There were a few matchups I had my eye for potential upsets in Week 5, but I was completely blindsided by some results. Penn State, fresh off of an overtime loss to Oregon, went to UCLA and suffered a second
loss in a row. The Bruins had not even won a game this season, but found a way to take down the Nittany Lions, a team ranked #2 less than a month ago. Where will Penn State go from here? Texas went up against a Florida team that had struggled against ranked teams. The Gators were able pull out the win against the Longhorns and send them falling further down the rankings. The Alabama vs. Vanderbilt game that I thought might go Vandy’s way was close early, but Alabama executed well in the second half and came out on top.
Alabama will have another test on its hands as it takes on unbeaten Missouri. Ohio State will look to remain #1 by beating #17 Illinois. Years ago, a matchup between Oregon and Indiana might not have garnered much interest, but with both teams ranked in the top 10, it should be a competitive game. Last but not least, a Red River Rivalry game between Texas and Oklahoma would have been more interesting if Texas was still ranked, but nonetheless, it is always worth a watch.
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.
Avery Johnson | QB | Junior | Kansas State
Let’s get the bad out of the way: Avery Johnson has to improve his decision making. Late in the game, he threw an interception that allowed Baylor to get back into the game and ultimately beat Kansas State. If that can be improved, his skillset makes him a candidate to play in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. The dual-threat QB is 6’3”, but only 193 lbs. As a runner, he accelerates quickly and has good speed in the open field. He has a quick release as a passer, and is fairly accurate with a repeatable throwing motion. Johnson went 29 of 45 for 344 yards, two TDs, and the aforementioned pick. He also added 72 yards and a TD on the ground on 10 rush attempts.
Jam Miller | RB | Senior | Alabama
Jam Miller missed the beginning of the season as he recovered from surgery for a dislocated collarbone. The Crimson Tide took down Vanderbilt because he was a difference maker for the team At 5’10’, 211 lbs, Miller is a compact runner that displays good vision and burst through the hole. While I wouldn’t say he is elusive, he can make defenders miss with subtle fakes once he gets in space. His speed at his size is impressive, but I would like to see him run with more power given his size. To beat the Commodores, Miller zoomed for 136 yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts.
Carnell Tate | WR | Junior | Ohio State
With so many talented wide receivers at Ohio State recently, it’s easy to overlook Carnell Tate. That would be a mistake as Tate is a productive wide out that could be a very good possession receiver in the NFL. His 6’3”, 195 lb frame makes him a big target, and his strong hands give him a large catch radius. His concentration to make catches in traffic or downfield stands out. He doesn’t have elite speed, but he can stack corners and beat them deep. He also runs a diverse number of routes for a young receiver. Tate had nine catches for 183 yards and a TD against the Golden Gophers.
Peter Clarke | TE | Junior | Temple
At 6’6”, 265 lbs, Peter Clarke is huge. Most defenders are just too small to defend him running down the seam. He plucks the ball out of the air in contested catch situations. After the catch, Clarke will drag defenders like he was Logan Paulsen in his heyday. What Clarke needs to do is add more routes to his repertoire as almost everything is straight down the seam. He is a willing blocker, but needs to improve his technique to make the most of his size. To help defeat UTSA, Clarke caught four passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Jake Slaughter | C | RS Senior | Florida
One of the big reasons why Florida was able to pull off an upset of Texas was the play of its offensive line. The group that allowed no sacks against the Longhorns is led by two promising draft prospects: left tackle Austin Barber and center Jake Slaughter. Slaughter has tons of experience, holding the starting job since 2023. Slaughter has a good amount of strength in his game, stonewalling rushers. That strength is paired with very good mobility as he can easily pull and work to the second-level to block linebackers. He wants so badly to dump his assignment that he can occasionally lose balance and end up on the ground. Check out #66 below, and if you are interested, take a look at #58 Barber.
David Bailey | DE | Senior | Texas Tech
David Bailey has the looks of a first-round edge rusher. He is 6’3”, 250 lbs, which might be small for the Commanders. Then again, Dorance Armstrong is listed at 255 lbs. Bailey is not only twitchy with burst to beat tackles around the edge, he’ll convert that speed to power and walk a lineman into his quarterback’s lap. He’s relentless fighting to get off blocks and has a few tools for rushing the passer, but could refine those moves to be even more effective. His stat line in the win over Houston: three tackles, all for a loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a QB hit.
Daymion Sanford | LB | Junior | Texas A&M
Texas A&M has one of the best defenses and maybe the best linebacker tandem in Taurean York and Daymion Sanford. Both had excellent games in the Aggies win over Mississippi State, but I’ll focus on Sanford here. At 6’2”, 222 lbs, Sanford may be smaller than some NFL linebackers, but he flies around the field. When Sanford sees the play, he gets to the ball quickly using his speed to evade blockers. He is a fluid mover which allows him to be effective in coverage. Like many younger linebackers at his size, you want to see him take on blockers and shed them to make plays more often. Sanford had nine tackles – two for a loss – a sack, and an interception in the win over the bulldogs.
Jalen Bainer | CB | RS Senior | San Jose State
The Commanders need to produce more turnovers. Mike Sainristil can’t be the only defensive back taking the ball away from offenses. San Jose State’s Jalen Bainer could help in this area. Like Sainristil, Bainer is undersized at only 5’10”, 186 lbs. That doesn’t stop him from being an impactful player for the Spartans. He is a good outside corner who can transition with receivers easily. He also reads the receiver to figure out when to find the ball and make a play on it. Playing in the Mountain West, I’d like to see how he does against better competition, but I like him as a player to provide depth in the secondary and play on special teams. Bainer had nine tackles, a sack, and two interceptions in a win over New Mexico.
Jakobe Thomas | Safety | Senior | Miami
Miami continued its red hot start to the season by beating in-state rival Florida State. Jakobe Thomas was all over the field for the Hurricanes. The 6’2”, 200 lb defensive back made plays in the backfield and dropping deep into coverage. My favorite thing about him is you won’t see him take a play off, and he plays until he end of the whistle. While he covers a lot of ground, he looks a little stiff when he changes direction. He can also settle for diving at the feet of opponents, leading to a missed tackle once in a while. He filled the stat sheet with five tackles, a sack, an interception, two PBUs, and a forced fumble.
