After a wild Saturday full of close games and upsets, we've seen several underclassmen seize their opportunity to produce for their team and land themselves in the sights of NFL scouts. Last week, I put a spotlight on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and his top weapons as they faced Alabama. Unfortunately, Ewers sustained an injury in the first half which will cost him the next month of action. Before the injury, it was obvious why he received such acclaim coming out of high school. He made some big-time throws while looking poised against the best defense he'll see at the college level in Alabama. Texas sophomore wide receiver Xavier Worthy ended his day with 5 receptions and 97 yards while showing off his big-play ability. Let's take a look at who else stood out in Week 2.
Top Week 2 Performances
RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn St, Freshman - 10 carries for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns
Singleton arrived in State College, PA, as the consensus #1 running back in his class, according to On3.com. After a quiet week 1, he quickly proved the hype was warranted against an overmatched Ohio Bobcats team. With eyebrow-raising explosiveness, he reached top speed and darted down the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown in the first quarter. At 6-foot and 219 pounds, he has the size to play with physicality and maintain the speed he needs to beat defenders to the edge. According to PFF, he ended the day with 9 forced missed tackles and 3 runs of longer than 15 yards. I was very impressed with his instincts as a runner in his first real college action. He'll take on a bigger test this weekend as Penn St. travels to SEC country to face Auburn.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio St, Sophomore - 7 receptions for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns
If you've been an NFL fan for long, I don't have to tell you how dominant Marvin Harrison was for the Colts at the turn of the century. Now his son is ready to make his own legacy. He first broke out in last season's Rose Bowl with 3 touchdowns against Utah - a feat he duplicated on Saturday. With teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba sidelined with an injury, Harrison Jr. stepped up to the plate for a massive day. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he's notably bigger than his father and is on track to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft following his junior season.
WR Beaux Collins, Clemson, Sophomore - 4 receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown
In a wide receiver room stocked with talent, Collins has quickly emerged as a leader on and off the field. He has the size needed to win at the point of the catch and is known as a smooth route runner. In reviewing film from Week 2, he did a great job creating separation from the defender to make it easy for his quarterback and even showed some tackle-breaking ability after the catch. He has a touchdown in each of Clemson's first two games and should continue to be a focal point in their passing attack.
WR Chase Roberts, BYU, Redshirt Freshman - 8 receptions for 122 and a touchdown
This one is a bit out of left field, but Roberts earned some notoriety for his play against #9 Baylor. He actually graduated high school in 2019 but spent the following two years serving a full-time mission for the LDS church and then redshirted in 2021. He's actually listed as second string on the BYU depth chart, but due to injuries was given the opportunity for a featured role and took complete advantage. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds with a 36-inch vertical, he put up absolutely gaudy statistics in high school with 3700 receiving yards and 40 TDs. He could be a name to watch if you like to keep an eye on off-the-radar draft prospects. Even when the starters are back to full health, it will be hard for the BYU coaching staff to keep him off the field.
Who to Watch in Week 3
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TE Brock Bowers, Georgia, Sophomore
After putting up a stat line of 56 receptions for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman, Bowers has had a relatively quiet start to the 2022 season with only 5 receptions for 95 yards through two games. Truthfully, the Bulldogs haven't needed much production from him as they've taken care of both opponents easily. I'm expecting this week to be the week he re-emerges against SEC foe South Carolina. I don't often get excited about tight ends in college since so many elite NFL tight ends were not viewed as such before they got to the NFL. But if you spend any time watching film on Bowers, he stands out as a complete outlier as a pass catcher with phenomenal athleticism for a player of his size.
RB Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss, Freshman
Judkins was a consensus three-star recruit, but he's already outperforming his ranking. He leads Ole Miss in rushing yards through two games with 191 on 24 attempts. While this is partially due to one of those games being a blowout, he also received several second-quarter carries during a 7-0 game in Week 1. The coaching staff has raved about him since his arrival in the spring. The fact that he's earned their trust as a true freshman despite two high-profile transfers (Zach Evans and Ulysses Bentley IV) arriving for the 2022 season speaks volumes. As a running back, his physicality stands out. On one carry against Troy, he faced a linebacker head-on at the second level, lowered his head, and accelerated into contact without a second thought. He also flashed some elusiveness, and his college coaches should help him tap into more of that as he matures. Perhaps most impressive is his team-leading 87.6 PFF grade across 52 snaps. I'm watching him this week to see how involved he remains in the game plan as the Rebels take on Georgia Tech.