College Football's All Week 2 First-Team: Top Performers at Every Position

College football's second week taught us a familiar lesson that we can't seem to retain: that the weakest slates of games on paper will always be the best on the field.

Despite featuring just two all-ranked matchups, Saturday provided rigorous entertainment from noon until the wee hours of Sunday morning, starting with an FCS team taking a ranked team to the brink during the noon games and ending with UTEP doing the same to Texas Tech around 3 a.m. ET.

In the end, the weekend gave us a number of standout players who did well to earn their helmet stickers. Some were already household names, and others came from relative nowhere, but all of them left Week 2 feeling good about their lot moving forward.

In putting together this list and recognizing these players, statistics were relied upon but not adhered to. A player can dominate without showing up on the box score—especially if he plays defense—and the quality of opponent was also taken into account.

Sound of below and let me know whom else you would add.

Quarterback: Marcus Mariota, Oregon

Week 2 Stats

17-28, 318 yards, three touchdowns; nine carries, 42 yards

Why He Stood Out

Other quarterbacks had bigger numbers Saturday, but no quarterback had bigger numbers against a quality defense.

And with Michigan State, "quality defense" is an understatement.

Marcus Mariota became the first quarterback to top the 300-yard mark against Sparty since Matt McGloin in 2010, and he did it on 16 less passes. Pat Narduzzi's defense had some uncharacteristic coverage breakdowns, and Mariota made it pay.

More than that, he took fate into his own hands when the Ducks were pinned against the ropes, scrambling out of pressure on two 3rd-and-longs that extended two consecutive scoring drives.

It wasn't as sexy as Ameer Abdullah's savior act for Nebraska or Taysom Hill's hurdle for BYU—in no small part because he didn't score a touchdown on either—but those were the two biggest Heisman moments of the weekend.

Scratch that: The two biggest Heisman moments of the season. 

Second Team: Everett Golson, Notre Dame

23-34, 226 yards, three touchdowns

Two years ago, Everett Golson played the worst game of his career in a close, 13-6 win over Michigan. This year—even though his stats may not show it—Golson played the best game of his career in a lopsided, 31-0 win over Michigan. The returned QB was sharp against a solid defense, blending his typically impressive arm strength with a newfound savor of accuracy. Two games into the season, it's already time to shed the "dark horse" label from his Heisman candidacy.

*Third Team: Vernon Adams, Eastern Washington

31-46, 475 yards, seven touchdowns; 17 carries, 16 yards

The other slides only include a first and second team, but it was impossible not to mention Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams, who ripped up a Pac-12 defense for the second consecutive season in a closer-than-expected loss at Washington. Is there a way that we can trade this guy to Ohio State?

Running Back: D.J. Foster, Arizona State

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Week 2 Stats

19 carries, 216 yards, one touchdown; three receptions, 54 yards

Why He Stood Out

Last year, D.J. Foster was a running back in name only, flexing out as a receiver while Marion Grice handled primary hand-off duties.

But this year, the Sun Devils are happy to feature Foster out of the backfield, and two weeks into the experiment, the results are even better than they'd hoped. Level of competition be damned: Foster still averaged 12.27 yards on 22 offensive touches.

On a weekend where Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin—the resident king of crazy per-attempt numbers—averaged 2.2 yards per rush against FCS Western Illinois, Foster's line cannot go ignored.

Before the season, I ranked quarterback Taylor Kelly, Foster and receiver Jaelen Strong the No. 3 QB-RB-WR triplet in the country, trailing only Baylor and Florida State. Two games into the season, that looks like it might be, if anything, an undervaluation.

Second Team: Javorius "Buck" Allen, USC

23 carries, 154 yards

Not many running backs set a career high for rushing yards against Stanford's defense. When they do, it's likely they were playing in their first or second career game, or simply aren't all that good. But that is not the case with Buck Allen, a legitimate Heisman candidate, who ran hard and fast through the Cardinal defense on Saturday. He's one of many things for USC to feel great about through Week 2.

Wide Receiver: Amari Cooper, Alabama

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Week 2 Stats

13 receptions, 189 yards, one touchdown; one carry, 20 yards 

Why He Stood Out

No one is going to confuse Florida Atlantic's pass defense with Stanford's, especially with star cornerback D'Joun Smith getting the day off.

Still, what Amari Cooper did against the Owls was thoroughly impressive. He was targeted at all levels of the field, making the most of Lane Kiffin's quasi-obsession with bubble screens but also getting loose in the deep third, and he fared just as well with Blake Sims and Jake Coker.

Cooper's 13 receptions tied a single-game school record, and tying a school record at a school so prone to records is an easy way to end up on the first team for a given week.

Second Team: KD Cannon, Baylor

Six receptions, 233 yards, three touchdowns

I don't care if it came against Northwestern State. Heck, I don't care if it came against Northwestern City or Northwesternville. KD Cannon caught six passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns, and he did it in the first 21 minutes of the game. He could have easily added a fourth score, but he has tackled at the one-yard line on his sixth catch.

