Week 6 Transfer Performances That Slid Under-the-Radar

By Mark Pszonak

With the high number of transfers making an immediate impact at the college football level on a weekly basis, it is easy for a few performances to slide under-the-radar. Below are five from Week 6 that deserve more attention:

RB Carson Steele – UCLA (Ball State)

The skinny: Regarded as one of the top available transfer running backs during the last cycle, Steele’s arrival in Los Angeles created a great deal of buzz. And while he had performed well through the first quarter of the season, he had yet to have a memorable game for the Bruins. That changed on Saturday during an important victory over Washington State when Steele showed everyone the workhorse type of back that he is capable of being. Finishing with 140 yards on 30 carries, will this performance lead to more carries in the coming weeks?

RB Ismail Mahdi – Texas State (Houston Christian)

The skinny: It is about time that Mahdi gets some attention for what he is accomplishing for Texas State. He continued his excellent play with 188 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries during a tough loss at Louisiana, but it was yet another game that he excelled. He now currently leads FBS in all-purpose yards (1,131) and yards per carry (8.05), and is sixth in rushing yards (676).

WR Malik Washington – Virginia (Northwestern)

The skinny: As with Mahdi, Washington is another transfer that should be getting more attention for his play this season. It hasn’t helped that Virginia is 1-5, but that has also made his accomplishments even more impressive since the Cavs have flipped between two quarterbacks during this tough start. During their first win of the season on Saturday he once again excelled with seven receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown against William & Mary. For the season he now has 44 receptions, 668 yards and five touchdowns.

DB Devin Neal – Louisville (Baylor)

The skinny: After their win against Notre Dame, Louisville has suddenly become a hot topic in college football. The undefeated Cardinals have had a quick rejuvenation led by new head coach Jeff Brohm, with most of the attention going to the offense. However, the play of the defense has also been a pleasant surprise. A big part of this success has been due to the play of Neal, who played like a star on Saturday night with eight tackles, one tackle for a loss, two interceptions and one pass breakup. Already considered a team leader, his continued top-level play will help the Louisville train to keep rolling in a positive direction.

DL Da’Jon Terry – Oklahoma (Tennessee)

The skinny: The Oklahoma defense has long been ridiculed, even when the Sooners were a perennial Top 10 team. This season may be a bit different though, as witnessed during the huge win against Texas as the defensive unit came up with big stops when needed. One key contributor was Terry, who has become an important player along the line. Against the Longhorns he impressed with four tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and one sack. The offense will continue to flourish behind quarterback Dillon Gabriel, but an improved defense will have the Sooners pushing for the playoffs.