The first four weeks of the season in college football typically give us a glimpse into which freshmen are earning meaningful playing time. This week marked the beginning of conference play, which means we get to see if the players who have been crushing it to begin the year can continue their success against more difficult competition. Without further ado, dive into Volume 5 of The Devy Notebook.
- A sleeper tight end made his mark against the reigning national champions. Luke Dehnicke transferred up from the G6 to Northwestern for his sophomore season and was arguably the best player on the field for either team this weekend. He is 6 ‘6 ” 240 lb. tight end with a strong athletic profile. He had 7 grabs for 140 yards in this one after registering 1,119 yards and 14 touchdowns for Minnesota Duluth last year. If he can string together more solid starts against similarly tough Big Ten defenses, his stock could soar.
- I am starting to believe that Wake Forest wide receiver Carlos Hernandez could find himself getting drafted in the 2027 class. Every season there is a player who has an extremely strong production profile, and Hernandez is making the case to be this year’s version. He caught 9 balls for 194 yards and one touchdown in a win over a ranked Louisville team to crush their playoff aspirations. Coming into this week, he was tied with Jeremiah Smith for the most explosive plays in college football. He is tough and twitchy with the ball in his hands, forcing 12 missed tackles this year (first in the ACC). He also has an outstanding 4.34 YPRR.
- We better hear some news soon that Isaac Brown has a nagging injury. He has very clearly been the second-best running back for Louisville this season and has not shown any of the explosiveness that we’ve seen in prior seasons. He rushed for only 3.7 ypc again this week. As it stands, I would strongly consider drafting Keyjuan Brown over Isaac Brown if faced with the decision.
- We have seen nothing to inspire any level of confidence in Quinten Joyner through four games. His poor performances were capped off this weekend with 8 carries for 12 yards (1.5 yards per carry). He is still technically returning from a lower limb injury that kept him out of the 2025 season, and I suspect he will need next season to rehab his stock as well.
- JJ Buchanan continued his consistent start to the 2026 season, totaling 130 yards and 2 touchdowns in a one-point loss to Iowa this weekend. He began his career as a tight end with Utah, but has already matched his production from last year in only four games. I would be surprised if his 6’4” frame transitions well at the position in the NFL, but I question if he wouldn’t consider a change back to tight end to be a matchup nightmare for an NFL offense. He also finds himself in the top 5 in all of college football for receiving yards per team pass attempt, which is one of the more predictive metrics for future fantasy success.
- Wayshawn Parker showed off his versatility against Iowa State this weekend, leading the Utah Utes in rushing and receiving. He ran the ball 18 times for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns while also catching 5 passes for 65 yards and 1 touchdown. He is not only one of my favorite players to watch in college football, but he is quickly becoming one of my favorite backs to target in the 2027 draft class. He should be a top-10 running back on everyone’s devy rankings boards.
- With Kewan Lacy sidelined, Deuce Alexander stepped up in a big way for Ole Miss. He looks good off the line and is extremely smooth in and out of his breaks. His routes are a little more rounded off than I would like, but he still manages to create separation in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He gets easy separation deep due to his natural speed. He reminds me a lot of Chris Olave.
- It’s pretty clear to me at this point that Jadan Baugh is the RB1 in the 2027 class, and he should be taken as the 1.02 in most formats. He had 30 touches for 154 yards and 3 touchdowns in a massive victory over Ole Miss this weekend. He had 8 missed tackles forced in this game alone. Running backs should not be able to move like he can at his size. He has elite size, contact balance, vision, patience, explosiveness, and elusiveness. It seems very likely that he ends up as a top-10 pick in the 2027 class and the next great fantasy back for many of our dynasty teams.
- Keelon Russell was incredible against South Carolina. He had multiple deep throws that showed off his arm strength, and he led his receivers in stride, which was the most impressive part. He finished 21/27 for 365 yards through the air, 35 yards on the ground, and 5 total touchdowns. Only four games into his young career, it is easy to see how he could be a top-3 pick in 2028.
- Ryan Coleman-Williams has only been credited with one drop this season, and it occurred in Week 1. He is slowly turning himself back into the top-10 NFL draft pick that we all had him projected to be. He caught a touchdown this weekend on a deep throw from Russell after pressing the safety vertically before a quick stutter step to blow by him. His feet, body control, and route running are elite. He has the makings of the next elite separator to enter the NFL; we just need the hands to stay reliable moving forward.
- We saw two quarterbacks put some good tape together in the USC v. Oregon game this weekend, and neither of them was Dante Moore. Moore was injured early in this game, but Dylan Raiola took over and completed 76% of his passes while throwing two touchdowns. He ran the offense better than Dante Moore has in any game so far this season, and made better throws than he has too. This is going to be an interesting situation to monitor the remainder of the season. Additionally, Jayden Maiava showed off on multiple occasions that he is capable of layering throws in the intermediate area of the field. He is not an upper-tier talent, but there is enough to warrant his consideration for top 5 at the position for the 2027 draft class.
- Jamari Johnson led the Oregon Ducks in receiving this weekend and showed why he is one of the most highly athletic and impressive tight ends in college football. It didn’t show up on the stat sheet, but he made an incredible diving one-handed catch late in the second quarter that was called back due to a holding penalty. His size (6’5”) and catch radius make him a serious problem for defenses down the seam, and he is an extremely fluid mover with the ball in his hands. He remains my TE1 for this class.
- I have a few minor concerns about Ohio State running back Bo Jackson, but the most glaring issue is his inability to turn 5-yard runs into 15-yard runs. Arm tackles bring him down far too often for my liking, and I think NFL teams will have a problem with this as well. He lacks physicality, athleticism, speed, and agility compared to higher-level players at the position. Despite being ranked so highly in devy circles, there sure are a ton of holes in his profile.
What I am looking for heading into Week 5
- A huge test for all of the Ohio State offensive weapons on the road against Iowa. I am particularly interested to see if Chris Henry Jr. will make it onto the field
- Assuming he plays, can Luke Dehnicke be the best player on the field again this week against another strong Big Ten defense in Penn State?
- Keelon Russell vs. Kamario Taylor. This is appointment television between my current top 2 devy quarterbacks. You do not want to miss this one.
- A road test for the best pure arm talent in college football. Sign me up for Jared Curtis part 2.
- Can Ousmane Kromah continue his breakout season against a strong Virginia defense?
- LaNorris Sellers needs any kind of bounce-back week he can get before his stock falls any farther. Can he stop the tumbling down my rankings with Kentucky coming to town?
- Will Mensah find any resistance this season? Clemson’s defense at home gives us our first chance to see some adversity.
Devy game of the week
- Mississippi State v. Alabama
- Devy players to watch: Keelon Russell, Ryan Coleman-Williams, Ezavier Crowell, Kamario Taylor, Anthony Evans, Fluff Bothwell
Thank you for reading the fifth edition of the 2026 Devy Notebook. If you have any thoughts or questions regarding any of the players mentioned, or if you would like my opinions on a player who is not mentioned in this article, you can reach out to me on Twitter @Evan_Kerr_. #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
