No bigger statement was made in Week 6 of the college football season than Indiana going into Oregon and coming out with a win over the Ducks, handing them their first loss of the season. It’s possible that Indiana’s team this season is even better than the one that made the College Football Playoff last year. They could be on a collision course with Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game as the Buckeyes had no problem defeating Illinois. A few other teams are trying to rebound from rough starts
to the season. After losing to Florida last week, Texas bounced back by taking down the undefeated Sooners in the Red River Rivalry. Alabama has been playing well after its Week 1 loss to Florida State. The Crimson Tide knocked off an undefeated Missouri team.
Week 8 will feature a trio of ranked-on-ranked SEC matchups. LSU will take on Vanderbilt, Alabama will play Tennessee, and Georgia will take on unbeaten Ole Miss. A few other ranked-on-ranked on matchups this weekend include USC vs. Notre Dame and BYU vs. Utah. Two undefeated non-power conference teams with College Football Playoff aspirations will be in action this weekend. Memphis will go on the road to play UAB and UNLV will go to the blue turf of Boise State to face the Broncos.
Below 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.
Jake Retzlaff | QB | RS Senior| Tulane
After a standout season at BYU, Jake Retzlaff transferred to Tulane. Although his measurables are less than desired at 6’1”, 205 lbs, Retzlaff is a mobile quarterback as he already has seven rushing TDs and almost 400 yards on the ground. As a passer, he has enough arm to push the ball downfield with ease, but also puts touch on passes and layers throws over defenders. I’d like to see him put more pace on his passes as the windows in the NFL will close more quickly than in college. Retzlaff went 26 of 36 for 347 yards and two touchdowns in a win over East Carolina.
LJ Martin | RB | Junior | BYU
The thing that stands out to me the most about LJ Martin is his vision. He has a knack for finding cutback lanes quickly and exploiting them for as much yardage as possible. Bringing him down can be difficult given he’s a bigger back at 6’2”, 220 lbs. However, he has an upright running style and it can be difficult to drop his shoulders and run through defenders. His speed at his size is good, but he won’t breakaway from defenses once in the open field. To beat Arizona, Martin contributed 162 yards and a touchdown.
Eric McAlister | WR | Senior | TCU
When I talked about Josh Hoover earlier in this series, I briefly mentioned Eric McAlister. It’s time he got a little more attention. That’s because McAlister is a physical specimen at wide receiver: 6’3”, 205 lbs, and has great speed downfield. He does a lot of his work on slants, digs, and go routes, so I’d like to see him run more routes. His route running is good, but it is hard for him to be precise given his size. One issue to monitor with McAlister is he’s been fighting through injuries this season. Despite that, he made four catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Kansas State.
Dae’Quan Wright | TE | Senior | Ole Miss
The Rebels’ athletic tight end Dae’Quan Wright has been a key part of their success this season. He’s had over 50 yards receiving in all but one game this season. For his size, 6’4”, 255 lbs, Wright is a good athlete that has a little bit of elusiveness as a runner. He has very good hands and body control with the ability to adjust to the passes and make incredible catches. He’ll stick his nose in there as a blocker, but as a converted receiver, he’s still improving in this area (check out his effective lead block on the run below.) Wright had four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in a win over Washington State.
Beau Stephens | OG | Senior | Iowa
The Hawkeyes pitched a shutout against Wisconsin thanks in part to great play from their offensive line. Left guard Beau Stephens is one of the best players on that line. He’s been a starter since 2022, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a powerful human being who appears to relish moving defenders off the ball and driving them into the ground. His athleticism and ability to block in space makes him versatile enough for any run scheme. In pass protection, he has a strong anchor to deter inside rushers. Check out #70 in the clips below.
Nadame Tucker | DE | Senior | Western Michigan
Another team that pitched a shutout last week was Western Michigan. They put the clamps on Ball State’s offense thanks to the relentless pass rush of Nadame Tucker. He’s a long edge rusher at 6’3”, 250 lbs. He uses that length to keep blockers from getting their hands on him. There are enough pass rush tools in his arsenal to beat blockers when they are able to get to him. He’s not a twitchy athlete or the fastest off the line, but he has a high motor, continuing to work to get to the quarterback. His seven tackles, including 3.5 sacks, went a long way to ensuring the win.
Aiden Fisher | LB | Senior | Indiana
Indiana secured a historic victory against Oregon; it was the program’s first win over a top-5 ranked team. The defense was led by the play of Aiden Fisher. The 6’1”, 231 lb, transfer from James Madison made plays all over the field for the Hoosiers. His sure tackling limited ball carriers and his athleticism was put to use spying on Oregon QB Dante Moore. Unlike a lot of young linebackers, Fisher will take on offensive linemen and fight off blocks to make plays. He had a season-high 13 tackles along with 1.5 sacks in the Hoosiers’ big win.
Malik Muhammad | CB | Junior | Texas
Although they are not having the season many anticipated, Texas found a way to win the Red River Rivalry and knock Oklahoma from the ranks of the undefeated. Malik Muhammad has good size at 6’0”, 188, lbs, and is a fluid cornerback that easily stays with his assignment in coverage. He also has plus athleticism and speed in case he does find himself out of position. That may be the case from time to time because although he has played a significant amount, he can struggle with the technical aspects of the position. Against Oklahoma, Muhammad had two tackles, one for a loss, a pass breakup, and two interceptions.
Matthew Bailey | Safety | Junior | Illinois
The Illini came up short against Ohio State, but Matthew Bailey came to play. The 6’2”, 215 lb, safety really shined in run support and making stops in the open field. When he came to the line of scrimmage, he had very good stopping power. Bailey is more strong safety than free safety and there needs to be improvement in the angles he takes. He put up eight total tackles, one for a loss, and a PBU.
