Week 1 of the 2026 college football season was pure madness, kicking off with an improbable win thanks to an added second, a blowout in Baton Rouge no one saw coming, and even a power outage in Tallahassee. Now we’re diving headfirst into Week 2, and the spotlight is squarely on some serious game-changers who are already setting the tone.
Defense Stepping Up and Offense Finding Its Spark
First up, Raul Aguirre Jr., NC State’s linebacker transfer from Miami, is a tackling machine. He stacked up 18 total tackles in the Wolfpack’s Week Zero loss to Virginia! Sure, Virginia was just running the ball 57 times for 258 yards that game, forcing the issue. But still, 18 tackles? That’s insane! NC State is a heavy favorite against Richmond Friday night, so the Spiders probably won’t be running it that much, but if Aguirre gets anywhere near that number again, we’re watching a star emerge.
On the offensive side, Rutgers’ wide receiver KJ Duff was the *only* bright spot in their Week 1 loss to UMass. The man had nine catches for 196 yards and three touchdowns! And get this, Rutgers already benched their Week 1 starting QB, Dylan Lonergan, who threw two TDs to Duff but also coughed up three interceptions and a fumble. AJ Surace is stepping in for Friday night’s game against Boston College. This isn’t just any game, either. The loser of this one is probably the worst power conference team in the country. Talk about pressure!
QB Drama and a Shot at Redemption
Over at Oklahoma State, quarterback Drew Mestemaker’s transition from North Texas has been anything but smooth. After throwing for nearly 4,400 yards in 2025, he only put up 241 yards on 29-of-49 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions in a game where the Cowboys scored just 10 points. That’s a second consecutive loss to Tulsa! Now, they’ve got No. 6 Oregon coming to town on Saturday. You know the Ducks are motivated after a close Week 1 win over Boise State, and they absolutely crushed Oklahoma State 69-3 last season. This is a must-watch to see if Mestemaker can somehow turn it around.
Meanwhile, Arizona State’s new QB, Cutter Boley, the former Kentucky signal-caller, had an absolutely fantastic debut. He went 21-of-27 for 387 yards and threw six touchdown passes against Morgan State! Yeah, it was an FCS opponent, but six TDs? He’s already at 40% of his entire 2025 touchdown total. Now, the real test: can he even come *close* to that performance against No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday? If he can, the Sun Devils have a real shot at pulling off an upset as two-touchdown underdogs.
The Nation’s Leading Rusher Takes Center Stage
Then there’s Duke running back Nate Sheppard. This dude is already the nation’s leading rusher among players who’ve only played one game this season. He went off for 35 carries and 227 yards in Duke’s 17-3 win over Tulane! With QB Darian Mensah at Miami, Sheppard is absolutely the centerpiece of this Blue Devils offense. He really grew into the featured back role last season, getting at least 12 carries in every game after the first three.
With games kicking off Friday and Saturday, you know we’ll be glued to every snap. Will Duff carry Rutgers on his back with a new QB? Can Mestemaker survive Oregon after last year’s beatdown? Will Boley pull off the upset and shock Texas A&M? And how many yards will Sheppard churn out? This Week 2 is absolutely essential for these guys and their teams to set the tone for the rest of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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