Did we mention that he's a true freshman?

Tight End: Evan Engram, Ole Miss

USA TODAY Sports

Week 2 Stats

Seven receptions, 153 yards

Why He Stood Out

Lost behind the stars of last year's recruiting class—a group that includes, arguably, the best sophomore receiver (Laquon Treadwell), offensive lineman (Laremy Tunsil), defensive lineman (Robert Nkemdiche) and safety (Tony Conner) in the country—is tight end Evan Engram, the underrated key to Ole Miss' offense.

Engram worked the seam beautifully against Vanderbilt Saturday, emerging as quarterback Bo Wallace's favorite target against a defense that was schemed to stop Treadwell. The result was a seven-catch, 153-yard performance that could have gone for even more had Engram not (contentiously) stepped out of bounds on what could have been a 70-yard touchdown reception.

Last year, as a freshman, Engram had 21 catches for 268 yards but missed most of the second half of the season with an injury. It's not a coincidence that his absence coincided with Ole Miss' late-season struggles in the passing game.

"I cannot overstate it," said head coach Hugh Freeze said of Engram’s absence in 2013, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com. "We changed last year when he went out. We were not the same."

This year, they have changed for the better.

Second Team: Jesse James, Penn State

Two receptions, 57 yards, two touchdowns

Another week, another superlative for Penn State tight end Jesse James. My preseason pick for the Mackey Award has done nothing to confute my prediction through two games, starring with touchdowns on two receptions in a surprisingly close win over Akron. If not for James, the Big Ten's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day might have been even worse. He's been key to Penn State's 2-0 start.

Offensive Line: RG Matt Rotheram, Pittsburgh

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Why He Stood Out

Matt Rotheram was named ACC Lineman of the Week after the season-opener against Delaware, and he was even better during Pittsburgh's win over Boston College on Friday.

The under-publicized guard has been the anchor of a very good Panthers offensive line these first two weeks, doing equally well against the run and the pass. Pitt ranks No. 5 in the country with 355 rushing yards per game and hasn't allowed a sack so far this season.

Against the Golden Eagles, Rotheram helped pave the way for James Conner's 35-carry, 215-yard, one-touchdown night. When you've got an inside blocker this talented, it makes sense to give your running back a Le'Veon Bell-esque workload.

Second Team: LG Toa Lobendahn, USC

USC's entire offensive line showed up to play against Stanford, enabling Allen to run for a career high 154 yards. But extra dap goes to Toa Lobendahn, one of two true freshmen (along with Damien Mama) starting at offensive guard for the Trojans, who more than held his own against the first stiff test of his career. It's scary to think how good he and Mama will be as upperclassmen.

Defensive End: Shane Ray/Markus Golden, Missouri

USA TODAY Sports

Week 2 Stats

Ray: Three tackles (two TFL), two sacks; Golden: Six tackles (two TFL), one sack

Why They Stood Out

Is it cheating to list two players? Maybe. A little bit. But it's hard to mention Shane Ray without Markus Golden, and vice versa. The two are inextricably linked. 

Tasked with replacing Michael Sam and Kony Ealy, last year's star reserves might actually be an upgrade on last year's All-SEC defensive ends. And they proved it with a stellar combined effort against Toledo, a team that, despite playing in the MAC, finished No. 4 in adjusted sack rate last season, per Bill Connelly of Football Study Hall.

In other words: They dominated a good offensive line.

Second Team: Dadi Nicolas, Virginia Tech

Three tackles (three TFL), two sacks

Dadi Nicolas has near-limitless potential. He's a 6'4", 231-pound specimen at defensive end, a freak athlete who just needs to refine his technique. Everything came together against Ohio State, though, when all three of his tackles went for loss—including two sacks. He made a young OSU line look really, really bad on Saturday.

Defensive Tackle: Danny Shelton, Washington

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Week 2 Stats

12 tackles (4.5 TFL), four sacks

Why He Stood Out

Your early-season favorite to go full-Aaron Donald and sweep the major national defensive awards?

America, meet Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton.

Shelton had his way with a second-straight offensive line against Eastern Washington, logging 12 tackles for the second consecutive week. This time, however, instead of "only" 3.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, he upped those numbers to 4.5 and four, respectively.

Shelton leads the nation in both of those categories, and he also places sixth with 24 tackles. The next-highest defensive lineman is USC's Leonard Williams—someone who's been talked about as a potential No. 1 overall draft pick—at No. 58 with 18 tackles.

Before the season, I called it a "hit" for USA Today to put Shelton on its All-America second team, despite the fact that he's a relatively small name next to players such as Williams and Robert Nkemdiche.

At least I got something right this preseason.

