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:
TE Jake Briningstool
The skinny: Losing their third game of the season on Saturday night at Miami, Clemson has been starving for whatever glimmers of hope they can find. Briningstool was one of these in Coral Gables, as he enjoyed a career night with five receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He had at least three receptions in each of the last five games, but never more than 47 yards, so this explosion was a nice surprise. As his connection with quarterback Cade Klubnick continues to strengthen, an uptick in production should become more of the norm.
DL Nash Hutmacher – Nebraska
The skinny: It has been a gradual growth for Hutmacher in Lincoln, who has now become a valuable part of the defensive line rotation. After seeing playing time during his first two seasons but not recording a tackle, he began to get noticed last season when he played in 12 games, including two starts. This season he has started every game and enjoyed his best collegiate performance on Saturday against Northwestern when he finished with seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks. Overall, his performance has helped a revitalized Huskers’ defense that has given up a total of 16 points in their last two games.
LB Chuck Hicks – Missouri
The skinny: One of the biggest surprises of this season has been Missouri, which is currently 7-1 and ranked #16 in the latest poll. Contributions have come from many places to help the Tigers get to this point, with Hicks filling this role on Saturday during a 34-12 victory over South Carolina. Hicks, who transferred in from Wyoming prior to the 2021 season, had his best game as a Tiger with five tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and one sack. With a trip to Georgia coming up next on the schedule, this would be a good time for another impactful game for Hicks.
DB Crew Wakley – BYU
The skinny: After transferring in from Utah State after the 2022 season, the Cougars had to wait until this season for Wakley to showcase his abilities on the field. Through the first half of the season there have been some ups and downs, but on Saturday during a home win against Texas Tech, the positives far outweighed the negatives. Finishing with a career-high 11 tackles, one tackle for a loss and one pass breakup, he has entrenched himself as the starting safety for the remainder of the season.
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DB Jaelen Stokes – USF
The skinny: After going 4-29 over the previous three seasons, new head coach Alex Golesh had a difficult task with the Bulls in his first season this fall. However, after a 24-21 victory at UConn on Saturday, he has USF at 4-4 and in the bowl hunt. One key contributor in Storrs was Stokes, who finished with seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, a fumble recovery and one interception. After totaling nine tackles during his first two seasons in Tampa, he has become a key contributor for the Bulls in 2023.
