By Mark Pszonak
College football is all about developing younger players to become important playmakers. Every week numerous players make that jump. Some are expected while others come as a surprise, so here are five who took that leap this weekend:
DL Howard Cross III – Notre Dame
The skinny: Cross has been with the Irish since the 2019 season and a steady contributor since 2021. However, he had yet to have a game like the one he enjoyed on Saturday night at Duke. During the victory he finished with 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and one sack. As he has steadily become a vital part of the Irish defensive unit this fall, his play will become more and more important during the second half of the season.
DL Zane Durant – Penn State
The skinny: After getting his feet wet as a true freshman last season while seeing limited time in all 13 games, Durant has begun to blossom this fall. He showed flashes against Delaware back in early September, but this time he excelled against Big Tenn competition at Northwestern. Finishing with four tackles, three tackles for a loss and one sack, his gradual emergence has added another intriguing piece to what was already a stout defensive unit.
WR Tai Felton – Maryland
The skinny: The Terps have quietly put together a 5-0 start to the season on the backs of their star quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. On Saturday during a 44-17 victory over Indiana, another weapon rose to the occasion as Felton totaled seven receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns. With a huge game at Ohio State coming this Saturday, this performance couldn’t have come at a better time as it will give the Buckeyes something more to think about defensively.
DE Donterry Russell – Mississippi State
The skinny: There weren’t many positives during a 40-17 loss to Alabama, but Russell’s performance opened some eyes. After redshirting in 2022 and not playing until Saturday this season, he finished with five tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Pushed into the rotation due to injuries, the moment was obviously not too big for Russell. Those injuries should keep him in the rotation for the remainder of the season, which gives Mississippi State fans something to get excited about.
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RB Kadarius Calloway – Old Dominion
The skinny: The JUCO signee only had five rush attempts through the first four games of the season, so his performance on Saturday during a loss at Marshall was one that nobody saw coming. Calloway rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 carries while splitting time with Keshawn Wicks and Devin Roche. It would be difficult to find a reason not to give Calloway an opportunity to be the main back in the coming weeks to see if he can play at an elite level.
