FCS Football: 15 Offensive Players To Watch In Week 0

The wait is over and the 2025 season is finally here! It's set to be an entertaining weekend of games, headlined by five FCS games, including the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and FCS Kickoff Classic.

Week 0 gives fans the ability to watch multiple teams they want not have time to watch throughout the season. To prepare you for an impressive Week 0 schedule, I created a list of 15 offensive players that you should have your eye on this weekend.

We selected at least one player from every FCS program playing this weekend, which led us to also build an extensive honorable mention list below. Here are 15 offensive players to watch this weekend across the FCS.

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Cooke (Idaho State, QB), Jordan Fisher (UC Davis, RB), Hunter Smith (Tarleton State, OL), Trey Holly (Southern, RB), Brayden Smith (Mercer, WR), Autavius Ison (Charleston Southern, RB), Richard Torres (UIW, QB), Adonis McDaniel (Mercer, WR), Winston Williams (UC Davis, TE), Quentin McCal (NCCU, WR), Jalen Woods (Southern, QB), Cody Jackson (Tarleton State, WR), Traveon Newsome (UIW, OL), Chris Mosely (NCCU, RB)

No. 15 - Miequle Brock (Nicholls, RB)

Brock has big shoes to fill as the Colonels lost Collin Guggenheim and Jaylon Spears this offseason, but he has the potential to be the program's next great running back. He has solid size at 5-9, 200 lbs. and is fresh off a Freshman All-American season, where he was also named the Southland Freshman of the Year. He finished the year with 479 rushing yards on 6.4 yards per carry. Brock added value as a receiving threat with 213 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another 300 yards on special teams. Nicholls will need Brock to hav e a big day this weekend as the Colonels will be starting a new quarterback.

No. 14 - Dason Brooks (Idaho State, RB)

Brooks transitioned from linebacker to running back in 2024 and really hit the ground running. He led the Bengals with 506 rushing yards, adding four touchdowns and averaging 6.3 yards per carry. This is an offense that has really leaned on its passing attack, but if Brooks can take a step forward, it could bring some much-needed balance to this explosive offensive attack next season.

No. 13 - Delon Thompson (Portland State, RB)

Thompson is another young running back coming off a stellar freshman season, where he was named a Freshman All-American. He finished with 678 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on nearly five yards per carry. Last year, he split carries with Quincy Craig, but now has the chance to solidify himself as the No. 1 running back. He will get h is first opportunity against a talented Tarleton State defense this weekend.

No. 12 - Ian Simpson (UC Davis, TE)

While most of the preseason accolades have gone to Winston Williams, the Aggies have another tight end who some think could be just as impactful this year. Simpson finished with 185 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2024, but was limited to six games due to injury. At 6-3, 235 lbs., he has excellent size and can be a matchup nightmare with his athleticism.

No. 11 - Samuel Gbatu Jr. (UC Davis, WR)

Samuel Gbatu Jr. is one of several talented receivers that you will see take the field on Saturday. He will start the year as the Aggies' most proven offensive weapon and should be a security blanket for new starting quarterback Caden Pinnick. He had 779 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, while averaging over 17 yards per reception. He'll be an impo rtant offensive piece against a talented Mercer secondary on Saturday night.

No. 10 - Tyler Murray (Mercer, OL)

At least one offensive lineman had to make the list, and we went with sophomore Tyler Murray, who started every game for Mercer last season. He was named a Freshman All-American after being Mercer's best offensive lineman in 2024. The offensive line is the biggest area of improvement for the Bears, who will face a talented and experienced UC Davis defensive line. Murray is a key piece to this offensive line rebuild and will be an important player to watch on Saturday.

No. 9 - Dupree Fuller (Southern, TE)

Fuller is one of the most underrated tight ends in the FCS. In a Southern offense that had a ton of question marks at quarterback, Fuller still found a way to make plays every week. He had 370 yards on 30 receptions and added two touchdowns. He's expected to be a nice security blanket for sophomore quarterback Jalen Woods, who will lead the Jaguars against an experienced secondary at North Carolina Central.

No. 8 - Adjatay Dabbs (Mercer, WR)

You could put multiple different wide receivers at Mercer at this spot, including Brayden Smith, transfer Adonis McDaniel, and Kendall Harris. Instead, I chose Adjatay Dabbs for this list after an impressive redshirt freshman season, where he started three games. Dabbs showed a lot of potential and really started improving toward the end of last year. He finished with 417 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and I would expect that production will go up this year.

No. 7 - Jaylon Spears (Incarnate Word, RB)

Spears was named the Southland Offensive Player of the Year at Nicholls in 2023. He makes his debut for Incarnate Word against his old team after missing most of last year with an injury. He had 753 rushing yards and 260 receiving yards in 2023. Spears can also be a lethal weapon in the return game. It'll be exciting to see how Incarnate Word utilizes his dynamic skill set.

No. 6 - Victor Gabalis (Tarleton State, QB)

Gabalis is one of the most experienced, proven returning quarterbacks in the FCS. He's a gunslinger who has improved each season. His completion percentage has improved from 54% to 62% and his TD-INT ratio went from 1.38 to 2.09. If Tarleton State is going to take the next step as a program, then Gabalis will need to improve once again. He should be able to find success against Portland State on Saturday.

No. 5 - Chedon James (Incarnate Word, WR)

Chedon James returns to the FCS level after a stint at Fresno State, where he only played in four games. He had an All-American season for Idaho State in 2023, where he posted 1,045 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He also led the nation with 102 receptions, ear ning him first-team All-Big Sky honors. All eyes should be on James to see if he can quickly return to the elite player we saw at Idaho State two years ago.

No. 4 - Walker Harris (North Carolina Central, QB)

Harris has been in the North Carolina Central system for four seasons and finally got his shot as the full-time starter last year. He had a solid season with 1,882 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and only six interceptions in an offense that really leaned on its run game. With J'Mari Taylor gone, Harris has the chance to step up and become the focal point of the offense.

No. 3 - Jalen Walthall (Incarnate Word, WR)

Walthall may be the best overall player on this list and may be the top offensive player on the field across any of the games this weekend. He had an outstanding first season for UIW, finishing with 1,290 yards and 14 touchdowns. Walthall is a weapon that's dangerous at all three levels of the field. I would expect new starting quarterback Richard Torres to look for Walthall early and often this weekend against Nicholls.

No. 2 - DJ Smith (Mercer, QB)

DJ Smith returns as the leader of Mercer's offense after winning the starting job in 2024. He had an awesome start to the season, throwing for over 200 yards per game, eight touchdowns, and completing over 70% of his passes, but then suffered an injury. He never really returned to full strength despite returning later in the year. With an offseason to get healthy, I hope we are able to see the full potential of Smith, who can be dangerous through the air and with his legs. Either way, all eyes should be on Smith Saturday night.

No. 1 - Caden Pinnick (UC Davis, QB)

Pinnick is the No. 1 player to watch for Week 0 as he makes his first career start for UC Davis. We don't know what to expect out of the redshirt freshman, who will be tasked with leading a top 10 team back to the postseason. He's a very athletic and could bring a different dimension to Tim Plough's offense. His performance will determine the ceiling of this team in 2025, which is looking to make another postseason run.