College Football Weekly Risers 2021: Week One
College football is back, and that means the return of weekly risers! There were a lot of great performances to start the year, a lot of names made early on in the season. Here are five players whose stock rose in week one.
Zach Charbonnet, Running back UCLA
Michigan fans look away. Wolverines transfer Zach Charbonnet has made himself right at home in the Golden State, leading the Bruins to a 2-0 record. Through two games the junior is averaging 13.1 yards a carry on 223 total yards.
This week against LSU rushed for 117 yards and reached the end zone in the Bruins upset over the Tigers. Putting together all of the flashes we saw at Michigan, Charbonnet is quickly becoming one of the hardest backs in the nation to take down. With size and unwillingness to be taken down, could Charbonnet be one of the fastest-rising running backs in the 2022 NFL Draft?
Mataeo Durant, Running Back Duke
If you don’t know who Durant is yet, you soon will. In a Duke offense that struggled to move the ball, backup Durant was an injection of life whenever his number was called, averaging nearly 7 yards a carry. The hope going into 2021 was that Durant would be given the full set of keys to the offense.
Despite the loss to Charlotte Mataeo Durant had his best game yet, and it’s all because he was given the opportunity. With a full workload, the senior back scored three times and racked up 255 yards. It seemed every time Durant got the ball he was going to take it to the house. Look for Durant to be a breakout player in the ACC in 2021.
Taulia Tagovailoa, Quarterback Maryland
If this version of Taulia Tagovailoa shows up every week, Maryland can give teams fits this year. The brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has evident talent. We saw flashes of it last year, Tagovailoa was able to put up big numbers and keep his team in games. There also was a lot of rawness from him, and more turnovers than you’d like. The big hope was that he could refine his game more in 2021 and become a premier quarterback in the Big Ten.
Tagovailoa did everything the Terrapins could’ve hoped for in their win over West Virginia. He was the same big play quarterback we came to know from last year, but he was a lot more efficient. He finished with 332 yards and three touchdowns. Most importantly he was accurate and didn’t throw a pick. More of this from Tagovailoa moving forward, please.
Carson Strong, Quarterback Nevada
Let’s get this straight. Carson Strong is no longer a sleeper. He isn’t some small school quarterback coming out of nowhere to be a legitimate NFL prospect. If you watched Strong last year, the makings of a top prospect were all there. This is a guy who threw for 27 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He’s legit and he proved it once again on Saturday night.
While most of the top quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft struggled mightily in their first week matchups, Carson Strong was… well Carson Strong. While he did throw a bad interception Strong still threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He has a big arm and can make any throw on the field. Get familiar with Strong before it’s too late.
Kenneth Walker, Running Back Michigan State
Michigan State was counted out by virtually everyone against Northwestern, and it seems junior back Kenneth Walker took it to heart. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better week one performance than Walker’s, the former Wake Forest back rushing for 264 yards and four touchdowns against a very good Wildcats defense. Walker might be one to keep an eye out for this year.
Writer
-By: Jacob Keppen