Prospect Pulse: Week One

Welcome to Prospect Pulse: Week One, your premier source for tracking the Top Devy Prospects throughout the 2024 football season. Each week, we will spotlight key games and the standout players poised to make an impact, providing in-depth analysis and insights into their performances. Whether you are a fan, a scout, or just curious about the future stars of the NFL, “Prospect Pulse” will keep you updated. Stay tuned as we delve into the thrilling journey of these young athletes, game by game.

This week we talk about eight matchups and 16 different players that are looking to make a statement to begin the 2024 college football season.

Game Scheduled for Saturday, August 24 at Noon (EST)

Florida State – Quarterback – DJ Uiagalelei

The Florida State season ended in heartbreak last season. Quarterback, Jordan Travis, went down with an injury late in the season causing the playoff committee to rule against Florida State from having a playoff spot. Travis decided to enter the 2024 NFL Draft meaning there was a void at the quarterback position. Insert Uiagalelei. He is no stranger to the ACC. He played for Clemson in his first three collegiate seasons. Last season, he decided to transfer to Oregon State where he threw for a career-high in yards (2,638). The downside is his accuracy went down from his 2022 season to below 60 percent completion in 2023. Uiagalelei is entering as the Seminole’s starting quarterback. The Seminoles lost many key players on both sides of the ball, so in a sense, this will be a new-look team. Uiagalelei will look to raise his draft stock in his final year of eligibility by leading Florida State to a playoff spot. Week one should give us a glimpse of what we can potentially expect from him as the Seminole’s leader.

Georgia Tech – Running Back – Jamal Haynes

Haynes announced his return for the 2024 season in hopes of continuing his success from last season. He will likely continue to be a key part of the Georgia Tech offense, possibly seeing more opportunities this season. In 2023, Haynes averaged 6.1 yards per carry for 1,059 yards. Additionally, he had 20 receptions for 151 yards off 32 targets. The 5 foot 9 inch running back will look to improve over his breakout season from last year. In 2023, he was a top-five running back in the ACC. Florida State may have some new faces on their defense, but they still have some playmakers in the front seven. This matchup will be a good test for Haynes seeing as he did not get a chance to play Florida State last year.

Game is Scheduled for Thursday, August 29 at 8 pm (EST)

North Carolina – Running Back – Omarion Hampton

Hampton was the leading rusher for the ACC last season. He will look to continue his dominance this season by helping the Tar Heels any way he can. Last season, he started hot rushing for 234 yards in week two against Appalachian State. However, it was four weeks later when Hampton caught his rhythm. Starting in week six, Hampton went on a six-week streak of dominance. He averaged 158.8 yards per game during those six weeks. For North Carolina to find success Hampton will need to be moving the chains early and throughout the season. Unfortunately, one of Hampton’s worst games of the season last year came against Minnesota. In week three versus Minnesota, Hampton averaged 3.5 yards per carry. That week he had his second-lowest rushing attempts for the season with only 13 attempts. He remembers that game. Hampton will look to show Minnesota why he was the leading rusher for the ACC in week one.

Minnesota – Running Back – Darius Taylor

Taylor started the season hot. Through the first four weeks, he averaged 133 rushing yards per game. He averaged that after only having one rushing attempt for three yards in week one. Unfortunately, the injury would sideline Taylor after week four. In the sample size we saw early in the year, it was clear Taylor had the speed and elusiveness to be successful at the collegiate level. He was one of the only positive parts of the offense when Minnesota played North Carolina in week three. In that game, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry. Taylor would miss some time but gain his health back in time to compete in the bowl game against Bowling Green last season. In that game, he ran for 208 yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. If healthy Taylor (currently dealing with a minor hamstring injury) will look to replicate his game against the Tar Heels last year while also building on his end-of-season momentum from 2023.

