From a historic performance in a SEC thriller to dominance in the Rose Bowl, former Texas high school stars were in the spotlight across the country this past weekend.
Here’s a look at week three’s top college players from the Lone Star State.
Texas Tech QB Behren Morton (Eastland)
Texas Tech improved to 3-0 with a 45-14 drubbing of Oregon State at home on Saturday. Red Raider quarterback Behren Morton lit the Beavers up through the air. He finished with 464 passing yards and four touchdowns on 23 completions.
It was a single-game career high for Morton in passing yards at the college level. The scary thing is he only played in the first three quarters too.
He won’t have that luxury of resting this Saturday. The Red Raiders are set to hit the road to face 16th-ranked Utah in what will be their biggest test so far this year.
Houston QB Conner Weigman (Bridgeland)
The Houston Cougars are 1-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since joining the conference in 2023. They knocked off Colorado 36-20 under the lights at TDECU Stadium on Friday night.
Former Bridgeland Bear quarterback Conner Weigman got it done both through the air and on the ground. He threw for 222 yards and also added 83 yards and two touchdowns on the ground on 17 carries. It was a career high for Weigman in rushing yards at the college level. He’s in his first year starting for the Cougars after transferring from Texas A&M.
Houston is now off to its first 3-0 start since 2016. The Cougars will have some time to regroup with a bye week this weekend. Weigman and Houston will return to action on Friday, September 26 with a road trip to Oregon State.
North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker (Vandegrift)
Drew Mestemaker hadn’t even started a football game since ninth grade before last year’s First Responder Bowl.
Now, he’s lighting it up as the starting quarterback for the North Texas Mean Green. The Mean Green torched Washington State 59-10 this past Saturday. Mestemaker was right at the center of that effort. He for 211 yards and four touchdowns. It was the most touchdowns he’s thrown in a game for North Texas so far.
It wasn’t just the spectacular either. Mestemaker completed 24 of his 29 passes. According to North Texas, that 82.8% completion percentage is the third highest for a North Texas quarterback since 2000.
Next up, the Mean Green will hit the road to face Army this Saturday in their first AAC conference game.
Southern Miss QB Braylon Braxton (Frisco Independence)
Southern Miss went 0-8 in the Sun Belt a year ago. This season, the Golden Eagles were successful at their first time of asking. They snapped a nine-game Sun Belt losing streak with an impressive 38-22 victory over Appalachian State this past Saturday.
Former Frisco Independence quarterback Braylon Braxton transferred in from Marshall over the offseason with head coach Charles Huff and picked up right where he left off. He helped the Golden Eagle passing attack soar with 279 passing yards and two touchdowns on Saturday.
It’s the most passing yards Braxton has had in a game since November 2022 when he led Tulsa to an upset win over Houston.
Southern Miss will now get a brief break from Sun Belt play this Saturday when it travels to face Conference USA foe Louisiana Tech.
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King (Longview) and K Aidan Birr (Kennedale)
Georgia Tech produced one of the signature wins of this past weekend with a 24-21 upset of Clemson. Kennedale grad Aidan Birr kicked a 55-yard field goal as time expired to win the game for the Yellow Jackets. Birr finished a perfectly three-for-three on the afternoon with field goals from 40 and 42 yards as well.
Beating the running clock and drilling a 55-yard field goal to take down a top 15 conference rival at home is just about as cool of a finish to a college football game that you’ll see. Aidan Birr = Yellow Jackets legend.pic.twitter.com/Xo64CaiTlS
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) September 13, 2025
The man who helped set up those field goals? Quarterback Haynes King. The former Longview Lobo produced yet another gutsy performance, throwing for 211 yards and rushing for 103 yards on 25 carries. He didn’t have a passing touchdown, but he did have one on the ground.
He has now began the year with back-to-back 100+ yard rushing attacks. That dual threat ability will keep ACC defenses on their toes all year. However, the Yellow Jackets won’t be right back to ACC play this week. They’ll host AAC foe Temple at 2:30 this Saturday.
Bucknell QB Ralph Rucker IV (Lovejoy)
Ralph Rucker IV was already Bucknell’s career leader in passing touchdowns heading into this season. He continues to solidify that record. In this weekend’s 35-28 win over VMI, Rucker threw for 405 yards and five touchdowns. He was clutch too.
