FAVORITE TEAMS

Good morning, everyone! This is something I just said “F it! I’m doing it.” I’ve watched these players over time after appearing on my radar through watching a bowl game, hearing their name for something interesting or researching their stats. My focus is “eye test” before looking at stats to see if it backs up. Not every player is a homerun hit, but you never know who could stand out as hidden gems. If you’re the person who likes to know who could potentially do well for your favorite college team or maybe go to the NFL someday, keep an eye on them.

After his first start with BYU when they faced Oklahoma, I was impressed with how he handled the offense without Kedon Slovis. I mentioned to a few fans that BYU is in good hands with this kid. He played well last season and almost led the program to the college football playoffs. Now, he’s with Tulane after off-the-field issues back in 2023 that caught up to him (charges were dropped, but suspension was imminent under BYU’s honor code). If he can improve on his overall completion percentage and passer rating, Tulane may have a guy that’ll lead them to the unthinkable, a CFP berth.

He was with Nevada since committing to them. He was a good linebacker for my alma mater. I always asked, “how many Watts does it take to take down a player?” One, because he was the only Watt we had to power Nevada’s defense. Now, he’s with Memphis. I wish him luck and hope he excels for the next level like past Nevada linebackers (even though he’s a Memphis player now).

I watched Ott for two seasons at a Cal Berkeley game. He’s got motor, agility, and toughness. He’s a capable back who could do almost everything. Now, he teams up with John Mateer and Oklahoma’s offense to hopefully get things running in the SEC. If he stays healthy, we’re looking at one of the best backs in the conference.

In 2023, Cal was missing a quarterback to uplift the offense. In came Fernando in the middle of the season. He elevated the offense and made them acceptable to some extent. Last year, the offense had a chance to be better. They had stretches of success before injuries took over. When Mendoza’s healthy and on point, he’s almost unstoppable. The Auburn game last season before the minor injury proved he could be an All-Conference-caliber (and maybe NFL) quarterback a team needs. Let’s see if he does the same for Indiana.

Last season, I got a glimpse of what John Mateer could do, and my goodness he popped off. After September, I praised him for his arm, his accuracy, his mobility, and his moxie. He reminded me of Baker Mayfield way before he hit the portal and arrived at Oklahoma. As a fan, I’m really excited. If he can elevate the offense alongside Ott and company, they could be dangerous against SEC defenses.

He could follow in his father’s footsteps (former tight end Anthony Becht). However, he needs help from his new pass catchers to get him there. He was close to leading the Cyclones to the playoffs. Does he have that opportunity this season with his production?

Bud Clark was a top ten tackler and leader in interceptions on TCU’s defense for three straight seasons. The sixth-year senior is a ball hawk and the last line of defense for the secondary. If everything goes well, he could land with an NFL team as a mid-rounder next season.

He’s an all-purpose player that impacted special teams. He has a couple of returning touchdowns, including one against Utah that sparked a comeback for BYU against rival Utah. He’s one heck of a gadget player that’ll get BYU going in the right direction when needed.

I always thought Texas A&M didn’t give King the opportunity he deserved. Getting a fresh start at Georgia Tech bode well for him since. He’s a tough competitor and will give his team winning opportunities. His health is a factor on an offense that’s heavily reliant on him and the rest of the backfield.

I heard about him and the type of potential he had as a North Dakota State safety. He has championship pedigree that could help Texas Tech’s secondary improve. Tech’s secondary was the nation’s worst last season allowing a whopping 308.1 passing yards per game.

One sentence I screamed out after that exact play shown in that picture when SMU fought back to beat Nevada, “THIS GUY WAS LEFT OPEN…EVERY…SINGLE…TIME!!! Well, he caught 8 balls for a whopping 162 yards for a game-winning touchdown. He’s a good tight end who could’ve been one of the ACC’s best before his season-ending injury later on that season. He’ll be a key guy again after his recovery.

After getting a good look at Devon against Montana State prior to my departure for the Nevada game, I kept tabs on him. The Wazzu game showed what capability he had as a pure running quarterback. He’s a tough competitor and will take the game in his own hands if he has too. He’s got an arm but needs work on accuracy to elevate Utah’s potential RPO-centric offense.

