Every week here at Blogging the Boys, we’ll spotlight the biggest college matchups and the players who could soon wear the Star. If you want to get a jump on who might help America’s Team in the years to come, this is your weekly college football guide. (For teams previously covered in other weeks, we move down the depth chart, giving you more insight on other draft candidates)
GAME OF THE WEEK
Number 3 Miami rolls into Tallahassee to face number 18 Florida State in a rivalry game where Miami hope to remain unbeaten
this season. The Hurricanes want to grind gears with a bruising ground game and long, clock-eating drives, while the ‘Noles will look to answer with hurry-up heat, explosive shots, and use their home field advantage to bring the noise against their fierce in-state rival. This all comes down to third-down efficiency and even the stealth economy of special teams field position. Call this a razor-thin victory here for Miami and a final score predictions of the Hurricanes scoring 30 points and winning by only a field goal.
Game Overview
- Matchup: Miami (3) vs. Florida State (18)
- October 4th, at Doak Campbell Stadium
- Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m (EST)
- Miami favored by 4 points
- There are few rivalries in College Football that carry the significance of this game, and Miami looks to win and continue to hold the Florida Cup.
Player Watch
Miami:
CJ Daniels, WR
Through the early 2025 slate, he’s been exactly the steady hand Miami ordered with 18 catches, 191 yards, and three touchdowns, moving chains and cashing red-zone chances. Daniels plays like a route artisan whether from the slot or outside. He carves space with pacing and body lean, then finishes with strong, trustworthy hands. He tracks the ball early, stacks the defensive backs, and wins angles more than footraces.
The problems with Daniels come in the form of long speed, so separation is crafted, not gifted. Long corners can jolt him at the line and his YAC skills are more steady than highlight worthy.
Damari Brown, CB
Brown is a coverage chameleon on the boundary, winning with stride efficiency, timing, and a huge wingspan. Press or off-man, his quick feet and long arms squeeze windows and let him win through the catch point easily. Stack healthy reps and sharpen the first strike and he profiles as a dependable CB2 in the NFL who lets coordinators call more man without losing zone integrity. The to-do list going forward, sturdier play strength at the line as big receivers can walk him back if his first strike arrives late.
Florida State:
Darrell Jackson Jr, DT
At 6’5” and a whopping 337 pounds, Jackson is a giant human being built to cave pockets. He forklifts guards with a brilliant bull rush, soaks up doubles like a sponge, and has adequate ability to finish when the quarterback can’t climb. He’s not a side-to-side dancer (size being the drawback here), so his game plays out best when he lands first and keeps the fight on the offense’s half. Add on a quick counter off the bull (club or swim), and you’re looking at a dependable, snap-eating interior starter who forces protection slides and leaves pockets muddy all afternoon.
Jerry Wilson, CB
Through the early slate Wilson has checked every transfer-hype box with nine total tackles, two interceptions, and a busy night against Alabama. In off-man his feet are textbook, the transition is smooth, and he finishes through hands like a veteran. The issues are with size and length, which are average. If his jam shows up late, big outside receivers can body him, and he struggles to regain control. Clean up the rep-to-rep details and you’re looking at a steady boundary starter at the next level.
Texas (9) vs. Florida
Texas’ first SEC business trip drops them straight into The Swamp this weekend. Arch Manning gets his first real league exam under the Gainesville humidity, with the Longhorns hoping for the long-teased debut of wide receiver Emmett Mosley V and monitoring the questionable cornerback Malik Muhammad. Across the line, D.J. Lagway and a banged-up Gators offense get the volume turned to eleven by a home crowd desperate for a second win of the season. Field position and ball security are big in this game, especially if the skies open, and whether Texas’ front can sit on Florida’s ground game long enough to force uncomfortable throws. Can Manning show that his success this year against inferior competition translates to SEC levels of competition? We’re about to find out.
Game Overview
- Matchup: Texas (9) vs. Florida
- October 4th, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Kickoff time: 3:30 p.m (EST)
- Texas favored by 6.5 points
- Texas plays it’s first SEC game of the year, putting Manning to his first test after failing against Ohio State in Week 1.
