Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
Week 10 of the college football season is in the books and with it came many standout performances. Here are three guys who had what could be breakout weeks for them as they take the next step in their development.
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The skinny: Brown’s recruiting process blew up during his 2016 season at College of the Canyons. After pulling in several impressive offers from coast-to-coast, he took official visits to Oklahoma and West Virginia before committing to the Sooners in December. The Sooners were looking for a JUCO wide receiving replacement for Dede Westbrook, who also arrived from a junior college, and plenty was expected out of Brown this fall. Coming into Saturday’s Oklahoma State game, he had already been enjoying a successful season, but his performance against the Cowboys will be remembered by Oklahoma fans for years to come. Finishing with nine receptions for 265 yards and two touchdowns, he helped lead the Sooners to a thrilling 62-52 victory in Stillwater.
Farrell’s Take: Size was a question mark when it comes to Brown, but not much else as he had the speed and home run potential to be a star after dominating at the JUCO level. A slot receiver with catch-and-run speed, we liked Brown as an instant impact guy for the Sooners, and he had his biggest impact in the biggest game of the year. His quickness was evident, and he has added a good 20 pounds from his high school days, when he was a 5-foot-10, 155-pounder on a bad high school team.
The skinny: Playing his high school football in British Columbia, it took a little longer for Claypool’s recruiting process to take off. After the offers began to roll in, Claypool took an aggressive approach by taking several visits during the spring before trimming his list of top schools down to Notre Dame, Oregon, Washington, Rutgers and Michigan before committing to the Irish at The Opening. Notre Dame was seen as the heavy favorite leading up to his decision. Claypool made a minimal impact as a true freshman last fall, and while he saw increased production this season, it wasn’t until yesterday’s game against Wake Forest that he truly burst onto the scene. Totaling nine receptions for 180 yards and one touchdown, consistent play by Claypool will give the Notre Dame offense yet another weapon as it attempts to reach the College Football Playoffs.
Farrell’s Take: A huge target out of high school, we projected him as a potential star with his ranking just outside our Rivals100 despite the poor competition in Canada. He improved his route-running skills and ability to get off the line by competing against other top high school players at camps in the U.S. and took those skills into his last year in Canada and kept improving. Now, as a big target for an improving Brandon Wimbush downfield, he has a chance to become a real weapon in the Notre Dame offense.
The skinny: Hockenson held offers from Iowa State and Eastern Michigan, but when Iowa offered in early July, his decision became simple. Growing up a fan of the Hawkeyes, he only took a few days before making his commitment. After redshirting last season, Hockenson entered the Ohio State game with 14 receptions for 201 yards and one touchdown. His performance on Saturday, along with fellow tight end Noah Fant, propelled the Hawkeyes to a huge victory over the Buckeyes. Totaling five receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns, the Iowa passing attack trampled the Ohio State defense during its 55-24 victory.
Farrell’s Take: Hockenson put up massive numbers in high school, but was a low 3-star prospect for us because we questioned his overall speed and athleticism. He put up huge numbers against weak competition, but this game shows he can do it against future NFL talent, as well. Regionally recruited but not on any major radar out of high school, he had good size and good hands and has improved his quickness and ability to adjust to the ball very well and could be a big part of the offense down the line.
