Four players who helped their draft stock in Week 1, plus prospects to watch in Week 2

USC's Jonah Monheim made a successful transition to the interior, while Jalon Walker popped for Georgia.

An exciting weekend of football came to a close late Monday night when Florida State dropped a stunner to Boston College, but the five day marathon that was Week 1 of the college football slate provided plenty of discourse across the landscape. From Tetairoa McMillan’s 300-yard performance to Ashton Jeanty’s 6 touchdown masterpiece, several players at or near the the top of their respective positions in the 2024 NFL draft made big-time statements over the weekend.

But just like Week 0’s slate of games, I’ll go through and highlight players who stood out to me, but not necessarily players who are already stars at their positions. That’ll eliminate guys like McMillan, Jeanty, Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, among others, who were impressive, but are the names most draft and college football fans already know.

Here are my four standouts from Week 1:

Jalon Walker, hybrid LB/EDGE, Georgia

All summer, and rightfully so, we heard about Mykel Williams was set to take the next step as the next-in-line Georgia edge rusher to become a first-round pick. Against Clemson, Williams finished with two tackles for loss and still looked like the explosive specimen that ranked no. 6 in my EDGE rankings this summer.

But it was Georgia hybrid linebacker and edge rusher Jalon Walker who really caught my eye during Saturday’s game. He’s a bit on the smaller side to play full-time as an edge rusher, but did an excellent job taking on blocks, and playing with a persistent motor. He finished with six tackles and 1.5 sacks, but he really took over the second half, flying to the football and off the edge for Georgia.

Jonah Monheim, Center, USC

Jonah Monheim has started both sides of the line at tackle, has experience at guard, but got his first shot at center on Sunday night against LSU, and excelled. The USC offensive lineman did a nice job anticipating inside games and stunts, has a strong anchor that he can sit in to stymie bull and power rushes, and moves surprisingly well in space at his size (6-5, 310).

Nothing overly flashy with his game, but Monheim understands how to cut off linebackers and angles to attack in space. You throw in his positional versatility, and can see why teams will find value in his skill set and experience come April.

Jaylen Reed, Safety, Penn State

Jaylen Reed earned All-Big Ten honorable mention last season after compiling 46 tackles (four for loss) and two interceptions, but he’s a player not nearly getting enough love in draft circles. The attention on the back end goes to his teammate Kevin Winston Jr., a big safety (6-2, 208) but Reed is a playmaker in his on right, and he showed that on Saturday.

Reed was second in tackles with nine, including one for loss, had a huge PBU early in the game to prevent a 20 yard gain, dislodged the ball free from a tight end over the middle of the field, and made several tackles on the perimeter. What I was most impressed with, especially on the first possession, is his play recognition and trigger to get downhill quickly.

Desmond Reid, RB, Pittsburgh

A name that my good friend Nick Farabaugh name dropped as a player to watch with Rodney Hammond Jr. ruled ineligible this season, Desmond Reid, though small in stature (5-8, 190) is a shifty firecracker with the ball in his hands. He earned the start at running back, but made his first splash play on special teams, taking a 78-yard punt return to the house in the first quarter.

The former Eastern Carolina back rushed for 897 yards and over 1,000 all-purpose yards last season, and is well on his way to replicate that production now at Pitt. He finished with 145 yards on just 14 carries, including a 46-yard scamper in the third quarter of Pitt’s win over Kent State. He’s often making the first, second, and sometimes third player miss both in the hole and in the open field.

Prospects to watch in Week 2

Michigan DB Will Johnson vs. Texas WR Isaiah Bond (Saturday, Noon ET)

There will be must-see TV matchups all over the field in this game, but with Will Johnson, arguably the top defensive back in the class, potentially being matched up with Isaiah Bond, a sudden, savvy route runner, this game could turn into a highlight reel or low-light reel, with whoever ends up winning those one-on-one matchups.

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty vs. #7 Oregon (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET)

My top running back coming into the season, Ashton Jeanty has a chance to put on an encore performance after rushing for 267 yards and six scores. He also has a chance for an early Heisman candidacy against an Oregon defense that allowed just 49 rushing yards against Idaho last week.

Arkansas EDGE Landon Jackson vs. #16 Oklahoma State (Saturday, Noon ET)

Arkansas’ top defender had a quiet day against Arkansas Pine-Bluff (one TFL) but Landon Jackson will need to be at his best facing Ollie Gordon and Oklahoma State’s up-tempo offense.

Marshall EDGE Mike Green vs. Virginia Tech (Saturday,3:30 p.m. ET)

One of my favorite kept secrets in this class is Marshall edge rusher Mike Green, who is the focal point of the pass rusher for the Thundering Herd this season. He faces Virginia Tech on Saturday, then a date with Ohio State on Sept. 21. If he can showcase his explosiveness and disruptiveness against back-to-back Power Five opponents, he might be a legit riser in this class.

Nebraska WR Isaiah Neyor vs. Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Isaiah Neyor has been on my radar since 2021, when he was with Wyoming. Injury and being buried on Texas’ depth chart have played a part in his name getting lost in the shuffle. But after his 6 catch, 121 yard debut with Nebraska, including a 59-yard touchdown reception, Neyor can recoup some of the draft stock steam he lost. No better way to do it than to go toe-to-toe with Travis Hunter, a unique two-way player we haven’t seen in quite some time, if ever.