Campus2Canton Analysis
Week 4 gave us a little bit of everything. We had a former five-star quarterback come off the bench and remind everybody why he was such a big recruiting name. We had a young SEC quarterback continue to force his way onto the radar. We had running backs handle massive workloads, veteran transfers make explosive plays and a pair of highly valued quarterbacks survive games where their offensive lines did them very few favors.
But this article is not about chasing box scores. Every week I want to figure out what actually matters for C2C. Did a player’s value change? Did his role change? Was the production sustainable, or did one huge play make the final stat line look better than the performance really was? Then, as always, we will finish with the injuries we need to monitor going into next week.
Oregon vs. USC
Dylan Raiola, QB, Oregon
Dylan Raiola came off the bench after Dante Moore left the game and completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards, 11.6 yards per attempt, two passing touchdowns and no interceptions. He was not sacked, did not record a rushing attempt or fumble, and led Oregon to a 41 to 27 win after Moore left the game.
Raiola’s 62-yard completion to Dierre Hill Jr. came early in the third quarter with Oregon leading 13 to 10. His 34-yard completion to Jamari Johnson came later with Oregon ahead 20 to 17. Those two plays supplied 96 yards, or 33.2 percent of Raiola’s production. Remove them, and he was still 17 of 23 for 193 yards, 8.4 yards per attempt, with both touchdowns.
That was legit. The former five-star recruit entered with 4,819 career passing yards and 31 touchdowns from his two seasons at Nebraska, so we are not pretending this came from nowhere. What changed is the landing spot and the possibility that Oregon can keep its offense alive without Moore. I’m moving Raiola back onto the active C2C board, but the immediate value depends heavily on Moore’s health and Oregon’s quarterback decision.
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Moore completed 8 of 10 passes for 77 yards, 7.7 yards per attempt, with no touchdowns or interceptions before leaving. He was not sacked, added one carry for 10 yards, and did not fumble. His 37-yard completion supplied 48.1 percent of his passing yards. Without it, he was 7 of 9 for 40 yards and 4.4 yards per attempt.
The injury is the story here, not the box score, and this is a hold until we know more. There is no reason to make a C2C valuation move based on an incomplete game and an unresolved injury, especially when we still do not know how long Moore could be out or what Oregon plans to do at quarterback.
C2C takeaway: Raiola is back on the active board. Moore is a hold until we have more information.
Mississippi State vs. Missouri
Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State
Kamario Taylor completed 27 of 38 passes for 360 yards, 9.5 yards per attempt, three passing touchdowns and one interception in Mississippi State’s 31 to 24 win. He took four sacks and added 10 carries for 7 yards with no rushing touchdowns or fumbles.
His 43-yard touchdown to Sanfrisco Magee came in a scoreless first quarter. The 48-yard completion to Anthony Evans III came with 4:54 remaining and the game tied at 24, setting up the winning touchdown. Those plays supplied 91 yards. Without them, Taylor was still 25 of 36 for 269 yards, 7.5 yards per attempt, and two touchdowns.
This kid is forcing us to pay attention. Taylor is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound sophomore who threw only 77 passes last season. Now he has delivered a 360-yard performance and a fourth-quarter answer against an SEC defense. That combination of youth, frame, and production was enough for me to move Taylor all the way to QB1 in my C2C rankings this week.
The failure condition is still pressure. Four sacks and the interception remind us that he is developing, but this was more than empty production. At this point, I’m not just watching Kamario Taylor anymore. I’m treating him like one of the most valuable quarterbacks on the campus side.
Fluff Bothwell, RB, Mississippi State
Fluff Bothwell carried 25 times for 122 yards, 4.9 yards per carry, with a long of 18 and one rushing touchdown. He caught 6 of 7 targets for 55 yards and another touchdown. That gave him 31 touches, 177 scrimmage yards, two total touchdowns, and no fumbles.
There was no 50-yard run inflating this line. Bothwell earned everything across a massive workload. He already had consecutive productive seasons entering this year, but seven targets are the important development. If that receiving work sticks, he becomes more than a campus hammer and his C2C profile becomes more interesting because that gives us another avenue for production. I’m moving him up modestly and buying before everybody decides one Saturday made him a guaranteed NFL feature back.
C2C takeaway: Taylor made the biggest move of the week for me and is now my QB1 in C2C. Bothwell gets a bump, especially if the receiving work continues.
Week 4 is where I really want to start separating the player from the weekly situation. We have enough games now to know who is earning touches, who is losing them, and which early-season breakouts might actually be real. That does not mean we blindly follow the box score.
A player can still be someone I like long term and belong on the bench this week. On the other side, an emerging player does not need to be a household name yet if the role tells us it is time to trust him. That is what we are looking for this week.
As always, every C2C league is different. Your scoring, lineup requirements, and roster can change a close decision.
Let’s get into it.
Quarterbacks
Starts
Ryan Browne, Purdue at Notre Dame
This is exactly the type of Start I want for this article. Browne has thrown for at least 300 yards in each of Purdue’s first 3 games and enters Week 4 with 1,024 passing yards, 7 touchdowns and only 1 interception. Now we get the real test.
Notre Dame has been legitimately good defensively, so I am not calling this an easy matchup. What I am betting on is Purdue’s passing game. They are averaging 366.7 passing yards per game, and Browne has completed 73.3 percent of his passes through 3 weeks.
Purdue’s defense has also helped create game scripts where Browne has to keep throwing. So I am not sitting him just because Notre Dame is on the other side. Purdue has shown me enough through 3 games to trust the volume until somebody proves we should not.
Ethan Grunkemeyer, Virginia Tech at Boston College
Grunkemeyer is starting to become one of those players where the role is getting more interesting before everybody completely catches up. Virginia Tech has put a lot on his plate in James Franklin’s offense, and I like that for C2C.
Boston College gives us enough resistance that this is not some automatic matchup call, but I am not running away from the volume either. This is where I want to get ahead of the point where Grunkemeyer becomes an obvious weekly option.