He found Sam Milligan for a 37-yard touchdown with just 1:49 left to cap off a eight-play, 88-yard drive.
How about a fourth touchdown for Milligan and the lead late in the fourth!!! Milligan’s four touchdowns is the new program record, and Rucker matches his own single-game record of five touchdown passes! #rayBucknell
Q4 1:49 | Bucknell 35, VMI 28 pic.twitter.com/2lNN44yxTj
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) September 13, 2025
Those 405 passing yards were the second most he’s had during his time at Bucknell. Now, he and his Bison teammates will look forward to the games that matter. They’ll open Patriot League play this Saturday with a home game against Lehigh.
Oklahoma RB Tory Blaylock (Atascocita)
Tory Blaylock is a true freshman, but he is carving himself a role in the Oklahoma offense.
He rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries and had touchdowns of 6 and 18 yards in the second quarter as the Sooners routed Temple 42-3. For his efforts, he was named the SEC Freshman of the Week.
“With the more preparation I’m doing, I feel like every game, I’m getting under my feet,” Blaylock said after the win over Temple. “As a freshman getting out there, I was a little nervous and shaky at first. With games under my belt, I’m going to get a lot more comfortable.”
That’s bad news for the rest of the SEC. Blaylock and his Sooners will get their first taste of conference action this Saturday when Auburn comes to town at 2:30.
Arizona RB Ismail Mahdi (Plano East)
Ismail Mahdi transferred from Texas State to Arizona over the offseason. It’s safe to say the former Plano East Panther has settled in quickly.
He was Arizona’s bell cow last Friday as the Wildcats knocked off Kansas State 23-17. Mahdi racked up 189 yards on 22 rushes, good for an impressive 8.6 yards per carry. The conference took notice too as he was named the Big 12’s co-Offensive Player of the Week.
It was the most rushing yards Mahdi has had in a game since he went for 216 all the way back in September 2023 when Texas State knocked off Nevada.
Arizona is now 3-0 for the first time since 2015. The Wildcats have a break this week before officially opening Big 12 play against Iowa State on September 27 (Arizona’s game against Kansas State was considered a non-conference game).
New Mexico RB Damon Bankston (Paetow)
New Mexico produced one of the most eye-opening results of the weekend. The Lobos delivered a 35-10 shellacking of UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Friday night.
The Bruins had no answer for Paetow grad running back Damon Bankston. He rushed for 154 yards and a touchdown for the Lobos on just 15 carries. That’s not all. He also led the Lobos with three catches for 49 yards, the majority coming on a 43-yard touchdown catch-and-run in the fourth quarter.
ADMIN CAN’T KEEP UP! ANOTHER TD FOR BANKSTON! LOBOS UP 18!
📺: @BigTenNetwork#GoLobos | 🐺🆙 pic.twitter.com/3PoTVKKaZJ
— New Mexico Football (@UNMLoboFB) September 13, 2025
Bankston transferred in from Weber State over the offseason, so this was a career high for him in rushing yards against an FBS opponent. Overall, it was the third-most rushing yards for him in a game in his career.
Next up, the Lobos have a bye week before hosting in-state rival New Mexico State on September 27.
Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell (Midland Lee)
One of the games in the weekend (Texas A&M-Notre Dame has a say too) took place in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Tennessee was on the precipice of scoring a big win over Georgia. However, the Volunteers missed a potential game-winning field goal with just three seconds left before losing in overtime 44-41.
Still, the Volunteers showed they’ll be a force in the SEC this year. Receiver Chris Brazzell could be a big reason why. The Midland Lee grad had a highlight reel of a performance on Saturday. He finished with a career high 177 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He now has five touchdowns the past two weeks.
CHRIS BRAZZELL TOP SHELF WHERE MOMMA HIDES THE COOKIES
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 13, 2025
According to Tennessee, Brazzell became just the fifth receiver since 2000 to finish with over 175 receiving yards and three touchdowns against a top ten opponent.
It’s a sign of things to come as he continues to develop a connection with new Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar.
They’ll expect to get back in the win column this weekend when the Volunteers host UAB.
