In devy leagues, we are all looking for not only the generational talents at the collegiate level that will be NFL stars when they go pro, but we are also looking for the hidden gems that go under the radar but will be league winners someday. While the generational talents like Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and Ja’Marr Chase are all well known in the fantasy community this article will try to determine breakout players who can be attained in future devy drafts based on their on-field play and analytical profiles.
This has been a vastly different type of season due to COVID-19 as it has forced most teams into conference-only scheduling and each conference starting at a different point. Some conferences decided to cancel their seasons, these conferences then scrambled back into Fall action after seeing the success of college football elsewhere. Each week we have highlighted a breakout player of the week, and we finally have a large enough sample size to track our previous breakout players’ success.
DEVY BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE WEEK HEAT CHECK
Week 0 – Grant Wells, QB, Marshall
Our hands were a bit tied this week, with only nine games on the slate. However, Wells played amazingly in his 2020 debut. Wells has since led the Marshall Thundering Herd to an undefeated 5-0 record. In some games they were able to overpower opponents in the rushing game, however, when called upon Wells has succeeded. Wells currently is passing accurately with a 64% completion rate for 1,110 yards and eight TDs. Wells has not been as much of a dual-threat despite his reported 4.51-second 40-yard dash time, accounting for only 87 yards rushing on 22 attempts. As a reminder for college football, sack yardage is included in total rushing yardage, and Wells has performed better on designed rushing plays that the 4-yard per attempt indicates.
Week 1 – Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma
After a blazing start to his career, Rattler’s inexperience has been a sticking point. After two losses that could be attributed to Rattler’s late-game decision making, the redshirt freshman turned it around and his play has gotten him back in the Heisman conversation. Through six games Rattler is passing at a surgical 69% completion rate, averaging 314 yards and almost 3 TDs per game. Rattler’s play has validated his potential to be the first quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, and watching him live his arm-talent is Mahomesian.
Week 2 – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Georgia Tech
Jahmyr Gibbs broke out in his first active game for Georgia Tech, after which I compared his skill set to Alvin Kamara. Since that he has looked just as good, if not better as a college prospect compared to Kamara. Gibbs is now coming off three very tough games against Clemson, BC, and Notre Dame, however, you wouldn’t be able to tell from his statistical resume. Gibbs is averaging 4.4 yards per carry and has shown that he is more than capable in the passing game at all levels in the defense. Gibbs has 624 yards from scrimmage and five TDs on the season.
Week 3 – I highlighted a number of mini breakouts
We will keep an eye out going forward. The most notable of which is Oklahoma’s receiver Marvin Mims who has continued to be counted on as one of Rattler’s main targets in clutch situations. Also, Kansas State’s true freshman running back Deuce Vaughn has been one of the best pass-catchers in college football this season.
Week 4 – John Metchie III, WR, Alabama
This week Metchie was held in check by the Mississippi State defense, but it was a product of Devonta Smith’s incredible 130-yard and two TD first quarter, after which the game was never in question. Metchie now has 24 catches for 517 yards and three TDs this season for Alabama. While Metchie has come back down to earth, he still has a dominator rating above 20% and 2.6 yards per team pass attempt, surpassing both analytical thresholds for significance. Metchie still is regarded as one of the top receiving options for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Week 5 – Cartavious “Tank” Bigsby, RB, Auburn
Auburn’s 18-year old true freshman running back had his ‘worst’ performance since gaining the starting duties against LSU. Bigsby ran for only 71 yards but punched in two TDs. In six games, Bigsby is averaging just shy of 100 yards from scrimmage and 0.83 TDs. Though he did not produce the expected yardage that we have become accustomed to there is no reason to worry about Bigsby and his very bright collegiate and NFL career to come.
Week 6 – Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
The 6’3” and 232 lbs. sophomore receiver followed his bye week with a very impressive performance in the Razorbacks loss to Texas A&M. Burks had his third game with over 100 yards receiving in just four total games as he hauled in seven passes for 117 yards and two TDs. On the season Burks now has 26 catches for 366 yards and four TDs. His performance is good for a 33% dominator rating and 2.25 yards per team pass attempt. Burks is using this season to push Georgia’s George Pickens and Purdue’s David Bell for the top receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft class.