Sits
Hauss Hejny, Colorado State at UTSA
The production says Start. The hamstring says Sit. Hejny has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 619 yards, 10 touchdowns and only 1 interception while adding 128 rushing yards and another touchdown.
That is exactly the type of production we want from our campus quarterback. The problem is that he is now a game time decision with a hamstring injury.
His mobility is part of what makes him valuable, so even if he is active, I do not want to find out after kickoff that Colorado State is protecting him or limiting what he can do with his legs. This one hurts because I like the player and the production. I just do not like the risk this week.
Tait Reynolds, Clemson at California
Tait Reynolds is still Clemson’s starting quarterback. Christopher Vizzina being probable does not change that.
What it does change is how comfortable I am with the weekly floor. Clemson’s offense has not been consistent enough for me to completely ignore the possibility that Vizzina gets involved if things are not going well Friday night.
Reynolds still has the long-term talent I like, but this is a weekly campus decision. I need more stability before I trust him in the lineup.
Week 3 gave us something I really like when I am working the C2C waiver wire: roles starting to change.
At this point, I am not just looking for somebody who had one big Saturday. I want to know why it happened. Did the workload change? Are the targets becoming consistent? Is a young player starting to take over a bigger role?
That is where we can get ahead of the rest of our league. The approach stays the same. Win the campus side first. Then I am looking at C2C appreciation, youth, and ceiling.
Every recommendation assumes a $100 C2C FAAB budget.
Overall Waiver Order
Nolan James Jr., RB, Notre Dame: Add at 18 to 25 percent
Keyjuan Brown, RB, Louisville: Add at 15 to 22 percent
Chris Durr Jr., WR, Maryland: Add at 12 to 18 percent
Aiden Flora, RB, Iowa State: Add at 10 to 16 percent
Kari Ashley, TE, TCU: Add at 8 to 13 percent
Junior Sherrill, WR, Vanderbilt: Add at 8 to 12 percent
Justin Bowick, WR, Oklahoma State: Add at 6 to 10 percent
CJ Baxter Jr., RB, Kentucky: Add at 5 to 9 percent
Micah Gilbert, WR, Notre Dame: Add at 4 to 8 percent
Kenny Johnson, WR, Texas Tech: Add at 3 to 6 percent
Elija Lofton, TE, Miami: Stash at 2 to 5 percent
Quarterbacks
No quarterback makes my waiver list this week. There are quarterbacks worth talking about, but we have already covered the ones who fit what we are trying to do here. I am not going to recycle a name just because he had another good week.
That is part of Always Be Scouting too. We want to find these players before everyone else catches up.
Running Backs
Nolan James Jr., Notre Dame
James is my Final Lock this week. He carried the ball 26 times for 121 yards and 1 touchdown against Michigan State. The 121 yards are nice. The 26 carries are what really got my attention.
That is not a player getting a few touches and breaking one long run. Notre Dame gave James a legitimate workload, and the latest reporting has him moving ahead of Aneyas Williams in the backfield. Now we have something I want to attack.
James can help us win the campus side right now, and if this workload sticks, his C2C value should have room to grow with it. I am not dropping Williams because of one week. That would be an overreaction. But I am absolutely adding James because 26 carries and an expanding role are exactly what we are looking for.
My call: Spend 18 to 25 percent. James is my No. 1 waiver claim this week.
I’ve been working through this 2027 class for a while now, and the more I dig into it, the more I like what we have. I’ve already talked about a lot of these names with Luigi and Papi on Devy Degens, including several players we grabbed during our 2027 prospect draft. Now that I’ve had more time to work through the class, I wanted to put my own top 15 together and show where I’m at today. I’ll also be getting into this class again soon on Always Be Scouting with Griddy and Cuse.
If you’ve followed my scouting work before, you already know how I approach this. I’m not taking somebody else’s rankings, moving a few names around, and calling it scouting. I want to know what a player actually does well, whether those traits are going to translate when everybody on the field gets bigger and faster, and what still needs to develop before I’m comfortable projecting him forward.
For me, it always comes back to traits over hype, translation over production, and tape first. Production matters, size matters, and testing matters, but those things are there to support what I’m seeing on the field, not tell me what I’m supposed to think.
One thing to understand with the grades is that they are not always going to match the exact order of the board. The grade is my evaluation of the overall prospect today. The ranking is where I personally want that player on my board. Sometimes preference, fantasy translation, or what I think the player can become is going to move somebody ahead of a player with a slightly higher grade.
My S tier is my own five-star grading tier, and that starts at 9.0. I’m not handing that out just because somebody is a great high school player. If I’m putting five stars next to a prospect, I want to feel like there are very few major translation questions left. Nobody is there yet, but two players are getting pretty damn close.
1. Kemon Spell (RB – Georgia)
Grade: 8.9/9
Spell is still my No. 1 player in this class, and the more I watch him, the easier it is for me to keep him there. At 5’10” and around 205 pounds, he already has almost exactly the kind of build I want at running back. He’s compact, thick, and low to the ground, but what really separates him for me is that he actually knows how to play the position.
He sees the hole, stays square, lets blocks develop, and gets north without wasting movement. He isn’t bouncing everything outside looking for a highlight because he knows he can outrun most of the defense. He rushed for 1,755 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2025 despite missing five games, but the numbers just confirm what I already see.
The vision is high-level, the feet are really good, and he has the burst and contact balance to create more than what is blocked for him. I also think he has enough natural receiving ability to eventually get a real three-down role. I still want to see more route development and better pass protection, but those are developmental questions, not reasons for me to move him down.
Spell is the closest player on this board to my five-star tier. If the rest of the game develops the way I think it can, I’m looking at a three-down NFL starter with early-round upside.
2. Trae Taylor (QB – Nebraska)
Grade: 8.9//9
Taylor is still my QB1 because he already does the quarterback things I care about most. Accuracy comes first for me, then ball placement, processing, pocket awareness, and the ability to deliver the football on time. He checks those boxes better than anybody else in this quarterback group right now.
