The final Saturday in September brought star performances from college football players across the country as another dramatic weekend full of wild finishes and unexpected outcomes headlined. Some who shined on the big stage in Week 4 were momentary stars who won't keep the spotlight, but there were also some familiar faces and potential Heisman Trophy candidates who stood out.
One of the beauties of the sport is its wide breadth of characters; that gamut runs from five-star prospects who are locks to be selected in the NFL Draft to formerly overlooked prospects and transfers who are making the most of whatever opportunities they could find. Things were no different this past week as a diverse group of players stole the show in big victories for their teams.
As the season progresses into October, it's time for another edition of the Star Power Index to see who is shining the brightest. This isn't a Heisman Trophy watch list or a ranking of earnings potential based on players' name, image and likeness, nor is it an NFL mock draft. There are plenty of places to find those. This is a rundown of players who are maximizing their platform -- be it for quality performance or other reasons -- to stand out as stars in the sport.
College Football Star Power Index
Hendon Hooker, Tennessee quarterback
Hooker's superstar level of play for Tennessee must leave Virginia Tech fans scratching their heads. The Hokies went 19-18 during the three seasons Hooker was on their roster, and he consistently had to fend off other players for the job. Even Tennessee's offensive-minded coach, Josh Heupel, failed to immediately identify Hooker's talent; Heupel opted to start Joe Milton at quarterback to begin the 2021 season.
But since taking over the job at Tennessee following an injury to Milton last season, Hooker has thrown 38 touchdowns and just three interceptions while running for eight more scores. His stardom hit a new level in the Volunteers' 38-33 win over Florida on Saturday as Hooker passed for 349 yards and two touchdowns while running for 112 yards and another TD. With Hooker at the helm, Tennessee has reached its highest ranking in the AP Top 25 poll since the 2006 season.
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami quarterback
Van Dyke cracks the Star Power Index because of the stunning reality that there is now a quarterback controversy at Miami just four games into Mario Cristobal's tenure as coach. Jake Garcia entered to replace Van Dyke in the third quarter of the Hurricanes' 45-31 loss to Middle Tennessee and immediately led a touchdown drive, though he eventually cooled off and finished 10-of-19 passing for 169 yards. Van Dyke was regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the country entering the season after throwing for 2,931 yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2021. But through four games under Cristobal and new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, he's been thoroughly unspectacular.
So is Van Dyke really the problem here? You can rightly point to Miami's lean receiver room as an issue, as Cristobal did. Or, as Cristobal also noted, you point to a change in scheme as an issue. But whose fault is that? Cristobal and his staff are the ones who inherited the 2021 ACC Rookie of the Year. The reality is that Van Dyke has digressed into someone who got benched against a Conference USA foe under their coaching. That's a deeply concerning omen for the future of Miami football just months into a regime change that was supposed to return the program's former glory.
Jalon Daniels, Kansas quarterback
When Jalon Daniels signed with Kansas under former coach Les Miles as a member of the Jayhawks' 2020 recruiting class, suggesting that he would one day appear in a prominent position on the Heisman Trophy odds sheet would have sounded moronic. Daniels was the No. 61 dual-threat quarterback in his class, per 247Sports, and his QB peers in that realm of the rankings signed with schools like Cal Poly, Western Oregon, Princeton and Holy Cross.
But after throwing for 324 yards and four touchdowns while also contributing 89 yards rushing and another score on the ground in KU's 35-27 win over Duke on Saturday, Daniels is indeed in the Heisman conversation, coming in at No. 9 on the board at Caesar's Sportsbook with 40-1 odds. As the driving force behind the Jayhawks' 4-0 start, Daniels may be more important to his team than any other player in college football. Seriously, he can event punt!
Demani Richardson, Texas A&M safety
You have to admire the improvisational creativity of Demani Richardson, who helped flip Texas A&M's 23-21 win over Arkansas in favor of the Aggies with one of the strangest heads-up plays you'll see this season. After a weird fumble by Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson near the goal line, Aggies defensive back Tyreek Chappell emerged with the football and ran down the sideline until his momentum was stopped. Then, just before the play would have been blown dead, Richardson appeared, somehow cajoled the football from his teammate and ran it the rest of the way for an 82-yard touchdown.
The play flipped the momentum for the Aggies and turned Richardson into a superstar heading into Week 5. It's always a must-see highlight when a defensive player scores a touchdown, but the nature of Richardson's score along with the moment and matchup made it the top highlight of Saturday's action.
DJ England-Chisolm, Middle Tennessee receiver
Middle Tennessee's 5-foot-7 senior receiver accounted for 20.8% of his career receiving yards and 25% of his career touchdowns on two plays in the Blue Raiders' stunning 45-31 upset at Miami. England-Chisholm's 71-yard touchdown reception from Cunningham with 4:21 left in the first quarter put the Blue Raiders up 17-3. Then, his 98-yarder put MTSU up 38-17.
It was a humiliating defeat for the Hurricanes, sure, but cut them some slack. England-Chisholm ran a 10.54-second 100-meter dash in high school. You would think an assistant coach, analyst, graduate assistant, intern or somebody on Miami's staff might have communicated that to the defense. Perhaps the Hurricanes were too busy preparing for this week's bye to be bother with scouting reports. Nonetheless, it was an unforgettable performance from England-Chisholm and the entire MTSU squad, which helped the Blue Raiders knock off a ranked opponent for the first time in program history.
Adrian Martinez, Kansas State quarterback
After surviving four woebegone years at Nebraska during which the Cornhuskers went 0-13 against ranked opponents, Adrian Martinez ran his way to a long-overdue moment of glory on Saturday. The Kansas State quarterback scurried for 148 yards and four touchdowns in a massive 41-34 road win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma. For good measure, Martinez also passed for 234 yards and another score.
Martinez is not an NFL prospect, and this is his last season of college football. The Wildcats could play their way into the Big 12 title mix if things break right, but his performance against the Sooners may go down as the last grand act of his career in terms of a game that drew the attention of the nation. If so, what a way to go. After all those soul-crushing losses at Nebraska, Martinez finally enjoyed a night in the spotlight for all the right reasons. Take a bow, Adrian. You deserve it.