It’s somehow already Week 5 of the college football season and that means plenty of conference games. There is a tonne of players who are gearing up to play in their biggest game of the year so far, some of whom are on this list. Here are five players you need to keep an eye on this weekend.
Will Levis – QB, Kentucky (6-3, 232, rs-Senior)
CJ Stroud and Bryce Young are the two big names at quarterback in the 2023 class. The big question left to answer is who will be behind them as QB3 when all is said and done. A popular contender for many is Levis. The former Penn State quarterback transferred to Kentucky ahead of the 2021 season and had a very promising first year as a starter. His 2022 season has got off to a less than ideal start though, with four picks through his first four games. It’s worth noting that only one of those games came against Power Five opposition.
You can see why plenty of people are in on Levis as a prospect. He has a bazooka for an arm and is capable of making some truly ridiculous throws. He also offers some excellent athletic traits, with the mobility to create outside of structure and on designed running plays. Some have compared his game to Josh Allen and whilst Levis is nowhere near to Allen’s talent level, the playstyle is certainly similar. This weekend he has perhaps his biggest challenge of the season so far, coming up against an unbeaten Ole Miss team.
Zach Evans – RB, Ole Miss (6-0, 215, Junior)
There’s talent on the other side of the Kentucky-Ole Miss matchup too. Evans has been on the radar of NFL teams since his high school days. He was a five-star recruit in the 2020 class and had one of the most maddening recruiting cycles you will ever come across. As a result of a variety of circumstances, Evans ended up committing to TCU over the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State. After featuring in a rotation role for two years, he then transferred to Ole Miss last summer.
The off-field situation surrounding Evans has dominated much of his coverage, but there’s a very talented player there when you turn on the tape. For starters he has legitimately impressive long speed, with the ability to break off big runs at a moment’s notice. He also has good contact balance and elusiveness in the open field. This has all helped him to be hugely productive at the collegiate level, averaging 6.9 yards per carry throughout his career. This weekend he comes up against a Kentucky defense that ranks 14th in the country in EPA per play.
Trenton Simpson – LB, Clemson (6-3, 240, Junior)
If you are looking for a talented linebacker in the 2023 class, look no further than Simpson. The former five-star recruit has been a key part of Clemson’s defense over the last two season and looks likely to be the first linebacker off the board in the 2023 Draft. Whilst he might be listed as a linebacker, he has shown himself to be capable of playing a much wider defensive role. Under former defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Simpson routinely aligned as a linebacker, slot corner, and deep safety all in the same game.
With Venables moving over to Oklahoma that brought about a shift in the Tigers’ defensive structure and has seen Simpson take on a more conventional linebacker role. 66.3% of his snaps this season have come in the box, compared to 36.4% last season. As a prospect there are plenty of translatable traits. Simpson is a smart player with great movement skills, who is accomplished as a tackler and a blitzer. I’m interested to see how he performs against NC State this weekend.
Hunter Luepke – FB, North Dakota State (6-1, 236, rs-Senior)
It isn’t every week I have FCS player on my list. It’s even less common for me to feature a fullback! The fact that Luepke has made this list is a testament to his talent. The fifth-year senior has been a longstanding part of a successful Bison offense and has been very productive. Luepke has averaged 6.2 yards per carry throughout his career, with 63% of that yardage coming after contact. He has also rushed for 21 touchdowns on his 222 career carries.
The NFL might not use fullbacks in the way that they once did, but Luepke is a modern fullback who can clearly have a role at the next level. His tough running style makes him a great option in short yardage situations, but he is also comfortable as a receiver out of the backfield. As expected, he can also fulfil all of the blocking duties you would expect from a fullback.
Tyree Wilson – EDGE, Texas Tech
There’s a bunch of talented edge rushers in the 2023 class and Wilson is certainly amongst the names to watch. The fifth-year senior has grown to be a key part of the Red Raiders’ defensive line in recent years and is having a great start to the 2022 season. Through four games he has logged 22 pressures on just 101 pass rushing snaps. That’s good enough to rank second in the country. He also happens to have 16 defensive stops, which is the most of any defensive lineman this season.
The first thing that jumps out about Wilson from the tape is his size and length. At 6’6″ and 275 lbs with 35.5″ arms he is a huge edge rusher that will cause plenty of problems for shorter offensive linemen. This size has also allowed him to have production between the tackles. Whilst he might not be the bendiest edge rusher you’ll find, his power and burst are hard to ignore.
