Week 3 of the 2026 college football season has a little bit of everything for Giants fans, but the real draw is where the NFL Draft conversation starts to creep in. The biggest names on the slate are going to grab the headlines, sure, yet the more interesting part for New York is finding players who fit areas of need - and today that means safety and pass catcher.
The most natural fit on the board might be Georgia safety KJ Bolden, who gets a chance to show off against Arkansas at noon on ABC. Bolden looks like a modern NFL nickel defender in the making.
He’s listed as a safety, but he brings real value in coverage and against the run, and the appeal is easy to see for a Giants secondary that could be in flux. Cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II are both on one-year deals, which means the team could face some expensive decisions if both play well enough to warrant new contracts.
Nickel Ar’Darius Washington is also on a one-year deal, while Dru Phillips, Tyler Nubin, and Jevon Holland are all set to hit free agency after the 2027 season. At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Bolden is lean, but he plays with high football IQ, quick processing, and real violence at the point of attack.
Later in the day, Rutgers wide receiver KJ Duff gets a stage against USC at 3:30 p.m. on CBS. The Scarlet Knights aren’t exactly drawing national buzz right now, but Duff is one of those players who can force people to pay attention.
He’s listed at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds and already sits 22nd on Bruce Feldman’s 2026 “Freaks List” because of his strength and agility. The tape backs up the athletic profile.
Duff moves better than you’d expect for a receiver that size, and he reportedly posted a 4.16-second short shuttle over the summer. For comparison, the average short shuttle for a wide receiver is 4.23 seconds - and that’s usually for a player who is 6-foot, 200 pounds.
He backed up the tools with production in 2025, catching 60 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore, and he could wind up as a sleeper if the Giants want even more size on offense in 2027.
The night game brings the most attention, with Ole Miss and LSU set for ABC at 7:30 p.m. and plenty of noise around Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss. That storyline comes with all the messiness surrounding his exit and the chaos around his willingness to accept former NFL players who fell through the cracks in the NCAA’s eligibility rules.
On the field, the quarterback matchup between Trinidad Chambliss and Sam Leavitt is the headliner. Both are athletic, competitive passers with first-round potential.
Chambliss is the more polished thrower right now, while Leavitt brings the kind of mobility and arm talent that invites Caleb Williams comparisons, even if the package is a lot more volatile at the moment.
For Giants purposes, though, the name to watch is LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green. He’s being described as the best tight end in the class and as a possible next “Brock Bowers” or “Tyler Warren” type once he reaches the NFL.
Green has the kind of athletic profile that jumps off the page: a former basketball player at 6-foot 6 3/8 inches and 240 pounds with long speed, agility, and enough route-running ability to create separation. He’s already the most prolific tight end in LSU history, holding the school’s single-season and career touchdown records despite playing only 25 games with nine starts.
The blocking still needs work, and he’s more of a “move” blocker than a traditional Y tight end, but that may not be a deal-breaker for a Giants offense that uses pulling blockers often. Pairing Green with Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson would be a pretty intriguing idea.
In Other News...
Giants Just Found A Week 2 Path The Rams May Not Handle
The Rams came out of Week 1 with more questions than answers on defense after San Francisco picked apart their nickel looks and leaned on short passes to keep the pressure steady. For the Giants, that kind of blueprint looks awfully familiar after their win over Dallas, where the offense leaned into a conservative passing approach and made the most of matchups that asked the Cowboys to defend in space.
If New York wants a chance to keep that formula working in Week 2, the key will be staying patient on third down and forcing Los Angeles into the kinds of personnel decisions it struggled with a week ago. The matchup sets up as less about flashy throws and more about whether the Giants can keep strings of drives alive against a defense that already showed cracks in the same areas the Giants are likely to test. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Catch A Break As Rams Face A Huge Offensive Concern
The Rams are heading into Monday Night Football with a lingering concern at wide receiver, as Puka Nacua did not practice Friday or Saturday because of a hip injury and is listed as questionable against the Giants. For a Los Angeles offense trying to rebound from a Week 1 loss, any uncertainty around one of its top playmakers adds another layer of pressure before a cross-country test in prime time.
Sean McVays team is already dealing with a defense that has its own mix of absence and relief, with Myles Garrett on injured reserve for an extended stretch and Aaron Donald expected back. For the Giants, the situation is worth watching closely because any disruption to Nacua's availability could change how the Rams attack and how much room New York has to dictate the games tempo. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rookie Colton Hood Suddenly Faces A Serious Monday Night Test
The Giants have been able to bring rookie cornerback Colton Hood along slowly, thanks to a deeper mix of options at the position than they had in some recent stretches. That patience may not last much longer. With Paulson Adebo, Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome all dealing with injuries, Hood could be pushed into a much larger role when New York meets the Rams on Monday night.
For a young defensive back, this is the kind of snap count jump that can change the conversation quickly. Hood has not had to carry a heavy load yet, but if his playing time spikes against Los Angeles, the Giants will get a better read on whether he can grow into a long-term piece in their secondary. It is one thing to flash in limited duty, and another to hold up when the spotlight and the workload arrive at the same time. [Read more 🡒]