Welcome back college football, and welcome back our College Football Team of the Week! A massive weekend slate of games is mostly behind us, leaving lasting memories, massive upsets, and resetting the college football landscape in the process.
To be considered for the Pro Football Network College Football Team of the Week, a player must have demonstrated high-quality play on the field and be in good standing in the classroom. Each player’s body of work was analyzed for how impactful they were in their respective game. The strength of the opponent was also a big determining factor, as well as the time and situation of each game.
College Football Week 1: Team of the Week
Unlike last week’s Team of the Week, with enough data and plenty of worthy players, we’ve broken down every position on both offense and defense. Each individual performance from our Week 1 Team of the Week is certainly more than deserving.
First-Team Offense
We begin with the offense in our Week 1 Team of the Week.
QB: Bryce Young, Alabama
What a big stage to make a grand first impression for Bryce Young. Completing 27 of 38 passes for 344 yards is impressive enough against a Miami secondary laden in talent. Playing in front of the national stage and setting an Alabama record 4 passing touchdowns in your debut is even more impressive. Young is here to stay.
RB: Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State
An in-conference opener, Kenneth Walker made his name known to Big Ten defenses in a big way on Friday night. He carried the rock 23 times for 264 yards and 4 touchdowns against a talented, well-coached Northwestern defense. A transfer from Wake Forest, Walker single-handedly outscored the Wildcats in this one.
RB: D’Vonte Price, Florida International
D’Vonte Price needed just 5 carries to eclipse 100 yards, totaling 165 yards and 3 touchdowns in the process. He scored on 60% of his carries in a dominant debut for FIU. What more can you ask for from a running back?
WR: Zakhari Franklin, UTSA
The Roadrunners finally broke through with a marquee program victory on Saturday night. Head coach Jeff Traylor’s crew defeated Illinois thanks in part to big-time performances from their stars on offense. Zakhari Franklin, being one of those stars, recorded 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. His go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter put UTSA up two possessions and capitalized on momentum in a big way.
WR: Chris Olave, Ohio State
There aren’t many superlatives Chris Olave could be labeled with that he hasn’t heard already. It was just another day in the office for the future first-round pick against Minnesota on Thursday night. Olave had 4 receptions for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns in the OSU come-from-behind win over the Gophers.
WR: Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
The nation’s leading returning receiving yards leader got off to another great start in 2021. Opening the season for the second straight time against Southern Miss, Jalen Tolbert once again crushed the 100-yard plateau against the Golden Eagles. Tolbert finished the game with 5 catches for 168 yards, routinely turning basic catches into big gains.
TE: Dalton Kincaid, Utah
It wasn’t just the 4-catch, 75-yard, 2-touchdown statistical line that earns Dalton Kincaid his spot here. It was how he did it. His toe-tapping touchdown in the first quarter set the tone for a dominant performance from the big man.
Flex: Kayshon Boutte, LSU
We witnessed the true coming-out party for another talented LSU wide receiver against UCLA despite a losing effort. Kayshon Boutte recorded 9 catches for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns. He hauled in all 3 of the passing touchdowns from Max Johnson, doing everything he could to keep LSU in it against the Bruins.
LT: Connor Galvin, Baylor
Has there been a bigger influence on a position group this offseason than the hiring of offensive line coach Eric Mateos at Baylor? The answer is no. Baylor’s offensive line was once considered the worst in the Big 12, even among Power Five teams. With Mateos’ arrival, however, Connor Galvin easily spots his place on the Team of the Week with a dominant performance against the run and in pass protection for the Bears.
LG: Sione Finau, Florida International
You don’t run for 318 yards on the ground, average 10.6 yards per carry, and punt only once in an entire game without solid offensive line play. That’s exactly what Sione Finau paved the way for Thursday night, emphatically pancaking defenders en route to the victory.
C: Matthew Lee, UCF
Matthew Lee was all over the place for UCF on Thursday night, clearing huge lanes and large gaps for Golden Knight ball carriers in the run game. He was also solid against a tough Boise State line in pass protection.
RG: Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
It was hard to miss the right side of the offensive line for Ohio State against Minnesota. Though Dawand Jones at 6’8″, 360 dominated the viewing angles on your television, it was Paris Johnson Jr. who was arguably the most impressive (don’t worry, Jones lands as our second-team right tackle on our Team of the Week). Consistently winning his one-on-one reps, Johnson proved to be more than up to the task.
RT: Cade Mays, Tennessee
Cade Mays had his way with Bowling Green defenders like you would expect him to. He kept Joe Milton clean and was dominant downfield as a blocker for the Volunteers. Despite an incredibly fast offensive game plan, Mays looked like he didn’t miss a beat on any rep.
Kicker: Gabe Brkic, Oklahoma
He may have missed a chip shot near the end of the game, but Gabe Brkic put on a deep kicking clinic against Tulane. He connected on 3 field goals of at least 50 yards (56, 55, 51) and made all 4 extra-point attempts as well.
Second-Team Offense
QB: Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky | Tanner Mordecai, SMU
RB: Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
RB: Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota
WR: Trea Shropshire, UAB
WR: Erik Ezukanma, Texas Tech
WR: Jaylon Robinson, UCF
TE: Greg Dulcich, UCLA
Flex: Jordan Whittington, Texas
LT: Spencer Burford, UTSA
LG: Eric Wilson, Penn State
C: Dawson Deaton, Texas Tech
RG: Grant Miller, Baylor
RT: Dawand Jones, Ohio State
K: Will Reichard, Alabama
Honorable Mention Offense
QB: Dillon Gabriel, UCF | Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland
RB: Isaiah Bowser, UCF | DeAndre Torrey, North Texas
RB: Mataeo Durant, Duke | Sean Tucker, Syracuse
WR: Drake London, USC
WR: Neil Pau’u, BYU
WR: Corey Rucker, Arkansas State
TE: Trey McBride, Colorado State
Flex: Ricky Person Jr., NC State | Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
LT: Nicholas Petit-Frere, Ohio State
LG: Josh Rivas, Kansas State
C: James Empey, BYU
RG: Liam Jimmons, USC
RT: Gavin Byers, Baylor
K: Brandon Talton, Nevada