Devy Rankings Update: Week 4
Week 4 is in the books for college football and this year appears to be shaking out quite unexpectedly. Unsurprisingly, Alabama remains alone on its pinnacle, waiting for a worthy challenger. The chaos begins when looking at the teams behind Alabama. Ohio State still hasn’t been able to get into a rhythm behind its young quarterbacks. Clemson, who most expected to continue its steamrolling ways, was just picked off by an unranked N.C. State team. Oregon managed to climb into third in the rankings behind transfer quarterback Anthony Brown, a feat that seemed impossible a month ago. With the college landscape in disarray, multiple Devy players have found themselves swept up in the volatility.
D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson, QB: DOWN
D.J. Uiagalelei has experienced a below-average debut campaign as the Tigers' starter to this point.
The first few weeks were easy to ignore and rationalize with excuses aplenty. The team was adjusting to life without Trevor Larence along with key offensive pieces Travis Etienne, Amari Rodgers, Cornell Powell, and Jackson Carman. The offensive line couldn’t seem to give D.J. Uiagalelei any time in the pocket, allowing nine sacks in the first four games and multiple more pressures. The offense is bland and the playmakers can’t seem to give Uiagaleilei many open options. That said, Uiagalelei himself looks plain awful. He’s hesitant on most dropbacks and his accuracy has been atrocious. A top-5 consensus Devy startup pick just a few months ago, Uiagalelei has left Devy leagues everywhere in a state of pandemonium. While he still has plenty of time in his career to right the ship, these performances certainly have removed the guise of safety managers once placed on the 5-star prospect (per 247Sports composite). Consequently, he’s moving down the rankings and will find himself after the likes of Bryce Young, Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler, and possibly even Matt Corral. Managers with shares of Uiagalelei will likely be forced to hold unless a risk-embracing league mate is willing to buy the dip with a strong offer.
Brock Bowers, Georgia, TE: UP
Brock Bowers has been a breakout star in 2021 over other big-name Georgia tight ends.
The star tight end for Georgia is Arik Gil… nope, that’s not right. The star tight end for Georgia is Darnell Washin… well, that’s not true either. The star tight end for Georgia is… Brock Bowers? ABSOLUTELY! Whoever said that tight ends take a while to develop, wasn’t aware of Brock Bowers’ existence. Either that or Bowers simply doesn’t care about the feeble opinions of mere mortals. He certainly doesn’t have any regard for the defenses that Georgia has been facing as of late. Through four games this season, the 4-star (per 247sports composite) true freshman tight end has 284 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. His receiving yards currently rank as the third-most in college behind Trey McBride and Sean Dykes, both of whom are seniors. Betting on a tight end in Devy certainly has its pitfalls, but Bower’s current production and role within a solid Georgia offense simply can’t be ignored. With these recent performances, Bowers is going to rise in the Devy rankings to somewhere close behind Jalen Wydermyer.
Sean Tucker, Syracuse, RB: UP
Syracuse's Sean Tucker has been one of the top running backs in the nation in 2021.
It’s odd how certain players are instantly hyped with the football community while others take multiple seasons to even be recognized, despite performing at a high level. Sean Tucker is one of those fairly unknown studs. In the COVID-hampered 2020 season, Sean Tucker ranked fifth in rushing yards amongst all true freshmen with 626 yards and four scores. In only four games this season, Tucker racked up 536 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and an additional 175 yards with one touchdown through the air. Syracuse may not consistently churn out NFL talent, but they do play in the ACC and consequently rub shoulders with some high-level competition. Against Notre Dame in 2020, Tucker managed to run for 101 yards and a touchdown, so it’s not as if he’s bothered by that tough competition. Syracuse’s anemic passing offense further highlights Tucker’s talents. Opposing teams come into games knowing that their focus should be to stop the run. Even so, most teams have been unable to stop Tucker. Regardless of the competition, it’s clear that he will remain the focus of the Syracuse offense, and could end up being a day two NFL draft pick in 2023. Outside of deep Devy leagues, Tucker will likely be undrafted. As a result, managers should jot his name down for their 2022 Devy draft shortlist.
Graham Mertz, Wisconsin, QB: DOWN:
Graham Mertz has had a concerning start to a 2021 season wherein many expected him to break out.
Stats aren’t everything. Sometimes they can be significantly skewed by game script or context. A quarterback can occasionally be the victim of players like Leonard Fournette or Eric Ebron allowing the ball to careen off their hands into the waiting arms of a thankful cornerback. In most cases though, the player is to blame. Jameis Winston, for instance, earned a majority of his turnovers in 2019. This appears to be the path that Graham Mertz is heading down. Other than an effortless game against Eastern Michigan, Mertz has looked atrocious this season. His stat line stands at 566 passing yards for one touchdown and six interceptions over three games. His QBR (total quarterback rating) is a dismal 20.6, good for 115th best throughout the college ranks. Sure, three games is a small sample size, but these performances have not looked anything like those of a future NFL starter. Unless something changes quickly, Mertz may soon find himself on the bench. As a result, he is plummeting down the Devy rankings this week.
Drake London, USC, WR: UP
A star at USC since his freshman year, Drake London is undoubtedly one of the nation's top receivers.
The nursery rhyme goes “London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down…” In this case, it’s actually the opposite. Everything on USC’s offense is falling apart, except for Drake London. Over the past few weeks, the coach was fired, the starting quarterback Kedon Slovis was hurt, the backup Jaxson Dart played well but was significantly injured, and the running game was functionally non-existent. This apparently didn’t faze London, as he now has 39 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns over four games. No matter how bad the team plays, London consistently performs. A big-bodied receiver, his speed is not elite, but London’s route running and physicality should help find him a spot in the NFL. Given his fairly high ranking, London won’t move too far, but he deserves to go up considering his consistent production. If he keeps this pace, expect him to be taken on or before day two in the 2022 NFL draft.
Additional Risers:
Jake Haener - Fresno State- Quarterback
Dontayvion Wicks - Virginia - Wide Receiver
Xavier Worthy - Texas - Wide Receiver
Jordan Addison - Pittsburgh - Wide Receiver
Jashaun Corbin - Florida State - Running Back
Additional Fallers:
Frank Ladson - Clemson - Wide Receiver
Tyler Shough - Texas Tech - Quarterback (broken collarbone)
Bo Nix - Auburn - Quarterback
Mookie Cooper - Missouri - Wide Receiver
Marshawn Lloyd - South Carolina - Running Back
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