By Mark Pszonak
Transfers are once again playing a vital role this season. Here are five that everyone should keep an eye on this Saturday:
QB Tyler Shough, Louisville (Texas Tech)
I’ll admit that I wasn’t sold on Shough excelling at Louisville, but so far he has proven me wrong. Having passed for 850 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions in three games, he has the Cardinals undefeated, ranked #15, a serious player in the ACC and a contender for the playoffs. And now the biggest test looms with a trip to #16 Notre Dame.
DE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M (Purdue)
Scourton has had a good season through four games, but not at the All-American level many expected. But while he has totaled 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack in four games, six tackles and one tackle for a loss came in the Aggies last game against Bowling Green. Is this the beginning of the dominant play he is capable of? Arkansas will find out on Saturday.
More Sports News
QB Aidan Chiles, Michigan State (Oregon State)
I’m not expecting miracles from Chiles against Ohio State, but I’m interested to see how he responds when things get chaotic against the Buckeyes. Through four games he has only completed 54.3% of his passes, with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has the skillset to play much better, and while it likely won’t happen this Saturday, will he remain poised and make good decisions? A solid performance would go a long way in building his confidence for the remainder of the season.
WR Zahkari Franklin, Illinois (Ole Miss)
If Illinois is going to pull off the upset at Penn State they’ll need some offensive players to step up. One likely candidate is Franklin. He has been steady this season, with 21 receptions for 243 yards, but he has yet to find the endzone. It is likely that Penn State will be paying more attention to Pat Bryant, who already has six touchdown receptions, so the opportunities should be there for Franklin to make a big impression in Happy Valley.
CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana (James Madison)
Indiana has been dominant during their 4-0 start but now they face their biggest test on Saturday against Maryland. And one of the key matchups in the game will be Ponds versus Terps wide receiver Tai Felton, who already has 41 receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns. Ponds is very talented, but at 5-foot-9 and 170-pounds, he will be seriously tested by the 6-foot-2 Felton who is in the midst of an All-American season. Felton has at least seven receptions and 117 yards in each of the Terps four games so slowing him down will be a priority for the Hoosiers.
