Kirk Herbstreit ranks top performing players from Week 3

Following an exciting Week 3 of college football, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has revealed his top performing players. It’s hard to believe we’re already nearly a month into the season as conference play is looming for many programs next week.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe topped Herbstreit’s list after leading the Crimson Tide to a dominant win against Wisconsin this past week. He was one of four SEC players to make the cut.

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Dillon Gabriel came in at No. 2 behind Milroe after the Oregon quarterback led the Ducks to a win against Oregon State to begin their season 3-0. Overall, four of the seven players to make Herbstreit’s list were quarterbacks.

You can view the full list of Herbstreit’s top performing players from Week 3 below.

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1. QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Milroe was responsible for all but one of Alabama’s touchdowns in a 42-10 blowout win against Wisconsin on Saturday. The redshirt junior threw for 196 yards and also rushed for a team-high 75 yards as he scored five total TDs on the afternoon.

After leading the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff last season, Milroe looks in top form to open this year. The quarterback is making a case for himself as a Heisman candidate with 14 total touchdowns through the first three weeks.

2. QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

For all the hype surrounding Gabriel and Oregon entering the year, the Ducks barely survived their first two weeks against Group of 5 opponents. That wasn’t the case Saturday as they rolled to a 49-14 victory in a rivalry game against Oregon State.

Gabriel finished the contest 20-of-24 passing for 291 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also rushing for 64 yards and a score. He has still yet to throw an interception through the first three games of the year and was not sacked a single time against the Beavers.

3. DE R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

Thomas iced the game for the Sooners on Saturday against Tulane as he forced and recovered a fumble with 1:40 remaining. That allowed OU to run out the remainder of the clock on its way to a 34-19 win to start the year 3-0.

The defensive end was all over the field as he finished with three tackles for loss, one pass break up and one QB hurry in addition to the fumble. This is the first year as a starter for Thomas after he spent his first two seasons in Norman in a reserve role, and it’s safe to say he’s making the most of it thus far.

4. RB RJ Harvey, UCF

Harvey was one of the best running backs in the Big 12 last season and remains so this year. He rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns as UCF won its conference opener against TCU by a score of 35-34.

Harvey has not rushed for less than 100 yards in any game so far this season and has also totaled eight touchdowns early on. He currently leads all Big 12 players with 448 yards rushing and is a big reason why the Knights are off to a 3-0 start.

5. QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M

Reed answered the call in Week 3 after he was asked to start in place of an injured Conner Weigman, leading the Aggies to a 33-20 victory against Florida. He finished 11-of-17 passing for 178 yards and two touchdowns but was equally impressive on the ground.

The redshirt freshman, who was a four-star in the 2023 class, rushed for 83 yards and another score as he averaged 6.4 yards per carry. It’s unclear whether Weigman will be back this week against Bowling Green, but Reed’s performance should have A&M confident if he is out again.

6. DE Bradyn Swinson, LSU

Swinson was a quarterback’s nightmare as he recorded three sacks in a 36-33 victory against South Carolina on Saturday. Not only that, but he also forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter to give the Tigers the ball back as they found themselves trailing.

The three sacks that Swinson had Saturday are already more than he totaled all of last year, though he did lead the team with nine QB hurries. He should continue to play a major factor for LSU this season as it looks to put more of an emphasis on its defense.

7. QB Avery Johnson, Kansas State

Johnson comes in seventh on Herbstreit’s list of players. He had arguably his best game of the young season Saturday to lead K-State to a 31-7 victory against Arizona.

The sophomore finished 14-of-23 passing for 156 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 110 yards. He’ll look to keep it up as the Wildcats hope to contend for a Big 12 title this season.