Kirk Herbstreit ranks top eight players from college football Week 6
Another week of college football has passed, which mean’s it’s time for another ranking of the top players from Kirk Herbstreit. The ESPN analyst released his weekly ranking Monday evening via X, formerly Twitter.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was an easy choice for the No. 1 spot after leading the Commodores to an upset win over No. 1 Alabama. Pavia lit up the Crimson Tide defense as Vanderbilt claimed its first-ever win against a top five opponent.
After that, another SEC quarterback made the list with Texas A&M‘s Conner Weigman coming in at No. 2. Weigman returned from injury to lead the Aggies to a dominant 41-10 win against No. 9 Missouri.
You can view the full list of Kirk Herbstreit’s top players from Week 6 below.
1. QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Pavia got the Commodores off to a hot start Saturday and finished the game equally strong. Vanderbilt scored on its first three offensive drives of the game and also got a pick-six from its defense to jump out to a 23-7 leading against Alabama.
The Crimson Tide threatened a comeback in the second half as they twice whittled the lead down to two points, but Pavia had an answer both times. That included a six-yard touchdown connection with Kamrean Johnson to get the lead back to two possessions with five minutes remaining. Pavia finished 16-of-20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns and also had 56 yards rushing.
2. QB Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
Weigman returned from injury after missing the past three games and reminded fans why he won the starting job in the offseason. He completed 18-of-22 passes for 276 yards as Texas A&M rolled over Missouri.
Weigman spread the ball around evenly among his receivers as 10 players recorded a reception and no one had more than three. He’ll look to keep it up as the Aggies now sit atop the SEC as the only 3-0 team in conference play.
3. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Jeanty is a regular name among Herbstreit’s top players from week to week and is making his second straight appearance on the list. He totaled 186 yards and three touchdowns this past week as Boise State rolled to a 62-30 win against Utah State.
The running back has now surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season in only five games as he leads the FBS with 1,031 yards and 16 touchdowns. If he keeps up his current pace, he would finish with 2,535 yards — a number that that would rank him fourth all-time.
4. WR Xavier Restrepo, Miami
Restrepo made play after play down the stretch to help the Hurricanes overcome a 25-point deficit to escape California on Saturday. He ended the game with seven catches for a season-high 163 yards as Miami won 39-38 at the last second.
The fifth-year senior now has 32 catches for an ACC-leading 582 yards to go along with five touchdowns this season. He’s been the focal point for quarterback Cam Ward and should continue to be as the Hurricanes hope to challenge for the conference title.
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5. DL James Williams, Nebraska
Williams recorded a pair of sacks for the second straight game as Nebraska’s defense dominated in a 14-7 win against Rutgers. He also had a career high five tackles as the Cornhuskers moved within one game of achieving bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016.
The 6-foot-6 sophomore has played in every game this season after taking a redshirt in 2023. It’s clear from his performance the past two weeks that he has improved, and his four sacks on the season are now tied for the team lead.
6. S Koi Perich, Minnesota
A true freshman, Perich put his name on the map with a game-sealing interception on Saturday in a 24-17 win against USC. He finished the game with five tackles as well, but it was the play he made at the end that earned him a spot on Herbstreit’s list.
Perich has also proven himself a factor on special teams this season, nearly returning a punt for a touchdown last week against Michigan. The Minnesota native is sure to be making plenty more big plays for the Golden Gophers over the next few seasons.
7. Ole Miss Defensive Line
The Ole Miss defensive line played so well Saturday in a 27-3 win against South Carolina that Kirk Herbstreit couldn’t narrow it down to just one player. The Rebels finished with a season-high six sacks and also forced a fumble.
It was a great bounce back spot after they suffered their first loss of the year to Kentucky a week prior. Ole Miss is tied for the most sacks per game in the FBS at 4.0.
8. QB Richie Munoz, Weber State
Herbstreit typically keeps his list to seven players but made an exception this week for Munoz. The Weber State QB threw for six touchdowns, including the game winner, as he led his team to a 55-48 victory against Montana in overtime.
The half dozen TD tosses were just one shy of his season total entering the contest as the Wildcats improved to 2-0 in the Big Sky standings. He’ll look to keep that momentum going heading into next week.