Take a bow: The On3 players of the week for Week 2

Here are the On3 players of the week for Week Two of the 2022 season. Each week, we pick players of the week in each Power 5 conference as well as an overall Group of 5 player of the week.

Everything being equal, more weight is given to big performances against “good” opponents.

ACC

QB Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
The buzz: Hartman, a fifth-year senior, returned after missing the opener following surgery for a blood-clot issue and guided Wake to an easy 45-25 win at Vanderbilt. Hartman was 18-of-27 for 300 yards and four TDs. Wake led 21-10 at halftime and Hartman threw two third-quarter TD passes to remove any doubt about the outcome. Hartman has 76 career TD passes, tied for eighth-most in ACC history. He threw 39 last season and is 31 behind former Clemson star Tahj Boyd, who holds the league record with 107.

Big Ten

DE Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois
The buzz: Randolph, a third-year sophomore, was a key part of an incredible defensive effort in the Illini’s dominant 24-3 victory over Virginia. The Cavaliers finished with just 222 total yards (the first time under 225 since 2017) and were 0-of-16 on third downs; it was the first time they were held without a TD in QB Brennan Armstrong’s three seasons as the starter. Randolph tied for the team lead with seven tackles and had 2.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, and two quarterback hurries.

Big 12

QB Donovan Smith, Texas Tech
The buzz: Smith starred in one of the best games of the weekend, the Red Raiders’ 33-30 double-overtime win over Houston. With starter Tyler Shough injured and unable to play, Smith started and had 379 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns, including a 9-yard run for the game-winner. He also completed a 21-yard pass on fourth-and-20 in the first overtime to keep the Red Raiders alive. Smith, a third-year sophomore, threw for 351 yards and two TDs and also rushed for 28 yards and a score. His rushing total was skewed because he was sacked six times by a relentless Houston pass rush.

Pac-12

WR Jordan Addison, USC
The buzz: Addison, a transfer from Pitt, had a memorable first Pac-12 game for the Trojans. He had seven receptions for 172 yards (24.6 yards per catch) and two TDs as USC downed Stanford 41-28; USC led 41-14 before the Cardinal scored two TDs in the fourth period. Addison’s TD catches covered 22 and 75 yards. Through two games, Addison has 12 receptions for 226 yards (18.8 per catch) and four TDs.

SEC

RB Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
The buzz: Sanders rumbled for 156 yards and two TDs as Arkansas rolled past South Carolina 44-30. The Hogs had leads of 21-3 and 35-16 before winning by 14. Sanders averaged 6.5 yards per carry and scored on runs of 1 and 11 yards to help the Hogs to the 21-3 start. As a team, Arkansas rushed for 295 yards and five touchdowns. Sanders, a sophomore, shared carries as part of a three-man running back rotation last season and finished with 578 yards; this season, he is the unquestioned feature back and has 273 yards in two games.

Group of 5

RB Khalan Laborn, Marshall
The buzz: Laborn, a sixth-year senior, ran for 163 yards and a TD on 31 carries as the Thundering Herd stunned Notre Dame 26-21 for one of the biggest victories in school history. Laborn was an On3 Consensus five-star recruit in the 2017 signing class and signed with Florida State. But a spate of injuries, including a torn ACL, kept him off the field; he didn’t play anywhere last season. He signed with Marshall in the offseason to be a depth piece behind returning 1,400-yard rusher Rasheen Ali. But with Ali out for at least the first month, Laborn has seized the opportunity. He had rushed for 297 yards in his career when he arrived at Marshall, and now has 265 in the first two games of the season.