He threw for 3,571 yards, 38 touchdowns, and only three interceptions in 2025 while adding 633 rushing yards and another 12 touchdowns. The production is impressive, but I’m more interested in how he gets there. He anticipates throws, understands where the window is going to be, and doesn’t need every receiver to be completely uncovered before letting the football go.
Taylor also moves well enough inside the pocket without immediately turning every broken play into backyard football. At around 6’3” and 200 pounds, I still want another 15 to 20 pounds on him, and his reported 9.25-inch hands come in a little below the 9.5-inch mark I prefer.
Those are things I’m tracking, but they aren’t enough to move him off QB1. Taylor already plays quarterback instead of just showing quarterback tools, and there is a big difference between the two.
Every college football season, an unexpected quarterback prospect seems to emerge from the shadows, step into the national spotlight, and enter the conversation as a potential first-round pick.
In 2019, it was former Ohio State backup, Joe Burrow. In 2025, it was former Cal starter and Indiana Hoosier transfer, Fernando Mendoza.
2026? Early returns suggest the University of Missouri southpaw gunslinger, Austin Simmons.
The 247 four-star transfer portal signee arrives at Columbia by way of the Ole Miss Rebels and has the Tigers off and running with a 2-0 record.
So who is Austin Simmons, and why does there seem to be a groundswell of hype building behind him?
Let’s begin with what makes him truly one-of-a-kind. Simmons is currently in his fourth year of college, 20 years old, and working on his master’s. A true academic prodigy, he graduated high school in two years and skipped his junior and senior years to jump into the SEC and play at Ole Miss. Originally a class of 2025 quarterback, he reclassified to 2023 to get an early start on his tutelage from Lane Kiffin.
Drawn to Ole Miss specifically because of Kiffin’s offensive prowess and ability to develop elite quarterbacks, the high school two-sport phenom was also swayed by the promise of being able to play football and baseball in Oxford.
In the summer of 2023, Simmons flipped his commitment from the Florida Gators to Ole Miss and spent the fall 2023 season taking a redshirt year to adapt to the speed of college athletics. Simmons joined the Mississippi baseball team as a left-handed relief pitcher. He made 13 bullpen appearances, putting up a stellar 3.21 ERA and a 2-0 record before a minor elbow sprain ended his baseball season. After the injury, Simmons stepped away from baseball to focus on football, his first love.
In the fall of 2024, Simmons was back on the gridiron as the primary backup to future first-round pick Jaxson Dart. He appeared in nine games, flashing high-end upside.
After Dart’s departure, Simmons beat out the competition in fall camp and was named the undisputed starter for the 2025 season. In week 1, he exploded for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns against Georgia State. However, in week 2 against Kentucky, he suffered a pivotal left ankle injury. While Simmons healed, little-known backup, former Division II star and potential 2026 first-round pick, Trinidad Chambliss took over, and the offense caught fire, leading the Rebels to a College Football Playoff berth and leaving Simmons relegated to the bench.
Recognizing the writing was on the wall, Simmons entered the transfer portal on January 2, 2026. Four days later, he joined the Tigers of Missouri.
Week 3 is where we need to start trusting what we are actually seeing on the field. We have 2 games of touches, targets, and roles to work with now. Some players are confirming what we thought all offseason, while others are already forcing us to adjust.
The goal is still the same. I am not here to tell you to start the obvious stars. We are looking for the players whose current role, matchup, or availability can make a difference in your campus lineup this week. As always, every C2C league is different. Your scoring, lineup requirements, and roster can change a close decision.
All kickoff times are Eastern.
Quarterbacks
Starts
Austin Simmons, Missouri
vs. Troy
Saturday at 7 p.m.
Simmons has been one of the best early surprises of the season. Through 2 games, he has completed 36 of 48 passes for 544 yards, 7 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
What I like most is how comfortable he already looks running this Missouri offense. This is not a quarterback surviving on 1 or 2 big plays. He has been accurate, efficient, and has consistently moved the offense. Now he gets Troy at home. I am riding this start until somebody gives me a reason not to.
Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
@ South Carolina
Saturday at 4:15 p.m.
Taylor has been exactly what we want from a C2C quarterback through 2 games. He has thrown for 581 yards and 7 touchdowns without an interception, but the rushing production is what really gets my attention.
Against Minnesota, Taylor carried the ball 13 times for 86 yards. That gives him another path to fantasy points if the passing touchdowns come back down. This will be his first SEC start, but the dual-threat role gives me enough confidence to keep him in the lineup.
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
vs. Murray State
Saturday at 7 p.m.
I am staying with Mestemaker. After a rough opener, he responded against Oregon with 317 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 109 rushing yards, and another touchdown on the ground.
That rushing involvement changes everything. When a quarterback can give us that type of production with his legs, he does not need the passing game to be perfect every week. Now Murray State comes to Stillwater.
We are getting to the point in the season where roles start to matter more than preseason expectations. That does not mean we chase every big box score. One long run can make an average day look great. Three touchdowns can hide a small role. What I want is opportunity we can actually use on the campus side; then I am looking at whether that player can gain value as a C2C asset.
This week’s board gives us a little bit of everything. We have a running back getting real SEC volume, a receiver who just commanded a massive part of his passing game, and a young quarterback with the type of rushing ability that can change a campus lineup quickly.
Every recommendation assumes a $100 C2C FAAB budget.
