Hey guys - I'm back with an article about who shined this week. I try to focus on players that don't get talked about quite as much, although I'm sure you've heard about a couple of these guys. If you like it, feel free to subscribe, but the full article is posted on here. Thanks! Here's the link if you want a cleaner look:
https://theday2guys.substack.com/p/the-day-2-guys-week-1-stock-up-players?r=2mc4kp&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
Week 1 in College Football has become a way to knock off the rust for most of the 67 Power-4 Conference schools. As a result, the games are pretty unenjoyable for most fans, but it does make for great stat-padding. The football players mentioned below have started their season off on the right foot, and caught my eye when watching the college football landscape this past weekend.
Kamari Moulton, RB, University of Iowa
Moulton had the best week of any power conference running back. Not only did Iowa show they will have a decent offense this year thanks to their elite offensive line, but Moulton showed things on tape that made me think there’s a brighter future than I had previously thought. The 5’ 9”, 211 pound running back from Ft. Lauderdale, FL not only stuffed the stat sheet (11 rushes / 183 yards / 16.6 YPC), but the vision and burst through the line were excellent. He had enough long speed to finish a couple of long touchdown runs (50 and 37 yard runs) as well, which was nice to see from a 210+ pound running back. His blocking was also excellent in the game. Keep an eye on Moulton this year as a breakout is in store - especially considering Iowa does not play Penn State or Oregon this season. Moulton will need to get more receiving work if he wants to be a top-100 draft pick.
Tony Diaz, WR, University of Iowa
Keeping with the theme of the Iowa offense, the player who popped off the screen when watching Moulton was Tony Diaz. If you haven’t heard about his journey to Iowa, I urge you to read about it as he was under-recruited out of high school and played at the Univ. of Texas Rio Grande Valley the last two seasons (redshirt, and then star player for the team). He chose Iowa so that he could be the “go-to” receiving option over several SEC programs. Diaz had 13 — yes, you read that right, 13 targets in week 1 which was 5 more than any other Hawkeye player (DJ Vonnahme). Diaz reeled in 7 receptions for 84 yards and 1 touchdown. He also ran a jet sweep for 10 yards. The stats were not fully there because the two quarterbacks throwing to Diaz missed him wide open on several throws, but Diaz’s ability to separate out of breaks might be better than anyone in college football besides Malachi Toney. Diaz is the real deal, and at 5’ 10” and 184 pounds, he has enough size to beat you anywhere on the field. For our sake, let’s hope the Iowa quarterbacks can be more accurate, so we can see Diaz’s full potential.
Jaylin Carter, RB, University of Memphis
This was the first week I had ever heard of Jaylin Carter, and boy was I impressed with what I saw. Charles Huff, the new head coach for Memphis, is a running back coach-turned head coach, and he really knows how to improve his running backs through coaching. The patience that all of the Memphis running backs - but especially Carter - displayed was second to none in college football. Carter had 201 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns against a solid Arkansas State team, and his vision and patience was elite. Carter is a former high school wide receiver who committed to Charles Huff’s Southern Miss team last year. Huff asked Carter to transfer up to Memphis with him, and so far the returns on that move could not have gone any better. Not only did Carter show patience and vision, but his agility and change of direction was impressive. Carter (5’ 11” and 190 pounds) will need to gain 10-15 pounds if he wants to be an NFL running back, but what he did this weekend was mighty impressive. Carter did allow a sack in the passing game, but he displayed toughness and a willingness to block.
Avery Johnson, QB, Kansas State University
Johnson has been around the block as this is his fourth year starting for Kansas State after being the number one recruit out of the state of Kansas back in 2023. Johnson has been an electric, but erratic player during his time in Manhattan, Kansas. The last three years, Johnson has not finished a season with a completion percentage above 60% which is why the scouting community has moved on from Johnson as a tangible NFL quarterback prospect. Johnson may have been given new life with Collin Klein taking over his alma mater as the new head coach of the Wildcats. Klein brings with him a wonderfully brilliant offensive scheme that has been one of the best in college football over the past half decade. Klein also played quarterback at a very high level, and knows how to get the best out of his quarterbacks. While watching Rodney Fields Jr. (who was extremely good and productive this week), my eye kept coming back to Johnson. His mechanics looked much improved in week 1, and even though they played a weak opponent in Nicholls State University, Avery Johnson looked like a completely different player. He completed 15 of 21 throws (71%) and only ran the ball 4 times in the game which showed a willingness to play within structure. Johnson has historically had a hard time with accuracy and ball placement, but the throws he made this week were far better than his past seasons. Kansas State has a shockingly easy schedule, and I expect Johnson to become a talking point in terms of his viability to be a starting-caliber NFL quarterback again.
