Devy Roundup: An Introduction
Welcome to the first article of the Devy Roundup, a weekly series where I will review some of the best and worst college football performances of the week and look forward to the week ahead. I will also discuss risers and fallers in my personal devy rankings as well as depth chart positions and battles.
Top Performers
Starting with the next article, I will post some of the week’s best performers here. They will be graded on a five-star scale.
Poor Performers
Also starting with the next article, I will post some performances that did not live up to expectations here. These will be graded on a five-star scale as well.
Depth Chart Battles
Even at such an early stage in the season, there are still some interesting depth chart battles shaping up in practice sessions.
Alabama Running Backs
Damien Harris returns for his junior season and was Alabama’s lead back for most of last year. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry last season. Bo Scarbrough returns as well and hopes to put his broken leg he suffered in the National Championship behind him. It will also be interesting to see if incoming freshman Najee Harris works his way into the rotation at any point in the year. He was the nation’s top recruit because of his athleticism and all-around running and receiving skills.
USC Running Backs
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Barring injury, junior Ronald Jones figures to be the lead back for USC this season. He makes great cuts and has exceptional speed. I am interested to see how many carries incoming freshman Stephen Carr will receive. His vision and quickness could allow him to pass junior Aca’Cedric Ware and redshirt freshman Vavae Malepeai at some point this season. If that happens, Carr would form an explosive tandem with Jones.
Florida State Wide Receivers
Who is going to be quarterback Deondre Francois’ main target this year? Auden Tate has the size and athleticism to win jump balls, but I am hoping he learns to run different routes as he steps into a more prominent role this season. Nyqwan Murray had some solid games last year and steps into a lead role this year as well. I am anxious to see if Tate or Murray becomes the alpha receiver in the Florida State offense.
My Rankings
Below is a sneak preview of my top 25 devy players. I expect this list to fluctuate throughout the season, so I will be sending updated rankings and discuss risers and fallers with each weekly article.
Marquee Matchups
The first week of the college football season is finally here! We were teased with a small five-game slate on Saturday, August 26th. #14 Stanford and #19 South Florida both won their opening games and Hawai’i enjoyed a thrilling win over UMass.
After a five-day hiatus, the first week of games will pick back up on Thursday, August 31st and games will be played each day until Monday, September 4th. You can check out the full week one schedule here.
The scheduling committee often sets up some intriguing games to kick-off the season and this year is no different. Below are some of the games and player matchups I am looking forward to the most in week one. I included a few extra here since there are no games to recap from last week.
1.) Florida State @ Alabama – 9/2 at 8 PM EST on ABC/WatchESPN
What a treat we are in for on Saturday night. Florida State vs. Alabama is loaded with top college players and offers many great matchups to watch.
There is a lot of hype surrounding Florida State running back Cam Akers. He is one of those rare prospects even non-devy enthusiasts talk about before the player even begins his collegiate career. There might not be a single better defense for a player to test his skills against than Cam’s week one opponent, Alabama.
I am also excited to see how Deondre Francois, Auden Tate and Nyqwan Murray fare against Alabama. With a few of FSU’s receivers moving on to the NFL, Tate and Murray will have a chance to show what they can do in a more prominent role in the offense.
Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough will be another player I will be watching closely. He had a bittersweet ending to his season last year, scoring twice in the National Championship game against Clemson but then breaking his leg during the game. He was held out of full-contact drills during Alabama’s spring practice but said he is 100% now. Hopefully, he can put that injury behind him and resume the powerful, agile running style he showed at the end of last season.
Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley will also have a chance to show what he can do. His quarterback, Jalen Hurts, should be better in his second season under center for the Crimson Tide. OJ Howard moved on to the NFL, which should really cement Ridley as the centerpiece of Alabama’s passing attack. Hopefully, they can air it out more with Brian Daboll taking over as Offensive Coordinator.
This game is loaded with top devy players. I am definitely going to make sure I am in front of my television to watch it live.
2.) BYU vs. LSU – 9/2 @ 9:30 PM EST on ESPN/WatchESPN
LSU running back Derrius Guice is currently the 1A or 1B prospect in many people’s devy rankings. He was stuck behind Leonard Fournette for most of the past two seasons, but people still recognized the skills he possesses. Guice managed to gain 1387 yards rushing with 15 touchdowns on just 183 carries last season. He will finally be unleashed in a true lead role this year and the rest of the country better look out. He has exceptional speed, balance, and agility that will terrorize opposing defenses this season.
3.) Texas A&M @ UCLA – 9/3 at 7:30 PM EST on FOX
Texas A&M receiver Christian Kirk does not always receive as much praise as fellow receivers Courtland Sutton, Equanimeous St. Brown, or James Washington, but I still love watching Kirk play. He is not the tallest receiver, but he makes up for it with impressive speed, route-running, and versatility. He was very productive last season but figures to have an even larger role in the offense with Josh Reynolds departing for the NFL.
I am also looking forward to seeing UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen back in action. His last season was cut short due to a shoulder injury. Before that, he had a few outstanding games and averaged nearly 320 passing yards over six games last year. He threw for over 300 yards but threw three interceptions when these teams faced off last season. Look for him to bounce back and put up a strong performance at home this year.
4.) Akron @ Penn State – 9/2 at 12 PM EST on ABC/WatchESPN
All I really need to say here is Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. He is currently my number one overall devy prospect and dazzled the last time we saw him on the field against USC in the Rose Bowl. He made the Trojan defense look silly with his speed and quick moves, totaling 249 total yards and three touchdowns. If you live on the west coast, make sure you wake up early to catch this 9 AM PST start because it might be over by halftime.
5.) New Mexico State @ Arizona State – 8/31 at 10:30 PM EST on PAC12
Although this game will not be nationally televised, I recommend anyone who can watch it to tune in. Two of my top-15 devy prospects, receiver N’Keal Harry and running back Kalen Ballage, play for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Harry posted 58 receptions for 659 yards and five touchdowns last year as a freshman. Receivers traditionally make huge leaps in their second collegiate seasons and I am looking for Harry to do the same. He has exceptional ball skills and is able to contort his body to make difficult catches.
Ballage has blazing speed and is exceptional at catching passes out of the backfield. Arizona head coach Todd Graham spent time with the New England Patriots’ offensive staff this offseason to help find new ways to get Ballage the ball in the passing game. I look forward to seeing what Graham has in store for his star running back.
Other News/Notes
Antonio Callaway’s off-field issues continue to exist. In addition to pleading no contest to a drug charge last month, rumors surfaced on August 12th linking him and a few others to credit card fraud. I was already leery of him before and his issues this summer have knocked him out of my top 25 devy prospects. This is unfortunate because he has displayed some talent when on the field.
This year’s Heisman Trophy race should be a fun one, with a great group of quarterbacks and running backs leading the way. Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson, and Baker Mayfield are just some of the many talented quarterbacks in the nation. Derrius Guice and Saquon Barkley could also make a strong case depending on how their teams perform and how impressive their numbers are.
Look for the next article of this series to come out shortly after the conclusion of all week one college games. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter @TheDevyDude and get ready for another exciting year 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
