Do you hear that? That’s the sound of swelling crowds and air horns. Choruses of wooden sticks on snare drums and angry, swarming armies of brass. That’s the whistle to start the play and the crack of the pads. That’s the sound of college football. With these Week 0 matchups, college football is officially back for the 2021 season.
Top college football Week 0 matchups
Last season, the Crimson Tide took home the championship crown after outlasting a playoff field that included Ohio State, Clemson, and Notre Dame. Soon, we won’t have to look back at 2020 anymore, but instead, ponder what the college football games in 2021 have in store for us. The season kicks off with these Week 0 college football matchups. Within these matchups, there are some potential 2022 NFL Draft prospects to watch.
Nebraska at Illinois
The 2021 college football season officially kicks off at 12:00 PM on Saturday, August 28 — with a Big Ten showdown between Nebraska and Illinois. Neither team expects to contend with Ohio State this year, as both are damaged to an extent. The Fighting Illini hope to rebuild under Bret Bielema, while Scott Frost and the Cornhuskers are clinging to life. Who has the most impact in this Power Five matchup?
Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez vs. Illinois LBs Jake Hansen and Khalan Tolson
It’s now or never for Adrian Martinez. While Martinez has perhaps been a victim of dysfunction, he himself needs much more consistency in 2021. He has the physical tools to be a draft prospect, but he’s running out of time for things to click. Illinois linebackers Jake Hansen and Khalan Tolson will make it hard on him. Both players received draftable grades from PFN’s Chief NFL Draft Analyst Tony Pauline. Tolson is more athletic and dynamic, but Hansen is an old-school defender with good toughness and instincts.
Illinois QB Brandon Peters vs. Nebraska CB Cam Taylor-Britt
Martinez may be on the outermost fringes of the draft, but he’s not alone. Brandon Peters also comes into 2021 with a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He has decent size, athleticism, and arm strength. However, consistency and accuracy have been major issues for him.
Meanwhile, Cam Taylor-Britt will be licking his chops heading into this one. The talented Cornhuskers CB has 4 interceptions and 8 deflections over the past two seasons. He’s athletic and opportunistic in coverage but also solid in run support.
UConn at Fresno State
Most college football teams saw at least a little bit of action in the COVID-impacted 2020 season. The UConn Huskies, however, canceled their season entirely and did not reschedule in the spring. Thus, they’ll be a little rusty heading into a 2:00 PM matchup with the Fresno State Bulldogs, but there’s a highly-regarded player on defense who can help them compete.
UConn DT Travis Jones vs. Fresno State QB Jake Haener
If the Huskies are going to hold off Fresno State’s offense, a lot of the responsibility will fall on Travis Jones. Jones was recently listed on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list. He stands at 6’5″, 328 pounds, with a 28.5-inch vertical, a 4.57 shuttle time, and 32 bench reps with an 82.5-inch wingspan. Jones was making strides as a pass rusher in 2019.
Jake Haener will have to keep an eye out for Jones up the middle, but he can evade pass rushers and is a crisp passer. He had over 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games last season.
UConn RB Kevin Mensah vs. Fresno State DEs David Perales and Kwame Jones
UConn’s most recent quarterback play wasn’t pretty. They may be forced into a shootout by Haener, but they may not be able to keep up with their throwing talent alone. Kevin Mensah — a two-time 1,000-yard rusher — with strong contact balance and agility for his 5’9″, 202-pound frame, will be a big part of it as well. He’ll meet resistance from Fresno State’s DE tandem of David Perales and Kwame Jones. Perales, in particular, has some burst and bend at 6’3″, 246, and was incredibly productive in 2020.
Hawaii at UCLA
At 3:30 PM, Chip Kelly will be a head coach on your television screen once again. He’ll go up against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, who are led by second-year coach Todd Graham. Graham — a veteran of Rice, Tulsa, Pittsburgh, and Arizona State — led Hawaii to a winning season in 2020. He’ll need the help of his QB to start fast in 2021.
These are the best matchups in this Week 0 college football game.
Hawaii QB Chevan Cordeiro vs. UCLA S Quentin Lake
The Rainbow Warriors have had their fair share of star quarterbacks over the years. In 2021, Chevan Cordeiro will look to become the next one. He already has proven dual-threat ability and value off-script. If he expands on his 2,083-yard, 14-touchdown campaign last year, he could start to gain some draft buzz.