Game is Scheduled for Saturday, August 31 at Noon (EST)

Clemson – Quarterback – Cade Klubnik

Say what you will about Klubnik, but he led Clemson to an 8-4 record. Plus, a bowl game victory against Kentucky. He improved his accuracy by nearly three percent from his freshman year. Klubnik opens the season against a tough foe, and to make matters more difficult the game is at Georgia. If one were to look at Clemson’s full schedule then it could be argued that this is potentially their hardest game all season. Luckily, it is an outer conference game. Success for Klubnik in this game does not need to end in victory, however, if Clemson wins it would shock the nation. But if Klubnik can limit turnovers and move the ball down the field against a tough Georgia defense then it might be a sign of brighter days ahead. Klubnik is going into his third season with Clemson. He will be on our radars all season, however, this game could give us a glimpse if Clemson will be a contender come playoff time.

Georgia – Running Back – Trevor Etienne

Etienne has been a running back on radars since his days at Florida, however, this year he transferred to Georgia. This should raise Etienne’s draft stock as Georgia is known for developing running backs. The running back room in Georgia is crowded. Etienne, however, has a dynamic skill set that allows him to be deployed anywhere on the field. He will need to show his worth every opportunity he gets to stay on the field. This matchup will be a good test for the former Florida back as Clemson is no pushover on defense. The Clemson Tigers have a solid group in their front seven that knows how to stop the run. So, even though this is not an SEC matchup it will be exciting to see how Georgia utilizes their new playmaker.

Game is Scheduled for Saturday, August 31 at 3:30 pm (EST)

Miami – Running Back – Damien Martinez

In his two collegiate seasons at Oregon State, Martinez averaged 6.1 yards per carry both seasons. That is even with him seeing 33 more rushing attempts in his sophomore season. Martinez is a stout back who runs shoulders down and knows how to break into the secondary. Now he travels to the ACC with his first opponent being in-state rival, Florida. This will be a solid test to see if Martinez can keep his pace of 6.1 yards per carry. If he can maintain at least 5.0 yards-per-carry throughout the season then he could raise his draft stock even further.

Florida – Wide Receiver – Eugene Wilson III

As a freshman, Wilson became a contributor to the Gator offense in week one. He progressed as the season continued. There was even a seven-week span where he averaged seven receptions per game. Wilson finished his freshman campaign with 61 receptions for 538 yards and six touchdowns. The benefit is leading receiver Ricky Pearsall is now gone, after being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. There are some new faces in the Gator offense, however, Wilson will have the opportunity to step into a larger role in year two. These in-state games are always difficult for any team, so it will be interesting to see the impact Wilson makes for the Gators to start the season.

Game is Scheduled for Saturday, August 31 at 3:30 pm (EST)

Colorado State – Wide Receiver – Tory Horton

Horton seems to be the forgotten wide receiver in the 2025 draft class right now. A wise man once told me, “Do not scout the helmet, scout the player.” Since joining Colorado State, Horton has averaged 125 targets with 83 receptions per season. Additionally, he has averaged 1,133.5 receiving yards with eight touchdowns per season. Horton has the physical attributes you want in a receiver. Many people scout the helmets but be prepared for Horton to be one of the top receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft. His first test will not be easy as Texas has bulked up its secondary after joining the SEC. Regardless, Horton’s involvement in the game could push the outcome in favor of Colorado State throughout the season.

Texas – Wide Receiver – Isaiah Bond

As a freshman, Bond was a promising prospect entering Alabama, but he has yet to have his breakout campaign. This season he joins a Texas team with a plethora of vacated targets. The upside is we saw progression in his sophomore season at Alabama. Bond nearly tripled his production from his freshman season. On the other hand, he has yet to crack 900 total receiving yards in his collegiate career. He will do that in year three. His playmaking abilities could help him become the primary target in the Texas offense. Colorado State can get scrappy, so this will be a good test for Bond to adapt to his new offense.

Game is Scheduled for Saturday, August 31 at 7:00 pm (EST)

UNLV – Wide Receiver – Ricky White

White chose to return to UNLV after having his breakout campaign in 2023. He will look to replicate that season with a new quarterback under center. His former quarterback, Jayden Maiava, has transferred to USC meaning White will need to build chemistry with Holy Cross transfer Matthew Sluka. Last season, White had 89 receptions off 135 targets. His 1,483 receiving yards were the third most in the nation. This year might not be as rewarding for him considering he has a new quarterback. Their first matchup against the Cougars will give us an idea of the chemistry White and Sluka built during fall camp.

