Kirk Herbstreit ranks top players of college football Week 11

Week 11’s college football slate brought no shortage of highlight reel plays and big-time performances from across the country as the regular season winds down.

Following another eventful week across the country, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit ran through his picks and ranked the top seven performing players (or groups of players) in his eyes after an exciting list of games.

Jalen Milroe – Alabama Crimson Tide

Not only did Jalen Milroe rush for a career-high 185 yards and four touchdowns against LSU on Saturday, but he also kept Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes alive heading into the final stretch of regular season action.

Milroe also completed 12 of his 18 pass attempts for 109 yards during the contest. While his rushing totals are what made headlines during Week 11’s lopsided victory, his passing numbers pushed him to over 2,000 yards through the air this season. His 85.7 QBR ranks fifth in the country after 11 weeks.

Ole Miss Defensive Line

Jared Ivey and Princely Umanmielen earned individual SEC honors in Week 11 for their production during Ole Miss’ 28-10 victory over Georgia on Saturday.

As a group, the Rebels’ defensive front totaled five sacks and nine tackles for loss during the contest. Ivey and Umanmielen were responsible for four of them as the unit held the Bulldogs to 59 rushing yards (1.8 ypc) on the day.

Fernando Mendoza – California Golden Bears

Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza was given his heaviest workload of the season during the Golden Bears’ Week 11 win over Wake Forest.

Completing 40 of his 56 passes for 385 yards while throwing two touchdowns and an interception, Mendoza was also a threat on the ground with 10 carries for 51 yards and an additional score. The Golden Bears have now their last two games after snapping a four-game losing streak.

Quinn Ewers – Texas Longhorns

Ewers passed for over 300 yards for the first time this season during Texas’ 49-17 win over Florida on Saturday. He threw for 333 yards on a 70.4% (19 of 27) clip and threw five touchdowns en route to victory.

It’s a perfect time for Ewers to play his best football of the season, as Texas has its sights set on Atlanta, and in-turn, a potential first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

Abdul Carter – Penn State Nittany Lions

Abdul Carter had six total tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble during Penn State’s 35-6 victory against Washington. What the stat sheet doesn’t account for is him disrupting more than a few plays by himself even if he didn’t record the tackle.

Washington was held to 74 yards, but the Huskies couldn’t get anything going in the passing game, either as Penn State didn’t allow a single touchdown on the night.

Kye Robichaux – Boston College Eagles

Boston College ended a three-game losing streak against Syracuse during Week 11 and has Kye Robichaux to largely thank for that effort. Defeating Syracuse 37-31, Robichaux rushed for 198 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns over the weekend.

The victory puts Boston College one win away from earning bowl eligibility. They battle a ranked SMU team on the road in Week 12.

Rocket Sanders – South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina improved to 6-3 after defeating Vanderbilt 28-7 on the road in Week 11. The Gamecocks rushed for over 200 yards during the contest — most of which came from senior running back Rocket Sanders.

He totaled 126 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, averaging 8.4 yards per carry on the night. His 10 rushing touchdowns are tied for third-most in the SEC this season.