2025 Week 3 College Football Recap And Top Performers

Three weeks into the 2025 college football season, and the action is already heating up. As we do each week, it’s time to break down the biggest takeaways and lessons from a crazy week of college football - side note: we start with a big upset.

What Did We Learn After Week 3?

• Alright Clemson, let’s talk about Week 3. If your performance against Troy from Week 2 was any indication, there’s a troubling trend of trailing before halftime, which was part of the reason for your loss to Georgia Tech this week. This team needs to regroup—and fast. As for Cade Klubnik, if Clemson wants to climb out of this early-season hole, he’ll need to start playing like the Heisman contender everyone expected him to be. The clock’s ticking. Shoutout to Haynes King on his performance.

• Georgia vs. Tennessee delivered what might be the most thrilling college football showdown of the season so far. In a clash of SEC titans, both teams lit up the scoreboard in a back-and-forth battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats from kickoff to the final whistle.

  
  

  The game went to overtime after Tennessee missed a golden opportunity to seal the win—a field goal attempt that sailed wide right in the closing seconds. That miss proved costly, as Georgia’s Josh McCray punched in the decisive score in overtime to secure the Bulldogs’ victory.

  
  

  If this game was any preview of what’s to come, here’s hoping these two meet again in the College Football Playoff. The rematch would be must-see TV.

• Texas A&M’s gutsy last-second victory over a formidable Notre Dame squad — sealed with just 13 ticks left on the clock — signals that the Aggies have officially arrived. Leading the charge is emerging quarterback Marcel Reed, whose poise and playmaking promise to shake things up in the SEC this season.

• Speaking of overtime thrillers, this year’s edition of the “Backyard Brawl” belonged to one man: West Virginia running back Tye Edwards. Pittsburgh’s defense had no answer for him, as he racked up three of the Mountaineers’ four touchdowns—including the game-winner in overtime.

• By halftime, Mendoza had already racked up an eye-popping 270 yards and—count them—six total touchdowns against Indiana State. His performance wasn’t just dominant; it was electric. Mendoza has elevated the Hoosiers' offense to an entirely new tier, and the best part? He’s only just getting warmed up - likewise, his younger brother Alberto.

• The Missouri Tigers are rolling—and they didn’t even need star quarterback Beau Pribula to dismantle Louisiana the way they did. Instead, they turned loose running back Ahmad Hardy, who tore through the defense with ease. Now sitting at 3-0, this year’s Tigers aren’t just winning—they’re demanding national attention.

• Penn State’s victory over Villanova wasn’t just another notch in the win column—it was the first real glimpse of their offensive firepower this season. If they can keep tapping into that potential week after week, success won’t just be possible—it’ll be expected.

• South Carolina losing starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers for most of the game due to injury, the Commodores didn’t just capitalize—they closed the deal. With a gritty win over the Gamecocks, Vanderbilt has earned more than just a W. Commodores, you’ve got our attention.

• Judging strictly by his passing stats, Texas quarterback Arch Manning didn’t have his best outing. But zoom out to the scoreboard, and you’ll see he still accounted for three touchdowns—two on the ground and one through the air. What’s becoming clear is that Manning isn’t a finished product, but he’s proving he can do enough to win.

  
  

That said, if Texas has serious SEC aspirations, their overall offensive output needs to level up from what they showed against UTEP. The talent is there— it’s time to unlock it.

• Oregon’s performance against Northwestern reaffirmed what we’ve known all along: they’re the most well-rounded team in the nation, and few can keep up with their relentless pace.

• Meanwhile, Alabama finally looked like vintage Alabama in their dominant win over Wisconsin. If they can maintain this level of play week after week, their path back to SEC contention is not just possible—it’s inevitable.

• Michigan may have struck gold with true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood. He hasn’t just elevated the Wolverines’ offense—he’s lifted the entire team. If Michigan punches a ticket to this year’s College Football Playoff, there’s little doubt Underwood will be the driving force behind it.

• The Miami Hurricanes are off to a blazing 3-0 start and, quite frankly, they’ve seized Clemson’s spot as the ACC’s premier team. At this point, the only squad that looks capable of challenging their throne is Florida State.

• Just three weeks into the season, Dave Doeren’s NC State squad remains undefeated and is showcasing impressive balance on both sides of the ball. And let’s not forget—they’ve got one of the ACC’s most electrifying talents in running back Daylan “Hollywood” Smothers.

• Auburn notched a solid win over South Alabama to move to 3-0, but the real test is coming. Next week, they’ll face an Oklahoma squad fresh off a dominant performance against Temple. That matchup should reveal whether Auburn’s early success is the real deal—or just a mirage.

• Remember when Kansas State was considered a serious Big 12 contender? That storyline feels like ancient history after their tough loss to Arizona. Sitting at 1-3, the Wildcats have a mountain to climb if they hope to claw back some respectability this season.

  
  

Meanwhile, Arizona is riding high at 3-0 and showing no signs of slowing down. The Wildcats from the desert are making noise—and it’s starting to sound like a team on the rise.

• Coach Prime rolled the dice this week by naming third-string quarterback Ryan Staub as the starter. Unfortunately, the gamble didn’t pay off, resulting in a humbling loss to Houston. Now the big question looms: will he stick with Staub, revert to Kaidon Salter, or take a bold leap with true freshman Julian Lewis?

  
  

One thing’s clear—this quarterback carousel is spinning out of control, and it’s starting to derail the season.

Week 3 Top Performers

Offense

QB Steve Angeli - Syracuse

QB Behren Morton - Texas Tech

QB Ty Simpson - Alabama

QB Bryce Underwood - Michigan

RB Ahmad Hardy - Missouri

RB Tye Edwards - West Virginia

QB Fernando Mendoza - Indiana

QB Trinidad Chambliss - Ole Miss

QB Taylen Green - Arkansas

RB Hollywood Smothers - NC State

WR Chris Brazzell II - Tennessee

RB Ismail Mahdi - Arizona

QB Carson Beck - Miami

QB Marcel Reed - Texas A&M

RB Mark Fletcher Jr. - Miami

WR Mario Craver - Texas A&M

RB Harrison Waylee - Virginia

QB Haynes King - Georgia Tech

WR Ryan Williams - Alabama

QB Julian Sayin - Ohio State

WR Omar Cooper Jr. - Indiana

WR Darrell Gill Jr. - Syracuse

QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele - California

WR Bryant Wesco Jr. - Clemson

WR Jeremiah Smith - Ohio State

Defense

DB Demetres Samuel Jr. - Syracuse

LB Dylan Hazen - Wake Forest

LB Isaiah Jones - Indiana

EDGE Caleb Herring - Tennessee

DE Keyron Crawford - Auburn

DB Brice PollocK - Texas Tech

EDGE Eric Gentry - USC

EDGE Arvell Reese - Ohio State

DE Edward Vesterinen - West Virginia

EDGE Jaishawn Barham - Michigan

LB Sammy Omosigho - Oklahoma

LB Nick Rinaldi - Vanderbilt

DB K.J Bolden - Georgia

S Dashawn Spears - LSU

DB Braheem Long Jr.- Syracuse

DL Deshawn McKnight- Arizona

DB Hezekiah Masses - California

LB Braylan Lovelace - Pittsburgh

DB Xavier Scott - Illinois

DL Rueben Bain Jr. - Miami

S CJ Heard - Vanderbilt