Overall Waiver Order
Daniel Hill, RB, Alabama: Add at 15 to 22 percent
Collin Dixon, WR, Illinois: Add at 12 to 18 percent
Michael Hawkins Jr., QB, West Virginia: Add at 12 to 18 percent
Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, WR, Maryland: Add at 8 to 13 percent
Jaden Craig, QB, TCU: Add at 7 to 12 percent
Matt Fuller, RB, South Carolina: Add at 6 to 10 percent
Rodney Fields Jr., RB, Kansas State: Add at 5 to 9 percent
Gio Lopez, QB, Wake Forest: Add at 4 to 8 percent
Joseph Williams, WR, Colorado: Add at 4 to 7 percent
JV Gibson, WR, Cincinnati: Add at 3 to 6 percent
Jaleel Skinner, TE, Louisville: Stash at 1 to 3 percent
Quarterbacks
Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia
Hawkins is the quarterback I want most from this group. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns against UT Martin. He also ran 6 times for 96 yards and another 2 touchdowns. Obviously, we are not projecting 4 touchdowns every week. We also have to acknowledge that 71 of those 96 rushing yards came on one play. That does not change what interests me.
Hawkins is a redshirt sophomore starting at quarterback and giving us production with his legs. That creates another path to campus points when the passing volume is not there. Seven pass attempts are nowhere near enough for me to make a big statement about where his passing game is headed. I want to see him against better competition. For C2C, though, the age, starting opportunity, and rushing ability give Hawkins the best combination of campus runway and appreciation potential among these quarterbacks.
Next two games: Virginia on September 19 and Oklahoma State on September 26
My call: Spend 12 to 18 percent. If I am choosing between Hawkins and Craig for more than just the next matchup, I want Hawkins.
However you feel about LSU head football coach and controversial enigma Lane Kiffin, one thing remains: the man can put points on the scoreboard. Across his 15-year career as a head coach, Kiffin’s teams have averaged 35.4 points per game, ranking in the top five among active FBS college football head coaches [minimum five seasons coached]. Exclude the numbers from Tennessee and USC; when he ran a slow, methodical, pro-style system, the average jumps to 37.1 PPG. At Florida Atlantic University [FAU], Kiffin began shifting to his version of the veer-and-shoot. Kiffin marries pro-style passing progression, pass protection rules, and tight-end-heavy packages with the up-tempo, spread-the-field, RPO-heavy scheme. Call it a pro-Spread hybrid built on the Veer-and-Shoot architecture. This offense creates space by splitting its wide receivers out to the literal sidelines and numbers, horizontally stretching defenses and making them defend every blade of grass, leaving gaps for the right play call to target and gash. Speedy weapons out wide are essential to executing this. When Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge for the 2026 season, he completely overhauled the wide receiver room via the transfer portal. Yet, two unique names have emerged from the dust as stash opportunities for your Devy/C2C rosters.
Week 1 gave us a lot more to work with. We finally have real usage, real workloads, and enough game action to start figuring out which early roles might actually stick.
This report covers games completed through Sunday. SMU and Florida State play Monday night, so I am leaving that game out rather than trying to make decisions before it is played.
The approach stays the same. Help the campus lineup first. Then look at C2C appreciation, age, and ceiling.
A lot of the biggest Week 1 names are already rostered in the leagues I checked. Nate Sheppard, Jamal Rule, Mason Heintschel, J’Koby Williams, KJ Duff, Faizon Brandon, Jeremiah McClellan, Jaylin Carter, and Jamari Johnson will still be discussed because their Week 1 usage matters. They are not realistic waiver additions, so I am not attaching FAAB bids to them.
In late December 2025, head coach Mike Elko and offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins knew they had a problem.
Problem? What problem? They just finished 11-2 in regular-season play and qualified for the university’s first-ever appearance in the college football playoff, losing to the eventual runner-up, Miami, 3-10.
Yes, the season was a success, but in the big-money, big-stakes business of modern-day college football, only championships matter, and resting on your laurels will get you fired.
After starting X wide receiver Noah Thomas transferred to Georgia, the 2025 Texas A&M wide receiver room had a hole and consisted only of players six-foot and under. The lack of size was cited as one of the reasons TAMU couldn’t score a touchdown against the physical Hurricane defense.
Elko and Wiggins needed to completely reset the boundary position in the portal, and when the portal opened on January 2nd, they immediately targeted former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton, officially signing him on January 11th, recapturing that missing, dominant ‘True X’.
Isaiah Horton was a 247 four-star from Tennessee who committed to the University of Miami out of high school. Horton broke out in his redshirt sophomore year while being led by 1st overall NFL Draft pick Cam Ward.
Horton jumped into the transfer portal and joined Kalen DeBoer and Ty Simpson at the University of Alabama. After enjoying another productive season, Horton decided to enter the portal again, claiming the departure was amicable but wasn’t comfortable in his role.
Coach Holmon Wiggins offered Horton a crystal-clear, high-volume blueprint that guaranteed Horton the undisputed, alpha “X” boundary role where his 6’4″, 215-pound frame could command a massive target share for NFL scouts.
A bonus for Horton was Marcel Reed. Both players are from the Volunteer State and played together on the 7-on7 circuit.
“He adds a different dimension to the room, maybe a dimension that we were missing last year in terms of pure size and height, the ability to go and make contested catches.”
– Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko
In this ~FREE~ article, @force_fantasy explains the difference between Devy, Campus 2 Canton, and College Fantasy Football (CFF) formats.
@DffFrankPanthro brings his Campus to Canton start-and-sit advice to the table for Week 1 in this ~FREE~ DFF article!
Week 0 gave us only eight FBS games, so we are still working with a small sample. The goal is simple: find players who can help the campus lineup now without sacrificing future C2C value. This is where discipline matters. We want to attack new opportunities before the rest of the league catches up, but we are not emptying the FAAB account because someone had one productive Saturday. Every recommendation assumes a $100 C2C budget. Adjust for your available player pool, scoring, lineup requirements, taxi rules, roster size, and remaining FAAB.
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member. 
Since late 2018, the transfer portal has been open for business, but it didn’t boom until 2021. Since then, it has turned college football into an open-market economy and is what many college football purists consider to be a stain on the tradition-laden sport they love.
Every once in a while, though, it does what it was meant to do at its core: provide opportunity.
