The intense nature of the college football season puts a high premium on every game.
While the first month of the season can be a period of trial-and-error adjustment for some programs, it is also a high stakes for the team expecting to be perfect in the loss column.
A program with championship aspirations and a head coach hoping to avoid the hot seat needs to get out of the gate quickly. Depending on the docket, that’s easier for some teams than others.
These 10 players are vital to the prospects of the team facing the most challenging opening months of the 2024 campaign.
Arizona QB Noah Fifita
Heading into a new conference under a new coach, Fifita is back with teammate and favorite target Tetairoa McMillan after leading Arizona to one of the best seasons in program history. The duo’s connection made it seven straight wins for UA, ending the Jedd Fisch era. The Brent Brennan era began, and the No. 21 Wildcats first two Big 12 Conference games on the road against Top 25 opponents—in Kansas State and Utah in back-to-back games.
Facing the league’s pre-season favorites on the road could see Fifita slump into a second-tier slump or rise seriously in the follow-up to a breakout rookie campaign.
Alabama OG Tyler Booker
Dominant offensive line play has been a hallmark of Alabama’s success under Nick Saban. The front five will set the tone for Year 1 of the Kalen DeBoer era, and specifically the interior. Returning All-SEC guard Tyler Booker joins center and Washington transfer Parker Brailsford to form the foundation of the Crimson Tide’s line.
As a standout returner, Booker’s performance is central to Alabama’s SEC title hopes and the Heisman Trophy prospects of quarterback Jalen Millroe. Both will be tested in September, with the Crimson Tide drawing tough Wisconsin on the road in Week 3 and hosting preseason national title favorite Georgia in Week 5.
Clemson LB Barrett Carter
One of the most versatile linebackers in the country, Carter can stop the run, get to the quarterback and defend the pass equally effectively. Clemson needs the heart of its defense to do everything consistently in the face of a treacherous first month.
Clemson opens with top-ranked Georgia, then hosts Appalachian State and NC State in Weeks 2 and 4. It’s clear all three could be in contention for playoff berths as the season unfolds.
Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II
Produced absolute monster numbers with 1,732 yards rushing, 21 touchdowns on the ground and another 330 yards and a score receiving, Gordon II powered Oklahoma State to double-digit wins for the second time in three seasons. Gordon is back as the engine of the Cowboys team with the pieces to win the Big 12 and reach the Playoffs – but they will have to navigate the rough terrain in September to get there.
Oklahoma State’s first two Big 12 matchups are against preseason favorite Utah, and the next week, the Cowboys visit Kansas State. That round-robin could decide the fate of the league race. And don’t forget Oklahoma State’s Week 1 matchup: Two-time FCS national champion South Dakota State is just a few away, with a run defense that is holding opponents to 89.6 yards per game in 2023. The Jackrabbits will be looking to make themselves known. FBS fans at Gordon’s expense.
Michigan DT Mason Graham
Big Man Mason Graham was instrumental in Michigan’s first national championship since 1997. He was the centerpiece of a program that underwent significant changes after Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL. The Wolverines’ defense of the title began with little time to adjust, as the first month was against perennial contender Fresno State, 2023 Playoff team Texas, and Big Ten newcomer USC.
All three feature a solid offensive line, especially Week 2 against Texas and All-American tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.. September can determine both the possibility of Michigan returning to the Playoffs, and if Graham will be the first interior lineman to seriously contend for the Heisman since. Ndamukong Suh in 2009.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
A non-power conference player has not been invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony since the Playoff began in 2014. Ashton Jeanty may be the best hope to end that drought, coming from 2023 he flirted with 2,000 meters from scrimmage with 19. touchdowns.
Jeanty is also the star of Boise State’s team with designs on a Playoff appearance. The spotlight is on Jeanty and the Broncos in Week 2 when they visit Oregon, and against Week 5 host Washington State.
Notre Dame CB Jaden Mickey
With one of Notre Dame’s top high school football running backs, Benjamin Morrison, it’s up to the offense to not throw it out of the way. That puts intense pressure on Jaden Mickey to come close to Morrison’s level of All-America caliber.
What’s more, Mickey replaced an NFL quality starter in Cam Hart. The bar is set high for him, and the learning curve is steep, with Texas A&M going up first to the Playoff-hopeful Fighting Irish.
USC QB Miller Moss
The marquee Labor Day matchup between LSU and USC features starting quarterbacks in Garrett Nussmeier and Miller Moss tasked with replacing the last two Heisman winners. While Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams each cast long shadows, Moss took on the less enviable task in September.
Along with the Las Vegas Trojans’ showdown against LSU, USC travels to national champion Michigan and hosts a physical Wisconsin before the end of the month. It’s quite a welcome to the Big Ten for Moss, who captained the Trojans offense in a potential make-or-break year for coach Lincoln Riley.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
Despite the lackluster finish of the 2023 season, Colorado remains perhaps the most buzzed-about program in 2024. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is widely considered a 1st round NFL draft prospect, which could be a hard sell if the Buffs are not good enough to open this season because finished last with a score of 1-8.
Furthermore, CU’s experiment in hiring the father of Shedeur’s head coach, Deion Sanders, may hang in the balance depending on the outcome of the upcoming campaign. That’s a lot of weight for Barry going into the first month that pits the Buffs against perennial FCS champion contender North Dakota State and road games vs. rivals Nebraska and Colorado State. Colorado also travels to face a promising UCF team in Big 12 play to close out the month.
Kentucky DT Deone Walker
Under defensive head coach Mark Stoops, Kentucky’s physicality on that side of the ball has been key to the Wildcats’ run of seven winning seasons in eight years. No one in the entire country has more physicality than Deone Walker, a 6-foot-6, 345-pound juggernaut on the interior of England’s line with an unmatched ability to get past blockers.
Kentucky’s early season schedule is shaping up well for the Wildcats to make an upset at the end of September: They play the first four games at home, including Georgia’s signature at Lexington, then have a chance to play spoiler Week 5 at Ole Miss. Walker plays will. pivotal to mapping out Kentucky’s SEC prospects into October and a less favorable schedule.