The Hottest and Coldest Players in College Football Right Now
The calendar has turned to fall, but some college football players remain red-hot. Others are looking for a little Indian summer to help get warmed up after a cool start to the season.
Four weeks into the 2014 campaign, several notable players are in the midst of breakout seasons, while many are struggling to live up to expectations or put together a consistent performance.
Here's our look at the hottest and coldest players in college football at this point in 2014.
Hot: Shane Carden, QB, East Carolina
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Why he's hot
Shane Carden has been lighting up opposing secondaries since early in his sophomore year in 2012, but it wasn't until his past three-game run against power programs that he's become a well-known quantity. The senior has led East Carolina to back-to-back wins over ACC teams Virginia Tech and North Carolina, after playing South Carolina within 10 points before that.
The 6'2" senior is fourth nationally in passing yards per game at 364.8, and his numbers keep getting better each week. Last Saturday he threw for 438 yards and four touchdowns in the Pirates' 70-41 walloping of North Carolina, leading to East Carolina earning its first Associated Press ranking since 2008.
Carden had 427 passing yards and three TDs the week before in a 28-21 upset win at Virginia Tech, and combined with the UNC victory, he is 4-3 against power-conference opponents as a starter.
How that could change
Though East Carolina figures to stay in the rankings as long as it keeps winning, it will be a while before Carden has another chance to perform in the spotlight. The Pirates begin their first season in the American Athletic Conference Oct. 4 against winless SMU, but they aren't scheduled to be on national television again until a Thursday game against Connecticut in late October.
East Carolina has two other Thursday games for Carden to shine, in November at fellow American contender Cincinnati and Dec. 4 against defending league champ UCF.
Cold: Michael Brewer, QB, Virginia Tech
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Why he's cold
As one of the more high-profile transfers this past offseason, Michael Brewer's arrival at Virginia Tech sparked hope the Hokies might get back into upper echelon of college football. The former Texas Tech passer showed his mettle with some big throws in Virginia Tech's upset win at Ohio State in Week 2, but since then, he has seemed to have more bad passes than good ones.
In back-to-back home losses to East Carolina and Georgia Tech, Brewer has been intercepted five times, and the three he had against Georgia Tech led to 17 points for the Yellow Jackets. That included a 41-yard interception return touchdown early in the fourth quarter and a pick with 1:58 left in Hokies territory that set up Georgia Tech's game-winning field goal.
"You take three throws away and we had a good day," Brewer told Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times. "But the thing is I made those three throws and it cost us the football game."
Brewer, a junior, has seven TD passes and eight interceptions this season. The pick tally is tied for second-most in FBS.
How that could change
After opening ACC play with the Georgia Tech loss, Virginia Tech returns to nonconference play against Western Michigan. The Broncos have intercepted only one of 114 passes thrown against them this season.
A week later, the Hokies travel to North Carolina to face a Tar Heels team that just gave up 789 yards to East Carolina and is ranked 125th in the country in pass defense.
Hot: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
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Why he's hot
Amari Cooper isn't necessarily doing anything we didn't expect of him. Rather, it's how much of it he's done already this season that has us continually wowed by Alabama's junior wide receiver.
The 6'1" Cooper has 43 catches for 655 yards and five touchdowns in just four games, the most recent performance possibly the best of the lot when he had 10 catches for 201 yards and three TDs in the Crimson Tide's 42-21 win over Florida last weekend.
His catch and yardage totals are tops in FBS, and Bleacher Report SEC Lead Writer Barrett Sallee noted that Cooper has tallied more receiving yards than 31 other FBS programs have gained as a whole. That includes Arkansas, Georgia and Texas.
Cooper's hot start has gotten him early Heisman hype, which is rare for a wide receiver, and his pace makes it very likely he'll set school records for catches (78), yards (1,133) and TDs (11, set by Cooper in 2012) in a season.
How that could change
Chris Hutson of HeismanPundit.com wrote earlier this week about how difficult it is for a wide receiver to win the Heisman, something that hasn't happened since Desmond Howard did it in 1991. While a big part of the issue is that receivers who don't also return kicks or punts tend to get less Heisman hype, there's more to it, Hutson wrote:
"Here's the issue with pure receivers trying to win the Heisman: They either get bottled up at some point, or their quarterback starts to share credit."
