2017 Week 6 college football players to watch

Abey is a quarterback in name only. In four games this season, he has thrown just 29 passes and completed only 12 of those. As you can probably guess, he's known for his running. Navy averages 400 yards per game on the ground — best in the nation — and Abey leads the Midshipmen in rushing. Navy hosts Air Force in the first leg for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, and Abey's legs will be key in picking up Navy's 11th trophy in the last 15 years. 

The Irish are nation's seventh best rushing team, and they're going up against a North Carolina defense that is really beat up and struggling. That's where Adams, who broke off 73-yard and 59-yard touchdown runs last week against Miami-OH, should shine. Adams leads Notre Dame in rushing and, along with QB Brandon Wimbush, should light up the Tar Heels in front of a national broadcast TV audience.

Two weeks ago, Anderson and TCU went into Oklahoma State and won impressively. After a bye week, TCU is now the hunted as West Virginia enters Fort Worth as the hunter. Against Oklahoma State, Anderson ran for 160 yards and three TDs. West Virginia has one of the worst run defenses in the nation so expect a shootout with Anderson as the focal point of the Horned Frogs' offense. 

Put yourselves in Braxton Burmeister's shoes. The freshman was sitting as the third-string quarterback and watched both Justin Herbert and Taylor Alie go down against California last week. He came in and completed his only pass for four yards. This week, he gets the start as Luke Falk and Washington State come to town. Burmeister won't be asked to outduel Falk, but he needs to play well if the Ducks want to stay in the Pac-12 race.

The Texas safety has had one heck of couple of weeks. He's had two interceptions in each of the last two weeks, including one returned for a TD. He's breaking up passes and keying a Texas defense that has been solid ever since a shockingly bad opener against Maryland. The Longhorns get Kansas State in a Big 12 showdown involving two teams that feel they have an outside shot to do damage in the league. For Texas to stop the K-State offense, Elliott needs to continue his big play. 

Due to a scheduling quirk after the fallout from last year's postponed LSU game, the Gators will get to "host" three straight home games starting this week. A wounded LSU is coming to Gainesville. The Tigers will see QB Felieipe Franks reinserted into the lineup after Luke Del Rio broke his collarbone and is out for the year. Now Franks must step up to be the guy after losing his job to Del Rio. He did well against Vanderbilt last week, but with a desperate LSU, a high-octane Texas A&M and the championship-driven Georgia Bulldogs coming to to the Sunshine State, it is on Franks to lead the way.

The freshman Fromm has played really well this season in place of Jacob Eason. Last week against Tennessee, Fromm threw for touchdown and ran in another two in the Bulldogs' 41-0 blowout of the Vols. The Dawgs stay in Tennessee and take on Vanderbilt this Saturday, and there are rumblings that Eason could be available to play. If so, what does Georgia do? Fromm has gotten the Bulldogs to a No. 7 ranking with two blowouts in their two SEC games. But with games against Florida and Auburn on the horizon, Fromm better keep it up.

The Huskies' leading rusher has been especially spectacular of late. Gaskin rushed for 113 yards and a TD against Oregon State a week after piling up 202 yards and two scores against Colorado. He's rushed for six TDs this season and caught another two TDs and has brought balance to an offense that already has one of the better quarterbacks in the land. 

Grier has played well all season long. After an opening week loss to Virginia Tech, the Mountaineers have won three straight and averaged 57 points per win. Grier has tossed for 1,374 yards and 13 TDs while rushing for 131 yards and two TDs. The guy who looks like a linebacker but has turned into one of the Big 12's top QBs gets a huge test this week against No. 8 TCU in Fort Worth with the winner possibly holding the best shot to unseat Oklahoma in the Big 12.

Jackson has been hit or miss this year. In the Wildcats' two wins (Nevada, Bowling Green), Jackson has averaged 115 yards per game and three total touchdowns. In their two losses (Duke, Wisconsin), he's averaged just 21.5 yards and scored just once. Jackson ran for over 1,500 yards last year and has been much more reliable game to game than he has shown this season. Against Michigan, he'll need to be up to the challenge if Northwestern looks to upset the Wolverines.

The struggling Auburn offense got loose against Mississippi State last week, and Johnson was the man. He ran for 116 yards and three scores and finally showed the promise he had prior to his injury issues. He missed two games for Auburn, including a huge showdown against Clemson, before scoring five TDs last week against Missouri. Eight touchdowns in the last two weeks? Ridiculous. Ole Miss better be worried this week. 

Kirk is one of the most talented receivers in the country, catching 23 passes this season for 264 yards and four TD receptions. He's also a dangerous returner who has already returned a kick for a score. This week, he goes up against Alabama's suffocating defense that has allowed just 43 points in its first five games and just three points in two SEC games. Last year, Kirk caught nine passes and a TD against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He'll need a big game Saturday if the Aggies are going to knock off the top-ranked Tide.

You know him. Cardinal fans love him. He may be the front-runner for the Heisman. Love rushed for an amazing 301 yards and three TDs last week against Arizona State. This week, he goes up against the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City. The Utes have the Pac-12's top rushing defense, allowing just 348 rushing yards all season — which is just 47 more yards than what Love gained last week.

Mayfield and the Sooners are back in action after a week off of outstanding offensive performances. The Oklahoma signal caller may be the top quarterback in the nation with his 1,329 yards, 13 TDs and zero picks, and the Sooners could be the team that can stop the yearly Alabama-Clemson title showdown. They host Iowa State this week, and Mayfield looks to pick up where he left off against Baylor two weeks ago (13-for-19, 283 yards, 3 TDs).

O'Daniel is always in the right place and the right time. In last week's win over Virginia Tech, he caught a pass that ricocheted off a receiver and took it the other way for a TD. Against Louisville a couple of weeks earlier, he took another pick to the house to seal a win. The Clemson defensive line gets all the press, and rightfully so. But the fifth-year linebacker is also getting his due as one of the leaders of one of the best defenses in the nation. 

Miami plays Florida State Saturday, three weeks after the game was postponed due to Hurricane Irma. Miami hasn't beaten Florida State since 2009, yet goes into Tallahassee as the lone ranked team in this matchup. Rosier isn't an elite passer, but he will need to be elite against a great Seminoles secondary. FSU's defensive backfield is filled with NFL talent, and for the Canes to end their losing streak, Rosier will have to limit mistakes and look like the guy who impressed last week against Duke. 

Tre'Quan Smith has caught just 10 passes this season, but four of those receptions have gone for touchdowns. Smith, a junior, has been a big brother to the other Knights receivers and has helped Central Florida boast the nation's 26th-ranked passing offense. UCF also has reached the polls, coming in at No. 25 as it heads to Cincinnati for a key AAC game Saturday night. If the Knights need a key completion, Smith is right there.

First off, what an awesome name Lexington Thomas is! When San Diego State plays UNLV, the running back most know is the Aztecs' Rashaad Penny. But Thomas has done quite nicely for himself. Last week against San Jose State, he ran for 146 yards and two TDs. He's run for at least two TDs in all four games this season (nine overall). It will be an emotional night in Las Vegas Saturday and a big Mountain West contest.