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 2 that deserve more attention:
DL Jordan Domineck – Colorado (Arkansas)
The skinny: Colorado is the biggest story during the early stages of the college football season, with the offense earning most of the headlines. However, if the team’s success is to continue, the defense will need to improve. One important part of that is Domineck, who led the way on Saturday against Nebraska with four tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery. With games quickly approaching against Oregon and USC, consistent top-level play by Domineck could prove vital.
QB JT Daniels – Rice (West Virginia)
The skinny: It has been a long and strange ride for Daniels since his arrival at USC as a five-star recruit in 2018. Since then, there have been stops at Georgia and West Virginia before he made the decision to finish out his collegiate career at Rice. On Saturday, in a double overtime victory over Houston, Daniels performed at a level that made him a five-star recruit five years ago. Completing 28 of 42 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns, it was an impressive performance for Daniels and Rice, as the Owls look to grab their first winning season since 2014.
WR Gage Larvadain – Miami-Ohio (Southeastern Louisiana)
The skinny: Following a game when he was one of the Redhawks only bright spots during a loss at Miami-Florida, Larvadain produced a legendary performance on Saturday against UMass. Finishing with eight receptions for 273 yards and three touchdowns during the victory, he has quietly become one of the top early-season portal additions in the country with 16 receptions, 353 yards and three touchdowns through two games. Another big test looms this Saturday against Cincinnati.
DB Jalen Catalon – Texas (Arkansas)
The skinny: Catalon was one of the more intriguing portal additions of the 2022/2023 cycle. When healthy, he could be one of the top defensive backs in the country, but that was a huge issue during his time at Arkansas. Currently at 100%, his play at Alabama was a great sign for the Longhorns as he finished with a team-high seven tackles and added on tackle for a loss. Texas is poised for a huge season this fall, with Catalon being a important part of that as long as he can keep his injury bug at bay.
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LB Jaheim Thomas – Arkansas (Cincinnati)
The skinny: After the conclusion of the 2022 season, one priority for the Razorbacks was to find a linebacker replacement for Drew Sanders, who departed for the NFL, through the transfer portal. They responded by adding Thomas, who through two games has quickly become a team leader. He was especially impressive on Saturday during a 28-6 victory over Kent State when he finished with a a team-high 12 tackles, along with 2 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. With better competition obviously on the horizon, eyes will be on Thomas to see if he can continue his impressive play.
