The Week 4 College Football Team of the Week saw its fair share of splendid performances in a great weekend of college football. With a bevy of remarkable contests in Week 4, this list aims to award the top performers at every position from across the slate of games at each level against any competition.
Week 4 College Football Team of the Week | First Team
It’s important to note that the PFN Week 4 College Football Team of the Week awards players based on their impact in their respective games and is not necessarily based on total statistical output.
The strength of competition is accounted for, as is the situation — both time of the game and score. These individual awards are also solely based on a player’s ability on Saturday and do not look into their future stock or NFL draft prospects.
Quarterback: DJ Uiagalelei, Clemson
In what was the best performance of his career, DJ Uiagalelei led the Clemson Tigers back and ultimately to a double-overtime win against Wake Forest. Uiagalelei looked poised in the pocket and found his receivers in tight spots at every level of the field.
His play to bring Clemson back was spectacular, including one of the weekend’s highlight-reel plays where a Wake Forest defender was draped around his leg but delivered a big throw for a 2-point conversion. He finished with 371 yards and five touchdowns in a brilliant performance.
Running Back: Blake Corum, Michigan
It’s becoming the norm for Blake Corum to find himself on our Team of the Week. Just seven days after rushing for five touchdowns, Corum toted the rock 30 times against Maryland, making every carry count and totaling 243 yards on the ground.
It was Corum who paced the Wolverines against the Terapins and continually kept their offense off the field by churning out first downs.
Corum also put the final nail in the coffin for Maryland as he took a third-down carry and burst outside, scooting past the Terps defenders for a 47-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach with 3:31 left on the clock.
Running Back: Jadyn Ott, Cal
In a coming-out party for the true freshman back, Jadyn Ott ripped off his fair share of highlight-reel plays against Arizona. He had touchdown runs of 73 and 72 yards, but his 18-yard score may have been the most impressive.
Plunging through the middle of the Wildcats’ defense, Ott took on Arizona single-handedly and barreled through them all, keeping his balance and pushing through at least five defenders to get the touchdown that all but broke Arizona’s spirit. In total, Ott finished with 19 carries for 274 yards on a fabulous day.
Wide Receiver: DJ England-Chisolm, Middle Tennessee
It’s rare that a receiver will make the Team of the Week with just two receptions. Yet, that’s exactly what DJ England-Chisolm does here after he took the top off the Miami defense on two occasions.
England-Chisolm had two catches, but those receptions each went for a touchdown as he was too fast for the Hurricanes’ defenders. His two catches went for 169 yards, including a 98-yard touchdown that broke Miami’s spirit.
Wide Receiver: Tyler Scott, Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium was rocking and saw a dominant performance from Ben Bryant and his favorite target Tyler Scott. Hauling in 10 receptions for 185 yards, Scott scored three touchdowns through the air, each one of them worthy of highlight reels. Scott won at every level of the field and had touchdowns of 32, 34, and 75 yards, all in the first half.
Wide Receiver: Fotis Kokosioulis, Fordham
When you feast on an FBS defense but play on an FCS team, you are still viable for our Team of the Week. At least that is my rationale, even if it hadn’t happened before. That is, of course, until Fotis Kokosioulis turned heads against Ohio.
The Rams didn’t quite get the win, but it didn’t matter as Kokosioulis turned the eyes of the nation upon them for the rest of their season. Kokosioulis finished a remarkable outing with 13 receptions for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Those are even more than video-game numbers.
Tight End: Brenton Strange, Penn State
Needing a big game from their tight end, Penn State witnessed Brenton Strange take over when it mattered most. Against a pesky Central Michigan team, Strange hauled in two receiving touchdowns, both in pivotal spots, including his final three-yard touchdown reception that essentially put the game out of reach at 27-14. Strange was also a factor in the rushing game, where he paved the way on the edge for big gains.
Flex: Jalon Daniels, QB, Kansas | Adrian Martinez, Kansas State
Unable to pick just one of these impressive quarterbacks who did it all for their teams, we have two offensive flex players from the state of Kansas. Starting early in the day, Jalon Daniels moved Kansas to 4-0, thanks in part to his five-touchdown performance.
Daniels rushed for 83 yards and a score while finishing 19-of-23 through the air for 324 yards and four scores. His poise and ball placement not only won him the game but have firmly placed him in the 2023 NFL Draft conversation.
And for Martinez, his ground game prowess was on full display as he ran over Oklahoma in a major upset. Taking a bow on the Sooners, Martinez ran for 148 yards and four touchdowns while he himself had a five-touchdown performance with another score through the air. Martinez couldn’t be stopped and scored just enough for the Wildcats to secure an upset victory over the No. 6 team in the country.
Offensive Tackle: Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Showcasing incredible strength on multiple occasions, Paris Johnson Jr. was unstoppable and immovable for Wisconsin defenders on Saturday night.
Johnson’s move to left tackle has paid dividends as C.J. Stroud‘s blindside has been kept clean in pass protection more often than ever before. And Johnson’s ability on the move for the ground game has been well documented, with another great example of that on display on Saturday.
