A bounce-back quarterback. A big-play receiving threat. A dominant defensive lineman. A punter on the precipice of perfection. Introducing the Week 5 PFSN College Football Team of the Week, powered by our suite of College Impact metrics.
Quarterback of the Week: Devon Dampier, Utah
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 93.4 (A)
After a humbling at the hands of the Texas Tech Red Raiders a week ago, the Utah Utes rebounded in style against the West Virginia Mountaineers, with quarterback Devon Dampier earning his place among our college football players of the week with a one-man demolition job on their Big 12 opponent. The Utes were never troubled on their way to a 48-14 win on the road.
Dampier accounted for every single touchdown in the first half, throwing four scores and rushing for a fifth. He ended the game with 270 total yards and five scores, taking the foot off the gas in the second half. His clean pocket EPA per dropback (1.21) ranked fourth in the country in Week 5, while only one quarterback converted more of their money downs (87.5%) this weekend.
Running Back of the Week: Turbo Richard, Boston College
Week 5 PFSN College RBi Grade: 92.3 (A-)
Turbo by name and nature, Turbo Richard was full steam ahead to a career day as the Boston College Eagles fell to a narrow defeat against the Cal Golden Bears. Richard took 15 carries for 171 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.4 yards per carry with 8.8 coming after contact. With a 53.3% elusive and 26.7% boom-or-bust rate, he was the highest graded back of the week.
Running Back of the Week: Antwan Raymond, Rutgers
Week 5 PFSN College RBi Grade: 91.6 (A-)
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights came up short against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but it wasn’t for a lack of offensive effort. Running back Antwan Raymond booked his place on our college football team of the week with a 161-yard, two-touchdown showing. He posted a 57.7% rush success rate, while not allowing a single pressure on 14 pass blocking snaps.
Wide Receiver of the Week: Chase Sowell, Iowa State
Week 5 PFSN College WRi Grade: 90.3 (A)
Chase Sowell was one of the most sought-after transfer portal wide receivers this offseason. After a slow start to his Iowa State Cyclones career, he burst into life in the win over the Arizona Wildcats. Sowell snagged 80% of his targets for 146 yards with a nation-leading 26.8 air yards per target in Week 5. No other receiver had more than his 9.13 yards per route run. Dominant.
Wide Receiver of the Week: Emmanuel Henderson, Kansas
Week 5 PFSN College WRi Grade: 89.4 (B+)
Emanuel Henderson cracks our college football players of the week for the second time after one of the most outstanding performances of Week 5. Last time he was recognized for his contributions on special teams, but this time around, his receiving prowess came to the fore as he emerged as the big-play threat for the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2025 season.
MORE: Week 5 College Football Players of the Week
Henderson reeled in five receptions from seven targets, piling up a nation-leading 214 yards with two touchdown grabs. He averaged 24.8 yards after the catch per reception (almost double his closest competitor), while also registering 7.38 yards per route run. Only one other receiver had a higher EPA per target (2.15) than the Jayhawk juggernaut in Week 5. Electric.
Tight End of the Week: Mason Williams, Ohio
Week 5 PFSN College TEi Grade: 86.8 (B)
Mason Williams had the third-most receiving yards among college football tight ends in Week 5 (93), but unlike the two players above him, he added a touchdown to his tally with a score against the Bowling Green Falcons. Williams reeled in all eight of his targets, averaged a nation-leading 6.2 yards per route run, and created for himself with 8.5 yards after the catch per reception.
Offensive Tackle of the Week: Nicki Prongos, Stanford
Week 5 PFSN College Individual OLi Grade: 89.3 (B+)
After three seasons with the UCLA Bruins, Nicki Prongos joined the Stanford Cardinal ahead of the 2025 campaign. Five weeks in, and he’s earning national attention as the highest-graded offensive tackle in Week 5. Although Prongos was penalized four times in the win over San Jose State, he didn’t allow a single pressure despite logging a high percentage of pass block snaps.
Offensive Guard of the Week: Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
Week 5 PFSN College Individual OLi Grade: 90.0 (B+)
The Oregon Ducks faced one of the most dangerous defenses in the country in Week 5, but Emmanuel Pregnon was imperious in protection for quarterback Dante Moore. The Oregon guard played 78 snaps and didn’t allow a single pressure, sack, or penalty, while using his strength to make a difference in the ground game.
