Freshman Power Rankings of the Week: Top 5

By this time next week, the 2014 season will already be in October. Freshman players across college football are growing up so fast, aren't they?

Before we know it, they'll be declaring for the NFL or graduating.  

In the meantime, the B/R freshman power rankings are chugging along, highlighting some of the best performances of the week. 

The freshmen on this list didn't technically have to start—as in, they didn't have to be the first player on the field at their respective position—but they did have to play at least a complementary or rotational role with at least one recordable stat. 

So which freshmen stood out in Week 5? Which ones had the most jaw-dropping highlights? Which ones underwhelmed? The answers are in the list below.

Name	School	Position	Stats (year)
1. Deshaun Watson	Clemson	Quarterback	914 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns
2. KD Cannon	Baylor	Wide Receiver	23 receptions, 519 yards, 5 touchdowns
3. Armani Watts	Texas A&M	Defensive Back	25 tackles, 4 pass break-ups, 1 interception
4. Myles Garrett	Texas A&M	Defensive End	5.5 sacks
5. Brad Kaaya	Miami	Quarterback	1,275 passing yards, 12 touchdowns

The Standout

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson stood out above the rest. The Tigers have officially moved on from senior Cole Stoudt and are going with the true freshman. And what a debut it was for Watson in a 50-35 win over North Carolina in which he threw for six touchdowns, a school record, and 435 yards. 

"He makes the game look easy," said head coach Dabo Swinney, per Aaron Brenner of The Post and Courier. 

Barring injury or an unexpected turn for the worse, Watson will be the guy for Clemson going forward. His ceiling is high, and he's already taking command of the spotlight. He's going to be a good one. 

Best Highlight

Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya has quietly been solid for the Hurricanes. In a 22-10 win over Duke Saturday, Kaaya delivered one of the best-looking touchdown passes of the day—on a fourth-down play, no less. 

Kaaya was pressured, but he hung in the pocket and somehow made an accurate throw to the corner of the end zone while being hit. There's a little bit of good fortune involved as well, but this was a beautiful play—even though it came as a result of a breakdown in protection.

Kaaya looks like the next star for the Hurricanes, that's for sure. 

Who’s Rising?

LSU quarterback Brandon Harris is on the rise. It may finally be the Harris show in Baton Rouge after an easy 63-7 rout over New Mexico State.

Yes, the Aggies aren't much competition, but sophomore Anthony Jennings again struggled with a pair of interceptions on just 2-of-5 passing. In relief, Harris went 11-of-14 for 178 yards and three touchdowns while adding another two rushing touchdowns on the ground.

LSU goes to Auburn next week, a major challenge for whoever is the starting quarterback. Head coach Les Miles won't say if Harris will get the start, but if Saturday was any indication, Harris has a shot. 

Who’s Falling?

Texas A&M defensive back Armani Watts is on the decline. Watts has been fantastic in the early part of the season, leading the team with four pass breakups. In fact, there's a case to be made that he's been the most outstanding freshman so far. But he had a rough game in a come-from-behind win over Arkansas. 

Watts was burned more than a couple of times on some big plays from the Razorbacks. He was also out of position on another would-be touchdown that was called back for a penalty. 

Watts will bounce back, and A&M got the win, so no harm, no foul. But it was definitely a "welcome to college" game for the freshman. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.