College Football's Best Offensive Duos in 2022
Slowing down one standout college football player is hard enough, but offenses with multiple star players can be incredibly difficult to contain.
Heading into the 2022 season, big-name programs such as Ohio State, Texas and USC are among the scoring attacks with a number of great offensive weapons. However, under-the-radar schools like Old Dominion and UTSA also boast dangerous duos worth a mention.
The intent is to avoid listing quarterbacks. They command most of the attention, so we're instead looking at teams with a pair of high-end skill-position players around the QB.
While the list is subjective, the picks are based heavily on past production and less on projecting breakout players. Otherwise, you'd see Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State featured here, among others.
Honorable Mentions
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Fresno State: One of the Mountain West's top contenders has an exciting RB-WR pair. Jordan Mims amassed 1,034 scrimmage yards and scored 10 touchdowns last season despite sharing the backfield with Ronnie Rivers. Meanwhile, Jalen Cropper has 122 catches for 1,419 yards and 16 touchdowns in his last 19 games.
Kent State: Replacing star quarterback Dustin Crum will be a challenge, but Kent State has a high-potential trio on offense. Running backs Marquez Cooper and Xavier Williams combined for 2,017 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, while wide receiver Dante Cephas paced the Golden Flashes with 82 receptions for 1,240 yards and nine scores.
Maryland: Rakim Jarrett has excelled in 17 career games, securing 79 passes for 1,081 yards and seven touchdowns. Fellow wideout Dontay Demus Jr. missed half of the 2021 season with a knee injury, but he's racked up 106 catches for 1,775 yards and 13 scores in his 29 appearances.
Utah: The reigning Pac-12 champions are set in the backfield. Tavion Thomas powered his way to 1,108 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns last season, the third-most rushing scores in the FBS. Micah Bernard totaled 780 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns as a third-stringer and will be the No. 2 back in 2022.
UTSA: Two is good, but three is better. UTSA has a stacked pass-catching corps with Zakhari Franklin, Joshua Cephus and De'Corian Clark. Franklin led the Roadrunners in all receiving categories last season with 81 catches for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns, but Cephus (71/819/6) and Clark (52/755/7) also had strong outputs. The "Bomb Squad" is back for another explosive year.
Camerun Peoples and Nate Noel, Appalachian State
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Appalachian State's backfield is deeper than Camerun Peoples and Nate Noel, but they're a stellar one-two punch.
Peoples racked up 1,124 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2020, while Noel had 510 rushing yards and three scores. Both players averaged at least 6.2 yards per carry that season.
Last year, Noel ran for a Sun Belt-leading 1,126 yards on 199 carries. Peoples, meanwhile, scampered for 926 yards and a team-best 14 touchdowns. Both of them again had an efficient year, averaging 5.6-plus yards per attempt.
Depending on how often Appalachian State uses Ahmani Marshall, Anderson Castle and Daetrich Harrington, Peoples and Noel could hit 1,000 rushing yards apiece this season.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
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Whether they end 2022 as the nation's best duo is a fine question, but Ohio State standouts Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TreVeyon Henderson certainly begin the season at No. 1.
Smith-Njigba put together a breakout year in 2021, leading the Buckeyes with 95 catches for 1,606 yards. Although his nine touchdowns trailed Chris Olave (13) and Garrett Wilson (12), both Olave and Wilson are now in the NFL. This is Smith-Njigba's receiving room in 2022.
Henderson, on the other hand, commanded the Buckeyes' backfield as a true freshman. He scampered for 1,255 yards and 15 scores on 184 carries to go with 27 receptions for 312 yards and four touchdowns.
There's an excellent chance that Smith-Njigba and Henderson will both be named All-Americans at season's end.
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Blake Watson, Ali Jennings III and Zach Kuntz, Old Dominion
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Old Dominion isn't a usual suspect, but it'd be foolish to ignore running back Blake Watson and wideout Ali Jennings III.
After a 1-6 start last season, the Monarchs ripped off a five-game winning streak to attain bowl eligibility. Although the offense wasn't highly rated, the best players carried the unit in a major way.
Despite missing two games, Watson rushed for 1,121 yards and eight scores. Jennings overcame a slow start for 61 receptions and 1,063 yards, making ODU of only three programs with a returning 1,000-yard runner and receiver in 2022. (Kent State and Ohio State are the other two.)
For good measure, 6'8" tight end Zack Kuntz tallied 73 grabs for 692 yards and five scores. The top end of the Monarchs' offense is impressive.
Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington, Penn State
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Penn State claims the first of two transfer-fueled duos.
Jahan Dotson highlighted the receiving corps in 2021, but Parker Washington still posted 64 catches for 820 yards and four touchdowns. He nabbed 36 passes for 489 yards and six scores in his nine-game freshman season, too.
Incidentally, he might remain the No. 2 option this fall despite Dotson now playing in the NFL. This offseason, the Nittany Lions picked up Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley, who caught 87 passes for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.
No matter who leads the group, Washington and Tinsley are well-established threats on the outside.
Bijan Robinson and Xavier Worthy, Texas
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If not for Isaiah Neyor's season-ending injury, the Longhorns could have a third player featured. They'll have to settle for only running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
Robinson is one of the nation's most dynamic players. After a brilliant end to his freshman season in 2020, the versatile back became a star in 2021. Robinson rushed for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding 26 catches for 295 yards and four scores.
Worthy provided a great impact as a true freshman, leading the Longhorns in all three receiving categories. He had 62 receptions for 981 yards and 12 trips to the end zone.
Texas has much to prove collectively, but Robinson and Worthy are individually elite.
Jordan Addison and Travis Dye, USC
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As with Penn State, USC has a transfer in the tandem. However, in this case, both players are incoming talents.
Jordan Addison earned the Biletnikoff Award as the country's top receiver at Pitt in 2021. The first-team AP All-America selection brought in 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns last season but departed for USC this summer.
In the backfield, the Trojans are ready to showcase Travis Dye. While at Oregon, he rushed for 3,111 yards with a terrific 6.0-yards-per-carry average, made 83 receptions for 839 yards and totaled 29 touchdowns.
If any pairing swipes the best-duo title from Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TreVeyon Henderson, it'll probably be Addison and Dye.
Dontayvion Wicks and Keytaon Thompson, Virginia
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Virginia has quietly assembled a stellar receiving corps.
The return of Lavel Davis Jr. strengths the unit, and Billy Kemp IV is a quality high-volume option. But there's no doubt that Dontayvion Wicks and Keytaon Thompson are the headliners.
Wicks recorded 57 catches with UVA-high marks of 1,203 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. Thompson had a team-best 77 receptions—edging out Kemp at 75—for 973 yards, rushed for 247 yards and scored six times.
Virginia isn't expected to contend for an ACC title, but the offense should be entertaining.
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