Guard: D’Mitri Emmanuel, Florida State
The Florida State Seminoles came out swinging against Boston College and, before their offense was on the field, had a 7-0 lead and a short field. It was, however, D’Mitri Emmanuel and the offensive line that really set the tone when FSU was on the field on offense.
Emmanuel fired off the ball and handled the BC front with ease in both facets. Thanks to Emmanuel and the ‘Noles offensive line, FSU scored four times on the ground, and Jordan Travis had a bevy of time to throw from the pocket.
Center: Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
Get used to the name, especially on our Team of the Week as Olusegun Oluwatimi earned his spot yet again. Helping pave the way for Corum’s terrific day, Oluwatimi was terrific on the ground.
On multiple occasions, Oluwatimi was leading the convey of Wolverine blockers, reaching the second level with ease and dominating the point of attack. Rushing lanes were big and plentiful for Michigan because of Oluwatimi.
Guard: Grant Miller, Baylor
It was another great display of what makes the Baylor offensive line so good on Saturday. Dictating the pace of play and dominating the first line of attack for Iowa State, Grant Miller and Co. were special in Week 4.
Most notably, their protection on the wide-open triple-option reverse pass from Blake Shapen to Gavin Holmes was a thing of beauty as it looked like a cohesive unit of unstoppable pass protectors anchored by Miller.
Offensive Tackle: Blake Freeland, BYU
Early and often against Wyoming, the BYU offensive line beat up the Cowboys’ front. Blake Freeland opened up the scoring for BYU with his play, moving the edge defender off the ball so far that Christopher Brooks essentially walked in for the Cougars’ first touchdown.
Freeland was terrific on a two-minute drive to close the half and kept Jaren Hall clean from pressure on seemingly every snap.
EDGE: Bryson Jackson, Baylor
Winning with incredible speed, Bryson Jackson was in the backfield whenever he wanted against Iowa State. Jackson’s impressive day finished with two sacks, but he had a much bigger impact than just those sacks as he constantly pushed the pocket and made life uncomfortable for Hunter Dekkers.
He had four total tackles to go with his two sacks and perhaps another half-dozen quarterback pressures when it was all said and done.
EDGE: Derick Hall, Auburn
In a wild game overall, Derick Hall had some of the game’s biggest moments. Hall whipped around the edge of Missouri’s offensive line almost at will and recorded two sacks on the day.
His interception off Brady cook set up Auburn for their second touchdown, but it was his jumping on the football in the end zone during overtime that ultimately sealed the deal. Hall was a menace to Missouri all game long and caused havoc in every period.
Defensive Interior: Buddha Jones, Troy
A big-man touchdown capped a dominant performance by the Troy defense against Marshall. Buddha Jones actually scored Troy’s only touchdown against the Thundering Herd, scooping and scoring from 23 yards out in the first quarter that cemented just how strong of an effort it was for four quarters from the Trojans.
Jones had two total fumble recoveries and pushed the pocket all game long, making Marshall quarterbacks uncomfortable.
Defensive Interior: Zaylin Wood, Middle Tennessee
The second Middle Tennessee player on our Team of the Week, Zaylin Wood, really got the upset started for the Blue Raiders. It was Wood who jumped a Tyler Van Dyke pass to his right, tipped it to himself, and rumbled to the end zone from 15 yards away that was the beginning of the end for Van Dyke.
Wood got home with two sacks and was a constant force in both Van Dyke and Jake Garcia’s faces.
Linebacker: Junior Colson, Michigan
All over the field for Michigan, Junior Colson was a thorn in Maryland’s side on Saturday. Colson finished with a whopping 13 tackles as he patrolled the underneath portion of the field with precision and aggression.
When he blitzed, he got home with hurries. And when he dropped in coverage, Colson limited gains or shut down passing lanes in general. It was a great three-down display of top-tier linebacking from Colson.
Linebacker: Tatum Bethune, Florida State
It’s not going to be indicative of Tatum Bethune’s impact for FSU in the stat sheet. He finished with four tackles, and that’s it for the box-score scouts. Yet, Bethune was a menace in the middle of the field for the Seminoles.
He blitzed and got home with pressure after pressure, moving Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec off his spot on multiple occasions. When he didn’t blitz, Bethune took away underneath passing lanes that BC has thrived on over the past few years. Bethune was an integral piece of FSU stymying Boston College all night long.
Linebacker: Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
If last week was Ivan Pace Jr.’s revenge game in toppling his former school, then this week was his official “get to know him, world” outing. Pace was all over the field for the Bearcats, thriving when he was able to play free and get after the quarterback.
He had 2.5 sacks and another three hurries as he blitzed with precise angles, strength, and speed. He had 15 total tackles on the afternoon, moving well in every facet on defense.
Cornerback: Justin Walley, Minnesota
Limiting Michigan State to fewer than 250 total yards on offense, the Minnesota Golden Gophers defense was on fire in Week 4. Justin Walley had himself a day from the cornerback spot, locking down in coverage and registering an impressive interception off Payton Thorne. He was also in the right place at the right time, thanks in part to his instincts, finding his way to two fumble recoveries.
