Week five of the college football season is in the books, and with it came many standout performances. Here are three players who had what could be breakout weeks for them as they take the next step in their development.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
The skinny: Alaka initially committed to Texas, but with Mack Brown being let go by the Longhorns, rumors began to swirl that he was looking at other options. A January official visit to Texas A&M was what the Aggies needed to cement the flip, and Alaka made it official soon after with a commitment. Alaka enjoyed a successful 2016 season, but he never played a collegiate game like he did on Saturday night against South Carolina. He finished with nine tackles, five tackles for a loss and two sacks during a dominating defensive performance by the Aggies against the Gamecocks and was also a big part of the reason that the Aggies held the Gamecocks to 23 yards rushing for the game. With Texas A&M now at 4-1, a big finish to the season by Alaka and the defense could be what coach Kevin Sumlin needs to save his job.
Farrell’s take: A highly-rated prospect in 2014, Alaka started his career slowly at A&M but came on last season and now could be breaking out for the 2017 year. After suffering elbow and labrum injuries during his sophomore season, many questioned how effective he would be in coming back, but he has been a huge part of the defense since. We loved his frame and his ability to cover a lot of space, especially in passing situations, but his anticipation and ability to play in his opponents backfield have improved since high school.
The skinny: Davis announced a top 10 in July and was thought to be favoring Virginia Tech and West Virginia before a trip later that month to Michigan State. He arrived on campus not expecting to commit, but by the end of the day he became a Spartan. Davis totaled 14 receptions during his first two seasons in East Lansing, but has been much more productive this fall. Davis had the best game of his collegiate career Saturday night during a victory over Iowa with nine receptions, 114 yards and two touchdowns. Expectations were high for Davis heading into the 2017 season, and this performance may be the start of a strong quarterback-receiver combination between Brian Lewerke and Davis.
Farrell’s take: Davis was a tall but skinny wide receiver out of high school who was a high three-star with question marks regarding his speed. We felt he would be an excellent possession receiver and red zone threat at the next level, and he’s become just that with this weekend’s game perhaps his breakout performance. He’s still not super fast and doesn’t stretch the field that well, but he’s become a very reliable target and a big target for his quarterback.
The skinny: Benoit had already been committed to UNLV and Colorado State, but an official visit to Oregon during the last weekend before National Signing Day changed everything once again. While he didn’t pick up an offer from the Ducks during the visit, he did soon after returning home, and that was all he needed to quickly to flip to Oregon. Playing behind Royce Freeman for the last couple of seasons, Benoit has had to fight for carries. He rushed for 664 yards during the last two seasons as a back-up, but when Freeman went down with an injury during Oregon’s victory over California on Saturday night, Benoit quickly rose to the occasion. He provided the spark on the ground that the Ducks needed without Freeman on the field, rushing for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
Farrell’s take: A two-star afterthought in the 2013 Oregon class, perhaps it’s a bit late to think Benoit can break out, but he had a huge game in a key situation for Oregon and showed power and quickness. He was overshadowed in his class by speedster Thomas Tyner, a five-star, but has had a better career and has been a very reliable backup option to Freeman. With quarterback questions and the injury to Freeman, Benoit could become a key to this season.
