Week 9 in college football wasn’t easy for a few of the top teams. No. 1 Miami squeaked out a win over by relying on their star offensive player Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney. The same could not be said for No. 2 Ohio State. Missing staring quarterback Julian Sayin, the Buckeyes struggled to score in their loss to USC. No. 4 Indiana needed overtime and great plays by wide receiver Charlie Becker to take down Minnesota. Teams like No. 3 Georgia and No. 5 Notre Dame, however, coasted to victory.
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the year will be released ahead of a great slate games in Week 10. The feature matchup of the week will be No. 1 Miami traveling to South Bend, Ind., to face No. 4 Notre Dame. The Holy War will take place in Salt Lake City between No. 3 Utah and No. 7 BYU. Arch Manning and No. 10 Texas will try to continue their strong play against No. 19 Missouri. No. 8 Kentucky will visit No. 16 Tennessee while No. 9 Alabama will go on the road to Baton Rouge to face No. 15 LSU. No. 2 Georgia will face one of their stiffest challenges in No. 12 Ole Miss.
Here are a few players who had a good week and might be able to help out the Commanders. Let me know what you think about these prospects and feel free to post players that stood out to you:
Keyone Jenkins | QB | Senior | UCF
Keyone Jenkins picked a great time to have his best game of the season. Jenkins is a small quarterback at 6’, 200 pounds, but he put quality throws on tape in the Knights’ win over BYU. Jenkins threw with touch and layered throws over defenders. On a few of his passes in the end zone, Jenkins placed the ball where only his receivers could catch it. Generally, the ball came out on time, but he kept his eyes downfield and found receivers when it didn’t. Jenkins is a developmental quarterback prospect who needs to become more consistent with his mechanics in order to stick around at the next level. Against BYU, Jenkins was 25-of-41 passing for 293 yards and three touchdown,s and added a touchdown on the ground.
Cole Tabb | RB | Junior | Cincinnati
After a thrilling upset of Texas Tech, Cincinnati came back down to earth with a loss to Utah. Cole Tabb, however, is still playing out of this world. A smaller back that’s only 5’8”, 200 pounds, Tabb excels in a zone blocking scheme because of his vision and burst. He can feel the holes developing, find them, and burst through. Once in the open field, Tabb has very good long speed. He’s not the most powerful or elusive runner, but his low center of gravity allows him to break his fair share of tackles. Tabb will also contribute in the passing game, making him a viable third-down back. In the loss to Utah, Tabb had 131 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown.
Carlos Hernandez | WR | Senior | Wake Forest
Wake Forest is having one of their best seasons in recent memory, with their only loss coming to Miami. Carlos Hernandez has been their best receiver. At 6’0”, 190 pounds, Hernandez is quick at the top of his routes. That creates the separation he needs to get open. His hands are reliable, even making some tough contested catches despite not being the biggest receiver. He looks to have good speed after the catch. I’d also like to see him beat press man coverage; otherwise, he might be limited to the slot in the NFL. Hernandez made eight catches for 136 yards and a touchdown in the Demon Deacons win over UVA.
Jelani Thurman | TE | RS Junior | UNC
UNC gave Miami a scare in Chapel Hill, NC, but the Hurricanes survived. Jelani Thurman was a big reason why the Tar Heels had a chance in the game. A transfer from Ohio State, the 6’6”, 245 pounder is an athletic pass catcher. UNC likes to use his speed to out run defenders on crossing routes or to beat defenders down the seam. Improving the diversity of his routes would make him an even more dangerous receiving threat. He’s a competitive blocker who is effective, but needs to work on getting lower to improve his leverage. Thurman had five receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns against Miami. Thurman is tied for second in the nation for receiving touchdowns for tight ends with six.
Anthonie Knapp | OG | Junior | Notre Dame
Notre Dame is one of the most talented teams in the country thanks to talented players like Anthonie Knapp. Only a true junior, Knapp has started at tackle and guard since his freshman year. He’s an incredibly strong player at 6’5”, 305 pounds. Knapp plays with a wide base and stays balanced in pass protection. Notre Dame uses both gap and zone scheme runs. Knapp excels at both because of his athleticism. He’s an effective puller and lead blocker on gap runs, and he gets to necessary spots to cut off defenders on zone runs. With power and leverage, he can move defenders as a run blocker and plays through the whistle.
Dylan Stewart | EDGE | Junior | South Carolina
There’s a good chance the first pass rusher taken in the 2027 NFL Draft will be Texas’s Colin Simmons or South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart. After missing games to start the season due to injuries, Stewart might finally be hitting his stride after back-to-back weeks with a sack. He has the length NFL teams desire at 6’5” and 250 pounds. Initial quickness on the line allows Stewart to beat tackles around the edge or convert speed to power and bull rush blockers. As a junior, he needs to improve his strength and hand usage to disengage from blocks. While there are areas for improvement, the upside of Stewart is easy to see. He helped the Gamecocks beat Tennessee with two tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
Ethan Wesloski | LB | RS Senior | Oklahoma State
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker isn’t the only productive player for Oklahoma State. The 6’1”, 234-pound linebacker Ethan Wesloski has been putting up big numbers this year. Earlier in the season, he had back-to-back games with 17 tackles. He makes so many plays by being instinctual and having a high motor. Wesloski is willing to fight off blocks and always hustles to the ball to make plays. I need to see more from him in coverage to get a better sense of how good a linebacker prospect he can be, but the other aspects of his game are solid. For the Cowboys’ homecoming win over Colorado, Wesloski had eight tackles, two sacks, and a PBU.
Zeke Berry | CB | Senior | Michigan
Calling the game between Indiana and Michigan a defensive battle would be an understatement. The only touchdown scored was in overtime by the Hoosiers to secure the win. Zeke Berry was one of the Wolverines’ top defenders. Keeping Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker, both potentially first-round picks, is no easy task. At only 5’11”, 188 pounds, Berry surrendered size to the duo but not skill. Berry has quick feet and fluid hips that aid him in changing direction to stay with receivers throughout their routes. Berry has quickness and speed that he uses to break on the ball. He has no issue making hits, but I’d like to see him wrap up and form tackle more consistently. Berry helped the Wolverines cause in the loss to the Hoosiers with six tackles, a PBU, and an interception.
MJ Cannon | S | Senior | Cincinnati
The Bearcats were able to upset Texas Tech thanks to a number of plays by MJ Cannon. He’s a big corner at 6’3”, 213 pounds, but does his best work in coverage rather than at the line of scrimmage. While he isn’t very fluid, he does react quickly to the play in front of him. That lets him breakup passes or limit yards after the catch if a pass is completed. He can also use his play recognition to trigger downhill and make a stop. Cannon’s not a true centerfielder, but can handle any other deep coverage responsibilities. His nine tackles, forced fumble, PBU, and interception were big in Cincinnati’s win.
Which college players caught your eye in Week 8 and could help the Washington Commanders? Let us know in the comments below:
