College Fantasy Football:: Week 5 Devy Fantasy Football Freshman Standouts

Devy Fantasy Football: Top Week 5 Freshman Performances 

Any big-time performance by a true freshman in college football is always exciting. Aside from the fact that you're watching a teenager not far removed from prom excel in a sport where 5th and 6th-year college seniors are the norm, there's the tantalizing promise of what said freshman can develop into and bring to his program years down the line. 

It's always worth keeping an eye on big freshman performances for college and devy fantasy football leagues alike. Check out our fantasy football devy rankings page for more on players to target in these league formats. With that, let's get into some of the top performances of Week 5 by freshmen across the country.

College Football Week 5 Freshman Quarterback Standout Performances

QB CJ Carr, Notre Dame vs. Arkansas

Notre Dame rolled into Fayetteville and dismantled the Hogs, evening its record at 2-2 and getting Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman fired in the process. Carr, meanwhile, had his best day yet as the starting quarterback for the Irish. He eclipsed 300 yards for the first time (354 yards passing) and tossed four touchdowns while completing 73.3 percent of his passes. He exited the game in the fourth quarter with Notre Dame up big; he likely could've padded his stats even further. Arkansas' defense has been rough this season, and that was no different against the Fighting Irish. Still, despite the litany of wide open eligibles for Carr, he made some impressive throws, like the one below to Jaden Greathouse down the sideline. 

QB Drake Lindsey, Minnesota vs. Rutgers

Rutgers jumped out to an early 14-0 lead on the road against Minnesota, but that only seemed to activate a side of Lindsey we haven't quite seen yet. When all was said and done, he had posted 324 passing yards and three touchdowns while completing over 75 percent of his passes. Rutgers' defense hasn't been anything to write home about this fall, but don't let that detract from Lindsey's performance. The gunslinger hit deep shots and threw receivers open, looking extremely comfortable doing so. The Gophers' quarterback received a very minimal amount of attention this offseason, but if he keeps playing at this level against Big Ten teams, that will change quickly. 

QB Micah Alejado, Hawaii vs. Air Force

QUICK LINKS

Sync a League

Your path to victory starts here

DFS Optimizer

Build hundreds of lineups in seconds

Top Picks

See the best picks & player props

You got the sense a game like this was coming for the redshirt freshman quarterback. He had two quiet performances to start the season, then missed two games with a foot injury, and proceeded to have a brutal outing against Fresno State in Week 4. But while that rocky start to the season didn't represent the sheer talent Alejado possesses, his showing against Air Force sure did. Alejado poured it on Saturday, tossing for 457 yards and three scores while completing 75 percent of his throws. It was all clicking for him against the Falcons, with the lefty signal-caller completing passes to all areas of the field and getting the ball into his playmakers' hands with ease. He finally reminded the country what he can do in 2025. 

College Football Week 5 Freshman Running Back Standout Performances

RB Nate Sheppard, Duke vs. Syracuse

We've had an eye on Sheppard since his breakthrough performance against Tulane in Week 3. Now, he's fully asserted himself as the top back for Duke just five weeks into his true freshman campaign. Sheppard exploded against Syracuse, surpassing 200 all-purpose yards (168 yards rushing, 33 yards receiving). He looked incredibly explosive and lightning fast against the Orange, getting to the edge with ease repeatedly. He also made some nice snags out of the backfield, and looks mature beyond his years both as a ball-carrier and receiver. Watch his highlights, and you'll see a player simply moving differently than everyone else on the field. Sheppard is going to be a problem for years to come. 

RB Chauncey Bowens, Georgia vs. Alabama

Georgia continued to be haunted by Alabama in the regular season under head coach Kirby Smart, but the good news for the Dawgs is that they may have found their top option at tailback. Redshirt freshman Chauncey Bowens racked up 119 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while also catching four passes for 22 yards. Bowens spearheaded Georgia's backfield, easily pacing the team with 12 carries. At this point, he may have usurped Nate Frazier as the Bulldogs' top ball-carrier, although Georgia has reliably ridden the hot hand at tailback this season. Right now, however, that hot hand is Bowens. 

RB Dierre Hill Jr., Oregon vs. Penn State

Hill had found the end zone a couple of times prior to the enormous road win over Penn State in the "White-Out" game, and almost ran for 100 yards against Northwestern in Week 3. But in an incredibly narrow victory over Penn State, Hill's contributions were monumental and deserve a mention here. He led the Ducks' running back room with 10 carries, twice as many as he'd received in any game prior, and parlayed that into 82 yards, also reeling in an eight-yard touchdown on a screen pass. He displayed plenty of wiggle and toughness, fighting for yards in a hostile road environment. Hill appears to have the talent to play on Sundays. 

College Football Week 5 Freshman Wide Receiver Standout Performances

WR Jalen Smith, Minnesota

Smith caught a 60-yard touchdown in the Gophers' opener versus Buffalo, but hadn't caught a ball since. That all changed in Minnesota's Big 10 opener against Rutgers. He reeled in a 78-yard rainbow of a pass from the aforementioned Gophers' quarterback Lindsey, running under it and dragging a Scarlet Knights' defender with him inside the five-yard line. He also scored the game-tying touchdown on a screen pass from five yards out late in the third quarter. Smith has proven the moment isn't too big for him and that he may already be the Gophers' best big-play threat at wideout. 

WR Dakorien Moore, Oregon vs. Penn State

Moore has been a staple of the Ducks' offense since he stepped foot on campus, but he saved his best performance yet in 2025 for Oregon's biggest game thus far. Targeted a career-high 10 times, he reeled in seven of those passes for 89 yards, both of which are career highs as well. Though he didn't find the end zone, the receiver came through in several clutch moments, including a 4th-down conversion and a ball he plucked out of the grasp of a Penn State defensive back after bobbling it to avoid a turnover. Moore has yet to truly stuff the stat sheet this season, but watching the immensely talented 18-year-old play, it's clear that it's only a matter of time. 

WR Dezmen Roebuck, Washington vs. Ohio State

Washington was handed a sobering home loss by the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, but the true freshman wideout, Roebuck, continued to shine for the Huskies. Roebuck announced his arrival in Week 2 with an eye-popping, pirouetting 47-yard touchdown reception against UC Davis, and he continued to make a statement as the Huskies opened Big Ten play by finishing as Washington's leading receiver against Ohio State with four grabs for 58 yards. He also took a handoff for six yards, indicating that the Huskies' coaching staff is trying everything in its power to get the true freshman the ball. Washington has brighter offensive stars from Demond Williams to Jonah Coleman to Denzel Boston, but Roebuck isn't far behind.