Welcome back, college football! First full week of games began off with a bang. First “Backyard Brawl” in 11 years was a hard-hitting, nail-biter.
Not to mention clubs like USC that have undergone dramatic makeovers and are striving for ongoing success despite roster churn.
Most of the week’s results were expected, but there were a few surprises. This week’s stock report is in two parts due to the holiday. Who has increasing stock projections for Thursday and Friday and whose is falling?
On The Rise: QB Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State
Spencer Sanders was excellent, flinging the ball all over the field and driving his side to victory. He threw for 406 yards, 4 touchdowns, with a 68 percent completion rate, and rushed for 57 yards and 2 scores.
This guy has improved every season, so his strong start is excellent for his squad. Oklahoma State may finally win the Big12 this year. The potential is there, and with Sanders playing so well, they might be tough to defeat.
On The Rise: CB Joey Porter Jr, Penn State
This kid entered the season as the best cornerback in his class, and he did not disappoint. Porter led Penn State in tackles, pass deflections, and fumble recovery.
Coverage isn’t reflected in his stats. Porter stifled Purdue’s receivers and held Aidan O’Connell to one touchdown. Porter and the Nittany Lions’ defense made it tough for Purdue’s offense to get going for much of the game.
On The Rise: LB Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State
This kid entered the season as the best cornerback in his class, and he did not disappoint. Porter led Penn State in tackles, pass deflections, and fumble recovery.
Coverage isn’t reflected in his stats. Porter stifled Purdue’s receivers and held Aidan O’Connell to one touchdown. Porter and the Nittany Lions’ defense made it tough for Purdue’s offense to get going for much of the game.
On The Rise: QB Riley Leonard, Duke
Leonard wanted to make a strong first impression as Duke’s starting quarterback. He did. Leonard looked like a great quarterback in shutting out Temple. He completed 80% of his passes for 328 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 64 rushing yards led the Blue Devils.
Adding run yards to an already impressive performance is a significant deal. Leonard must prove he can sustain this level of performance against elite ACC defenders, but he’s in a perfect position to make his name recognized nationally and increase Duke’s profile in the ACC.
Price Drops: QB Tommy Devito, Illinois
Devito underwhelmed in Illinois‘ opener against Wyoming. That continued in game two against Indiana. His completion percentage plummeted 13 points from week one, and he couldn’t win a three-point game.
Devito transferring to Illinois after losing his starter spot at Syracuse wouldn’t be a big issue. As a freshman, he filled in for an injured Eric Dungy and showed much potential. Unfortunately, it appears like the same Devito from SU. He’s too unreliable to lead a game-winning drive.
Price Drops: QB JT Daniels, West Virginia
The first “Backyard Brawl” in 11 years was a back-and-forth contest that came down to the wire, so how could anyone’s stock drop? Daniels threw 40 passes, completing 23 for 214 yards.
In the fourth quarter, he threw Pitt’s game-winning pick-six. All the chances he had before the interception to score additional scores, particularly while West Virginia’s defense was dominating, magnify this error.
Both quarterbacks had to establish themselves, but Daniels had more opportunities. If West Virginia hopes to win the Big12, he must rebound.
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