Weeks 1 & 2 Devy Overreactions

Editor’s Note: I apologize for the delay in getting this to the site, but not much has changed with Week 3’s performances!

It’s human nature to want to overreact to things, so this week I’m leaning into my worst instincts to take a look at some Devy happenings across college football. 

The 2025 Freshman QBs Will Be the Best QB Class Ever

I spent way too much time researching this and couldn’t find a definitive answer, but I’m fairly certain that week one featured more true freshman starting quarterbacks than any other year this century. At least, that’s the stat I’m sticking with. Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, BYU’s Bear Bachmeier, Maryland’s Malik Washington, and Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele all looked like seasoned veterans as they led their respective schools to victories.

That quartet all started again in week two, and only Underwood, who was on the road against Oklahoma, lost. 

There are two key data points that our recruiting team considers when evaluating quarterbacks. First is the STAR rating, our athleticism metric that attempts to contextualize a player’s athletic ability by looking at more than just raw testing numbers. The other is a production score that takes into account several factors to capture how well these students produce across their high school careers. Players who are elite athletes AND have consistently produced at an elite level tend to have higher professional probabilities. This class, as the group mentioned multiple times, was full of elite profiles:

This is just a smattering of the players in this class that we expect could pop over the next 18 months. If we’re overreacting, I see no problem saying that this class has historic upside. I can’t get enough of these players in devy or Campus to Canton formats.

…Which is Good Because the Vaunted 2026 Rookie Class is Actually Bad.

Hope you weren’t loading up on those 2026 quarterbacks! It’s been a rough start to the year for virtually every QB with first-round potential. This was a somewhat predictable outcome, as there was no obvious elite prospect in the group. LaNorris Sellers, Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier, Sam Leavitt, Cade Klubnik, and even Fernando Mendoza and Nico Iamaleava all have their flaws and all have struggled somewhat to start the year.

From a strategic perspective, I try not to draft or trade for upperclassmen quarterbacks because there’s less runway for them to meet or exceed their perceived potential, and we aren’t as forgiving if they fail. You’re probably ecstatic if you drafted Sellers as a freshman or sophomore, but less enthused now. I’d imagine several of these players consider returning for a final season if circumstances do not improve. That means you may have to wait longer to see Sellers or Leavitt hit the pros. I’d consider selling pretty much all of these guys if you can work a deal to snag an established NFL quarterback in return.

We Should Be More Interested in the Undersized Backs Based on Recent Trends.

Everyone knows Jeremiyah Love by this point. Notre Dame’s playoff run last season gave the casual college football fan a glimpse of his explosive athletic ability. He’s not Jahmyr Gibbs, but he’s a solid prospect who should be good in the NFL as long as he’s not asked to grind between the tackles 20 times a game strictly.

However, some other exciting backs may never reach 200 pounds, which is becoming increasingly acceptable. Beyond the Gibbs mentioned above, James Cook, Devon Achane, Bucky Irving, and even Kyren Williams are all likely operating below 200 pounds and have been excellent fantasy producers. With defenses getting smaller, there seems to be an acknowledgement that there’s less injury risk for this archetype of player.

That means we can begin to project backs in that weight class as legitimate NFL prospects, provided they possess the receiving skills and production as runners to back it up. That means that players traditionally discarded should be highly valued. Louisville’s Isaac Brown headlines a list of players who have shown explosiveness in the run game. Don’t be scared to draft or trade for these players moving forward:

• Daylan “Hollywood” Smothers (195 lbs)
• Caden Durahm (205 lbs)
• Harlem Berry (190 lbs)

…But the Best Back in the 2026 Draft Class May Weigh 220 pounds.

I’m not saying Jonah Coleman is the best back in the upcoming rookie class, but I’m also not NOT saying it. I think that’s how fantasy analysts do it nowadays.

Coleman is a guy that the NFL is going to like. He’s physical and picks up tough yardage with his low center of gravity and ability to beat defenders one-on-one in the open field. He’s also been competent as a receiver with almost 60 catches so far in his college career, although his (very) negative ADOT likely suggests he’s more of a dump-off guy in the NFL. That can still net ~40 catches a season if he can develop as a pass protector to open up third-down work.

The overall athletic profile (pictured below) is somewhat underwhelming, but Coleman is also a player who has appeared to develop physically over the course of his collegiate career. It would not surprise me if he’s able to improve upon his reported 4.63 40 time from high school. Anything in the low 4.5s would be good enough.

Coleman may be a significant riser through the draft process and could wind up going much earlier than many, including myself, thought was possible. I think he’s probably a buy right now, but you may find it difficult to pry him from his current manager, especially in Campus-to-Canton formats.