| Who’s Hot on the Maxwell Award List
QB Mark Gronowski, Iowa
On a night that the defense allowed 400 yards, offense and special teams picked up the slack. Iowa opened its Friday night trip to Rutgers with a Kaden Wetjen 100-yard kickoff return, and Gronowski rallied the Hawkeyes back three times for a 38-28 win. The South Dakota State transfer completed 12-of-18 for 186 yards while rushing for 55 yards and three TDs, the final two in the fourth quarter to seal the win. It was Gronowski’s 52nd victory as a quarterback, making him the winningest QB in college football history.
QB Brendon Lewis, Memphis
Unbeaten Memphis entered the G5 playoff berth discussion with Saturday’s stirring comeback to beat Arkansas, 32-31. The Tigers trailed by as much as 18 points to the Hogs but rallied behind the dual-threat playmaking of Lewis. The Nevada transfer hit 15-of-30 for 199 yards, a touchdown and a pick. But he was most dangerous on the ground, rushing for 103 yards and two more scores.
QB Jayden Maiava, USC
Everyone will learn a lot about USC in the next few weeks, but the offense has been very sharp with Maiava at the controls. Now that Miller Moss is at Louisville, Maiava is no longer looking over his shoulder. The Trojans have opened with four wins by at least two touchdowns, including Saturday’s 45-31 defeat of visiting Michigan State. In the win, Maiava accounted for five scores, throwing for three on 20-of-26 passing and rushing for two more.
WR Eric McAlister, TCU
The Iron Skillet is headed back to Fort Worth. TCU avenged last year’s 66-42 loss to rival SMU with a come-from-behind thriller on Saturday, 35-24. McAlister had a monster game as Josh Hoover’s favorite target on crossing patterns. The 6-3, 205-pound senior posted a hat trick, scoring three long TDs on eight receptions for 254 yards, most of which came after the catch. McAlister’s second touchdown gave the Frogs the lead in the fourth and his final TD grab put the game away.
QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
The Indiana offense was very good with Nathan Rourke under center last year. It’s even better now that Mendoza is running the attack. In a showdown of ranked teams, the Hoosiers hammered Illinois 63-10 in arguably the most impressive win by any team in the opening month. IU shredded a quality Illini D for 579 balanced yards and 31 first downs. With pinpoint precision, Mendoza completed 21-of-23 for 267 yards, five TD passes and no turnovers.
QB Dante Moore, Oregon
With four starts under his belt, Moore appears ready for the first showcase game of his young college career. The 4-0 Ducks visit Penn State this weekend in a marquee battle of top 10 teams. Moore enters the game with 11 TD passes, one pick, and budding confidence. In Saturday’s Civil War with Oregon State, the sophomore from Detroit hit 21-of-31 passes for 305 yards, four scoring strikes and no turnovers. Moore was also second on the team with 53 rushing yards on seven carries.
RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love is one of the top backs in the country. His teammate is not far behind. Price showed in Saturday’s 56-30 win over Purdue why the Fighting Irish boast an elite one-two punch out of the backfield. The versatile junior, who’d start for many programs, scored a career-high four touchdowns – rushing for 74 yards and three TDs and taking a kickoff back 100 yards.
RB Dylan Riley, Boise State
It is never easy replacing a legend. But from the early returns, the Boise State ground game will be just fine following the departure of 2024 Maxwell Award winner Ashton Jeanty. Riley stepped out of his predecessor’s enormous shadow Saturday at Air Force, rushing 19 times for 171 yards and four touchdowns. He also proved valuable in the passing game with two catches for 84 yards and a fifth score as the Broncos rolled, 49-37.
The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best defensive player with the Chuck Bednarik Award. Here’s a look at last week’s standout defenders.
Who’s Hot on the Bednarik Award List
S Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma
The Sooners have a veteran QB, a championship-caliber D, and a ceiling that gets higher each week. Oklahoma defeated Auburn, 24-17, Saturday behind a school-record 10 sacks and clutch play from John Mateer. Bowen didn’t have one of those sacks, but he did have five tackles and two pass breakups and was terrific in coverage. His 88.8 PFF grade ranked third among all Week 4 safeties while his 87.5 cover grade also ranked in the top 10.
DB Boo Carter, Tennessee
The sky is the limit for the versatile Carter. In Saturday’s 56-24 win over UAB, the sophomore showcased his athleticism and big-play ability. Already an elite punt returner, Carter delivered a career day on defense. His team-high nine tackles included three stops for loss, a sack, and two forced fumbles on the same series, one of which Kaleb Beasley returned for a touchdown.
LB Ray Coney, Tulsa
Tulsa evened its record Friday night with its first win over Oklahoma State in Stillwater since 1951. It was a signature instate win for new head coach Tre Lamb who came over from ETSU and brought his star linebacker with him. Coney has been a rock in the middle for the Golden Hurricane. The nation’s leader in tackles had a team-high 13 stops in the 19-12 win including 1.5 for loss and a sack.
ED Michael Daley, Rice
Four games into Scott Abell’s tenure at Rice and the 3-1 Owls have almost matched last year’s win total. Rice beat Charlotte on the road Thursday, 28-17, behind a mix of north-south running and a tenacious pass rush. Daley had 2.5 of the six sacks of 49er QB Grayson Loftis. The 6-2, 237-pound former BYU transfer with the wicked spin move also had three tackles and eight total pressures, according to PFF.