Cooper's big numbers have coincided with the breakout performance of senior quarterback Blake Sims, who threw for 445 yards and four TDs against Florida. If he keeps putting up numbers like that, he may surpass Cooper in terms of attention.
Also to be considered is the overabundance of weapons Alabama has at its disposal. Depending on the opponent, the Tide could devote more plays to their star fleet of running backs, or if Cooper starts to draw more double-teams, then other receivers like DeAndrew White or Christion Jones could steal some of his targets.
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Cold: Devin Gardner, QB, Michigan
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Why he's cold
Devin Gardner won back his starting job after missing Michigan's bowl loss last December with a broken foot, but his performance so far this season may lead him back to the bench for non-medical reasons.
The senior has thrown for just 694 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions, and in the Wolverines' two games against power-conference competition (both losses), he has five picks and no TDs and a 56.9 percent completion rate. He's also rushed for only 68 yards and no TDs, a year after gaining 483 yards with 11 rushing scores.
Gardner was pulled during the fourth quarter of last week's 26-10 home loss to Utah after throwing his second interception. Michigan coach Brady Hoke initially said he'd announce his starting quarterback for Saturday's Big Ten opener against Minnesota on Tuesday, per Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com. Hoke later backed off that pledge and told Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press that "by Saturday, it definitely will be hammered down" between Gardner and Shane Morris.
How that could change
Gardner isn't entirely to blame for his cold start. Most quarterbacks would probably struggle behind an offensive line that can't seem to hold blocks or open holes for the running backs.
He's been sacked nine times, a year after getting taken down behind the line of scrimmage 34 times. The Wolverines have allowed 25 tackles for loss this season, and while they're averaging 211 rushing yards per game, that's been padded heavily by games against Appalachian State (350 yards) and Miami, Ohio (276), compared with the 218 yards on 71 carries gained against Notre Dame and Utah.
With some better protection up front, Gardner could put up much better numbers.
Hot: Taysom Hill, QB, BYU
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Why he's hot
As an independent without a major TV deal or built-in associations with power conferences, BYU has to do whatever it can to draw attention on a national level. Having one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country is a big help to that cause.
Taysom Hill popped onto the radar early last season with his breakout performance in a blowout win over Texas, but otherwise, he didn't garner much notice after that. But with the Cougars making a hard push to crash the inaugural College Football Playoff party, Hill's weekly exploits are becoming far more recognized.
The 6'2", 232-pound junior sits 19th in the nation in total offense, averaging 326 yards per game. But his 428 rushing yards are more than anyone above him—including noted mobile passer Marcus Mariota of Oregon—and has resulted in seven touchdowns on the ground to go with his six passing TDs. Only Boston College's Tyler Murphy (500) and Marcus Thomas of Georgia Tech (443) have run for more as a quarterback than Hill, though those two are in run-first offenses.
Hill was already known as a great runner, gaining 1,344 yards last season, but he's drastically improved his passing accuracy. A 54.6 percent passer in his first two years, Hill has completed 66.1 percent of his throws in 2014 and has only three interceptions.
How that could change
Watch a few minutes of a BYU game—the Cougars have at least three more televised games, all on weeknights beginning with Oct. 3 against Utah State—and you'll see that Hill isn't the kind of running quarterback who is quick to slide or run out of bounds. He takes hits, and lots of them.
Hill is averaging 19.8 rushers per game, up from 18.9 a year ago, and he's already been sacked 13 times this season. BYU has a very capable running back in junior Jamaal Williams who can take some of the rushing load off Hill, but so far coach Bronco Mendenhall seems content to keep his top player at risk on nearly every snap.
Cold: O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
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Why he's cold
Maybe the timing of this temperature check is a little off because O.J. Howard is coming off of his best performance of the 2014 season. But when catching two passes for 22 yards during a game when Alabama's quarterback throws for 445 yards and four touchdowns is a high point, there's not much to cheer about.
The 6'6", 240-pound sophomore had only been targeted once in Alabama's previous three games, and that throw was intercepted in the season opener. Despite getting a lot of hype during the offseason, including being named the SEC's first-team tight end on its preseason all-conference team, Howard just hasn't found a role in new Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin's attack.
Nick Saban has deflected most of the criticism about Howard's lack of production, according to Marq Burnett of the Anniston Star.
