Recap of Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
Last week Ohio State scored 28 points in the 4th quarter to survive against Penn State 44-31. A big reason they survived was the elite receiving of Marvin Harrison Jr., who finished the day with 10 catches for 185 yards. All ten of his catches were for first downs, with several of them coming on key third-down conversions. It was a dominant day for Harrison, as quarterback C.J. Stroud looked his way on more than a third of his pass attempts. On the other side of the ball, Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. didn’t find himself matched up with Harrison most of the day, but in the times he did, he struggled if he was isolated in man-to-man. Harrison’s size and frame and his ability to create such a large target in between Stroud and Porter proved to be too much when Penn State was stuck playing cover zero. Harrison’s draft stock continues to ascend for the 2024 NFL Draft, as he now should be looked at as the #1 wide receiver in that class. And despite a down game for Porter, he still has a body of work that cements him as a first-round talent in the upcoming draft, as his skills will transfer to exactly what NFL teams want in a shutdown cornerback.
This Week's Matchup to Watch
Tennessee’s Aerial Assault of QB Hendon Hooker and WRs Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt vs. Georgia’s CB Kelee Ringo.
We would be remiss not to highlight the game of the year down in Athens, Georgia. Tennessee’s offense has stolen all the headlines this year as their remarkable season meets its next test as they face Georgia on the road this week. The three Volunteers who have ascended the draft boards due to the explosive offense and behind head coach Josh Heupel’s scheme are quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receivers Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt. Hendon Hooker had promise coming into this year but was believed to be more of a product of the system more so than a superstar quarterback. And while the system has contributed to his success, he has shown that his football IQ, mixed in with elite accuracy and great decision-making, has fully thrust him into the driver’s seat of the Heisman race, along with putting himself in the conversation of the top quarterbacks for the 2023 NFL Draft. Cedric Tillman’s season has been hampered by an ankle injury, but he was back in action last week against Kentucky in a limited capacity. He should be a full go this week. Tillman is probably the least surprising player to be moving up draft boards this year, as his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame is coveted by many NFL rosters. Tillman, for his size, has smooth route-running. Add that in with his athleticism and catch radius, and it’s clear that, when healthy, he is one of the best receivers in this upcoming draft class. The biggest surprise this year has been Jalin Hyatt, who has burst onto the scene due to Tillman’s injury and his breakout game against Alabama, where he went for 6 catches, 207 yards, and 5 touchdowns. He still has much to be desired in the short underneath game and being able to work the middle of the field. But his ability to blow by defenders vertically has been impossible to ignore, and his speed will translate to the next level.
On the other side of the ball, we highlight one of the top cornerbacks in college football. Kelee Ringo, from Georgia, showed last year why he was one of the best. And despite a lackluster schedule this far outside of Oregon in their season opener, Ringo has been a complete lockdown corner. He has currently only been thrown at 27 times in eight games this year which ranks 331st in the FBS. With that, there have been no interceptions for Ringo, but that’s not of any concern for scouts as they know of his playmaking ability when the opportunity presents itself like it did when he had a 79-yard interception return in the national title game last year. Ringo is 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, which leaves him bigger than most receivers and the ability to control them from the line of scrimmage. He has all the athleticism and measurables to project him as a top-10 pick this upcoming April.
There will be a lot of factors that go into deciding who wins on Saturday and ultimately sets themselves up well to head to the College Football Playoff. The Tennessee offense and their pace will present the toughest challenge yet for Ringo and the Georgia defense. We saw several weeks ago the Alabama defense have a hard time applying pressure without blitzing, and when they did, their defensive backs were torched in mismatches. That was without Cedric Tillman, which will give Josh Heupel another arrow in his quiver this week. Can Georgia generate pressure without blitzing? Can Ringo be isolated on an island with Tillman or Hyatt and hold steady? On the flip side, can Tennessee move fast and get the matchups they want for Tillman and Hyatt? And can Hooker make the right reads and tough throws to get his playmakers the ball? This should be one of the best matchups we get all year from an explosive methodical offense versus a stout, sound, and disciplined defense.