Welcome to college football national consciousness: high school zero-star, zero-offer, and zero-win wide receiver Tony Diaz.
After enduring a grueling 0-10 senior season at San Marcos High School, Diaz signed with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The brand-new start-up program didn’t play a game in its first season (2024), and he redshirted for the entire calendar year, practicing in internal squad scrimmages. For nearly two years, Diaz didn’t experience a single official football victory.
In 2025, when the Vaqueros finally took the field, not only did Diaz notch wins, he took the FCS by storm.
As a redshirt freshman, Diaz dominated his team’s passing volume, commanding 67 receptions, 875 yards, and 11 touchdowns, earning AP All-American Honorable Mention honors and placing 7th in the Jerry Rice Award voting, the FCS equivalent to National Freshman of the Year.
Diaz’s breakout at age 19 is not only an incredible feat on the football field but a massive indicator of future success. For the Vaqueros, Diaz wasn’t a part of the offense; he was the offense.
Dominating FCS competition is one thing; doing it on Saturdays in the Big Ten against Ohio State, Michigan, and other NFL talent-filled schools is an entirely different beast. But that’s exactly what Kirk Ferentz, Tim Lester and the Iowa Hawkeyes expect out of Tony “Boogey Man” Diaz. They were able to nab the coveted transfer portal star over Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, and Oklahoma State, to name a few. The hook was Diaz continuing the feature role that he thrived in at Edinburg in Iowa City.
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
Week 0 is finally here, but we still have to be honest about what we know. No FBS games have been completed. We do not have snap counts, target shares, or actual game usage to evaluate yet. This week is still about official announcements, injuries, camp roles, and projected depth charts.
That does not mean we sit around and wait. It means we attack the situations with real information behind them and stay patient everywhere else.
Highly valued C2C assets will be handled differently as well. I will give you the updated news, but I am not assigning generic FAAB bids to players who should already carry significant value in competitive leagues. All bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget.
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
On December 1, 2025, Michigan State University officials were determined to start the new year off right and charted a new course for their beloved football team.
On that Monday, Pat Fitzgerald, the former Northwestern head coach, vowed to “restore tradition” to the state’s second-most-popular college institution. Replacing the ineffective Jonathan Smith, Fitzgerald brings a culture of physicality and defense to East Lansing that athletic director J Batt says is “an excellent fit for Michigan State football”.
Priority one was reviving a moribund Spartan running game and establishing a physical, Big Ten identity, and that required looking outside of the current locker room to the transfer portal; enter Cam Edwards, running back, UConn.
Fitzgerald targeted and fast-tracked Edwards’ recruiting, hosting him and his UConn teammate, left tackle Ben Mrawski, as soon as the portal opened on January 2nd, securing both commitments within the week.
Edwards was Pro Football Focus’ number two ranked running back available in the transfer portal and had significant interest from Penn State, Nebraska, LSU, TAMU, Alabama, Texas, Notre Dame, and Michigan, among others. The Spartans won out by offering Edwards something none of the other top-tier programs could offer: an uncontested path to a featured bell-cow role.
Who is Cam Edwards?
A native of Norwalk, Connecticut, Edwards decided to stay home and play for former NFL head coach Jim Mora and the UConn Huskies. Edwards carved out a successful career while in Storrs, playing in 36 career games while starting 23. He enters MSU as a redshirt senior.
A source with intimate knowledge of those UConn teams on Edwards’ move to MSU:
“He should be their bell cow; that’s perfect for that conference, great kid too, runs hard as shit and falls forward, we used to call him ‘Mr 5 a pop’.”
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
Who I Am Adding Before Week 1 and Who Can Stay on the Watch List
We have not played one FBS game in 2026, so I am not going to act like we know exactly how every one of these depth charts will look when the season starts.
There are no box scores to study. We do not have snap counts, target shares, or goal line usage. Right now, we have previous production, camp reports, coach comments, and players moving up or down the depth chart.
Camp reports matter, but they are not gospel. Coaches experiment with different combinations. Reporters only see what they are allowed to see. One good practice can create a lot of excitement without producing a real fantasy role.
That does not mean we sit around and wait for Week 1. By then, some of these players will already be gone.
The goal is to find the camp information that can turn into actual fantasy production while avoiding the noise that empties your FAAB account. These suggested bids are starting points. Adjust them based on your league depth, scoring, roster construction, and the players who are actually available.
Top Waiver Priorities
Isaiah West (RB – Ohio State): Aggressive add for 12 to 18 percent
Cornell Hatcher Jr. (RB – Oregon State): Add for 8 to 14 percent
Jaylen Raynor (QB – Iowa State): Add for 8 to 12 percent if available
Dane Jones (WR – TCU): C2C or deep CFF add for 4 to 9 percent
Jaylen Himes (WR – Southern Miss): Deep league add for 3 to 6 percent
Quarterbacks
Jaylen Raynor, Iowa State
If Jaylen Raynor is sitting on waivers, go get him. I do not need to make this more complicated than it is.
Raynor threw for 3,361 yards and 19 touchdowns at Arkansas State in 2025. He also ran for 423 yards and 7 more touchdowns. That rushing production is what gets my attention because it gives him a way to score fantasy points even when the passing game is not clicking.
Iowa State identified Raynor as its starting quarterback during camp and named him a team captain on August 15. That tells me the Cyclones trust him to lead this offense.
There is still some risk. Raynor is moving into the Power Four and learning a new system. The defenses will be better, and I am not expecting him to walk into Iowa State and immediately improve on everything he did at Arkansas State.
I do expect him to run. That alone makes him useful in four-point passing touchdown formats.
Iowa State opens against Southeast Missouri before traveling to Iowa. The first game should give Raynor a chance to settle into the offense before facing a much tougher defense.
My call: Add for 8 to 12 percent of your FAAB. His campus value is stronger than his long-term C2C value, but a starting quarterback with this kind of rushing production should not be on waivers.