"I just would ask the question, who would you rather us not give it to?" he said. "I mean, you got to stand in line. There's one ball."
How that could change
The fact Howard hauled in a couple of passes could be just the boost he needs to get rolling. Last week was arguably Alabama's toughest test to that point, and him being targeted is a good sign he'll be involved in future challenges.
There's little film on what Howard has done this year, so upcoming opponents Ole Miss, Arkansas and Texas A&M won't be able to properly game-plan for him.
Hot: Gerod Holliman, S, Louisville
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Why he's hot
Louisville is being coached by a noted offensive guru, but so far it's been the Cardinals' defense that has been the most impressive through a 3-1 start. And leading that charge is Gerod Holliman, who leads the nation in interceptions with five.
Holliman, a 6'1" sophomore safety, has picked off two passes in each of Louisville's past two games. That includes a 32-yard interception return touchdown in the second quarter of last week's 34-3 win at Florida International, his first career score.
The highest-rated member of Louisville's 2011 recruiting class (which included quarterback Teddy Bridgewater), Holliman spent a year in prep school before joining the Cardinals. His 2012 was cut short by a shoulder injury, then as a redshirt freshman last season, he earned two starts but didn't record an interception.
Holliman's play on the back line has helped Louisville rank 26th in passing defense, allowing 178.3 yards per game with only five TD passes given up.
How that could change
Louisville hasn't faced a true passing juggernaut yet, so Holliman hasn't had to deal with some of the more savvy quarterbacks that still dot the future schedule. The Cardinals still have to play Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame, teams that are apt to throw with much more success than the opponents Holliman has preyed on so far.
Cold: Anthony Jennings, QB, LSU
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Why he's cold
It's never good when the numbers make it look like your career peaked even before your first start. But that's the statistical trend that's presented itself with LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings, who, since becoming the Tigers' starter in the 2013 Outback Bowl, has been far from stellar.
This season Jennings has completed just 51.3 percent of his 78 passes, which is worse than all but two other FBS quarterbacks who have thrown the ball that many times. He's only thrown one interception, but also hasn't thrown a touchdown pass since early in the second quarter of LSU's 56-0 win over Sam Houston State in Week 2.
That was the sophomore's best game, completing seven of 13 passes for 188 yards and three TDs. Since then, he's 24-of-54 for 296 yards, and he was pulled in favor of true freshman Brandon Harris late in the Tigers' 34-29 home loss to Mississippi State. Harris had 140 yards and two TDs and nearly led LSU to a major comeback, prompting coach Les Miles to say Harris would gets more playing time Saturday against New Mexico State, per Ross Dellenger of the Baton Rouge Advocate.
How that could change
Jennings shouldn't be the focal point of LSU's offense, but with the Tigers not running the ball very well to this point, he's being put in a position to have to do too much. LSU is 47th in rushing offense at 192 yards per game, but against Wisconsin and Mississippi State, the Tigers have averaged 107.5 yards and only 2.6 yards per carry.
Jeremy Hill had 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, and his departure has been felt much harder than expected. Terrence Magee had 626 yards and eight scores last season for LSU, but in 2014, he has 26 carries for 82 yards. The Tigers need him, Kenny Hilliard and Leonard Fournette to start earning their keep and take some pressure off of Jennings (or Harris).
Hot: Cayleb Jones, WR, Arizona
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Why he's hot
Cayleb Jones has emerged from a crowded and talented receiving corps at Arizona to be its No. 1 wideout, putting up the kind of numbers that were expected from the seventh-rated player at his position in the 2012 recruiting class.
Jones has 29 receptions for 475 yards and six touchdowns, bolstered by a 13-catch, 186-yard, three-TD effort in Arizona's 49-45 comeback win over California last weekend. The 6'3" sophomore has more yards and TDs than any two other Wildcats, and he's accounted for 32.5 percent of the team's receiving yardage.
Those numbers are what were expected from Jones when he signed with Texas, but the Austin native only caught two balls as a true freshman in 2012 before transferring to Arizona. With the Wildcats, he's used his size and strength to stand out, opening Week 2's 26-23 win at UTSA with an 85-yard TD catch on the game's first offensive play that featured him executing a textbook stiff arm down the sidelines to get separation.
