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After every weekend of games, you always hear about the performances of stars like Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett. But there are also the performances you don’t hear as much about, coming from some under-the-radar SEC players — the sleepers.
Who were the best of the Saturday Sleepers from Week 1? Take a look.
Skai Moore, South Carolina
Technically, Moore played on Thursday. But he’s still a Week 1 sleeper because he got opening weekend started with a bang for the Gamecocks, who are normally known for their offense but got the job done with some big defensive plays against the Tar Heels.
Moore had two interceptions off of North Carolina’s quarterback Marquise Williams, both in the end zone and one late with the game on the line. He also added a team-leading 10 tackles for the Gamecocks. Moore is not the deepest of sleepers, having been selected to Phil Steele’s preseason fourth-team All-SEC. But no one expected him to just take over like this and virtually win the game for his team.
Christian Kirk, Texas A&M
The Aggies had a phenomenal showing overall as a team against the No. 15-ranked Sun Devils. And while the Texas A&M quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray will get most of the credit for the team’s success, Kirk came out of nowhere as a true freshman and lit it up.
Kirk reeled in 6 receptions for 100 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown. As if that wasn’t enough, he also returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown. Kirk is a former five-star recruit so everyone knew the talent was there but no one could have expected him to have such an immediate impact against a ranked opponent.
Markell Pack, Ole Miss
With most of the attention this offseason regarding Ole Miss receivers being given to Laquon Treadwell, Cody Core and Damore’ea Stringfellow, Pack was the first Rebels wideout to find the end zone in 2015.
Pack’s 56-yard touchdown reception also marked the first touchdown pass of Chad Kelly’s Ole Miss career. Pack had reportedly been impressing Rebels coaches throughout the spring and summer and now it appears what they were seeing on the practice field is now translating into games for the sophomore. The Rebels figure to spread out the targets across their many talented receivers throughout the season, but Pack and Kelly seem to have good chemistry early on.
Ricardo Louis, Auburn
The Tigers were already leading 17-0 when Louis scored his first touchdown on a 33-yard reception, but that play really put the game out of reach for Louisville and was the proverbial dagger in the heart.
Louis is a wide receiver with immense talent as a runner. In fact, he’s the only Auburn wideout in school history to rush for more than 100 yards when he did so last year against South Carolina. Louis is another player who isn’t the deepest sleeper, but with 75 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, he was arguably Auburn’s best offensive weapon in Week 1, which comes as somewhat of a surprise given the talent on that side of the ball for the Tigers.
Alvin Kamara, Tennessee
Now, Kamara really is no sleeper, more like a sleeping giant. But he is another guy who surpassed expectations in Week 1 and played a crucial role in his team’s success.
Kamara was the No. 4-ranked junior college player in this year’s recruiting class and many believed he could be an excellent complement to Jalen Hurd in the Volunteer’s backfield but were unsure of when his impact might be felt. Hurd had an excellent game as well, rushing for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. But Kamara added 144 yards and 2 touchdowns of his own on 8 less carries than Hurd.
The answer to when Kamara will be a major force to be reckoned with in Tennessee’s offense is now.
Kenyan Drake, Alabama
Drake might be Week 1’s deepest sleeper that had a major impact on his team’s game with the versatility he showed against Wisconsin. This was the senior’s first game back after suffering a season-ending leg injury in the fifth game of last year.
Although most of his work was done when the game was out of reach for the Badgers, Drake’s 125 all-purpose yards and 43-yard touchdown run showed that he can be a reliable running mate in Alabama’s backfield with Derrick Henry. While Henry had a phenomenal game and will remain the lead guy, it’s no secret that Nick Saban likes to throw multiple backs at defenses. Before Drake’s Week 1 performance, there was some mystery as to who that second back would be for the Crimson Tide, but it appears that question has been answered now.
Pat Donohue is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @SportsDownPat.