Ethan Hampton, Southern Miss
This one depends on how deep your league is. Ethan Hampton reportedly left spring as the leader of the Southern Miss quarterback competition after taking control during the spring game. He has the clearest path to the starting job, but I am not treating the competition as completely settled yet.
The schedule is another reason to keep the bid low. Southern Miss opens against Alcorn State, which could give Hampton an immediate streaming opportunity. Auburn comes next, and I am not putting him into my lineup automatically for that matchup.
My call: Add for 1 to 3 percent in deeper leagues. He is a matchup play until we see him hold the job and produce in the new offense.
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
As a true freshman, Bo Jackson sprinted onto the college football scene as one of the top running backs in the nation. The Cleveland, Ohio, native and four-star recruit amassed 1,090 yards rushing at an astounding 6.1 yards per carry, while tallying 1,290 total yards and seven touchdowns. The historic season helped lead the Buckeyes to a 12-2 finish and an appearance in the college football playoffs. Jackson joined rare air in Columbus, becoming only the fifth running back in school history to clear 1,000 yards rushing in year one; the others being Robert Smith, Maurice Clarett, J.K. Dobbins, and TreVeyon Henderson. This feat earned Jackson Freshman All-American and Second Team All-Big Ten honors.
You’re probably thinking: “Wait, David, isn’t this an article about Isaiah West?”
It is, but I have to set the table so you understand the shocking momentum building behind West and his potential ascension.
August 6th, following day one of fall camp, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day stated:
“Well, first off, you can see his body. You can see the work he’s put in. Had a tremendous off-season. One of the best in the whole building. Consistency. And when he was there last year, he showed some really good things. So we want him to take the next step”
No big deal, that’s coach speak, right? Head coaches talk up players and their offseason improvements every year, right?
Absolutely, but to find an edge in Devy/C2C we have to pay attention to the action behind those words.
According to eyewitness accounts, West commanded first-team reps alongside quarterback Julian Sayin, while Jackson ran with the second team on an adjacent field for the first three days of camp.
So what the hell is going on? Is this real?
How can we decipher this and apply it to our Devy/C2C teams?
What about my Bo Jackson shares; should I sell?
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
In his DFF debut article, @GridironNerd makes the case for QB Will Hammond as a buy-low target in Devy and C2C formats.
Long-term success in Devy and C2C formats means planting your flag on college prospects early, before the market catches up. Some player takes that your league mates consider absurd today could be consensus in a couple of months; that’s how fast this landscape moves.
With that in mind, I’m going on record with four of my spiciest Devy/C2C takes for the 2026 CFB season. There will always be swings and misses in these formats, but when I do make contact, I want it to be a home run.
1. Mario Craver will be runner-up for the Biletnikoff and go in Round 1 of the 2027 NFL Draft.
Mario Craver is one of the more polarizing players in Devy formats today. There are certainly “truthers” (like myself) out there, but most are concerned his playstyle and frame will limit his NFL ceiling.
I have very few concerns with Craver. Sure, he’s undersized, but he reportedly put on a ton of size this offseason and is up to 180 pounds. He always played bigger than his listed size, but physicality should no longer be an issue.
Craver is a twitchy, dynamic route runner who can win at all three levels and has the acceleration to take the top off of defenses. He was also outproducing first-round talent KC Concepcion in the early part of the 2025 season, with 440 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the first three games. Craver has his quarterback, Marcel Reed, back, and projects to be the clear WR1 for the Aggies. 1200 yards and eight touchdowns will be his floor in 2026.
2. Jonathan Hatton Jr. will be the Sooners’ clear RB1 by the end of the season.
I’ll take it a step further: Hatton will be valued as a top 12 running back in Devy by this time next year. He has plenty of backfield competition this year, with Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock returning, as well as Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant. But I think the consensus four-star freshman will ultimately prove to be the most talented of the bunch and be a starter late in the year.
Hatton has received nothing but rave reviews from the Oklahoma coaching staff this offseason. Reports say he’s around 230 pounds right now, but highly explosive and lightning fast for his size.
I liked what I saw on his high school tape, displaying a willingness to initiate contact and showing decisiveness behind the line. He’s more of your one-cut, downhill runner, and once he gets momentum, he’s tough to bring down. I think Hatton could be really special.
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
Welcome back for the fourth and final edition of our ACC series, where @DffFrankPanthro and @jim_DFF break down their consensus top 10 players at each position from a C2C perspective.
If you missed any of the past three articles, you can view them below:
Quarterback article
Running back article
Wide receiver article
Next up, we have the tight end position. Let us know your thoughts on the list; we had to dig deep for this one!
1. Gavin Mueller, Miami
Frank’s rank – TE1
Jim’s rank – TE2
Written by – Jim
Why He’s Ranked Here
It may be surprising to see an incoming freshman ranked as the top C2C tight end in the ACC, but that really just speaks to the lack of talent at the position right now. Mueller has the size, strength, and athletic upside to develop into an elite Campus asset and eventually make a difference on our dynasty rosters.
Recruiting
Mueller was a 4-star prospect on all three major recruiting platforms, ranked as highly as the TE3 in the 2026 class on ESPN. He was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing basketball and track & field. Mueller was used as a tight end and running back in high school, accounting for nearly 1,200 yards of offense and 30 touchdowns as a senior.
Supplemental Draft Outlook
Depending on how depleted rosters are, Mueller should be someone considered as early as the third round in your supplemental drafts. Once Mark Bowman and Ian Premer are off the board, Mueller should be targeted.
Startup Draft Outlook
Given he’s a projection-based bet and so many of these elite TE prospects don’t pan out, I wouldn’t reach on Mueller in a startup. I’m just fading tight end in general and relying on waivers on the Campus side, unless I can grab someone like Trey’Dez Green or Jamari Johnson. That said, once you hit about Round 15 in Superflex formats, you can consider drafting Mueller. He could end up being a zero, but he also has the upside to smash his ADP.
Strengths
Burst
Athleticism
Size (6’5”, 255 lbs.)
