The Week 9 college football players of the week gave us a lot of trouble. Not because they were difficult to choose but because they were difficult to choose from. With so many dominant performances, here’s who shined brightest from College Football Week 9.
Week 9 College Football Players of the Week
Quarterback of the Week: Drake Maye, North Carolina
Making history with every passing game, Drake Maye flashed brilliance for the North Carolina Tar Heels against Pittsburgh. Maye finished with five touchdown passes — the fifth time he’s done that so far in 2022 — tying the ACC single-season record for most games with at least five touchdowns already.
He was brilliant in the second half, leading the late charge that saw North Carolina run away with the contest. Maye showcased terrific footwork in the pocket, his fabulous rushing ability, and some of the off-platform throws that he’s become known for.
There’s a certain flash to his game, but he makes it look effortless. On one of his five touchdowns, he broke out of the pocket that he felt collapsing, pump faked to one side to entice the safety to bite before calmly side-arming a throw 30 yards downfield perfectly as his receiver broke free for a score.
It’s those kinds of moments that give people hope for his future in the NFL. Until that time when he’s in the talk to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, you can bet he’ll break more ACC records and bring home some serious hardware in the process.
Honorable mentions: Caleb Williams, USC; Jordan Travis, Florida State; Clayton Tune, Houston; Chris Reynolds, Charlotte
Offensive Player of the Week: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
On a tear right now, Bo Nix continued to be one of the hottest players in college football in Week 9. Accounting for six total touchdowns, Nix dominated the Cal bears en route to a 42-24 victory on Saturday.
Nix threw for three scores and ran another three in as he’s pushed his season total of touchdowns to 31. Considering his previous career-high touchdown total was 23, it’s safe to say Nix is having a career year with the Ducks.
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And are we cheating here by placing two quarterbacks on our players of the week? Probably, but I prefer to bend the rules a bit when you have this kind of dominance from the quarterback spot in such a well-rounded fashion.
Nix is deserving of all the praise, and he’s proving week in and week out that he’s deserving of Heisman consideration as well.
Honorable mentions: Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota; Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State; Rashee Rice, WR, SMU; Parker Washington, WR, Penn State; Antoine Green, WR, North Carolina; Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
Defensive Player of the Week: J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State
J.T. Tuimoloau made his name known nationally as the former five-star recruit had a once-in-a-lifetime type performance on Saturday. The Buckeyes’ star was a force to be reckoned with from the opening whistle, and Penn State had no answer for him, no matter where his impact was felt.
Tuimoloau recorded an impressive statistical showing, but it was how he produced that really stood out. He finished the day with six tackles, three for a loss, including two sacks, and had his hand in seemingly every big play for Ohio State.
Despite his stature at 6’4″, 273 pounds, Tuimoloau dropped back in coverage in the game’s opening stages and recorded an interception. He looked like an elite coverage linebacker the way he read the quarterback’s eyes and stepped perfectly in front of the backfield-stick route for the takeaway.
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He wasn’t done, however, as Tuimoloau made a Bosa-esque play, eerily similar for Big Ten offensive coordinators that should now be fearful of how to gameplan against Tuimoloau. With the game fading for Penn State, Tuimoloau dominated the point of attack against his tackle, tossing him to the ground before he leaped into the passing lane and snatched another interception from Sean Clifford.
This time, however, Tuimoloau returned the interception 14 yards for a touchdown that iced the performance for the Bucks.
It was a more dominant performance than we have now seen in college football this season. And to be honest, this may be the best single-game performance from a defensive player in college football for the better part of a decade.
Honorable mentions: Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville; Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville; Jackson Michell, LB, UConn; Maxen Hook, S, Toledo; Gabe Hall, Baylor
Special Teams Player of the Week: Jake Moody, K, Michigan
While the Michigan offense was largely unable to get the ball in the end zone, Jake Moody had no issue getting the ball through the uprights for points. Against Michigan State, Moody drilled all seven of his kicks, five field goals, and two extra points.
Moody made field goals of 22, 25, 33, 39, and 54 yards as he was perfect all night long.
In a game against their bitter in-state rival with a history of botched special teams plays, Moody’s automatic nature aided the Wolverines in a dominant victory.
Honorable mentions: Andres Borregales, K, Miami (FL); Michael Turk, P, Oklahoma; Lou Hedley, P, Miami (FL)
Freshman Player of the Week: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Colorado
Outdueling fellow true freshman receiver Evan Stewart with his all-around game, Jordyn Tyson was on another level against Arizona State. The Colorado Buffaloes receiver recorded 219 all-purpose yards and two scores, one receiving and another off a punt return.
He was faster than anyone on the field and simply needed the tiniest of creases before he was able to pull away from the pack. Tyson flashed breakaway speed as well as terrific vision with his 88-yard punt return touchdown that made it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.
He had previously shown to be a shifty route runner with terrific hands and the same speed no matter the level of the field with his five-catch, 115-yard performance through the air. The future is bright for the 6’2″, 180-pound freshman from Texas.
Honorable mentions: Evan Stewart, WR, Texas A&M; Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss; Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M; Pryce Yates, DT, UConn; Peter Manuma, S, Hawaii