Each week, The Game Haus will highlight five players to watch from college football games featuring Top 25 teams. From established stars to players on the verge of breaking out, we’ll offer some names to remember every week of the college football season.
Here’s a look at five players to watch in Week 4 (All times Eastern):
Matchup: at Purdue, Noon, Saturday
Breakdown: Running back AJ Dillon is also among the nation’s players to watch, but Brown is the engine of an Eagles offense that’s averaging 52.7 points. He’s 33 of 48 for 626 yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions. To put things into perspective, Brown threw 11 touchdown passes all last season. Purdue might offer a challenge for the sophomore, who threw five of those touchdowns in last weekend’s win over Wake Forest.
Matchup: at No. 1 Alabama, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Breakdown: Jimbo Fisher has himself a good one in this junior. Williams has averaged 6.8 yards per carry while gaining 399 and scoring four touchdowns on the ground. However, Williams is in for a true test against perhaps the best defense in the nation. Alabama held Louisville and Ole Miss to a combined 131 rushing yards this season.
David Long Jr. (Photo by dubvnation.com)
Matchup: vs. Kansas State, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Breakdown: Healthy and confident, Long is off to a strong start for the Mountaineers defense and is among the most promising players to watch. A season after recording 76 tackles, including 16 1/2 for loss, Long ranks among the national leaders with 23 total tackles, 13 of which have been solos. Kansas State is averaging 177.7 rushing yards, so Long is expected to be busy when the Wildcats visit Morgantown.
Matchup: vs. Texas Tech, 7 p.m., Saturday
Breakdown: Brailford recorded six sacks over two seasons with the Cowboys heading into this year, but he already has four to rank among the NCAA leaders. He is definitely one of the more intriguing defensive players in the Big 12. He’s also posted 5 1/2 tackles for loss for an Oklahoma State defense that has 16 sacks and is allowing an average of 17 points while opening the season with three straight victories.
Johnny Johnson III (Photo by gettyimages.com)
Matchup: vs. No. 7 Stanford, 8 p.m., Saturday
Breakdown: Talk about making the most of your opportunities. Johnson has become the Cris Carter of the Ducks offense with his knack for finding the end zone. The sophomore has caught six passes through the first three games of the season, with four going for touchdowns. Two of those touchdown receptions have gone for at least 39 yards. Stanford, though, has yielded one touchdown through the air this season.
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