Center of the Week: Sam Hecht, Kansas State
Week 5 PFSN College Individual OLi Grade: 87.6 (B+)
It’s been a difficult start to the season for the Kansas State Wildcats, but center Sam Hecht was instrumental in getting the campaign back on track with a win over the UCF Knights. A stellar athlete with quick feet and dangerous intentions, he was one of the better run blockers in Week 5, allowing Dylan Edwards to run wild. He also allowed zero pressure or sacks.
Offensive Guard of the Week: Noah Josey, Virginia
Week 5 PFSN College Individual OLi Grade: 89.9 (B+)
Noah Josey played the second-most snaps of any offensive lineman in Week 5. While that alone isn’t a reason for inclusion in the college football team of the week, it is a testament to his ability to sustain brilliance over the course of an overtime game. The Virginia Cavaliers guard allowed zero pressure on true dropbacks, allowing Chandler Morris to orchestrate an unlikely win.
Offensive Tackle of the Week: Tristan Bounds, Arizona
Week 5 PFSN College Individual OLi Grade: 87.5 (B+)
Although Arizona couldn’t halt the Iowa State juggernaut in Week 5, offensive tackle Tristan Bounds earned a spot in our college football team of the week as the highest graded right tackle in the country. Bounds had 51 pass protection snaps against a solid Cyclones defense, allowing zero pressures or sacks, and making room for Ismail Mahdi to average 6.5 yards per carry on the ground.
Edge Defender of the Week: Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
Week 5 PFSN College EDGEi Grade: 87.0 (B+)
The Penn State Nittany Lions held the Oregon offense to its lowest points total of the season, and part of the reason was the performance of pass rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. The next Nittany Lion defensive star to earn NFL attention was a force in all phases, logging six run tackles, a 4.9% quick pressure rate, and getting pressure on 11.8% of Dante Moore’s true dropbacks.
Defensive Tackle of the Week: Cameron Ball, Arkansas
Week 5 PFSN College DTi Grade: 88.9 (B+)
Although the Arkansas Razorbacks’ shellacking at the hands of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish saw the departure of head coach Sam Pittman, there were some bright spots. Cameron Ball led all defensive tackles in the country with a 12.5% quick pressure rate, while his 10.0% pressure rate on true dropbacks was a top-15 mark in Week 5. He also added a half sack on CJ Carr.
Defensive Tackle of the Week: Santana Hopper, Tulane
Week 5 PFSN College DTi Grade: 87.6 (B+)
The Tulane Green Wave rebounded from a heavy defeat to the Ole Miss Rebels with a comfortable win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, fuelled by a sensational defensive showing led by Santana Hopper. The Green Wave standout registered pressure on 11.8% of true dropbacks, got quick pressure on 7.7% of his opportunities, and converted that pressure at a high clip (37.5%), resulting in four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Edge Defender of the Week: Caden Curry, Ohio State
Week 5 PFSN College EDGEi Grade: 89.0 (B+)
The Ohio State Buckeyes vs. the Washington Huskies promised to be one of the most entertaining games on the Week 5 slate, with the home team boasting one of the best offenses in the country. However, they were completely dominated by the Buckeyes defense, in a performance that was one of the most dangerous displays that we’ll see this season.
At the heart of it was defensive lineman Caden Curry, whose versatility saw him line up all over the Buckeyes’ front. The headline numbers from the eye-popping outing were three sacks and five tackles for loss, turning 75% of his pressures into tangible production. He was a problem in all phases of the game, with an average tackle depth of 1.6 yards, evidencing his ability to snuff out the run game before it had a chance to develop.
Linebacker of the Week: Rasheem Biles, Pittsburgh
Week 5 PFSN College LBi Grade: 92.8 (A-)
The Pittsburgh Panthers have a pair of dominant linebackers, and in Week 5, it was Rasheem Biles’ turn to rise to the fore, earning his spot in the college football team of the week with a sensational performance.
Biles flashed his athleticism early in the game with a pick-six, but was a consistent thorn in the side of the Louisville Cardinals’ offense. Miller Moss recorded a 45.8 passer rating when targeting the Pitt linebacker, and running at him yielded just 0.57 yards per tackle.
Linebacker of the Week: Timmy Hinspeter, UMass
Week 5 PFSN College LBi Grade: 92.4 (A-)
Our college football team of the week and players of the week always seek to identify individual performances beyond the overall team result, and Timmy Hinspeter is the perfect example. The UMass Minutemen suffered a substantial loss to the Missouri Tigers, but Hinspeter didn’t make it easy for them.
