Devy Roundup: Week One
Welcome back to the second season of the Devy Roundup! In this weekly series, I highlight the top performers and poor performers of the past week. In addition, I look ahead to next week and highlight my top five games to watch. I even provide a glimpse into my overall devy rankings and take a look at some interesting positional battles shaping up. Without further ado, let’s dive in and see what the first week of the college season has in store.
My Rankings
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Below is a preview of my Top 25 Devy rankings. You can find my full set of Devy rankings here.
Positional Battles
Below are some positional battles I will be keeping my eye on early in the season to see how they play out.
1.) Georgia Running Backs
With Nick Chubb and Sony Michel off to the NFL, one would think the Georgia backfield is opening up for sophomore running back D’Andre Swift to take over. Five-star freshman Zamir White was the top-ranked running back coming out of high school and figured to see some carries his freshman season, but he, unfortunately, tore the ACL in his left knee (he tore the ACL in his right knee back in high school) during Georgia’s second preseason scrimmage earlier this month. Juniors Brian Herrien and Elijah Holyfield as well as freshman James Cook figure to see some carries during the season, but Swift is by far the most talented of the current group. Will he become a household name this season?
2.) Alabama Running Backs
Bo Scarbrough departed to the NFL, but Alabama seems to always have a crowded backfield every year. Senior Damien Harris figures to lead the way once again. Although talented sophomore Najee Harris contemplated transferring out of Alabama this past off-season, he is back with the team. Finally, do not forget about Josh Jacobs, Brian Robinson, Ronnie Clark, and Jerome Ford.
3.) Georgia Quarterbacks
Jake Fromm nearly led Georgia to a national championship over Alabama in his freshman season last year. After such a remarkable season, one would think he has the starting quarterback spot locked down this year, right? Not so fast. Incoming freshman Justin Fields is one of the nation’s top recruits and figures to put pressure on Fromm all season. Fromm broke his non-throwing hand back in July but has already resumed practicing with the team.
4.) Nebraska Quarterbacks
Quarterback controversy still surrounds the Nebraska Cornhuskers as we inch towards the start of the regular season. Coach Scott Frost has not named a starter so far while suggesting true freshman Adrian Martinez and redshirt freshman Tristan Gebbia could both play early in the season. Playing two quarterbacks in the same game rarely ever works, so hopefully, Nebraska can sort this out soon.
5.) Penn State Running Backs
Junior running back Miles Sanders will attempt to fill a gaping void left by the departure of Saquon Barkley. Senior Mark Allen is also in the mix for carries. Finally, keep an eye on incoming freshman Ricky Slade. He was the number one ranked all-purpose back coming out of high school last year and looks to make a name for himself this season.
Marquee Matchups
As usual, many collegiate teams use the first week or two as somewhat of a “preseason,” playing weaker non-conference teams to ease into the new season. As a result, there are not as many marquee matchups as there usually are. However, below are some of the games I will be sure to tune into on this upcoming week’s slate. You can check out the full week one schedule here.
1.) Virginia Tech @ Florida State – 9/3 @ 8 PM EST on ESPN/WatchESPN
Week one concludes with a Monday night matchup between two preseason top 25 ranked teams, Virginia Tech and Florida State. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Josh Jackson will lead the Hokies into Doak Campbell Stadium.
Florida State phenom Cam Akers will look to build upon his respectable freshman season last year, in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored eight total touchdowns. Quarterback Deondre Francois looks to bounce back from a season-ending knee injury he suffered last year. However, it is not a lock he regains the starting quarterback title. Head coach Willie Taggart suggested Francois might be a little behind James Blackman and Bailey Hockman.
2.) Miami vs. LSU – 9/2 @ 7:30 PM EST on ABC/WatchESPN
Talented Miami receiver Ahmmon Richards looks to bounce back from a disappointing season last year plagued with injuries. Sophomore wide receiver Jeff Thomas looks to step up in his second season and junior running back Travis Homer should be fun to watch as well. Senior quarterback Malik Rosier will lead the team once again.
After being treated to four years of Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice, LSU faces a bit of a rebuilding year. They have plenty of young, promising players but still need to prove themselves on both sides of the ball.
3.) Louisville vs. Alabama – 9/1 @ 8 PM EST on ABC/WatchESPN
This would have been a really fun one to watch if Lamar Jackson was still the quarterback for Louisville. Unfortunately, he is not, but sophomore quarterback Jawon Pass looks to step out of Jackson’s shadow and make a name for himself. Senior receiver Jaylen Smith might be one of the more underrated players in the nation.
Will sophomore sensation Tua Tagovailoa finally take over the team at quarterback or will junior Jalen Hurts still cling onto the role? Will senior running back Damien Harris receive more carries or will they be split up between a large group of players once again? Will Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, and Devonta Smith step up at wide receiver after the departure of Calvin Ridley? Alabama faces a lot of questions entering the season, but will likely be a strong championship contender once again.
4.) Michigan @ Notre Dame – 9/1 @ 7:30 PM EST on NBC
One of the best rivalries in college football kicks off in week one. Michigan has a new face at quarterback, Shea Patterson, who transferred from Ole Miss. Coach Jim Harbaugh announced on Monday Patterson will already start week one. He has a talented receiver group at his disposal, including Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black.
Notre Dame has some talented receivers as well, including Chase Claypool and Miles Boykin, as well as tight ends Alize Mack and Cole Kmet. However, the question remains if quarterback Brandon Wimbush can get them the ball.
5.) Austin Peay @ Georgia – 9/1 @ 3:30 PM EST on ESPN/WatchESPN
I will admit this will likely be a huge blowout, but I am just excited to see Georgia back in action. They figure to be one of the most fun offenses to watch this year once again, led by Fromm, Swift, Riley Ridley, Terry Godwin, Isaac Nauta and new transfer Demetris Robertson. Be sure to tune into the first half of this game because it will likely be out of hand by halftime.
Other News/Notes
College football is finally back! I hope you all will enjoy it as much as I will. As always, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @TheDevyDude with any questions or comments.
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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