Player Watch
Texas:
Quintrevion Wisner, RB
Fresh off the bench after missing Weeks 2–4 with a leg injury, Wisner is trending to return this week. He’s a running back that’s got high agility that he uses to slip through creases with good balance and turn bounces to the outside into chuck plays. He stresses the edges and offers real third-down efficiency as a receiver, and if he stacks healthy weeks while sharpening blitz pickup, Texas can lean on him as a high-volume space back who punishes light boxes. The issues with Wisner is he’s more the scalpel than the sledgehammer, so short-yardage finishing can wobble when the pile needs pushing.
DJ Campbell, OG
DJ Campbell plays like a sports car’s with extra throttle. When he fires off, defenders slide back with no control. He’s a true power guard with bricklayer hands, fits gap power system to a tee, and climbs to linebackers without losing his balance. The issues are with rhythm. Pad level often creep up late, and if his first strike misses, long interior rushers can get into his chest before the counter arrives. Cleaning up the pass-pro and using independent hands will turn pauses into punches and take his game to the next level. Do that, and he’s a plug-and-play on Sundays in the NFL for any power scheme.
Florida:
J. Michael Sturdivant, WR
Florida’s transfer addition is easing in this year with eight catches for 76 yards and one touchdown this year. At 6’3”, 213 pounds, Sturdivant glides more than sprints with long strides, vice-grip hands, and a frame that shrugs off contact. The problems are obvious as lacks speed, he separates more with tempo, pacing, and leverage rather than burning defensive backs. Give him more layered intermediate routes and the occasional deep post, and his value should balloon in a hurry.
Dijon Johnson, CB
Johnson’s arrow was pointing north until a knee injury against Miami last week forced season-ending surgery, but the pre-injury tape looked good. He has the size at 6’1” and 204 pounds to be an NFL boundary corner and plays with smooth turn-and-run ability. He shows good burst and patience to press or play off while shrinking windows with his length. There’s plenty to polish in his game but it’s straightforward, add play strength and finish through the catch point so longer wideouts can’t body him. But most importantly for him, for now, is to recover from the knee injury and move forward to the next stage and prove post surgery he’s still that same player.
Vanderbilt (16) vs. Alabama (10)
Game Overview
- Matchup: Vanderbilt (4) vs. Alabama (10)
- October 4th, at Bryant-Denny Stadium
- Kickoff Time: 3:30 p.m. (EST)
- Alabama favored by 10 points
Player Watch
Alabama:
Deontae Lawson, LB
Lawson is Bama’s conductor in the middle of the defence. Excellent pre-snap eyes, loud hands on contact, and enough closing juice to finish what he diagnoses. He plays square, fits with leverage, and runs the traffic like a seasoned defender, which is why the front seven takes its cues from him. A closer look a the probelms reveal he’s more tidy than terrifying in coverage, sound in zones but not a true eraser on against tight end and backs. When his pads climb, long linemen can stick him in place and get to his chest easily. Keep the pads trimmed and stack a few more third-down wins in space, and he’s a high-floor, three-down pillar who speeds up everyone around him.
Germie Bernard, WR
A well-traveled vet playing at Michigan State, Washington, and now Alabama, Bernard has become the Tide’s reliable catalyst on offense. He’s a smooth, springy route tailor who wins with pacing, balance, and gluey hands. Bama moves him like a chess piece on offense with complex posts routes, deep crossers, RPO glances, and he answers with crisp tracking and body control. He’s not a drag racer running with below average speed, so the wins come from smarts more than raw speed. Long, physical corners can bother him early if his hands aren’t assertive, and he can get squeezed to the sideline on go balls. Sharpen the release and finish through contact, and you’ve got a third-down and red-zone problem who expands the play sheet without needing a sprinter’s gear.
Vanderbilt:
Eli Stowers, TE
Once a quarterback, now a matchup headache, Eli Stowers now plays ybr move-tight-end position for the Commodires. He plays with a smooth stride and acceleration, sticky hands, and cool-headed third-down instincts that helped earn him First-Team All-SEC last year. He’s the modern H-back prototype with a bag of savvy routes, YAC ability in space, and a coordinator’s best friend on seams and crossers. The problems? He’s more a space creator than trench bully and bigger edges can jolt him at the point of attack and walk him back whenever he’s in to block. Add a muscle in his lower half and cleaner blocking mechanics, and you’re looking at a high-usage, package-flex target in the NFL.
Notable Games
Air Force vs Navy
Virginia vs Louisville
Boise State vs Notre Dame
Mississippi State vs Texas A&M
Texas Tech vs Houston
Kansas vs UCF