LB Red Murdock, Buffalo
The Bulls suffered a crushing defeat to Troy Saturday, squandering a 17-0 lead and allowing the game-winning score with 45 seconds left. However, in the loss Murdock once again showed why he’s one of the game’s most underrated linebackers. The 6-1, 240-pound junior racked up a dozen tackles, including 2.5 for loss, a sack and a pair of forced fumbles.
DE Quincy Rhodes, Arkansas
In the end, it wasn’t enough, but Rhodes had the kind of game Saturday that will attract the attention of NFL scouts. The athletic 6-6, 275-pounder with the dynamite spin moves jumped off the tape in Saturday’s disappointing loss in Memphis. Rhodes had six tackles, four TFLs and a pair of sacks. It was his second multi-sack game in the last three weeks.
LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
The Red Raiders are for real and the Big 12 favorite as the opening month nears an end. Texas Tech stuffed Utah in Salt Lake City, 34-10, silencing the always rowdy Rice-Eccles Stadium crowd. The team that so artfully used the portal this offseason leaned on one of its star holdovers to limit the Utes to just 263 yards. Rodriguez, who’s always near the ball, notched a team-high 11 tackles, a half TFL, an interception, and a forced fumble.
LB Daniel Wingate, Maryland
Wingate is playing at an All-Big Ten level in his third season in College Park. The 4-0 Terrapins kept Wisconsin out of the end zone for the first 59:32 of Saturday’s 27-10 win in Madison. The 6-5, 230-pound Wingate was at the center of the defensive domination with a game-best 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. Seven of his tackles were solo stops.
The Maxwell Football Club supports former Alabama and Seattle Seahawks star RB Shaun Alexander in annually naming the top college freshman.
Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Player of the Week
CB Demetres Samuel Jr., Syracuse
In a little over a year, Fran Brown has dramatically upgraded the talent at Syracuse. Samuel is a shining example. The true freshman from Florida didn’t just win a starting job in the Orange secondary; he’s been an impact performer. In Saturday’s 34-21 road upset of Clemson, Samuel helped corral the talented Tiger receivers with six tackles and four forced incompletions. The four forced incompletions tied for third among all FBS defenders in Week 4.
Must-See Week 5 Games
Ohio State (3-0) at Washington (3-0)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
Washington gets a chance to show it belongs in the Big Ten title chase.
Year 2 under Jedd Fisch has been a fast climb in Seattle. The Huskies already look nothing like last season’s 6–7 squad, racing to a 3–0 start behind the explosive trio of QB Demond Williams, RB Jonah Coleman, and WR Denzel Boston. Now comes the measuring stick — the defending national champions. Ohio State is also 3–0, highlighted by a gritty win over Texas in the opener. QB Julian Sayin has shown poise with eight touchdown passes, but he’s also thrown three picks over the last two weeks. Saturday marks his first road start, a major test against a Husky D eager to prove it’s Big Ten ready.
LSU (4-0) at Ole Miss (4-0)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
The Sip will be rocking with unbeaten LSU rolling into Oxford.
Both teams are surging out of the gate. LSU has already stacked wins over Clemson and Florida, and Brian Kelly’s biggest question mark — the defense — has been a revelation, allowing no more than 10 points in any game so far. Ole Miss has been just as impressive, navigating two early SEC hurdles with wins over Kentucky and Arkansas before dismantling a strong Tulane team, 45–10. Credit Lane Kiffin, the quarterback whisperer. Even with backup Trinidad Chambliss at the controls, the Rebel offense hasn’t slowed down, averaging 45 points per game and lighting up defenses with its usual mix of tempo and explosiveness.
Oregon (4-0) at Penn State (3-0)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
Penn State has circled this one for nearly a year — payback for last season’s Big Ten title game loss to Oregon.
The Nittany Lions get their shot under the lights in a White Out at Beaver Stadium, one of college football’s most intimidating settings. Both teams enter unbeaten, having cruised through September without breaking a sweat, but the stakes are rising. The winner joins Ohio State as the early Big Ten frontrunner and strengthens its case as a national contender. For Penn State, all eyes will be on Drew Allar. The QB has the tools NFL scouts covet, and this is the kind of stage that can elevate his draft stock. On the other sideline, Oregon’s precocious sophomore Dante Moore has been electric so far, but he’s never experienced an environment quite like Happy Valley at night.
Alabama (2-1) at Georgia (3-0)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Alabama at Georgia serves as the exclamation point to what might be the most consequential weekend of the season to date.
Whenever the Tide and the Dawgs meet, it has a heavyweight title bout feel, and Saturday night will be no different. Alabama hasn’t visited Sanford Stadium since 2015, and Georgia has turned it into a fortress with 33 straight home wins. The Bulldogs come in riding high after a dramatic Week 3 comeback at Tennessee. For Alabama, this is a chance at redemption. The Tide has been climbing steadily since its opening-day loss to Florida State, and nothing would flip the national conversation faster than snapping Georgia’s home streak. A win Between the Hedges wouldn’t just vault Bama back into the SEC’s upper echelon — it would reestablish it as a national title threat. |