Targeting the former Rutgers linebacker was a folly. Hinspeter picked off one pass and allowed just a 31.3 passer rating, while getting 100% pressure and a sack on his pass rush snaps. Furthermore, he only missed two tackles despite facing the Tigers’ run-heavy offense.
Linebacker of the Week: Alonzo Jackson, Louisiana Tech
Week 5 PFSN College LBi Grade: 91.7 (A-)
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs exited Week 5 with an unblemished CUSA record as they continue to be one of the top defensive forces at the Group of Five level. Linebacker Alonzo Jackson was the star of the show in a 30-11 win over UTEP, allowing a 16.7 passer rating on six targets while returning an interception for six. He also got pressure at a high clip (44.4%) and tallied two tackles for loss.
Cornerback of the Week: Jayden Bellamy, UCF
Week 5 PFSN College CBi Grade: 94.2 (A)
Although UCF lost to Kansas State, the damage wasn’t done through the air. Cornerback Jayden Bellamy was only targeted once in 29 coverage snaps, and he ensured that was a bad decision. Bellamy was a lockdown presence, forcing an incompletion the only time Avery Johnson dared to test him, drawing zero penalties despite his sticky approach.
Cornerback of the Week: Keith Abney II, Arizona State
Week 5 PFSN College CBi Grade: 93.8 (A)
One week after Josh Hoover and the TCU Horned Frogs tore up SMU in the Iron Skillet, their offense was stymied by the Arizona State Sun Devils and secondary sensation Keith Abney II. The standout cornerback has been consistently one of the best in the country this fall, and forced a 39.6 passer rating when targeted in Week 5, allowing just one reception and 0.3 yards per coverage snap.
Safety of the Week: Noah Avinger, Utah State
Week 5 PFSN College SAFi Grade: 96.7 (A)
Taking on the Diego Pavia-led Vanderbilt Commodores is no joke, but Noah Avinger did his best to make the game against the undefeated SEC program competitive. The Utah State safety picked off Pavia and forced three incompletions, limiting the ‘Dores quarterback to a 63.4 passer rating when targeted. Although he gave up an interception and 43 yards on seven targets, Avinger was also a force in the ground game.
Safety of the Week: Kerry Brown, Minnesota
Week 5 PFSN College SAFi Grade: 95.2 (A)
Have the Minnesota Golden Gophers got the best safety duo in the country? Koi Perich earned national attention this offseason, but Kerry Brown has consistently made high-level plays this fall. He deserves a spot on our college football team of the week after an interception and 25% forced incompletion rate while only allowing a 26.0 passer rating when targeted.
Kicker of the Week: David Olano, Illinois
An All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2024, David Olano is hardly a stranger to performing in the big spots. However, as the Illinois Fighting Illini looked to vanquish a catastrophic beating by Indiana a week ago, Bret Bielema heaped the weight of the program on his junior kicker’s shoulders (or foot) with the Illini down by a point at the end of a shootout with the USC Trojans.
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Olano never flinched, nailing a 41-yard field goal through the uprights to take Illinois to 4-1 on the season. Not only did the Illini kicker nail the walk-off field goal, he was perfect on all his kicks on Saturday afternoon, contributing 10 points to the cause as Bielema’s team got its season back on track in Week 5.
Punter of the Week: Hunter Green, San Diego State
San Diego State vs. Northern Illinois was one for the true college football sickos, and we absolutely loved it. Every field position battle was pivotal in a 6-3 slugfest, and punter Hunter Green was unflappable in delivering excellence. He averaged 47.0 yards per punt with a 63-yard long, but importantly, dropped 83.3% of his six attempts inside the 20. The ultimate field flipper.
Kick Returner of the Week: Curtis Harris-Lopez, James Madison
Curtis Harris-Lopez was the only player in college football Week 5 to take a kickoff return to the house, which in itself is enough to earn him a spot on our college football team of the week. However, he also demonstrated that returning isn’t just about sheer pace, patiently assessing the situation, finding holes in kick coverage, then exploiting them for an 88-yard score.
Punt Returner of the Week: Juan Berchal, Appalachian State
Freshman cornerback Juan Berchal made a significant special teams impact despite the Appalachian State Mountaineers’ defeat to Boise State in Week 5. Down three scores early in the third quarter, Berchal took a punt back 45 yards that set App State up in Boise territory. Regular punt returner Jaden Barnes also did a stellar job drawing coverage attention away from Berchal, who had the longest punt return of the day.
