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!
Following an always-exciting Rivalry Week in college football, Broto brings you a special extended Devy Dives segment for your reading pleasure!
E.J. Warner, QB, Temple (Freshman)
NFL.com
E.J. Warner, son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, is looking more and more likely to follow in his father’s footsteps and make it to the league. After first appearing on the Devy Dives list in a loss to Houston in Week 11, Warner one-upped himself over the weekend in a shootout loss to ECU, a team led to victory by a name further down on this list. However, while losses aren’t great, Warner set the bar extremely high for his future at Temple and in college football.
In one of the most dominant performances ever seen by a True Freshman quarterback, Warner played his heart out against ECU, finishing with a line of 45-of-63 for 527 yards and five touchdowns to just one interception. Following his 486-yard, three-touchdown effort two weeks prior, Warner is primed for a breakout season in 2023 and should start to make waves in scouting circles sooner rather than later.
DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB (Junior)
Another repeat name on this list, UAB back DeWayne McBride has had quite the season. He currently leads all of college football with 1,713 rushing yards despite handling 95 fewer attempts than second-place Chase Brown, and his 19 rushing scores are tied for second. While it hasn’t all been pretty for the 6-6 UAB football team, McBride gave them the juice they needed in Week 13 to topple Louisiana Tech 37-27.
In the game, McBride was dominant from the get-go, taking his first six carries for 85 yards. That ended up being just a taste of his effectiveness, as the Junior finished with 272 yards and a touchdown on just 16 attempts, at an average of 17.0 yards per carry. Despite finishing second on the team in carries to fellow back Jermaine Brown Jr., McBride was still able to showcase the elite athleticism and motor that gives him a shot at being selected within the first few rounds of the NFL draft whenever he decides to declare.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, ECU (Sophomore)
As mentioned above, Temple quarterback E.J. Warner was unable to taste victory over the weekend, thanks in large part to ECU running back Keaton Mitchell. The Sophomore back out of Georgia wasn’t about to be denied on rivalry weekend and was looking to keep his streak of five straight games reaching the century mark on the ground. Nobody expected what was to come next.
Mitchell exploded out of the gates, scoring twice in the first half, first on a run from 49 yards out and then taking a pass 73 yards to the end zone later in the second quarter. He doubled his scoring total with scampers of eight and two yards in the third quarter, finishing the game with four touchdowns and 300 total yards from scrimmage on 29 touches (27 rushes, 2 receptions). Mitchell’s display did just enough to ruin E.J. Warner’s chance at victory, and the two will look to duke it out again in 2023.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy (Junior)
Troy University Athletics
Trojans running back Kimani Vidal has had quite the two-game stretch over the past couple of weeks. First, Vidal was instrumental in a 34-16 trouncing of ULM in Week 12, tallying 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 29 carries in what was just the second instance this season in which he crossed the 100-yard mark. The breakout game was impressive, but the follow-up was perhaps even more fun to witness.
In downing Arkansas State 48-19 in Week 13, Vidal set out to prove his previous performance wasn’t a fluke. By the time the final whistle rang out, he had done that and more, going over 200 yards for the second straight week. Vidal toted the pigskin a career-high 33 times for 208 yards and four touchdowns in the victory, bringing his two-week totals up to 450 yards and six touchdowns on 62 rushing attempts. While it is safe to say that the first breakout wasn’t a fluke, he will still need to prove himself moving forward as he looks to make it to the NFL.
Jared Wayne, WR, Pittsburgh (Senior)
Once a powerhouse school, the University of Miami (Florida) has fallen into disrepair in 2022. On the other hand, Pitt has been enjoying quite the season, led by running back Israel Abanikanda and Senior wide receiver Jared Wayne. Despite questionable quarterback play from Kedon Slovis, a player who was once seen as an NFL draft talent himself, Wayne put together a career night on Saturday taking down Miami.
In a game in which Slovis only completed 18 passes, Wayne took over by hauling in 11 of them for 205 yards and three touchdowns, including an explosive 66-yard score at the end of the first quarter to put Pittsburgh up by 14. The Senior accounted for all but 57 of the team’s receiving yards, propelling the team throughout the contest toward their inevitable 42-16 victory over the Hurricanes. Wayne will look to make an NFL roster this offseason after showing out in his final game of the season.
Duke WRs Jalon Calhoun (Senior), Shamir Hagans (Sophomore), and Jordan Moore (Sophomore)
I can’t simply give a single Duke receiver this slot, as all three names are more than deserving of mention. The three receivers for the Blue Devils put on a performance for the ages in a 34-31 victory over Wake Forest, and the numbers prove how important each was in the game, accounting for a combined 389 yards on 27 receptions with four touchdowns. Calhoun led the way with 11 receptions for 174 yards and a score, followed closely by Hagans’ 139 yards and two touchdowns on 8 receptions and finally Moore’s 76 yards and a score on his own eight receptions.
While none of the numbers stand out alone, a simple look at the box score paints a more vivid picture. Outside of these three players, the Duke roster combined for two yards on just two receptions, meaning the trio accounted for 99.5% of their quarterback’s passing yardage and all four touchdowns. Overall, Calhoun, Hagans, and Moore made up for 76.7% of the teams 507 total yards and scored every single touchdown. Not bad for just three players, one of whom (Moore) is a transitioned quarterback.
Rivaldo Fairweather, TE, Florida International (Junior)
FIU Athletics
If Week 13 proves not to be a fluke, FIU has a star on its hands at tight end. Taking on Middle Tennessee State in Week 13, Junior Rivaldo Fairweather had the performance of his life, hauling in eight passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the loss, Fairweather’s performance should have his name on draft radars if it wasn’t already there.
With MTSU holding Florida International scoreless until Fairweather’s six-yard touchdown with 20 seconds remaining in the first half, it was looking like a blowout in store. The Junior tight end wasn’t finished, however, as immediately following a MTSU score to make the score 27-7 with just under nine minutes to go in the third quarter, Fairweather took off for a 75-yard touchdown trot on his team’s next offensive play. With quarterback Haden Carlson finally showing life, Fairweather caught his third touchdown on the day with around ten minutes left in the game, giving FIU a 28-27 lead. Despite eventually forfeiting that lead, Fairweather has the tools to make it to the NFL, and will look to carry his performance over the weekend into 2023.
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By Trenton Roberts
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.