College football Week 1: Players to watch

It is a new era in Tallahassee with new head coach Willie Taggart. He likes running the football, and he's got a great back in Akers. As a freshman in 2017, he broke Dalvin Cook's frosh rushing record even as the Seminoles struggled. With an offense that is more focused on his abilities, Akers should have a huge season starting with this Labor Day showdown against Virginia Tech.

The Huskies head across the country to Atlanta to face a really good Auburn squad, so Gaskin needs to have his big bag of tricks ready. Gaskin passed on the NFL for a shot at a national championship, and winning this game would go a long way. Auburn has one of the best defenses in the nation and if Gaskin can have a big showing, not only would it launch the Huskies into the national title picture, but it would put Gaskin into the Heisman race.

Grier could be the 2018 version of Baker Mayfield. He's a brash, mobile quarterback who doesn't mind slinging the football around the field. He's got a great group of receivers and a cannon of an arm. The 'Neers open up against Tennessee in Charlotte and should be a great test to see how explosive this offense will be again.  

Love had an outstanding season last year despite suffering some injuries. He's back to lead Stanford in a stout Pac-12 North division race. He is just so patient, allowing blockers to create the holes, and then he hits them hard. The Cardinal face San Diego State first, a school that knows about having some really great backs lately (Donnel Pumphrey, Rashaad Penny).

Milton is a dual-threat quarterback who is coming off the biggest season in program history. Last year, he threw for 4,037 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 613 yards and another eight scores. The Knights go up against UConn — which had one of the worst defenses in the nation last year — this Thursday. Milton's eyes should light up.

If you need a reason to watch a Houston-Rice game (aside from the rivalry itself), just look for Ed Oliver. Oliver will most likely be a high draft pick next spring, and he could stay in the Heisman race all year long. Sure, he may not rack up a bunch of sexy defensive numbers because every offense will be designed to keep him away from disrupting their play, but he will most likely be a bigger impact during games than most defensive players. 

Since Jim Harbaugh's return to Michigan, there really hasn't been a signal-caller at the level to get the Wolverines into the playoff. Patterson seems like he is that guy. He played in just a few games at Ole Miss before transferring to Michigan. In his 10 starts, he's thrown 23 touchdowns but has been picked off 12 times. Patterson could be the final piece that gets Michigan into the Big Ten title game.

There usually isn't much to watch in a North Carolina football game, but the Tar Heels have a nationally televised game at Cal this weekend on FOX and there is one good reason to pay attention: Anthony Ratliff-Williams. Ratliff-Williams continues the Tar Heels' legacy of great returners by gaining nearly 900 return yards last season and two touchdowns. He also led Carolina in receptions and receiving TDs and should be more of a focus on offense. 

Richards is the real deal. He's a playmaker on a team that has several of them, but he is the deep threat who opens up the Hurricanes offense. He played just seven games last season but was highly productive. Miami faces LSU in a game both teams desperately want. 

I always enjoy when a talented player from a Group of Five school plays a big-time program. FAU's Devin Singletary will get that opportunity when the Owls head to Oklahoma on Saturday. He had 32 rushing touchdowns in 2017 (leading the nation) and rushed for over 1,900 yards. Owls head coach Lane Kiffin has had all summer to prepare for the Sooners and should have a few tricks ready to allow Singletary to break out. 

Auburn slides over to Atlanta to face high-octane Washington on Saturday, and Stidham will need to show us a lot if the Tigers are going to win. He's a good quarterback who got figured out late last season and in Auburn's bowl game against Central Florida. He'll be going up against one of the best secondaries in the land and a solid defensive line. Stidham will need to be that guy who became the first Auburn QB this century to toss for 3,000 yards. 

Look, both Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts will get their shot during Saturday night's game against Louisville. It does feel, though, that this is Tua's job to lose. Hurts has been very, very good the last two years, but the fan base has been excited over Tua since his amazing championship game comeback. We all know what Hurts brings to the table, but we all want to see if Tagovailoa is a one-hit wonder or a Heisman candidate. 

Tate has been the buzz of the Pac-12 this offseason, and he's set to attempt to get the Wildcats into the conference championship game. Not only did Tate have a breakout season last year, but new head coach Kevin Sumlin coached a similar talent in Johnny Manziel as he won the Heisman trophy. First up is a struggling BYU program late Saturday night. 

Taylor's Heisman run begins on Friday against Western Kentucky. He is one of the most explosive backs in the country. Facing a rebuilt Hilltoppers front seven, Taylor should be able to stretch his legs for some big plays and pile up some big yards. 

There were games in 2017 where Wimbush looked like he was ready to lead the Irish into the playoffs, and there were other games where it just wasn't there. He's a great running quarterback, but he needs to tidy up his passing game. There are weapons in South Bend and he needs to make sure he gets the ball to them. It will be interesting to see how effective he will be against Michigan's always hard-nosed defense.