The college football season ended its second week, and man, there are some storylines to come out of it. Colorado was scoring another big "personal" win to go 2-0 by defeating Nebraska. Then, there was a gigantic upset where the No. 11 Texas Longhorns beat the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide 34-24, one year after they lost 20-19.
Speaking of Texas, Quinn Ewers orchestrated the victory, showcasing that his Week 1 performance was not something to be concerned about. With that, Ewers saved his draft stock and proved why he is one of the top five quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. But how did the other top prospects do in Week 2? Let's take a look.
Here are the previous editions of this year's "In the Market" column:
Taking Stock: How top 2024 NFL Draft QBs fared in Week 2
Caleb Williams, USC
Once again, Caleb Williams showed why NFL teams that have a competent quarterback on their roster could feasibly draft him if they were to land the No. 1 overall pick. Williams just makes everything look easy, as if he's playing in slow motion. He did so against one of the former Pac-12 big teams in the Stanford Cardinal this past week.
Williams, for the third game in a row, exited the game early in the second half because the Trojans put the game out of reach. On multiple occasions, Williams baited the Cardinal defense and was able to pull off some big plays.
In the 56-10 win, Williams completed all but two of his 21 pass attempts for 281 yards and three touchdowns while taking his lone carry of the game for a 21-yard touchdown.
Williams and USC will have a bye this weekend, so the next time they will take gridiron will be in Week 4.
Next Game: at Arizona State on Saturday, Sept. 23
Drake Maye, UNC
Warning to all quarterbacks and teams who have to face the Appalachian State Mountaineers in Week 2 of the season...good luck. You're going to have your work cut out for you because the Mountaineers don't make things easy. Last year, they beat the Texas A&M Aggies. This year, they pushed the UNC Tar Heels and quarterback Drake Maye to the limit.
Maye had no passing touchdowns in the game, as the Tar Heels relied upon their rushing attack. Omarion Hampton scored three touchdowns while running for a staggering 234 yards on 26 carries. Maye would contribute to the rushing attack, as he scored the game-winning touchdown in double overtime.
Even though he didn't statistically light it up through the air, he had some impressive throws. Take a look at his 57-yard throw to J.J. Jones. Maye threw that football on a rope.
Maye completed 21-of-30 pass attempts for 208 yards while running for 57 yards on 11 carries.
College football fans will be waiting to see if Maye can put up those video game numbers in a game this season. Maybe Week 3 will be when it happens.
Next Game: vs. Minnesota, Saturday, Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Once again, Michael Penix Jr. showed that the Pac-12 is loaded with quarterback talent. After returning to school for 2023, Penix made the case why he should not only be one of the top Heisman candidates but also a legitimate Top 5 quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.
In Week 2, Washington hosted the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, and it went extremely well for the Huskies. The Tulsa defense had no answers for Washington's formations and plays from behind the line of scrimmage. Seriously, the ball carrier would have a wide-open lane with plenty of blocking to reach the end zone with ease.
Penix completed 28-of-38 pass attempts for 409 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception against Tulsa. That interception was Penix's first of the season, and it could be attributed to wide receiver Rome Odunze slowing up on his route after Tulsa safety Jaise Oliver made contact with him.
Washington is a top 10 team in the nation for a reason. They're must-watch, and Penix plays a huge role in that.
Next Game: at Michigan State, Saturday, Sept. 16 at 5:00 p.m. ET
Bo Nix, Oregon
In Week 1, the Oregon Ducks steamrolled over the Portland State Vikings with an 81-7 victory. Quarterback Bo Nix earned a rest early on in the second half. Nix did all of his damage through the air and didn't log a single rushing attempt in that game, which was a shock considering how he was a dual threat last year.
This past week, Nix had a much tougher opponent in the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Nix showed off his arm early on in the game, in which he uncorked a 72-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin to tie the game at 7-7. Then, there was this play on the run, where he scrambled for 13 yards while keeping his balance as he lunged for the first down.
Nix completed 32-of-44 pass attempts for 359 yards and two touchdowns while running for 46 yards on nine carries.
Next Game: vs. Hawaii, Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Quinn Ewers and the Texas Longhorns offense didn't have a great start to their season opener last week against the Rice Owls. However, they were able to get into a groove in the second half and secure a 37-10 victory. That was a concerning performance for Ewers, as he was at one point the top quarterback recruit in the entire nation in 2021. Next up, Ewers faced the No. 3 team in the country, the Alabama Crimson Tide, in an anticipated rematch.
Ewers had the best game of his tenure at Texas, leading Alabama to a 34-24 victory. The concern over his ability to throw deep passes in Week 1? Gone in Week 2, as evidenced by his 44-yard touchdown to Xavier Worthy and a 39-yard pass to Adonai Mitchell in the game.
The Longhorns starting quarterback completed 24-of-38 pass attempts for 349 yards and three touchdowns.
With this showing, Texas got their revenge after their narrow 20-19 loss last season. Not only that, but this is the first time that a Nick Saban-coached team lost at home by double digits since 2003.
Ewers skyrocketed up our Heisman Power Rankings for Week 2. And with that, he helped raise his draft stock.
Next Game: vs. Wyoming, Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET
One 2024 NFL Draft QB sleeper who turned heads in Week 2
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
Last year, Tyler Van Dyke of the Miami Hurricanes was considered a top quarterback prospect in the 2023 class. Unfortunately for Van Dyke, he didn't have the best of performances, and he dealt with numerous injuries throughout the season. With that, he returned to college for another season.
In his second game of the season, Van Dyke helped knock off the No. 23 ranked team in the nation, the Texas A&M Aggies. Van Dyke had a heck of a showing, completing 21-of-30 pass attempts for 374 yards and five touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in Miami program history to throw for five touchdowns against an AP Top-25 team, per ESPN Stats and Info.
Van Dyke can be considered a sleeper considering how stacked the 2024 quarterback draft class is. But he's a name to keep an eye on, especially with Miami racking up wins this season.
One 2024 NFL Draft QB who needs to show teams more after Week 2
Drake Maye, UNC
This is not to say that Maye is underperforming this season. Rather, he hasn't exactly wowed fans and the viewing audience like Caleb Williams and Shedeur Sanders have done early on this season. Maye still shows on the field that he can make some incredible throws. But he hasn't had the big game just yet.
Maye and the Tar Heels are operating in a new offense under coordinator Chip Lindsey, so there will need to be some patience. Maybe Maye can have that kind of outing against Minnesota this Saturday,