Stop-go ability
Blocking ability
Biggest Question
The question with Mueller is the same as with any highly-touted freshman: what are the odds they hit their potential and become a fantasy star? The odds are always slimmer than we’d like to admit, but if you’re throwing a dart on anyone, it should be a profile like Mueller’s.
Always Be Scouting Take
Gavin Mueller is already built like an NFL tight end, with the functional athleticism to match. He’s new to the game (first varsity season was as a junior) but has developed quickly. Mueller is a natural hands-catcher with the frame and strength to win in congested areas, is great after the catch, and is a willing blocker. You may have to be patient with him in 2026, given Elija Lofton is there.
Draft Grade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High Fantasy Ceiling
2. Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech
Frank’s rank – TE2
Jim’s rank – TE1
Written by – Frank
Why He’s Ranked Here
I’m hoping the move to Virginia Tech is exactly what Luke Reynolds needs. The talent has always been there, but the college production has not matched it yet. He now reunites with James Franklin and his former Penn State tight ends coach, Ty Howle, who is Virginia Tech’s offensive coordinator. That gives Reynolds a real chance to earn a bigger role in an offense that already knows what he can do.
Verified Stats
In 2025 at Penn State, Reynolds caught 26 passes for 259 yards and no touchdowns in 13 games. For his career, he has caught 35 passes for 370 yards and one touchdown in 29 games. He has also rushed three times for 58 yards.
Supplemental Draft Outlook
Reynolds should already be rostered in most deeper C2C leagues, but there is a chance he is available in shallower formats or was dropped after two quiet seasons. I would take the chance if the price is reasonable. The move gives him another opportunity, but I’m not drafting him like the breakout has already happened.
Startup Draft Outlook
Reynolds is still a high-upside C2C tight end for me, but he remains a projection. The size and talent make him interesting for both the Campus side and the Dynasty pipeline. I just need to see the production finally catch up before I move him into the top group at the position.
Strengths
6’4” 250-pound frame
Two years of college experience
Familiarity with James Franklin and Ty Howle
Opportunity for a fresh start
Biggest Question
Can Reynolds turn more opportunities into explosive plays and touchdowns? He caught 26 passes last season, but they produced only 257 yards and no touchdowns. The next step is not just getting more targets. He has to do more with them. Virginia Tech also has several tight ends competing for work, so a featured role has not been handed to him. The position group combined for 17 catches and 205 yards in the spring game.
Always Be Scouting Take
I’m still buying the upside, but I need to see it now. The move to Virginia Tech gives Reynolds a fresh start with coaches who already know him. That is encouraging, but he is still more projection than production at this point. He has the physical ceiling to become a difference-making fantasy tight end. Now his 2026 season has to prove it.
Draft Grade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High-Upside Target
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
Time for a subscriber favorite, a good old-fashioned trade review! Below, I’ll cover four recent trades I’ve made over the past week and my reasoning behind each trade. These four trades come from three different leagues (two dynasty, one C2C). The ultimate goal of these trade articles (outside of entertainment) is to give you an idea of what to prioritize when deciding whether to hit that “accept” button.
If you’re looking for a second opinion on your own dynasty trades, check out our AccuTrader in The Dynasty Control Room. Sync your leagues and get a full trade breakdown based on DFF’s Expert Consensus ranks.
DFF C2C Bragging Rights
This trade was made in a C2C league, which primarily consists of creators from Campus 2 Canton and our team at DFF. I made this trade with @DffFrankPanthro, sending him Alabama RB Ezavier Crowell for Jaylen Waddle.
With this being Year 1 of the league, there’s plenty of parity from top to bottom. Nobody really sold a ton of Canton picks for Campus picks or vice versa, so it’s anyone’s game on both sides. My weakest position on the Canton side was wide receiver, with my top three WRs being Justin Jefferson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Romeo Doubs before this trade was made. I wanted to bolster my WR room without sacrificing other areas of my NFL side, so I understood I needed to give up a premier asset on the college side to do so.
I knew from talking ball with Frank virtually every day that Crowell is his RB1 of the freshman class and one of his favorite overall assets in C2C formats. I won’t deny that the long-term ceiling play in this deal is Crowell, especially in this particular league, where RB scoring is so favorable on the NFL side (0.25 PPC, 0.25 rushing 1st down). It was a lot to give up, but I’m incredibly bullish on Jaylen Waddle now that he’s in Denver. Despite being alpha’d by Tyreek Hill for much of his career, Waddle has always been hyper-efficient from a per-route basis, and now steps into a situation where he should be the WR1 on his team. I’m not too concerned with Courtland Sutton, who is entering his age-31 season and saw a big drop in efficiency in 2025. I feel pretty confident in saying Waddle has WR1 (top 12) upside in fantasy once again.
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
You all know what time it is: time for another edition of our Campus 2 Canton ranking series! In this article, @DffFrankPanthro and @jim_DFF cover their consensus top-10 wide receivers in the ACC from a C2C perspective. If you missed either of the first two articles in this series, you can check out the quarterback article here and the running back article here.
1. Malachi Toney, Miami
Frank’s rank – WR1
Jim’s rank – WR1
Written by – Frank
Why He’s Ranked Here
Malachi Toney is ranked here because I believe he’s the best wide receiver in the ACC entering 2026 and one of the best overall Campus assets in C2C.
His freshman season was nothing short of amazing. He immediately became Miami’s go-to receiver, setting school records while leading the nation in receptions. Now he gets another talented quarterback in Darian Mensah, giving him every opportunity to build on an already elite season.
For me, Toney checks every box. He’s an elite CFF producer, an elite C2C asset. There aren’t many receivers I’d rather build around.
Verified Stats
In 2025 at Miami, Toney caught 109 passes for 1,211 yards (11.1 yards per catch ) and 10 touchdowns in 16 games. He also rushed 23 times for 113 yards and one touchdown, finishing with 1,622 all-purpose yards.
