College Football: Week 7 Freshman Standout Performers

Devy Fantasy Football: Top Week 7 Freshman Performances 

Any big-time performance by a true freshman in college football is always exciting. Aside from the fact that you're watching a teenager not far removed from prom excel in a sport where 5th and 6th-year college seniors are the norm, there's the tantalizing promise of what said freshman can develop into and bring to his program years down the line. 

It's always worth keeping an eye on big freshman performances for college and devy fantasy football leagues alike. Check out our fantasy football devy rankings page for more on players to target in these league formats. With that, let's get into some of the top performances of Week 7 by freshmen across the country.

College Football Week 7 Freshman Quarterback Standout Performances

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh vs. Florida State

Heintschel makes this list for the second week in a row after he led the Panthers to a huge road upset win over No. 25 Florida State. The true freshman wasn't quite as flawless as he was in his debut start last week against Boston College, but in the second start of his career, he again threw for over 320 yards and completed over 72 percent of his passes. Heintschel's final line was 321 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he also added 64 yards rushing on 16 carries, displaying a dash of mobility. The Ohio native plays with poise rare to see out of a true freshman gunslinger, and he appears to have the QB1 gig locked down in the Steel City. 

QB CJ Carr, Notre Dame vs. NC State 

Carr continues to thrive for the Fighting Irish despite being somewhat under the radar, as Notre Dame is in the process of digging itself out of a slow start to the year. Still, in what was largely a surgical beatdown over NC State, Carr continues to prove why he was so highly regarded coming out of high school. He made a number of "wow" throws, the kind that get you thinking about Sundays. Carr finished the day with 342 yards, two touchdowns and 61.3 percent completion, with a redzone interception as his only blemish. He's now thrown for multiple touchdowns in all but one game in 2025 with a 13/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The redshirt freshman is easily the best arm Notre Dame has had in years. 

QB Micah Alejado, Hawaii vs. Utah State

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Before the season, Alejado was one of the Group of Six quarterbacks I was keeping my eye on the most. He got off to a slow start through two games and missed the next two games with a foot injury. In his last two outings, however, Alejado has played like the dynamic gunslinger he has the ability to be. After shredding Air Force in Week 5, Alejado came back after the bye with the same fury and lit it up again against Utah State, tossing for 413 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while collecting a rushing touchdown as well. His arm talent and feel for the game were on full display, and he's now gone over 400 yards in consecutive outings. Alejado, who just turned 21, looks to soon be faced with a difficult choice: stay with Hawaii and help revitalize that program, or take his talent into the portal and chase NIL dollars and success with a name-brand university. 

College Football Week 7 Freshman Running Back Standout Performances

RB King Miller, USC vs. Michigan

USC's running back room looked to be in dire straits against Michigan, as both Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders went down against the Wolverines. That left the Trojans without a scholarship tailback available; things looked grim to say the least. But it was redshirt freshman walk-on King Miller playing the unlikely hero, gashing a stout Michigan front for 158 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He was the definition of a big-play threat, ripping off runs of 47 and 49 yards, while his touchdown came from 15 yards out. With Jordan out for at least a month and Sanders done for the year, Miller could be in line for a lot more work. He's certainly earned it. 

RB Ja'Kyrian Turner, Pittsburgh vs. Florida State

Turner had been a minor part of the Panthers' backfield until a few weeks ago, when Desmond Reid went down with an injury, and he took 12 carries in the win over Boston College. In Week 7, with Reid back, he operated as the de facto No. 2 tailback, surpassing fellow freshman Juelz Goff on the depth chart. The Panthers' offensive staff clearly loves what the Florida native brings to the table, and back in his home state, it was clear why: he broke tackles and ran with authority, tallying 44 rushing yards and two touchdowns, coupled with four catches for 34 yards. No longer an afterthought in this backfield, Turner now figures to see plenty of work for the Panthers behind Reid. 

RB Xavier Williams, Iowa vs. Wisconsin

Williams, and the rest of Iowa's offense, couldn't've cared less about the Badgers' supposed elite run defense. Williams sliced through the Wisconsin front seven with ease, scoring from 19 and 29 yards out en route to a 61-yard, two-touchdown night in Madison. On both of his touchdowns, he displayed a nice ability to get north and south, subjecting the Badgers' hapless defense to some terrific cuts as well. He'll continue to get a share of any carries available in the Hawkeyes' backfield so long as he's healthy. 

College Football Week 7 Freshman Wide Receiver Standout Performances

WR Micahi Danzy, Florida State vs. Pittsburgh

The Seminoles suffered a crushing home loss to fall to 3-3 on the year and 0-3 in conference play, but there was at least one bright spot: the redshirt freshman Danzy had his coming-out party. After not seeing more than four targets in any previous game this season, Danzy was targeted 10 times and parlayed that into seven catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns. His first score was a 33-yard rainbow from Tommy Castellanos on a deep post route, his speed simply eating the Panthers' defensive back up. His next score was a 60-yard bomb where, again, Pittsburgh couldn't account for his game-breaking speed. Danzy is blossoming into a star in Tallahassee. 

WR Chris Barnes, Wake Forest vs. Oregon State

Barnes only caught three passes in the Demon Deacons' 39-14 win over Oregon State, but all three went for touchdowns and totaled 102 receiving yards. The redshirt freshman has at least three receptions in every game this season; Wake Forest is clearly making a concerted effort to get him the ball. He may be slight at 5-foot-7, 168 pounds, but he's lightning quick. On one of his touchdowns, he put his route-running on display, getting wide open behind the Beavers' secondary on a double move. With speed that simply jumps off the screen, Barnes is a threat to score any time he touches the ball. 

WR Braylon Staley, Tennessee vs. Arkansas

Staley is the Volunteers' second-leading receiver — his big day Saturday against the Hogs wasn't out of the blue. Still, Week 7 was the first time the wideout topped 100 yards receiving in his career, finishing with six grabs for 109 yards. Staley looks to have big things ahead of him, and considering he plays in Tennessee's high-flying, No. 7-ranked passing offense, there should be plenty more where that came from. Staley could develop into a household name in the SEC by season's end.