Top 10 College Football Players after Week Three
Lightning fast quarterback Lamar Jackson is off to a spectacular start this season, and could run away with the Heisman Trophy.
By: Mitchael Keeran
So far, it’s been a crazy year in college football, and we’re only three weeks in! Behind big games and big performances on the grid iron, we give you a look into the top 10 NCAA football performers currently this season and who to look out for!
Honorable Mention. Easton Stick, QB North Dakota State
The new quarterback for the 5-time defending National Champion NDSU Bison deserves a mention on this list after one of the school’s biggest victories in their history. The Sophomore quarterback Easton Stick led the Bison this weekend into Kinnick Stadium to take on No. 13 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. Stick threw a touchdown and led a game winning drive to pull off the upset of the week. Stick has been clutch all season for NDSU, winning two overtime games before week three. Bottom line, NDSU may have found their next Carson Wentz.
10. Jalen Hurts, QB Alabama
The defending national champions have a true freshman starting at quarterback. Jalen Hurts has done more than his fair share in providing for the powerful Crimson Tide football team. He helped lead the team in dismantling USC and Western Kentucky. He also helped pull away from an classic against rival Ole Miss. Hurts is a poised and confident playmaker as a dual threat quarterback for the No. 1 nationally ranked team. The fact that he’s a Freshman makes it that more special!
9. Patrick Mahomes II, QB Texas Tech
The junior quarterback Patrick Mahomes II seems to fit Texas Tech’s Air Raid offense perfectly. Though they’re 2-1, Texas Tech has a very high powered passing offense in which Mahomes II leads after throwing 14 touchdowns with only two interceptions through three games. He also leads the nation with 1493 passing yards–not too shabby!
8. Donnel Pumphrey, RB San Diego State
The leading rusher in all of college football at the moment certainly belongs on this list. Senior Running back Donnel Pumphrey just rushed his second straight 200+ yard game in a 42-28 victory over Northern Illinois. Pumphrey currently has 599 yards and seven rushing touchdowns while averaging over eight yards a carry. That rightfully deserves a spot on the Heisman Watch.
7. Greg Ward Jr., QB Houston
Though he’s currently battling a shoulder injury, Greg Ward Jr. is fighting through the pain and leading a very exciting Houston Cougars team up the national rankings. The biggest news of Ward’s career was the upset victory in week one when he defeated the No. 3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners (33-23) and threw for three touchdowns. He missed the week two win over Lamar, but he came back last week in a strong three touchdown performance over Cincinnati. Greg Ward Jr. looks probable to play for next week, and he’s going to be a deadly player to go against once he’s 100 percent.
6. Deshaun Watson, QB Clemson
The quarterback of last year’s runner ups to the National Championship got off to a somewhat shaky start with barely escaping with wins over Auburn and Troy. However, Watson seemed to catch stride in a big victory last week in a 59-0 win over South Carolina State, where he easily provided three touchdown passes on 15 attempts. Though Watson’s stats may not be as impressive as they were last year, he is a field general nonetheless, and he is looking to rebound from last year and lead the No. 5 ranked Clemson Tigers to another shot at the National Championship.
5. Nick Chubb, RB Georgia
Though he was only held to 63 yards on 19 carries in a narrow victory over Missouri, Nick Chubb is still one of the most dominant running backs currently in college. The Junior tailback quickly helped fans forget about Todd Gurley as he currently is the SEC’s leading rusher with 365 yards and three touchdowns. Expect more big games from Chubb, as Georgia will continue their stride toward an SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff.
4. Jabrill Peppers, LB Michigan
Jabrill Peppers was one of the highest touted recruits after signing to Michigan two years ago as cornerback. Last year, he played Running Back. Now, he’s a linebacker! Fitting the Myles Jack player mold, Peppers is one of the most athletic and exciting players to watch in college football right now. The Junior looks to have finally found a permanent position for the Wolverines, as he currently has 25 tackles and two and a half sacks through three games. He’s even receiving early votes for the Heisman Trophy! Keep your eyes peeled for Peppers, as he’s usually all over the field.
3. JT Barrett, QB Ohio State
Last year, JT Barrett was in quarterback battle with Cardale Jones who stepped up to lead the Buckeyes to a National Title after Barrett himself went down with injury. Now, the Buckeyes are Barrett’s team. In week one, he threw for six touchdowns and ran in for another one beating Bowling Green 77-10. He ran for two touchdowns to soundly beat Tulsa in week two. Last week, he beat the national powerhouse Oklahoma Sooners 45-24 with four touchdown passes. Barrett now seems comfortable in the starting role and is looking to lead Ohio State back to the College Football Playoff.
2. Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford
I’m sure a lot of you reading this are Iowa Hawkeye fans, and also sure you still have a bad taste in your mouth after watching this guy shred our defense in the 2016 Rose Bowl. Christian McCaffrey entered the season as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy following a tremendous sophomore year. Although Lamar Jackson looks to be pretty tough competition, we can’t count out the 6-0″, 200 pound tailback’s lightning speed and playmaker ability. So far this year, he’s led the Stanford Cardinal to victory over Kansas State and USC by rushing for three touchdowns and 298 yards, and he has caught seven passes for 40 yards and a touchdown. His abilities display nothing too special yet, but those are great stats considering he carries Stanford–and KSU and USC are no pushovers.
1. Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville
If you’ve seen him the past three weeks, did you expect anyone else at the top of this list? Even I was skeptical of how long the hype was going to last after playing pushovers the first two weeks, but the feeling fizzled after he scored five total touchdowns in a 63-20, dismantling of the No. 2 nationally ranked Florida State Seminoles. Lamar Jackson is for real. He has sky rocketed to the top of the Heisman Trophy race after throwing eight touchdowns and running in for 10 more in the first three games. It’s still fairly early into the season, but even legendary quarterback Michael Vick claims Jackson is five times the player he was in college. Now, that’s saying something if a former electrifying professional quarterback says you’re better than him.
The top 10 NCAA football players’ performances speak for themselves, and their numbers don’t lie. While many players are difficult to overlook, setting the outstanding apart from the great makes watching football even more worthwhile.