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On3 Impact Rankings: The Top Risers from Week 2

wam1Wl2j_400x400by: Clark Brooks17 hours agoClarkBrooks_On3
NCAA Football: Kansas at Missouri
Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) rolls out to pass during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. (Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

College football’s second weekend delivered a thrilling mix of dominant performances, shocking upsets, and major shifts in national narratives. In or other words: It was business as usual. This sport never misses.

Like the polls, our On3 Impact Rankings underwent a bit of a shakeup. Some players like John Mateer and Cashius Howell continued to see their stocks rise, while others trend the other way. Unknowns are becoming household names and other once-bankable players are quickly being forgotten and overlooked in real time.

Focusing on the positives, here are some of the top risers that deserve some shine.

Impact Riser of the Week: QB Beau Pribula, Missouri

Previous Rank: QB 52, Outside Top300
Current Rank: QB 29, Player No. 232

Beau Pribula was one of the greater question marks entering this season. Sure, he flashed fantastic feet and mobility in limited stints at Penn State. But a good deal of folks, me included, were hung up on a murky passing outlook due to only 67 career dropbacks. Consider those concerns cleared. Today, he holds the P4’s best Completion% (79.1%), 6th-most downfield completions (16) and the 8th-most first downs+touchdowns (32). Plus, his 93.3 PFF pass grade presently holds the silver medal among all QBs. Solid metrics, indeed.

He’s quickly pronounced himself as an all-conference dark horse, especially after knocking off rival Kansas over the weekend. Rallying the Tigers from an early two-score deficit, partially due to his own fumble that resulted in a defensive score, Pribula posted a career-high 334 yards and 3 TDs. His timing and touch were routinely on display creating chunk gains, keeping his offense ahead of the chains and dominating the time of possession nearly 2:1.

No. 2: WR Brenen Thomason, Mississippi State

Previous Rank: Unranked
Current Rank: WR 36, Player No. 283

On the receiving end of one of the most shocking snaps from Saturday, Brenen Thompson was undeniably one of the most impactful players from Week 2. Uncapped thanks soundly whipping his coverageman versus an aggressive Arizona State nickel blitz in crunch time, he streaked down the right side to paydirt and created one of the most memorable Mississippi State plays this half-decade.

But while that play stands out, he already had an explosive score in his back pocket. He’s no one-hit-wonder. Moreover, he’s been a steady, trusty source of production for Jeff Lebby’s pass-happy operation. Only a handful of P4 pass catchers total more yards than his 225 over the first two games.

No. 3: RB Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

Previous Rank: RB 50, Outside Top300
Current Rank: RB 20, Player No. 235

Kewan Lacy role as Lane Kiffin’s bell cow solidified over the weekend. Though his efficiency wasn’t stellar, he ripped off key big gainers that ultimately sucked the soul out of the Big Blue Nation, including a 33-yarder in the waning moments that sealed Ole Miss’s victory. To date, he sits inside the P4’s Top5 in both rush yards (246) and TDs (4) and is top10 in explosives (6).

Not bad at all for a back most considered an afterthought transferring into an crowded, experienced RB room. That said, coaches consistently talked up the former On3 blue chip this summer and more-or-less telegraphed his coming out party. Along with the great output to start the season, Lacy also boasts the most broken tackles in all of college football with 22 — 4 more than the next man up.

No. 4: TE Jaren Kanak , Oklahoma

Previous Rank: TE 30, Outside Top300
Current Rank: TE 13, Player No. 266

Projecting tight ends can be a bit of a crapshoot. No player is proving that notion to be true more than Jaren Kanak. A former high school running back with Kansas’ 6th-fastest 100-meter dash time ever, he originally signed on to play LB for the Sooners. But after a rocky transition and remedial read-and-react skills, the staff chose to put his athleticism to better use. A year later, the results cannot be ignored.

Only a single TE has out-gained him to start 2025, by a mere 3 yards. And, he’s not just compiling catches as an outlet or checkdown. He’s managed to haul in 3/5 of his downfield targets and rocks a top5 yards per route run among P4 TEs – illustrating maximum efficiency.

No. 5: EDGE John Henry Daley, Utah

Previous Rank: EDGE 58, Outside Top300
Current Rank: EDGE 29, Player No. 214

John Henry Daley is well on his way to being one of the Big 12’s breakout defensive stars. Speaking to his ability to get after passers, over a quarter of his rushes have resulted in a pressure. Highlighted by 3 sacks, his 16 impact plays (havocs + stops) are top8 among P4 edges.

In both facets, he’s been impactful. While tallying multiple successful defensive takedowns in Utah’s first two contests, he’s yet to miss a tackle. And, Daley is one of five major conference edges to have both a +90 pass rush grade and a +70 run defense grade, per PFF.

No. 6: RB Hollywood Smothers, NC State

Previous Rank: RB 63, Outside Top300
Current Rank: RB 36, Outside Top300

In a contested conference (yet somehow non-conference) matchup, Hollywood Smothers was a star. Totaling the P4’s 7th-most rush yards, he snatched a couple of scores, including the go-ahead tuddy near the end of the 3rd Quarter.

The jittery back displayed wonderful elusiveness all afternoon. Over 86% of his output came after defensive engagement. And on the year, his 209 yards after contact are the 3rd-most nationally. Plus his 81.5 PFF rush grade is top25 among qualifying rushers.

No. 7: D-Line Damonte Smith, MTSU

Previous Rank: DL 66, Outside Top300
Current Rank: DL 45, Outside Top300

Damonte Smith is off to a sizzling start to his season. No interior defensive linemen currently has as many impact plays as his 19. On a per play basis, his 22.3% such clip is top4. And after coming off a game with 4 stops and a sack against Wisconsin, only 2 G5ers at the position are slotted higher in our Impact Rankings ahead of WK3. And to further pinpoint his dynamism defending both the run and the pass, he’s one of three interiors to sport a +80 PFF pass rush and run defense grade.

No. 8: WR Romello Brinson, SMU

Previous Rank: Unranked
Current Rank: WR 54, Outside Top300

Though he and his team suffered an unfavorable result, Romello Brinson has been a difference-maker for SMU’s pass game. He’s logged back-to-back games with at least 120 yards and a score. And along top8 production, his bang-for-buck is just as impressive. On a 4.33 yards per route run, he’s one of seven wideouts with at least both a 19.0 yards/target and 10.0 yards after catch average.

Blue Chip Shoutout: Jonah Coleman, Washington

Previous Rank: RB 3, Player No.39
Current Rank: RB 3, Player No. 31

Thick and low to the ground, Jonah Coleman’s center of gravity and contact balance have made him one of the hardest rushers to tackle around. And despite not making a large leap in our Impact Rankings, the bruising back earned himself 5-star recognition after a 5 TD showing. Yes, it occurred against UC Davis. But Coleman, who averages the P4’s most rush yards/game, is well on his way to donning at least an 86 PFF rush grade for the 4th-straight season thanks to his physicality and ability to generate splash carries.