Cornerback: Omarion Cooper, Florida State
It was a beatdown for Florida State on Saturday night, starting with a kickoff return for a touchdown and an Omarion Cooper interception on the two first series. Cooper drew a tough assignment of covering Zay Flowers, but he was more than up for the challenge. FSU, thanks to Cooper’s services, limited Flowers to just 45 yards and just a total of 140 yards passing on the night.
Cornerback: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
A name to know as we highlighted on the top prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft, all Cooper DeJean has done this year is impress. Against Rutgers, it was more of the same for DeJean as he did his best Willie Mays impression, intercepting a pass over his shoulder and returning it 45 yards for a score. His interception return was one of two defensive scores from another dominant showing from the Hawkeyes defense.
Safety: Demani Richardson, Texas A&M
Scoring in one of the craziest ways possible, Demani Richardson rumbled 82 yards to the house in a momentum-shifting, game-saving play for Texas A&M. After Tyreek Chappell had recovered a fumble and in the arms of a would-be tackler, it was Richardson who stripped the ball from his teammate and finished the scoop-and-score play from 82 yards out.
It was an amazing display of football IQ and athleticism as Richardson also finished with six total tackles as he was all over the field on Saturday.
Safety: Krishon Merriweather, Texas Tech
Forcing the game’s biggest turnover, Krishon Merriweather used his perfect tackling form to pop the ball out of Texas RB Bijan Robinson in overtime. Merriweather stuffed Robinson in the hole and put his hat on the midsection, popping the ball out of the usually reliable Robinson’s grasp.
It wasn’t his only play of the game, as he led the team in tackles, but it was the biggest play of the game on defense.
Flex: Laiatu Latu, UCLA
What a performance it was for UCLA on Saturday, especially Laiatu Latu. The Bruins linebacker is a massive man at 6’4″, 265 pounds, and he used every inch and pound of it to cause havoc on seemingly every play.
It was a career day for Latu, who finished with three sacks and four total tackles, including a forced fumble, He was terrific in each facet and made his presence known as UCLA improved to 4-0 on the year and 1-0 in Pac-12 play.
Kicker: B.T. Potter, Clemson
In an ACC classic, Clemson outlasted Wake Forest in double overtime. But Clemson wouldn’t have even been in the situation to win it in overtime had it not been for B.T. Potter.
It was his 52-yard field goal with just over four minutes to play that tied it up after all. Potter had ice in his veins with the game potentially on the line and drilled an impressive 52-yard kick that would’ve been good from at least 60.
Potter finished perfect on the afternoon, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points.
Punter: Tory Taylor, Iowa
The game between Iowa and Rutgers was widely anticipated as one of the best punter battles in recent memory. And Tory Taylor didn’t disappoint.
Knocking four of his five punts inside the Rutgers 20, Taylor averaged 42.6 yards per kick while he had enough hangtime on every kick to allow for negative return yardage.
Kick Returner: Trey Benson, Florida State
Kicking things off with a literal bang for Florida State, Trey Benson took the game’s opening kickoff for a 93-yard touchdown that all but ended it.
Benson was dominant all game long whenever he had the ball as he scored twice on the ground to give him three touchdowns on the day. BC scored twice but avoided Benson on each kick thereafter.
Punt Returner: Caullin Lacy, South Alabama
Making a house call, Caullin Lacy showcased impressive, game-changing speed in the process.
Lacy fielded a punt and weaved around Louisiana Tech defenders on the right before cutting across the field and beating everyone to the pylon early in the first quarter that set the tone for a South Alabama dominating victory.
Lacy also led the team with three catches and four yards in the receiving game.
Week 4 College Football Team of the Week | Second Team
Offense
QB: Kurtis Rourke, Ohio | Will Rogers, Mississippi State
RB: Devon Achane, Texas A&M
RB: Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
WR: Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky
WR: Troy Franklin, Oregon
WR: De’Corian Clark, UTSA
TE: Dalton Kincaid, Utah
FLEX: Rome Odunze, Washington
OT: Darnell Wright, Tennessee
G: Chuck Filiaga, Minnesota
C: Maurice Smith, Florida State
G: Hadley Panzer, Kansas State
OT: Christian Duffie, Kansas State
Defense
EDGE: Deeve Harris, Old Dominion
EDGE: Nelson Ceaser, Houston
IDL: Dominique Perry, Cincinnati
IDL: Rylie Mills, Notre Dame
LB: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
LB: Francisco Mauigoa, Washington State
LB: Xavier Cullens, Memphis
CB: DJ Turner, Michigan
CB: Nohl Williams, UNLV
CB: Garrett Williams, Syracuse
DB: Derrick Canteen, Georgia Southern
DB: Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
Flex: Cole Bishop, Utah
Special Teams
K: Chad Ryland, Maryland
P: Ethan Duane, Old Dominion
KR: Jaylon Jackson, Eastern Michigan
PR: Marcus Bellon, UTEP