Today felt like Christmas morning, knowing the long wait for the 2024 college football season had finally come to an end. Florida State and Georgia Tech opened the season in Dublin, Ireland, in a back-and-forth game that came down to the wire. The Yellowjackets pulled off the upset on a last-second field goal, taking down the #10 ranked Seminoles in a thriller. HC Brent Key still has his work cut out for him, as Georgia Tech is dealing with the fourth toughest schedule in the country this season, but he has to be ecstatic about the result today. In this article, I want to give you my biggest takeaways from this game from a Devy perspective, covering the top-valued players on both teams. Devy ranks can change like the wind, so it’s important to monitor player production weekly and adjust accordingly. Let’s look at how some notable Devy talent performed in this game.
Eric Singleton Jr. (WR – Ga Tech)
Eric Singleton had a quiet first game, finishing with just two receptions for 19 yards and one rush attempt for 10 yards. While this is disappointing from a box score perspective, I’m not worried. Singleton looked like the best receiver on both sides of the football. He’s lightning-quick and can create separation from his defenders without issue. In the first half, Singleton ran a deep route, leaving two Seminole defenders in the dust, but QB Haynes King overthrew him by a good amount. Had King thrown an accurate ball, Singleton would have hauled in a 40+ yard TD reception, and the discourse would be entirely different. Unfortunately, Haynes isn’t a great passer of the football, so I’m not sure how great Singleton’s numbers will be this year. But he’s an NFL talent, without a doubt, so I wouldn’t let this deter you.
D.J. Uiagalelei (QB – Fla St)
DJU was very underwhelming statistically and on film today, posting 19/27 passing for 193 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. He missed a couple of open receivers on what I felt weren’t overly difficult passes, and his lack of mobility was apparent. Uiagalelei looked especially slow today, but he has posted some decent production on the ground in his past, compiling 1,132 rush yards and 21 rushing touchdowns through his first four seasons. I’ll give him some credit – he completed a couple of clutch passes late in the fourth quarter, leading FSU to the game-tying touchdown. I just don’t see him ever becoming an NFL starter. I’d sell DJU for basically whatever you can get in Devy.
Jamal Haynes (RB – Ga Tech)
Jamal Haynes isn’t talked about enough in Devy and C2C, and I think he can turn some heads this season. Haynes had one hell of a start to his redshirt junior season, collecting 75 rush yards and two touchdowns on the ground for an average of 6.8 YPA. He also tacked on two receptions for 16 yards. Haynes looked strong and explosive, breaking several tackles and boasting impressive cutback moves. I think Haynes will be an elite asset in C2C these next two seasons and has a real chance to be a top 5 RB in the 2026 draft class, assuming he waits until then to declare. I don’t think many realize this kid surpassed 1,200 scrimmage yards for the Yellowjackets last year. He’s a former wide receiver, so we know he has the pass-catching ability. With continued experience in the backfield, I think he’s going to be special.
Malik Benson (WR – Fla St)
With Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson taking their talents to the NFL, this Seminole WR depth chart is a bit of a mystery heading into 2024. The WR1 role is wide open, and Malik Benson made a good first impression. Benson finished his Florida State debut with four receptions on six targets for 39 yards. Benson’s college football story is certainly unique. He began his career at Hutchinson Community College, breaking all kinds of school records and entering the 2023 recruiting class as the top-ranked junior college prospect. He transferred to Alabama, where he didn’t see much work, hauling just 13 receptions for 162 yards and one score. Luckily for Benson, he’s walking into a situation where he could demand a massive target share and put his name on the map for the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s a deep flyer in Devy but a player we’ll want to keep tabs on moving forward.
Kam Davis (RB – Fla St)
Seminole fans have some high hopes for Kam Davis, a four-star recruit and the fifth-ranked RB in the 2024 class, according to ESPN. Kam is listed at 5’10 and a whopping 224 lbs, and he looks every bit of 224 on TV. Unfortunately, Davis didn’t get much of an opportunity today, recording just one rush attempt for zero yards. He had a missed opportunity early in the game, dropping a wide-open dump-off pass that looked like it could lead to a first down, and he didn’t get many looks after that blunder. I think we can chalk it up to first-game jitters. HC Mike Norvell clearly felt more comfortable keeping the ball in the hands of his seniors, Roydell Williams and Lawrance Toafili. With these two and IU transfer Jaylin Lucas, I doubt Davis will see a large workload this season, barring any injuries. But make no mistakes, this kid is their RB of the future, and he’ll be suiting up on Sundays in a few years. Davis should still be valued as a top Devy RB in the 2027 draft class.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