Second Team: Arik Armstead, Oregon

Five tackles (two TFL), one sack

Arik Armstead has always been a bit of an enigma. His physical upside is tantalizing; his production after two seasons, not so much. But the 6'8", 290-pound former basketball star played one of the best games of his career against Michigan State, pushing around a worn-down offensive line in the second half. His lone sack was a huge momentum-turner when the Ducks trailed by two points.

Outside Linebacker: Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Week 2 Stats

10 tackle (one TFL)

Why He Stood Out

This is the start of a theme: a series toward the back of this list with three 5-star defenders from the 2013 recruiting class.

It all starts with linebacker Jaylon Smith, the No. 2 overall player in that class, who is already the spiritual and physical leader of Notre Dame's defense. He might be the fastest outside linebacker in the country, something he showed on more than one occasion during the Irish's 31-0 win over Michigan Saturday night.

Smith also looked great in coverage, holding his own against inside receivers and backs whenever the situation called for it. It takes a special young player to lead a (largely) young defense to the first shutout of a Michigan offense since 1984.

A special young player is what this is.

Second Team: Tank Jakes, Memphis

12 tackles (four TFL), two sacks, one forced fumble, one pass breakup

Virginia's linebackers had their way with UCLA's offensive line, too, which is all that kept Tank Jakes from the All-Week 2 first team. Are we sure dominating the Bruins is any better than padding stats against College of Faith? (Just kidding…mostly.) Regardless, Jakes deserves credit for making play after play after play in Memphis' near-upset of UCLA. The Tigers have a front seven to field good about.

Inside Linebacker: Deon Clarke, Virginia Tech

Credit: 247Sports

Week 2 Stats

10 tackles (two TFL), one sack, one pass breakup

Why He Stood Out

There was a lot to like from Virginia Tech's defense Saturday. There's a reason three Hokies appear somewhere on this list.

But no one on Bud Foster's unit stood out more than Deon Clarke, who was named the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week for his role in the upset of the Buckeyes.

Clarke contributed as a reserve in 2013 but has embraced his starter's role wholeheartedly this season. He is one of most athletic inside linebackers in the country, and his coverage skills and ability to get from sideline to sideline will play a big role in VT's season.

Second Team: Nigel Harris, USF

Nine tackles (one TFL) one sack, two forced fumbles

South Florida came up just short against Maryland, but not for lack of defensive entropy. The Bulls forced the Terps into six turnovers, and inside linebacker Nigel Harris led the charge with a pair of forced fumbles to go with his nine tackles and one sack.

Cornerback: Robertson Daniel, BYU

USA TODAY Sports

Week 2 Stats

Six tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one pass breakup

Why He's Here

Cornerback Robertson Daniel—the other BYU player who wears No. 4—missed the Week 1 game against UConn with a suspension, but his belated season-debut against Texas was a memorable one.

The senior cornerback had a hand in two turnovers, stripping Marcus Johnson (and recovering the fumble) early in the second quarter before coming up with a second fumble recovery later in the game.

Daniel also played a big role in the Cougars' pass defense, which allowed Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes to dink and dunk all night but never let him get over the top, holding him to 176 passing yards on 31 attempts—a slight average of 5.7 yards per throw.

All in all, Texas averaged 3.91 yards per offensive play and scored a robust seven points in another embarrassing loss to BYU, this time on its home field. Even without Kyle Van Noy at linebacker, players such as Daniel ensure this defense will remain steady (if not more).

Second Team: Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech

Five tackles (one TFL), one sack, two pass breakups

Kendall Fuller—the second of those aforementioned 5-star sophomores—was terrific against Ohio State, breaking up two passes when tested downfield and also registering a sack. Fuller's brother Kyle was a first-round pick of the Chicago Bears in 2014, but it might not be long before little bro is the best cornerback in the family.

Safety: Su'a Cravens, USC

Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press

Week 2 Stats

Five tackles, one pass breakup

Why He Stood Out

It didn't translate perfectly to the box score, but anyone who watched USC's 13-10 win over Stanford noticed safety Su'a Cravens—the last of those 5-star sophomores—making plays all over the field.

Playing the "dollar" position in Justin Wilcox's defense, Cravens blanketed Stanford receivers all day and almost came away with a red zone interception early in the game. He read Kevin Hogan's eyes like a book on the play, only dropping the pass because of its velocity.

Cravens has an innate feel for the safety position, the type that reminds of a young Troy Polamalu. Obviously, there's a long way to go before his name should be compared with Polamalu's, but it's not unthinkable that Cravens might eventually get there.

Second Team: Jared Tevis, Arizona

16 tackles (1.5 TFL), one interception

Jared Tevis was a missile in run support for Arizona, finishing the Wildcats' close win over UTSA with 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and the game-clinching interception. If not for Tevis' performance, there's a good chance Arizona would be 1-1 right now—not undefeated. Rich Rodriguez owes him a game ball after that one.

Note: Recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings