College Football Playoff's silly season is upon us! Weekly rankings are coming out every Tuesday night until the conference championship games have been decided. It seems to me we could just release the CFP rankings one time when everything is finalized, but we love a debate, don't we? There are still a few games on the schedule that will seal someone's fate (the greatest of which being Ohio State vs. Michigan), but before we start looking too far ahead, let's take a look at which newcomers made the biggest impacts for their teams in Week 10.
Top Week 10 Performances
Devin Neal, RB, Kansas, Sophomore - 32 carries for 224 rushing yards and 1 touchdown, 6 receptions for 110 receiving yards
The Lawrence, Kansas native was one of the biggest recruits in Jayhawk history when he decided to stay home and sign as part of the 2021 class. Despite some of the hype after a solid freshman season, he's had a relatively quiet past few games. After losing three in a row, Kansas altered their game plan and entrusted Neal to lead them to victory by putting the ball in his hands 38 times for 334 total yards. Weighing in at 210 pounds, he has the frame to add healthy weight to prepare for life at the next level.
Caleb Williams, QB, USC, Sophomore - 26/41 for 360 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, 7 carries for 38 rushing yards and 1 touchdown
Perhaps the most complete quarterback in the nation finds himself spotlighted here yet again. He's positioning himself to be drafted at or near the top of the 2024 NFL Draft with his ability to do pretty much everything you'd like your quarterback to do. On the year, he has 28 touchdown passes and only 1 interception while averaging more than 300 passing yards per game.
Michael Jackson III, WR, USC, Sophomore - 5 receptions for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns
With Trojan wide receivers Jordan Addison and Mario Williams missing time with injuries, Jackson stepped up in their stead. The former 4-star recruit has had a quiet season but may find himself on the receiving end of more playing time now that he's shown he can handle the spotlight. USC has long been able to churn out NFL wide receivers. Jackson may be one to keep an eye on within Lincoln Riley's offense in 2023.
Carson Steele, RB, Ball State, Sophomore - 29 carries for 192 rushing yards and 1 touchdown
I wanted to feature Steele here for a couple of reasons. First, he's been absolutely crushing it this season. As of this writing, he has 1280 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns to go along with 23 receptions out of the backfield. Those are great numbers through only 10 games. But I also wonder if this season could be a springboard for him to try his luck at a bigger program. He's a player that had zero acclaim coming out of high school. His only other scholarship offers were from Indiana State and Southern Illinois. He has good size at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds. This is total speculation from me, but based on how productive he's been, I could absolutely see him entering the portal to see what's out there.
His Week 10 numbers listed above are great, but since he plays in the MAC, his Week 11 game has already taken place. He outdid himself on Tuesday evening with 28 carries for 198 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn St, Freshman - 18 carries for 86 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 receptions for 72 yards
Allen and fellow freshman Nicholas Singleton just take turns putting up big numbers against Nittany Lion opponents. They've each been mentioned several times in this article series, and it's been great to see them earn more trust as the season has gone on. They're a legitimate two-headed monster that will keep Penn State's ground game dangerous through the 2024 season.
Other Standouts:
- Seth Henigan, QB, Memphis, Sophomore - 26/39 for 284 passing yards and 1 touchdown, 16 carries for 69 yards and 1 touchdown
- Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina, Redshirt Freshman - 26/37 for 293 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, 16 carries for 74 yards and 1 touchdown
- Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa, Freshman - 22 carries for 200 yards and 1 touchdown
- Emmett Morehead, QB, Boston College, Redshirt Freshman - 27/45 for 330 passing yards and 4 touchdowns
Who to Watch in Week 11
I'm turning my attention back to Ole Miss's freshman running back Quinshon Judkins coming off a bye week to take on an angry Alabama defense. He's completely overtaken the backfield averaging 28 carries and more than 150 yards per game in their previous three contests. His tough running style will be important if the Rebels are going to overpower a very physical Crimson Tide team coming off a devastating loss to LSU in Week 10.
You can find me on Twitter @craiglakins or by email at lakins@footballguys.com.