Quentin Lake, however, will do his best to make sure that process doesn’t start on Saturday. Lake is an experienced safety with good range and hip fluidity, and he may feast on mistakes made by Cordeiro.
Hawaii CB Cortez Davis vs. UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
It was just two years ago in 2019 when Cortez Davis racked up an interception and 12 pass deflections for Hawaii. 2020 wasn’t as productive, but the redshirt senior still has that ball-hawking ability. It’s why he’s on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list and why he’ll give WR Kyle Philips trouble.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson should be up to the challenge Hawaii’s defense will provide with Davis and LB Darius Muasau. Thompson-Robinson has exciting raw talent, both as a passer and a runner. He’s trending up after a strong 2020 showing.
UTEP at New Mexico State
If the first three college football Week 0 matchups haven’t quenched your thirst for NCAA play, then this one surely will. It’s a blue-chip 9:30 PM matchup between the UTEP Miners — who haven’t had a winning season since 2014 — and the New Mexico State Aggies, who’ve gone over .500 twice since 2000. In all seriousness, while there are no college football playoff ramifications here, there are some intriguing prospects to watch.
UTEP DE Praise Amaewhule vs. New Mexico State OT Sage Doxtater
If there’s one legitimate 2022 NFL Draft prospect who’s being slept on in this game, it’s UTEP’s Praise Amaewhule. Amaewhule is 6’3″, 245 pounds, with excellent proportional length, twitch, and energy. In 2020, he put up 7 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 8 deflections.
He’ll be a tough assignment for LT Sage Doxtater, but Doxtater has four years of starting experience. The Toronto Argonauts chose the powerful 6’7″, 350-pound behemoth in Round 2 of the CFL Draft earlier this year.
UTEP DT Keenan Stewart vs. New Mexico State C Eli Johnson
The second matchup for this game also rests in the trenches — between the Miners’ defensive line and the Aggies’ offensive line. Keenan Stewart is a community college product who earned honorable mention All-C-USA honors last season, with 7 tackles for loss and a sack.
Johnson, meanwhile, started at center for Ole Miss in 2019 and will be looking to revitalize his career in the Southwest. On the other side of the ball for UTEP, quarterback Gavin Hardison also deserves mention. He might put up numbers against the Aggies’ defense.
Southern Utah at San Jose State
10 PM. Saturday night. You’ll still be up. You know why? Because that’s when the Thunderbirds take on the Spartans, as the sunset dims over CEFCU Stadium. On the surface, these two teams may not come with the same expectations of talent. Nevertheless, there will be several names to watch in this late-night college football Week 0 matchup.
Southern Utah OT Braxton Jones vs. San Jose State DE Cade Hall
Quarterback Nick Starkel has the most name recognition in this contest, but the premier battle will happen in the trenches. San Jose State DE Cade Hall returns to college football as the defending sack leader. With a high-energy, robust style, the 6’3″, 270-pound lineman put up 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2020.
Hall may want to waste no time getting back to game-wrecking in 2021, but he’ll have to go through Southern Utah OT Braxton Jones first. Jones is a draftable prospect who could ultimately follow in the steps of Spencer Brown, Dillon Radunz, and other non-FBS linemen. He’s an athletic, hulking blocker with vines for arms, and he’s on the Senior Bowl watch list. He’ll have even more people watching him if he can put the clamps on Hall.
Southern Utah LB La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis vs. SJSU QB Nick Starkel
Jones is the most prestigious draft prospect for Southern Utah, but La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis was everywhere for the Thunderbirds in 2020. In six games, he logged 57 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles. Kaho’ohanohano-Davis is an undersized linebacker at 6’1″, 215 pounds. Yet, he flies around in the box and has an unsurprising motor for his uber-productive style.
Should he survey his targets in the short and intermediate ranges, Starkel might have some trouble with Southern Utah’s chief defensive playmaker. It’ll be a nice season-opening test for the former Texas A&M and Arkansas quarterback who had a career year in 2020. As of now, Starkel is on the outside looking in as a draft prospect, but he could change that with a big year.
