College Football season is already in full swing! From a thriller in Dublin to kick things off to a Friday night UMass upset over the Big Ten’s Rutgers. We’re in for a big Saturday and Sunday, as the entire country gets their season rolling in the true “Week 1” of College Football action. Let’s dive into some College Football Week 1 best bets in the form of our favorite player props.
Anthony Colandrea Over 35.5 Rushing Yards (-118)
Let’s head to Lincoln, Nebraska, for a nice Noon kickoff game. The Huskers kick the season off with a nice cupcake opponent to get their fans fired up for another season before they face Big Ten opponents. They have a new quarterback this season in Anthony Colandrea, the former UNLV and Virginia signal caller. Colandrea is a dual-threat quarterback who loves to use his legs. Husker fans love a quarterback who can scramble, and Matt Rhule knows it. There will be extra built-in run plays for the new Huskers quarterback to showcase those skills against a subpar Ohio Bobcats team. With the UNLV Rebels last season, Colandrea rushed for well over this total in six of the team’s first seven games. With fresh legs, easier opponents, and a coach who knows how to appease a loud fanbase, Colandrea is my top play of the weekend.
Sire Gaines Over 34.5 Rushing Yards (-120)
What a big test for this Boise State football team to open the season. They are massive dogs to the Oregon Ducks of the Big Ten. This is an early opportunity to show the world they can play with a big team like this. How can the Broncos hang with the Ducks? It’s certainly not by getting into a shootout with them. They ended up using their big, bruising back who loves to run between the tackles. Lean on Sire Gains early and often until it doesn’t work. Last season, Gaines averaged five yards per carry last season and had at least 34 yards in 10 of his 12 games. Against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, the one ranked opponent this team played last year, Gaines averaged 3.5 yards per carry. Stick to the run, use the ground-and-pound guy, and this one hits easy.
Sam Leavitt Over 254.5 Passing Yards (-120)
I’m pretty excited to see Sam Leavitt in LSU purple this weekend. Especially with all of the lawsuit stuff surrounding Lane Kiffin and the program, they are set to put on a show in the battle of Tigers against Clemson. Sam Leavitt leaves Arizona State to team up here with Lane Kiffin. It’s time for Leavitt to start building his Heisman Trophy resume. Last season was cut short, but he’s healthy and ready to go for 2026. In 2024 at Arizona State, Leavitt threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He ran for another 443 yards and five additional touchdowns. Now, two years older and more mature at LSU, get ready for the Leavitt breakout, because it’s coming. It starts this weekend in Baton Rouge.
Kewan Lacy Over 86.5 Rushing Yards (-115)
Kewan Lacy is an absolute baller. The 5’11 Junior ran for over 1,500 yards for the Rebels last season. He balled out in the College Football Playoffs last year; in both games against Georgia and then Miami, Lacy surpassed this number. A total of 10 times across the season, Lacy crossed this number, including a 224-yard performance against the Florida Gators. This Louisville defense was tough last year, but it’s a new system with co-coordinators that might take some time to get set. Simply put, you can’t keep a star like Kewan Lacy down, especially with fresh legs to open the season. He’s going to put on a show and rack up some fast yards.
