There were several must-watch games on the Week 6 schedule, but this is college football — every game is must-watch TV. Syracuse outlasted UNLV. Army and Navy improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1943. Vanderbilt upset No. 1 Alabama. And naturally, there was no shortage of eye-popping performances.
Without further ado, the Week 6 College Football Players of the Week.
College Football Players of the Week | Week 6
Quarterback of the Week: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Diego. Pavia.
The New Mexico state transfer has been a revelation for Vanderbilt this season, and he gave Alabama more than it could handle in Week 6.
The Commodores shocked the Crimson Tide in a 40-35 upset of the ages, marking the program’s first-ever win over an AP Poll No. 1 team. Pavia was near-perfect through the air, completing 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns while adding 56 yards on 20 carries.
Not only did he outduel Heisman contender Jalen Milroe, but he also displayed poise in critical moments. Pavia’s brilliance on third downs (12 of 18) and ability to escape pressure (zero sacks taken) powered Vanderbilt’s offense.
The highlight of the day came on a pivotal 4th and 1, where Pavia connected with Junior Sherrill for a 36-yard TD. The veteran QB led six scoring drives on nine possessions and iced the game by running out the clock on the final possession, all against Alabama’s vaunted defense that just knocked off Georgia.
Honorable mentions: Hajj-Malik Williams, UNLV; Hayden Wolff, Western Michigan; Kurtis Rourke, Indiana; Blake Horvath, Navy; Zeon Chriss, Houston; Bryson Daily, Army; Tyler Huff, Jacksonville State; Will Howard, Ohio State; Kevin Jennings, SMU; Braylon Braxton, Marshall; Eli Holstein, Pitt; Jalen Raynor, Arkansas State; Ethan Vasko, Coastal Carolina; Max Brosmer, Minnesota; Cam Ward, Miami.
Offensive Player of the Week: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Ashton Jeanty set the tone from the opening play against Utah State, taking Boise State’s first offensive snap 63 yards to the house, effortlessly shaking off three defenders in the process. That opening salvo was just a preview of the fireworks to come.
By halftime, Jeanty had already racked up 186 rushing yards on just 13 carries, averaging a stunning 14.3 yards per run. His highlight reel included a 75-yard touchdown sprint, in which he bulldozed through the line, cut outside, and left the defense in his wake.
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Jeanty’s explosive first-half performance placed him among elite company, as he became only the eighth FBS running back since 1996 to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in the first five games of a season.
The Broncos sat him in the second half, but their star RB had already done enough to add yet another jaw-dropping performance to his Heisman résumé.
Honorable mentions: Ja’Corey Brooks, WR, Louisville; LeQuint Allen, RB, Syracuse; Oronde Gadsden, TE, Syracuse; Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest; Jaden Nixon, RB, WMU; Ricky White III, WR, UNLV; Jordan James, RB, Oregon; Tre Stewart, RB, JSU; Desmond Reid, RB, Pitt; Hahsaun Wilson, RB, Charlotte; Le’Veon Moss, RB, Texas A&M; Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State; Jamaal Pritchett, WR, South Alabama; Corey Rucker, WR, Ark State; Tory Horton, WR, CSU; Cameron Skattebo, RB, ASU; Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech.
Defensive Player of the Week: Cameron Whitfield, LB, Louisiana
Louisiana’s 23-13 win over Southern Miss was expected — the Ragin’ Cajuns were 16.5-point road favorites — but they may not have earned it without Cameron Whitfield. The star defensive lineman generated eight sacks last season but had yet to record one in 2024 — until Week 6.
Whitfield not only notched his first sack of the season, but he finished the night with four, tying Lousiana’s record for the most in a single game. If that wasn’t enough, two of those forced fumbles, including one that turned Southern Miss over on its final possession of the game.
Honorable mentions: Kyndrich Breedlove, DB, Purdue; A.J. Haulcy, DB, Houston; Jordan Burch, DL, Oregon; Steven Parker, DL, Texas State; Kory Chapman, S, UTEP; Chris Murray, DL, Sam Houston; Jaxson Campbell, S, Navy; Kaleb Cost, DB, UNC; Corban Hondru, LB, Miami (OH); Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU; Fadil Diggs, DL, Syracuse; Jasheen Davis, EDGE, Wake Forest; Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson; Jackson Woodard, LB, UNLV; Jordan Wright, DB, Temple; Darius Alexander, DT, Toledol Nohl Williams, DB, Cal.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Rayshawn Pleasant, KR, Tulane
Anotha one.
When Rayshawn Pleasant returned a kickoff 94 yards for a TD against Louisiana earlier this season, he became one of only four players in Tulane history to score on defense and on special teams in a career, let alone a season.
Well, on Saturday, Pleasant returned another kick 100 yards against UAB, creating a group of his own: the only Green Wave player to return multiple kicks for TDs in the same season. In fact, he is only the second player in school history to do it in a career!
Honorable mentions: Dylan Cunanan, K, Toledo; Ryan Eckley, P, Michigan State; Qua Ashley, KR, Kennesaw State; Malcolm Gillie, KR, Ball State; Winston Wright Jr., KR, East Carolina; Alex Mastromanno, P, FSU; Clune Van Andel, K, Ark State; Ryan Heicher, P, Ark State; Dylan Riley, KR, Boise State; Jonah Dalmas, K, Boise State; Myles Mendeszoon, DL, Iowa State; Caden Matson, DB, Iowa State; Paddy Turner, P, CSU.
Freshman Player of the Week: DJ McKinney, RB, Sam Houston
DJ McKinney entered Week 6’s contest against UTEP with 232 total yards across five games as Sam Houston’s RB2.
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He produced 166 yards and his only two TDs of the season on Saturday alone. The Miners had no answer for the fantastic freshman, as McKinney took 14 carries for 138 yards on the ground, including a 59-yard scamper into the end zone. As the cherry on top, he posted 28 yards on three receptions out of the backfield.
Honorable mentions: Jo’Laison Landry, DL, Texas State; LJ Green, CB, Troy; Jaylen Poe, RB, Northern Illinois; Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville; Yasin Willis, RB, Syracuse; Jamauri McClure, RB, Tulane; Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State; CJ Bailey, QB, NC State; Trech Kekahuna, WR, Wisconsin; Zechariah Poyser, DB, JSU; Ryan Williams, QB, Alabama; Micah Ford, RB, Stanford; T.J. Moore, WR, Clemson; Ahmad Hardy, RB, ULM.
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