Welcome to The BRoto “Devy Dives” series, where once a week we take a look at some of the biggest names and breakouts in College Football. Throughout this series, we will take an in-depth look at five players who either shone bright or failed to make an impact in the weekly slate of games. With the Devy and Dynasty Fantasy Football communities becoming more and more popular, this short read is your one-stop-shop for weekly updates on some players you need to keep your eye on!
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon (Senior)
Oregon Live
Oh, the story of Bo Nix. Once rated as a five-star athlete by 247 Sports, Nix took his talents to Auburn and was, well, mediocre at best. After three underwhelming seasons with the Tigers, Nix transferred to Oregon and has been putting on a show ever since. After falling in disappointing fashion to Georgia in the season opener, Nix has led the Ducks to six straight victories, the most recent coming in the form of a massive performance to topple the then ninth-ranked and undefeated UCLA Bruins.
In the game, Nix put on a dazzling display of accuracy and poise, completing 22 of his 28 pass attempts for 283 yards and five touchdowns. The senior also managed 51 yards on his eight carries in the game, though he made a number of plays with his legs scrambling outside of the pocket that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. Once seen as a potential star, Nix seems to have managed to get his career back on track with the Ducks and will look to enter the conversation in many draft rooms across the league.
Damien Martinez, RB, Oregon State (Freshman)
What is going on with this freshman running back class? In a week dominated by seniors on this Devy Dive list, the true freshman out of Oregon State joined Penn State’s Nick Singleton and California’s Jadyn Ott as the third rusher from the 2022 recruiting class to put his name in an article. Don’t look now, though, as Martinez has only recently started surging and receiving work-horse level volume.
After a rock-solid showing against Washington State in Week 7, in which Martinez eclipsed 15 touches for the first time collegiately and turned his 16 carries into 111 yards on the ground, the three-star recruit (per 247 Sports) piled it on Colorado in a 42-9 blowout, leading the now 6-2 Beavers with 22 rushing attempts for 178 yards and three scores, while also chipping in another 10 yards on his lone reception. While the Buffaloes aren’t exactly high-quality competition, this performance at the very least has put Martinez on the map as a player to watch.
Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa (Senior)
University of Tulsa Athletics
What Prince did to Temple on Friday night feels illegal. There is no way a runner should be able to average over 10 yards per carry against a fellow Division 1 school on 20+ carries but that is exactly what Prince did against the 2-4 Owls, on his way to 231 yards and a touchdown on just 20 attempts. His 84-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was a cap on an amazing day for the senior, but perhaps it wasn’t even his greatest display in the game.
In the second quarter, Prince hauled in a pass in the flat at around the twenty yard-line before cutting up field and making one Temple defender look silly with a crafty move before bulldozing a second into the endzone. It wasn’t the most exciting thing to happen for him on the evening, but after combining for just eight receptions across his first three collegiate seasons, his soft hands and smooth change of direction displayed that he might have more potential as a receiver out of the backfield than people previously thought.
Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice (Senior)
While his older brother Christian stole much of the headlines over the past week with his trade to the San Francisco 49ers, the former Panther’s baby brother wasn’t about to be outdone. After starting his career with Nebraska at quarterback, the younger McCaffrey transferred to Rice after two subpar seasons with the Cornhuskers. Following another poor showing under center in 2021, Luke transitioned to receiver for the 2022 season and it has paid dividends.
Following in the footsteps of Ed McCaffrey, the McCaffrey brother’s father and former NFL star receiver, Luke has made great strides learning the position this season. Following a 10-reception, 171-yard, two touchdown performance against Louisiana Tech over the weekend, Luke now has three games in 2022 with over 100 receiving yards and has shown soft hands out wide. Additionally, the youngest McCaffrey has looked like his brother to a degree as a runner, taking three attempts for 31 yards and another touchdown in the game. While still raw at the position, Luke has the pedigree and the skills to potentially find himself on an NFL roster next season.
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU (Senior)
Fox 8
This spot on the Devy Dives list is normally reserved for tight ends but it is beginning to feel like Notre Dame superstar and top 2023 draft prospect, Michael Mayer, would be on this list every single week, if so. Therefore, in lieu of placing Mayer on this list yet again after another major performance, I have instead decided to pivot away from the position and instead highlight LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Over the past two weeks, taking on Florida in Week 7 and most recently Mississippi in Week 8, Daniels has been absolutely on fire, pushing LSU back into the AP Top 25 for the first time in weeks. Combining the two performances, Daniels stats show an unstoppable player for a hot LSU team, completing 44 of his 60 passes for 597 yards and five touchdowns through the air, while also contributing a whopping 165 yards and six scores on the ground over that time frame. LSU seems to finally be on track and it is largely in thanks to their senior signal caller.
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By Trenton Roberts
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.