This article is part of our CFB Waiver Wire series.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Taj McGowan, RB, Central Florida: McGowan may be listed as the third back on UCF's depth chart, but that didn't stop him from recording nearly all the carries against Stanford after Dontravious Wilson (knee), who started the season opener, didn't make the trip to California. McGowan also ran better than senior back William Stanback has this season. With starting quarterback Justin Holman (hand) uncertain, McGowan could be in for a busy day against FCS Furman while the Knights try to ease in whichever freshman quarterback gets the nod.
Keenan Reynolds, QB, Navy: Teams can run on East Carolina (and have to the tune of 173.5 yards per game this season) and Navy, operating its triple-option offense, likes to run the ball. That combination should be a good one for Reynolds, who sees more carries than any other player on the Midshipmen's roster. He should look more like the player who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons against the Pirates, not the one who was limited to 1.9 yards per carry in the first game of the season.
ACC
John Wolford, QB, Wake Forest: Wolford has thrown 72 passes through the first two games of the season, and with Wake Forest's run game having a difficult time establishing itself, he'll continue to be the one called upon to move the ball down the field. Wolford's three interceptions last week are concerning, but he has a much better matchup this
AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Taj McGowan, RB, Central Florida: McGowan may be listed as the third back on UCF's depth chart, but that didn't stop him from recording nearly all the carries against Stanford after Dontravious Wilson (knee), who started the season opener, didn't make the trip to California. McGowan also ran better than senior back William Stanback has this season. With starting quarterback Justin Holman (hand) uncertain, McGowan could be in for a busy day against FCS Furman while the Knights try to ease in whichever freshman quarterback gets the nod.
Keenan Reynolds, QB, Navy: Teams can run on East Carolina (and have to the tune of 173.5 yards per game this season) and Navy, operating its triple-option offense, likes to run the ball. That combination should be a good one for Reynolds, who sees more carries than any other player on the Midshipmen's roster. He should look more like the player who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons against the Pirates, not the one who was limited to 1.9 yards per carry in the first game of the season.
ACC
John Wolford, QB, Wake Forest: Wolford has thrown 72 passes through the first two games of the season, and with Wake Forest's run game having a difficult time establishing itself, he'll continue to be the one called upon to move the ball down the field. Wolford's three interceptions last week are concerning, but he has a much better matchup this week against an Army team that is allowing nearly 300 yards per game in the air.
Taquan Mizzell, RB, Virginia: While Mizzell started his junior campaign in rough fashion, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry through the first two games of a tough non-conference schedule, he began to turn the corner in the fourth quarter against Notre Dame, rushing four times for 36 yards in the final period. Running the football should be much easier next week against an FCS William & Mary defense that allowed 4.3 yards per rush last season.
BIG 12
David Glidden, WR, Oklahoma State: Glidden's averaging 24 yards per reception, and he recorded scores of 67 and 31 yards last week against Central Arkansas. He'll go up against a UT-San Antonio defense that's 85th in the nation in passing yards allowed, so he should be able to find some room in the secondary.
Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma: Mixon is stuck behind Semaje Perine on the depth chart, but as the change-of-pace back he's actually second on the team with 128 receiving yards. Against some tougher competition, he could have his share of quiet days, but Mixon gets a gift in the form of a Tulsa defense that's allowing 262 yards per game on the ground this season. He won't get the first crack at the Golden Hurricane, but he should get the chance to try and rip off a few big gains.
BIG TEN
Matt VandeBerg, WR, Iowa: While Iowa is clearly a run-first team, running the ball on 64 percent of its plays so far this year, VandeBerg has been the focus in the passing attack, hauling in a touchdown in each of his first two games and has made 15 of his team's 31 receptions. Pittsburgh has been tough against the run so far this season, so the Hawkeyes will need to get VandeBerg the ball to open up the Panthers' defense.
De'Veon Smith, RB, Michigan: Smith rebounded from a rough opener to run all over Oregon State last week and lead his team to victory. What makes him even more alluring this week is his matchup against UNLV. The Runnin' Rebels are allowing more than 200 yards per game on the ground this year, and Smith should see another steady stream of carries. He's averaging 21.5 touches per game this season.