Week 7 – Graham Mertz, QB, Wisconsin
After Mertz’s breakout performance throwing 21 times for 248 yards and 5 TDs, he had tested positive for COVID-19. The Wisconsin Badgers due to an outbreak had to cancel all football activities until the outbreak could be contained. We are hoping for the best health and safety for everyone involved and hope to see Mertz and his teammates with a clean bill of health and a smooth transition back to athletics.
THE BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE WEEK – DJ UIAGALELEI, QB, CLEMSON
THE PROSPECT
DJ Uiagalelei, which is pronounced “ooh-ee-AHN-guh-luh-lay”, is a 6’4” and 250 lbs. five-star true freshman quarterback for the Clemson Tigers. According to 247 Sports Uiagalelei was the tenth overall prospect in the class of 2020 and the second overall quarterback. His rating of 0.9949 grades him out as the 24th rated quarterback that 247 Sports has ever scouted. Uiagalelei played high school football for California powerhouse St. John Bosco where he was the starting quarterback for three years. In those three years, Uiagalelei portrayed a mastery of the quarterback position throwing for over 10,000 yards and 127 TDs versus only 11 interceptions. He also added another 1,100 yards and 18 TDs rushing. DJ Uiagalelei is the most prolific quarterback in Bosco’s history owning the record for career passing yards, passing touchdowns, overall yards, and completions; along with single-season records for passing yards (4,223) and passing touchdowns (48) among many other accolades.
THE ANALYSIS
DJ Uiagalelei came into the season with the understanding that he would be backing up and learning from the presumptive number one pick in the upcoming NFL Draft in Trevor Lawrence, however after a positive COVID-19 test Uiagalelei was called to start against Boston College. Uiagalelei did not get much help from the Clemson defense, who was got roasted by the intermediate and deep passing attack of Boston College in the first half, giving up seven catches of over 10 yards, which accounted for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
With some second-half defensive adjustments, Uiagalelei was able to lead Clemson back for the eventual 34-28 victory. Uiagalelei finished the game completing over 73% of his passes for 342 yards and three TDs while also churning out 25 yards and a game-changing TD on the ground. This was a very impressive debut for the true freshman quarterback, as it was the third-best passing performance among Clemson freshman quarterback starting debuts.
Despite how impressive the performance was he has a major obstacle to overcome yet again. Trevor Lawrence has been declared out of the upcoming game versus Notre Dame, in which the true freshman Uiagalelei will face one of, if not the best defense in college football. DJ Uiagalelei’s early performance has earned him the QB1 honors in the class of 2023 over Bryce Young, but with both of these freshman quarterback having two-and-a-half more seasons before becoming NFL eligible much of their NFL prospect story is still unwritten.
HONORABLE MENTION – RICKY WHITE, WR MICHIGAN STATE
Ricky White is a three-star true freshman wide receiver for the Michigan State Spartans. After a one-catch for a five-yard game in the Spartan’s opening game which included a drop, White exploded to lead Michigan State to victory against rival Michigan. White caught eight passes that went for 196 yards and one TD. White used a dynamic skillset to beat defenders on plays, whether it was the speed to get behind the defense or coming down with contested catches, White dominated in his second career collegiate performance. In this single game, White had a dominator rating of 47%, along with over 6 yards per team pass attempt and 7.5 yards per route run. The below highlights show off all the ways White was able to beat the Wolverine defense.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Next week we get the return of the PAC-12 which brings all the Power Five conferences back into play. We are excited to see the development of USC quarterback Kedon Slovis in his second season as the starter, as well as some young dynamic weapons on both sides of the ball for the Oregon Ducks. We will continue watching the young players in the SEC such as TCU’s running back Zachary Evans who flashed this week with 91 scrimmage yards and a score as he tried to win the featured back role. Texas freshman running back Bijan Robinson saw 15 offensive touches this week but was unable to make any splash plays with the usage. We will have our fingers on the pulse and provide you with the breakout performances on players who you should be considering in your devy leagues.
Thank you for reading my article! If you enjoyed it, keep an eye out for my future articles. You can also follow me on Twitter @DynastyDiagnos1 and reach out with any questions, comments, or ideas you’d like me to explore for a new article.
