2025 Week 1 College Football Recap And Top Performers

To say Week 1 was a college football extravaganza would be an understatement. There’s nothing better than a full weekend of games—many already carrying playoff implications. There’s plenty to unpack, so let’s dive into what we learned from this action-packed opening week.

What Did We Learn From Week1

• One of the most hyped Week 1 matchups in college football history turned out to be, surprisingly, a defensive slugfest. That said, don’t count out Texas quarterback Arch Manning just yet. His performance against Ohio State gave him a taste of elite-level competition—and if he’s serious about chasing a national championship, he’ll need to evolve fast.

  
  

• On the flip side, few things are more entertaining than a player who talks trash and backs it up. Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos did just that—starting the smack talk way back in June ahead of their Week 1 clash with Alabama. Not only did the Seminoles deliver, they absolutely embarrassed the Crimson Tide. Head coach Kalen DeBoer has some serious explaining to do.

  
  

• LSU, led by Brian Kelly, snapped their season-opening losing streak in style. The Tigers didn’t just win—they shut out Clemson’s offense, which is no small feat. With that kind of defensive dominance, they’re looking like serious SEC contenders.

  
  

• Speaking of SEC beasts, the Georgia Bulldogs are terrifying. Their defensive front plays like a pack of wild animals—ferocious, relentless, and nearly impossible to contain. We don’t envy anyone facing them this season.

  
  

• Penn State’s Week 1 win was engineered by a suffocating defense that racked up three sacks and nine tackles for loss. Offensively, though, there’s still plenty of work to be done if they want to keep pace with the top-tier programs.

  
  

• Let’s talk about John Mateer. Simply put: he’s the real deal. His performance against Illinois State was just a glimpse of what he can do when paired with the right offensive scheme.

  
  

• Mario Cristobal and his Miami Hurricanes kicked off the season in style—with a statement win over a top-10 opponent. It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Carson Beck, but when the pressure mounted, he delivered.

  
  

• While South Carolina’s quarterback LaNorris Sellers draws plenty of attention, the real star of the show might be their defense. This unit could be one of the most dynamic in the country. If they stay intact, the Gamecocks have the potential to make a serious run this season.

  
  

• True freshman Bryce Underwood couldn’t have asked for a better start to his college career, securing a win in his debut. More importantly, it looks like head coach Sherrone Moore may have finally found the quarterback to build a winning season around.

  
  

• If you’re looking for a dynamic duo to watch this season, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson are it. They lit up Northern Arizona and made it clear—they’re here to make noise.

  
  

• The Oregon Ducks did what they always do: dominate defensively and score with ruthless consistency. At this point, it’s just business as usual in Eugene.

  
  

• The Nico Iamaleava era in Tennessee might be fading fast. If the Vols keep putting up numbers like they did against Syracuse, Nico will be a distant memory. Quarterback Joey Aguilar isn’t perfect, but he made clutch plays and flashed serious arm talent.

  
  

• And speaking of Nico—his UCLA debut against Utah was, frankly, a disaster. Almost nothing went right, and the Bruins limped out of Week 1 with a whimper.

  
  

• Boise State’s loss to South Florida wasn’t exactly an upset. It felt more like a team turning back into a pumpkin after losing arguably the greatest player in program history to the NFL. One thing’s clear: the Broncos aren’t a top-25 team—at least not yet.

  
  

• The 2-0 Kansas Jayhawks are showing promise on both sides of the ball. Their continued success will hinge on whether Jalon Daniels can stay healthy. So far, so good.

  
  

• Sure, it was Western Illinois, but Luke Altmeyer and the Illinois Fighting Illini looked like the real deal. Their balance on offense and defense is hard to ignore. Big Ten, take notice.

  
  

• Coach Prime and his Colorado Buffaloes started strong, but heartbreak followed thanks to the heroics of Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King. Speaking of quarterbacks—though it was just one game—Kaidon Salter doesn’t seem like the answer. We’ll leave it at that.

  
  

• The jury’s still out on Auburn. Despite scoring over 30 points in their win, something still feels off with their offense. On the bright side, Jackson Arnold had a solid performance.

  
  

• It wasn’t pretty, but Dylan Raiola (aka Patrick Mahomes Lite) and his Nebraska Cornhuskers got the job done against Cincinnati. Unfortunately, the road only gets tougher from here.

  
  

• It may have been just one game against weaker competition, but Missouri’s offense deserves attention. Running back Ahmad Hardy and receiver Marquis Johnson are a dynamic duo, and Penn State transfer Beau Pribula had a monster game stepping in for the injured Sam Horn.

  
  

• If Minnesota wants to stay relevant in the Big Ten this year, it’ll be on the back of star running back Darius Taylor, who had a standout performance in their win over Buffalo.

  
  

• The ACC landscape could shift if Duke quarterback Darian Mensah keeps playing like he did against Elon.

  
  

• While Oklahoma State’s offense remains a question mark, their defense looks like a serious threat—especially with freshman pass rusher Wendell Gregory making waves.

Week 1 Top Performers

Offense

RB Robert Henry - UTSA

QB John Mateer - Oklahoma

QB Sam Leavitt - Arizona State

QB Taylen Green - Arkansas

WR Jordyn Tyson - Arizona Stae

RB Desmond Reid - Pitt

RB Isaac Brown - Louisville

QB Marcel Reed - Texas A&M

QB Dylan Lonergan - Boston College

RB Justice Haynes - Michigan

QB Rocco Becht - Iowa State

QB Austin Simmons - Ole Miss

QB Colton Joseph - Old Dominion

QB Eli Holstein - Pittsburgh

QB Darian Mensah - Duke

RB Darius Taylor - Minnesota

QB Jalon Daniels - Kansas

WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. - Kansas

WR Jalen Jones - Alabama State

QB Beau Pribula - Missouri

QB Byrum Brown - South Florida

RB Jevon Jackson - UAB

QB Andrew Body - Alabama State

QB Haynes King - Georgia Tech

WR Chase Hendricks - Ohio

WR Chris Durr Jr. - Wyoming

QB Gunner Stockton - Georgia

WR Caullin Lacy - Louisville

QB Diego Paiva - Vanderbilt

QB Braxton Woodson - Navy

Defense

DL Dylan Stewart - South Carolina

DT Zxavian Harris - Ole Miss

DB Brandyn Hillman - Michigan

EDGE Steven Soles Jr. - Kentucky

EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. - Miami

LB Cole Sullivan - Michigan

DE Cameron Robertson - SMU

DE John henry Daley - Utah

LB Alex Afari Jr. - Kentucky

LB George Gumbs jr. - Florida

DT Landon Robinson - Navy

LB Fred "jayr" Johnson - South Carolina

EDGE Kyle Louis - Pittsburgh

LB Harold Perkins Jr. - LSU

EDGE Cody Stufflebean - Kansas State

EDGE Sidney Stewart - Maryland

DE Dani Dennis-sutton - Penn State

EDGE Gabe Jacas - Illinois

EDGE Wendell Gregory - Ok State

LB Caden Fordham - NC State

LB Martavius French - Colorado