RB Kalen Ballage, Arizona St
Ballage and WR Jaleel Scott put on a show in their matchup last week. They were clearly the two best players on the field and already looked ready to play at a higher level. Ballage was frighteningly fast for a big RB. And not just a big fast athlete, he showed vision and shiftiness en route to 140 all purpose yds and 2 TDs. Here he’s returning a kick at 6’3 230. Yeah.
QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Jackson already put his talent on the table last season so it’s not surprising to see his freakish skill set on display. But more encouraging was his intermediate accuracy as a passer, something that was generally hit or miss last season. Too early to call it significant improvement but it’s headed that way.
WR Jaleel Scott, New Mexico St
Scott made the catch of the season in just the first week. But he was highpointing the ball all game proving to be undefendable in those situations. He also showed solid burst off the line and open field break down for a 6’6 215 WR. He was a man amongst boys last week.
RB Ronald Jones, USC
Jones stole the show for those anticipating Darnold’s season debut. He was a monster after contact and showed impressive burst and speed. I think he was almost too aggressive initiating contact and worry about his durability at that size. The RB class this year is especially talented with as many as four 1st round caliber guys in Barkley, Guice, Ballage and Jones.
LB Josey Jewell, Iowa
Jewell was easily the best player on the field last week. He demonstrated his entire skill set; he can cover, range, and fill as well as any college LBer in this class.
WR Cam Phillips, Virginia Tech
Phillips elite ball skills and quickness were on display in the opener. He’s got a lot of Jarvis Landry/Golden Tate to his game.
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