to be a leading Heisman Trophy candidate and the frontrunner for RB1 in the upcoming class.

JACK BRENTNALL

HEAD OF NFL DRAFT CONTENT

Previously the founder of The Jet Sweep, Jack joined The Touchdown as head of Draft Content in 2024. A Scouting Academy alumnus, Jack has been Covering the NFL Draft since 2020. Follow him on Twitter @Jack_Brentnall.

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