How that could change
As mentioned above, Arizona's receiving corps is very deep, and on any given game day, someone else could step up. The Wildcats have five players with at least 10 receptions, including 2013 standouts Samajie Grant, Nate Phillips and Trey Griffey, while Austin Hill has picked up where he left off in 2012 after missing last season with a torn ACL.
Hill has a 92-yard TD catch this season, and last Saturday, he caught Anu Solomon's 47-yard Hail Mary pass at the buzzer.
Cold: Cedric Reed, DE, Texas
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Why he's cold
One of Texas' best and most consistent players last year, Malcolm Brown seemed like a perfect fit for new coach Charlie Strong's defense. But through three games, the 6'5", 272-pound senior defensive end has been almost nonexistent.
Reed has 16 tackles but only a half-sack to account for his tackles for loss. Compare that to 2013, when he registered 10 sacks and 16.5 TFL and was first-team All-Big 12. He resisted turning pro after last season, but so far that decision hasn't paid off in terms of improving his draft stock.
Strong doesn't think so, however, saying that Reed is "playing fine, he's playing well enough for us, so I'm not getting caught up in the numbers," according to Stefan Scrafield of the Dallas Morning News.
How that could change
Despite Reed's lack of production, Texas has fared mostly well on defense. Aside from what Taysom Hill and BYU did to the Longhorns, overall they sit 26th in total defense, allowing 322 yards per game.
After Saturday's game at Kansas, one of the few less challenging games on the schedule, Reed and Texas will run the gauntlet through the Big 12 and face Baylor and Oklahoma back-to-back. Any big plays Reed makes in those games will be well noticed and could spark him to break through and return to last season's form.
Hot: Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma
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Why he's hot
Samaje Perine began the season listed third on Oklahoma's depth chart at running back and only sits second on the updated chart because sophomore Keith Ford is out with a broken leg. But neither Ford nor fellow sophomore Alex Ross has been as productive as Perine, who busted out for 242 yards and four touchdowns in 34 carries in Saturday's 45-33 win at West Virginia.
The 5'11", 243-pound Perine had the best performance of any Sooners freshman running back since Adrian Peterson went for 249 in the 2004 regular-season finale against Oklahoma State. He scored all three of Oklahoma's second-half touchdowns, turning a 24-all game into a comfortable victory behind his hard running.
"He works so hard at his conditioning and training," coach Bob Stoops told Guerin Emig of The Oklahoman. "After the game he wasn't all that taxed. You would be surprised. Seeing him get on the bus, he looked great. He's exceptional with his conditioning and strength."
For the season Perine has 419 yards, more than Ford and Ross (382) combined, while his five rushing TDs are tied with Ford for the team lead.
How that could change
Even without that big game, Perine still sits second on the depth chart behind Ross, who had only eight carried for 56 yards against West Virginia but also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. The Sooners went with the hot hand last time out, but with multiple capable runners, Perine isn't apt to get that many touches every week.
Also, Ford is expected to be back in a few weeks, as his injury is only a hairline fracture. Add in the fact the Big 12 currently features five teams (including Oklahoma) ranked in the top 30 in rushing defense, and the offensive approach could change and leave Perine without as many chances to shine.
Cold: Ryan Switzer, PR, North Carolina
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Why he's cold
Nobody heard of Ryan Switzer until the tail end of last season, when he returned five punts for touchdowns in North Carolina's final five games to tie the FBS record for punt return TDs in a season. No one has seen much from him yet this year, though; he's averaged just 6.7 yards on 11 returns.
The 5'10", 180-pound sophomore has amassed just four yards on four returns in the Tar Heels' last two games, and his contribution to the receiving corps hasn't been as big as hoped. He leads the team with 16 catches but only has 115 yards to show for it and hasn't hauled in any of the team's eight TD receptions.
As an unknown quantity last year, opponents didn't have a reason not to kick to him. This year, however, the game plan has been evident in that it involves limiting his chance to break off a big run.
How that could change
As Switzer showed during last season's Belk Bowl, he's not afraid to take chances. His 86-yard punt return for a TD to tie the single-season record came despite several Cincinnati players surrounding him as he caught the ball, but he didn't even show the slightest hint he was going to call for a fair catch.
North Carolina needs a spark, especially with how bad its defense has been so far. If that unit is able to make a big stop and force a punt, all it will take is one big return by Switzer to potentially turn things around for him and the Tar Heels.
All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP
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