We can all finally exhale as college football has returned. Week one of the CFB season is in the books, led by many top 2024 NFL Draft prospects. Each week of the season, we’ll be highlighting some of the best performances. As an Editor’s Note, you can also click on each player’s name to view their scouting report.
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Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
The North Carolina Tar Heels opened their season against South Carolina. Drake Maye led the Tar Heels to a 31-17 win over the Gamecocks. Maye finished 24-32 in passing, along with 269 passing yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he finished with a 153.7 QB rating. The Tar Heels host the Appalachian State Mountaineers next week, followed by Minnesota before they open up conference play. Drake Maye wasn’t one of the top NFL Draft performers in week one of the CFB season, but he didn’t have to be.
However, the most impressive aspect of Maye’s performance might be that he did this without his best wide receiver. Tez Walker. A two-time transfer, Walker needed a waiver to play immediately at North Carolina. The waiver was denied, as was his appeal.
JT Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State
The Ohio State Buckeyes opened up the season in a conference game at Indiana. The Buckeyes won the matchup 23-3, despite a lack of production from their stumbling offense. Tuimoloau, a top recruiting prospect in the 2021 class, finished with four total tackles, as well as an assist on a tackle for loss. Ohio State is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. JT Tuimoloau’s ability to set himself apart from other NFL Draft prospects was enough for us to recognize him in week one of the CFB season.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The headlines all offseason at Colorado have involved head coach Deion Sanders and his rebuilding of the roster. While many predicted that it might be a bit of a long road ahead for Coach Prime, very few thought that Colorado would have a shot against TCU.
On Saturday, it was Deion’s son Shedeur that captivated the spotlight. He finished the game going 38-47 and 510 passing yards, as well as four touchdowns. Furthermore, Shedeur impressed NFL scouts with a 200.1 QB rating for the game.
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
The defending National Champions got off on the right foot Saturday in a convincing 48-7 home win over UT Martin. Leading the way in receiving was tight end Brock Bowers. Last year, Bowers split time at tight end with Darnell Washington, who is now in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We currently have a first round prediction for Bowers, as evidenced by his play in the season opener.
Bowers finished the day with 5 receptions for 77 yards, along with a rushing touchdown at the goal line. QB Carson Beck, who will be replacing Stetson Bennett, had a decent day, going 21 for 31 and 294 yards passing. Brock Bowers is the top tight end on our 2024 NFL Draft board, and with his performance in week one of the CFB season, he looks to be well ahead of others at the position.
Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State
The Florida State Seminoles opened up the season in the Camping World Kickoff with a matchup against LSU. It was competitive for most of the game, but the Seminoles pulled away late, led by QB Jordan Travis. He finished the game with an impressive stat line, completing 23 of his 31 attempts. Further, he finished with 342 passing yards and four touchdowns. Additionally, he found WR Keon Coleman for three touchdowns. Coleman found his way to Floridas State in the offseason, having entered the transfer portal following two seasons at Michigan State.
