Devy Roundup: Week Six
Many of the top-ranked college football teams remain undefeated as we approach the half-way point in the season. However, that could change very soon in the coming weeks. Oklahoma and Michigan suffered the biggest drops in the rankings after their losses last week while the top eight teams are still undefeated. The battle for the four playoff spots should get very interesting as the season progresses.
You can find the final results of each week six game here.
Top Performers
Performances ranked on a 5-star scale
5 stars – Anthony Miller, WR Memphis (15 recs, 224 yards, 4 TDs)
What a day for Anthony Miller. He had a ridiculous 15 receptions for 224 yards and four touchdowns, including three in the first half. Miller is an underrated receiver who has had a couple huge games so far this season.
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5 stars – Jonathan Taylor, RB Wisconsin (25 carries, 249 yards rushing, 2 TDs)
Taylor had another monster game, rushing for nearly 250 yards and adding two touchdowns. The freshman has been very impressive this year. He has rushed for at least 80 yards and scored a touchdown in every game this season.
5 stars – Kerryon Johnson, RB Auburn (28 carries, 204 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 2 recs, 23 yards)
Johnson ran all over Ole Miss on his way to 227 total yards and three touchdowns. He has been a scoring machine so far this season, amassing 12 touchdowns in just four games.
Honorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (354 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 INT, 73 yards rushing, 2 TDs), Luke Falk (282 yards passing, 3 TDs), Kelvin Harmon (6 recs, 133 yards, 1 TD), A.J. Brown (10 recs, 109 yards), Myles Gaskin (91 yards rushing, 2 TDs), J.K. Dobbins (96 yards rushing, 1 TD), J.T. Barrett (261 yards passing, 3 TDs, 59 yards rushing, 1 TD), Cam Akers (20 carries, 121 yards rushing), Rashaad Penny (170 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 2 recs, 8 yards), Bryce Love (152 yards rushing, 1 TD, 2 recs, 14 yards), Tre’Quan Smith (5 recs, 165 yards, 3 TDs), McKenzie Milton (374 yards passing, 5 TDs), Akrum Wadley (115 yards rushing, 1 TD, 2 recs, 14 yards, 1 TD), Courtland Sutton (11 recs, 160 yards), Braxton Berrios (8 recs, 90 yards, 2 TDs)
Poor Performers
Performances ranked on a 5-star scale
1 star – Equanimeous St. Brown, WR Notre Dame (1 rec, 9 yards)
St. Brown had another quiet day, only catching one pass for nine yards. Although this can possibly be linked to poor quarterback play Notre Dame has had so far this year, I am still going to need to see more from one of my top-ranked Devy receivers.
2 stars – Derrius Guice, RB LSU (17 carries, 50 yards, 2 recs, 21 yards)
Guice is another top-ranked Devy player who has struggled to start this season. He dealt with an injury earlier this year and might not be fully recovered from it. However, Guice was in the discussion with Saquon Barkley for the top Devy prospect at the beginning of the season. Barkley has been very impressive so far this year. It is time for Guice to step up.
Depth Chart Battles
As we approach the seventh week of the season, below are a few positional battles I continue to keep my eye on.
Georgia Running Backs
In the ever-evolving Georgia backfield, it was Sony Michel’s turn to step up last week. He ran for 150 yards on just 12 carries and also added a touchdown. Nick Chubb also contributed 138 yards rushing and two touchdowns on sixteen carries. Elijah Holyfield received seven carries and D’Andre Swift had four. We will see how this backfield continues to shake out next week.
Florida State Running Backs
Cam Akers made the most of the opportunities he received last week against Miami, rushing for 121 yards on 20 carries. Jacques Patrick also had a nice day, rushing for 91 yards on just 11 carries. We will see if Akers continues to see more carries as the season progresses, but the two are forming a nice backfield duo for now.
My Rankings
Below is a preview of my Top 25 Devy rankings. I made a few adjustments after this week of play. You can find my full set of Devy rankings here.
Marquee Matchups
Below are some of the more intriguing games on this upcoming week’s slate. You can check out the full week seven schedule here.
1.) Washington State @ California – 10/13 @ 10:30 PM EST on ESPN
Being a late game on Friday night, many of you might need to record this one to be able to watch it. Washington State has been impressive so far this season, including their win over USC a couple weeks ago. Quarterback Luke Falk has been outstanding.
Unfortunately, California wide receiver Demetris Robertson had surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
2.) Auburn @ LSU – 10/14 @ 3:30 PM EST on CBS
I will also be tuning into this SEC battle between Auburn and LSU. This matchup includes a pair of impressive running back prospects, Derrius Guice and Kerryon Johnson. Guice has struggled so far this season while Johnson has rushed for 12 touchdowns in just four games.
3.) Oklahoma @ Texas – 10/14 @ 3:30 PM EST on ESPN
The Red River Rivalry features two teams headed in opposite directions at this point in the season. Oklahoma is coming off a shocking loss to Iowa State last week, but quarterback Baker Mayfield has looked great so far this season.
Texas has won three of its last four games, with its only loss in that stretch being to USC in double overtime.
4.) Utah @ USC – 10/14 @ 8 PM EST on ABC
USC is still one of my favorite offenses to watch in college football. Sam Darnold has been up-and-down to start the season, but I am intrigued to see how he performs the rest of the year. I still have my doubts about how Ronald Jones’s frame will fare in the NFL, but he is one of the most exciting running backs to watch in college football. He has scored a touchdown in every game he has played in so far this year.
5.) Washington @ Arizona State – 10/14 @ 10:45 PM EST on ESPN
This late game is filled with top Devy talent, including a pair of Arizona State studs N’Keal Harry and Kalen Ballage. However, Arizona State has struggled so far this year, especially on defense.
Washington is led by a talented trio of Jake Browning, Myles Gaskin, and Dante Pettis and has been simply dominating their opponents so far this year.
Other News/Notes
Injuries keep mounting like they do almost every year. Miami running back Mark Walton had an impressive start to the season and was moving up my Devy rankings until it was announced he will need season-ending surgery on his injured ankle. I, like many others, am hoping he can make a quick, full recovery.
Look for this series to continue to be published every Thursday. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter @TheDevyDude and get ready for another exciting week of college football!
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- Devy Roundup: Week 14 - November 26, 2019
- Devy Roundup: Week 13 - November 20, 2019
- Devy Roundup: Week 12 - November 12, 2019