Supplemental Draft Outlook
Toney should already be rostered in virtually every supplemental draft. If he somehow isn’t, he becomes one of the easiest selections on the board. He’s a true difference-maker who can anchor your Campus lineup from Day 1.
Startup Draft Outlook
Toney is one of the first receivers I’m looking to build around. He gives you elite weekly production today while also carrying the type of long-term upside Dynasty managers look for. He’s one of the rare players who strengthens both your Campus roster and your Dynasty pipeline.
Strengths
Always seems to find a way to get the football
Proven production against ACC competition
Dangerous after the catch
Versatile offensive weapon
High NFL upside
Biggest Question
Can Toney repeat a record-breaking freshman season now that every defense will build its game plan around stopping him? The talent is obvious, but maintaining that level of production won’t be easy.
Always Be Scouting Take
This one is pretty simple for me. Toney already proved he can produce at a high level, and Miami’s offense should continue to run through him. He’s one of the safest wide receivers in CFF and C2C, and I think he has a real shot to become an NFL 1st Round Draft pick. When I can get elite Campus production with a player who also has Dynasty upside, that’s exactly the type of player I want to build around.
Draft Grade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Elite Target
2. Bryant Wesco, Clemson
Frank’s rank – WR2
Jim’s rank – WR2
Written by – Jim
Why He’s Ranked Here
Bryant Wesco was a big name in college fantasy before stepping foot on Clemson’s campus, coming in as a four-star recruit and a borderline top-10 wide receiver in the 2024 class. He lived up to the hype as a true freshman, amassing 700 receiving yards and five touchdowns alongside some tough target competition. He was off to an even better start as a sophomore before suffering a traumatic back injury in Week 8, sidelining him for the remainder of the season.
If Wesco is fully healthy, there’s a legitimate case for him being the second most talented wide receiver in the country, behind Jeremiah Smith. He’s a twitchy, explosive receiver who can line up anywhere on the field, with elite route running chops to separate consistently.
Verified Stats
Wesco has posted some strong peripheral numbers through his first two seasons, with a 22.5% target rate and 2.37 yards per route run (YPRR). Those numbers may not scream “superstar”, but considering he was competing for targets with Antonio Williams (now on the Commanders) and T.J. Moore (another potential first-round talent), these numbers are about as good as you could ask for from an underclassman in the Power 4.
Supplemental Draft Outlook
In almost every supplemental draft, Wesco is already going to be on a roster, and you’ll likely have to acquire him through a trade.
Startup Draft Outlook
Wesco is someone who should go off the board near the end of Round 1 in Superflex formats for Campus startups. He’s an elite talent, a future NFL star, and arguably a top-5 C2C wide receiver today.
Strengths
Twitchiness
Route nuance
Ball tracking
YAC ability
Versatility
Biggest Question
What version of Bryant Wesco will we see post-injury? Watching clips of him in spring practice on X, he looks like he’s back to 100%, but we’ll see once the pads are on and defenses are on the field. If he didn’t lose any burst or agility from the surgery, he’ll be a first-round pick next April.
Always Be Scouting Take
Bryant Wesco is a special talent and projects tremendously for fantasy purposes. We’ll see how the quarterback play fares at Clemson in 2026; this is really the only thing preventing him from being a league winner on the Campus side.
Draft Grade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Must Draft
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
Welcome back for Part 2 of our ACC ranking series! In this series, @DffFrankPanthro and @jim_DFF bring you their consensus top-10 prospects from a Campus 2 Canton perspective at each fantasy position. If you missed the quarterback article, be sure to check that out here.
With that, let’s dive right in and reveal our top-10 C2C running backs in the ACC.
1. Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech
Frank’s rank – RB1
Jim’s rank – RB1
Written by – Jim
Why He’s Ranked Here
Haynes transferred back to his home state of Georgia after a breakout junior campaign with Michigan, rushing for nearly 900 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 7 games. Unfortunately, a foot injury cut his season short; if he had stayed healthy and played the full season, there’s a real chance Haynes would have been a Round 1 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. (Don’t believe me? Jadarian Price went in Round 1 this year.)
I don’t love what I see on tape with Haynes, relative to the top RBs in the 2027 class. He lacks the wiggle and lateral agility to find a ton of success between the tackles, and he’s nearly a zero in the receiving game. All that considered, he’s still my RB1 in the ACC (just barely ahead of Brown). I’m expecting a big season with the Yellowjackets and Day 2 draft capital next April.
Verified Stats
Haynes averaged a robust 7.1 yards per attempt (YPA) as a junior. His yards after contact were much more modest, but still a solid mark of 3.77 yards after contact per attempt (YCO/A). As a receiver, Haynes provided very little value. He hauled in just 13 receptions for 50 yards with 0.50 yards per route run (YPRR).
Supplemental Draft Outlook
In almost every supplemental draft, Haynes is already going to be on a roster, and you’ll likely have to acquire him through a trade.
Startup Draft Outlook
Haynes is a borderline top-5 RB in Campus 2 Canton formats. You’ll likely see Bo Jackson, Ezavier Crowell, Savion Hiter, and Jadan Baugh go over him. But after that, he’s fair game. I would consider Haynes around the 2-3 turn of Superflex startups.
Strengths
Size
Breakaway speed
One-cut ability
Burst/Acceleration
Biggest Question
Is Haynes a nuanced enough rusher to become an RB1 in the NFL? And if so, will he be relegated to a two-down role, given the limited receiving profile? There’s still plenty left for him to prove from a fantasy perspective.
Always Be Scouting Take
Even if I have some questions about the NFL upside here, he’s still one of the safer RB bets in the 2027 class, and he’s in line to crush on the college side in 2026. He’ll help your Campus team compete now, and has the upside to make a difference on your Canton team later.
Draft Grade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Must Draft
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member.
Continuing his Campus 2 Canton rankings series, @DffFrankPanthro collabs with @jim_DFF to break down the top ACC quarterbacks.
