Three College Football Players To Watch

Which players should you keep an eye out for this weekend?

Zach Cunningham. (USA TODAY Sports)

Zach Cunningham. (USA TODAY Sports)

It’s a down week in regards to quality matchups in the college football world. Only three top-25 matchups, with two being in the top-1o. But just because there’s not a lot of must-watch games this weekend doesn’t mean there won’t be a ton of excitement.

Here’s three players that Eagles fans should keep an eye out for later today.

1. Zach Cunningham, OLB, Vanderbilt
This week’s opponent: @ Georgia — Noon (SEC Network)

Vanderbilt has not been a good team over the past few seasons. But Cunningham is one of the bright spots on the Commodores. The junior made huge strides last season, and he has tremendous speed and physicality, and has great athleticism as well. One thing he needs to work on is his ability to finish and his tackling. Projected as a late first to second round selection, the Eagles might be interested in selecting the linebacker early in the NFL Draft, especially with how Mychal Kendricks and Stephen Tulloch played last week.

2. Jeremy McNichols, RB, Boise State
This week’s opponent: vs. Colorado State — 10:15 p.m. (ESPN2)

Another top running back from a mid-major school in McNichols. Dating back to last season, the junior leads the nation in rushing touchdowns with 29, two more than Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. Coming from the school that also produced Doug Martin and Jay Ajayi, McNichols is Boise State’s next big runner on the blue turf. Similar to Darren Sproles, he is also a good receiver. He could be a great pick in the middle rounds of the draft.

3. Damore’ea Stringfellow, WR, Ole Miss
This week’s opponent: @ No. 22 Arkansas — 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Last year, it was Laquon Treadwell as the star receiver down in Oxford. This year, the Rebels hope it’s Stringfellow. Similar to his former teammate, the junior transfer from Washington has the height and length, and is able build to box-out defenders to make the catch. He needs to polish up on his route running, and also has some off-the-field issues that caused head coach Chris Petersen to indefinitely suspend Stringfellow, and eventually forced him to transfer to Ole Miss. So far, he’s made 20 catches for 305 yards and two touchdowns in five games. But each time he’s scored, the Rebels lost those games, Florida State and Alabama respectively.

 

Game Of The Week: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 8 Wisconsin — 8 p.m. (ABC)

The Badgers played well on the road a few weeks ago against Michigan and only lost by a touchdown. This time, they’re home against the Buckeyes, who have looked really strong this season. J.T. Barrett is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and has weapons such as running back Mike Weber and wide out Curtis Samuel at his arsenal.

Honorable Mentions: No. 1 Alabama @ No. 9 Tennessee (3:30 p.m., CBS); North Carolina @ No. 16 Miami (FL) (3:30 p.m., ESPN2); No. 12 Ole Miss @ No. 22 Arkansas (7 p.m., ESPN)

Here are the players we’ve previously highlighted:

October 8

John Ross, WR, Washington

Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan

Elijah Hood, RB, North Carolina

October 1

Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State

Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU

September 24

Teez Tabor, CB, Florida

Josh Reynolds, WR, Texas A&M

Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

September 17

Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma

Travis Rudolph, WR, Florida State

Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

September 10

Isaiah Ford, WR, Virginia Tech

Desmond King, CB, Iowa

Jalen Hurd, RB, Tennessee