CONFERENCE USA
Nick Mullens, QB, Southern Mississippi: Mullens proved he could throw the ball when he totaled more than 300 yards through the air against Mississippi State in the season opener. He continued to rack up yardage against Austin Peay, throwing three touchdowns and rushing for one more. He could be in for another big game next week against a Texas State team that's allowing 41.5 points per game.
Thomas Owens, WR, Florida International: Owens is averaging 10 receptions per game to start the season, and while it hasn't come against the stiffest of defenses, it also hasn't come against cakewalks either. This week he faces a North Carolina Central squad that just allowed 337 yards to Duke on 19 completions, so Owen's receptions could turn into big yardage.
INDEPENDENTS
DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame: To be fair, he's on the list because he's the new Notre Dame starting quarterback. Kizer threw two touchdown passes, including a 39-yard game-winner with 12 seconds remaining, after coming in for the injured Malik Zaire (ankle) in a win over Virginia. With Zaire out for the season, Kizer will be in charge of running a Notre Dame's offense that's averaging 444.8 yards and 32.8 points per game. This week's opponent, Georgia Tech, will be tough for the sophomore. The Yellow Jackets have shut down opposing offenses this year, but also have yet to face a team even close to Notre Dame's talent level.
MAC
Darian Green, RB, Ball State: The caveat with Green is that he's in a timeshare, but despite having less carries than fellow back James Gilbert, Green has outrushed him so far this season. Green ran for 97 yards on just 11 carries against Texas A&M last week and has accumulated five touchdowns already in the young season. This week's opponent, Eastern Michigan, has allowed the second most rushing yards in the nation this season.
Corey Jones, WR, Toledo: Jones was utilized heavily against Arkansas; he recorded more than one-third of his team's receptions in its upset. On paper, his matchup against Iowa State looks tough, but the Cyclones haven't faced the most potent offenses this season, and a power-conference opponent won't phase the Rockets after last week's win over Arkansas.
MOUNTAIN WEST
Tyler Ervin, RB, SJSU: Ervin's topped 100 yards in each of the first two games this year and has already scored five total touchdowns, including a 66-yard scoring run last week against Air Force. He gets an Oregon State team that gave up 225 yards on the ground to Michigan last week.
PAC-12
Michael Adkins, RB, Colorado: Adkins is Colorado's workhorse back -- he's carried the ball 41 times through the first two weeks and topped 100 yards in each game. While the Buffaloes are not going to light up the scoreboard much this season, he should see plenty of carries come his way. With a big game coming up against in-state foe Colorado State, the Buffaloes will lean on Adkins as they try to assert their superiority in the Rocky Mountain Showdown.
Bralon Addison, WR, Oregon: Addison missed the 2014 season due to an injury in the spring, but after a relatively quiet season opener, the junior showed that he's not only healthy, but ready to build upon what made him an honorable mention all-Pac 12 selection in 2013. Addison faces a Georgia State team that's giving up 344.5 yards per game through the air this season.
SEC
Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss: Kelly, a Junior College transfer from East Mississippi, has emerged as one of the top passers in the nation, and he heads into a matchup with Alabama fresh off a four-touchdown performance against Fresno State. But after facing the Crimson Tide, he has a string of favorable matchups ahead, where he'll pick on some of the weaker SEC opponents with a few non-conference games sprinkled in. His emergence makes Ole Miss one of the top offensive teams in the nation.
Cody Core, WR, Ole Miss: Core has shown a solid rapport with Chad Kelly to start the season, scoring in each of his team's first two games. Alabama will be the duo's first real test of the season, but Ole Miss will count on its passing game to try and knock off Alabama for the second consecutive year.
SUN BELT
Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State: The freshman has already made the adjustment to the next level, racking up 11 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns against New Mexico State last week. He'll get his first taste of power-five conference competition against Oregon this week, but an early deficit could force the Panthers into catch-up mode, which would mean more targets for Hart.
Matt Linehan, QB, Idaho: Linehan avoided throwing any interceptions for just the third time in his career last week against Southern California, but he's an intriguing option next week because Idaho will welcome FCS Wofford to Moscow, Idaho. Linehan has shown the ability to put up nice yardage totals -- he opened the season with 297 yards against Ohio.