Houston – Quarterback – Donovan Smith

Senior quarterback, Donovan Smith, decided to return to Houston for his final collegiate season. The 6 foot 5 quarterback has a lot of pros to his game, however, he lost three of his top five wide receivers due to them transferring to other universities. He will look to build chemistry with some new faces and continue to build his chemistry with Joseph Manjack IV. Smith wants to erase last year to prove he is not a turnover quarterback. Last season, Smith had 13 interceptions. He has the prototypical size for an NFL quarterback, but he is a raw talent that still needs some polishing around the edges. This first look against UNLV will be a good test to see how Smith’s leadership has connected with his receivers.

Game is Scheduled for Saturday, August 31 at 7:30 pm (EST)

Notre Dame – Wide Receiver – Kris Mitchell

In his final year of eligibility, Mitchell decided to transfer to Notre Dame. Last season with Florida International, Mitchell had his breakout campaign. For the first time in his collegiate career, he gained over 1,000 receiving yards. He caught 64 of 109 targets for 1,118 yards. As a transfer, competition will be tougher, however, he will get the opportunity to show his skills on a national level. Mitchell is an underrated wide receiver who will start his final collegiate season against a touch SEC defense. This first week could give us an idea of his usage in a new system.

Texas A&M – Running Back – Le’Veon Moss

Moss was expected to share the backfield with sophomore running back Rueben Owens this upcoming season. Unfortunately, a lower-body injury will sideline Owens for the 2024 season, however, that means Moss should be the featured back for the Aggies in 2024. Moss is great size standing six feet tall and weighing 215 pounds. The unknown is whether Moss can handle a full workload as he is yet to have a season with over 100 rushing attempts. Last season, he came close when having 96 rushing attempts while averaging five yards per carry. Plus, he showed he can make some noise in the passing game after catching 11 of 15 targets for 84 yards. The beginning of the schedule for the Aggies could be considered light, however, come October they will face some challenging opponents. It will be interesting to see how the Aggies utilize Moss at the beginning of the season. Hopefully, the utilization allows Moss to find his footing early so that when the tougher defenses come around he has already established himself as a centerpiece to the Aggie offense.

USC @ LSU

Game is Scheduled for Sunday, September 1 at 7:30 pm (EST)

USC – Quarterback – Miller Moss

Moss has done well in the opportunities he has received. Last season, Moss completed 70.8 percent of his passes while throwing for seven touchdowns. He should get the starting role, but he may be on a short leash. UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava will be patiently waiting for an opportunity if Moss begins to struggle. Luckily, Moss will have two game-changing receivers in Duce Robinson and Zachariah Branch. Those two alone could help Moss find success early. Not every game will be this tough, but week one will show us what Moss is capable of against a hard-hitting LSU defense. This game against LSU might be the toughest game for the Trojans.

LSU – Quarterback – Garrett Nussmeier

LSU lost not one, not two, but three dominant offensive playmakers to the NFL. Luckily, they have a quarterback that is ready to take control of the offense. Nussmeier will not have first-round prospects to throw to like Jayden Daniels did last season. That does not mean he has no playmakers. If anything Nussmeier’s precision will elevate his receivers this year. Over the past two seasons, he has maintained over 60 percent completion. He will lean on his arm strength and accuracy to lead LSU in a difficult SEC conference. The USC secondary got torched on multiple occasions last season. This will be a fun test for Nussmeier to see if he can light up the air with beautiful accurate throws to his receivers.

That concludes my week one Prospect Pulse. Stay tuned for more Prospect Pulse articles highlighting different prospects each week. Follow me on X @thepprshow for daily and weekly recap threads. If you enjoy fantasy football then do not forget to subscribe to our Fantasy Football Universe YouTube page. Plus, for more articles like this on our website fantasyfootballuniverse.com. Thank you for reading!