A two-time champion FCS champ with South Dakota State in 2022 and 2023 takes his talents to Iowa City, where Iowa is starving for a competent quarterback. His abilities are different as a mobile guy, but maybe that’s what Iowa needs. If the rest of the offense feeds off him, he could take Iowa the distance.

He’s such a damn good receiver. He was overshadowed by Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, but you’ll know his name more as his career carries on. He’s about as electric of a receiver as those two mentioned, and I expect more from Tyson.

He’s not known by the nation, but he was an exceptional defender on New Mexico’s defense that wasn’t great. He was quiet last season despite tallying 91 total tackles last season. He’s with Utah State and could put up enough numbers to be mentioned for the NFL. Not sure if he’ll make it, but I’ll project him as a late rounder to undrafted if he decides to.

Sam showed how capable of a quarterback he can be and put up good numbers as a freshman. Alongside Cam Skattebo, Jordyn Tyson, and an underrated defense, they walked into the Big 12 title game and playoffs with a lot to prove. He’s without Skattebo, but the offense has enough to maintain that success.

Whatever this former freshman showed last season, he showed that Mizzou has another reliable kicker for the next two to three seasons. If he can build some more ice in his veins his sophomore year, expect another Missouri kicker to be in the NFL someday.

Preston Stone had one heck of a game against Nevada on the road. But ever since then, he was replaced by SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings. I still have yet to see Stone go off, but maybe this is the season with Northwestern that’s desperate for quarterback production.

Ever since I heard about Gio Lopez’s potential before his freshmen season, I wanted to see what he can do. He had an ok outing with South Alabama but was left to be desired. Now, he’s with Bill Belichick and North Carolina and I’m curious to see if he can command the offense under Bill’s control.

Brown’s one of Florida State’s better defenders and key player in the secondary. It wasn’t a good 2024 season for his experience and suffered an injury during offseason practice. Not sure if he’ll be available or what his current status is.

Cam Vaughn was Jax State’s leading receiver his freshmen year. Instead of staying with the program, he eventually followed Rich Rodriguez to West Virginia to compete for the starting job. The team lacked a playmaker last year, and this could work in Vaughn’s favor.

A speedy back who was competent at Colorado two seasons ago worked well for Kansas State last season alongside DJ Giddens and quarterback Avery Johnson. With Giddens gone, Edwards is expected to double (or triple) his rushing yards and overall production.

His name popped up during SMU’s exceptional season run. He was everywhere. 100 total tackes, four tackles for losses, and three interceptions showed that this safety will be on you the moment the ball is in your hands. We expect an encore performance, but the secondary must improve this season.

He’s on here because of his bowl game performance. I looked up his stats, and he’s had back-to-back last game of the season performance. He tallied 100 yards and two touchdowns in 2023 and 89 yards for a touchdown in a bowl game last season. He didn’t have much production outside his 61-yard receiving game in back-to-back seasons, but maybe he’ll get more production at the slot in this pass happy offense this season.

Barion Brown’s production is so-so. Then again, he played with Kentucky that had subpar quarterback play. In LSU’s pass-heavy offense, Brown could have more touches. Even though the receiver depth is deep, the latter stages of the season could be where he shows up.

His name showed up on my list late in the season. With how poor the offense was, it’s fair to say you won’t hear his name. However, with how dominant Iowa’s special teams are, Wetjen popped up as the Big Ten’s top returner with two returning touchdowns. In his last season as a Hawkeye, he might be given more responsibility on offense as a gadget player.

Matt Coleman had a huge 12 reception, 119-yard game 5-overtime game against USF. There’s a chance he receivers more opportunities on offense at slot. If he’s able to bring in that type of production, San Jose State has another option in their pass-happy offense.

This walk-on quarterback who made an impression on me. In his first start in a bowl game, he torched Texas State for 393 yards and two touchdowns but also paid for it with two interceptions that cost North Texas a win. After a quarterback battle with projected starter Reese Poffenbarger during the offseason, the former walk-on won the job and will make his official debut in Week 1.

Kurt Warner’s son is a known gunslinger. He’s kinda like his father. He’s traveled from Temple to Rice now maybe ending his career in The Valley at Fresno State. He had back-to-back 3,000-yard passing seasons at Temple and had his best pass completion percentage at Rice. He hasn’t hit his ceiling with those two programs, but maybe Fresno State’s the place where he can finish it on top. Can’t wait to see what he does with the Bulldogs!