UA Game Week: Top offensive performers by position

Jackson Arnold: Arnold adjusted to the speed of his receivers quickly at the beginning of the week and everything went much smoother for him than the rest of the quarterbacks. The Oklahoma signee wasn’t perfect when it came to his accuracy, especially on throws towards the sideline, but the majority of the time he hit his receiver in stride. Arnold has great throwing mechanics, plenty of arm strength and knows when to use his mobility to pick up chunks of yards. He was easily the best quarterback in the game as well, throwing for 100 yards and a touchdown while completing 52% of his passes. He also had the most rushing yards of any player.

JJ Kohl: Kohl’s rocket arm was on full display this week and he had plenty of bright spots. He throws a great deep ball, but adjusting to the speed of the defenders when throwing crossing routes was sometimes a challenge. Fortunately for the Iowa State signee, he has the arm strength to fit the ball into tight windows when he sees the receiver late in his progression. Kohl started off well in the game but didn’t sustain that success, finishing with just 49 yards passing on 11 completions.

Jaden Rashada: It was a roller coaster watching Rashada during the week of practice. Throwing the ball accurately down the field and on crossing routes gave him some problems. The Florida signee has a smooth throwing motion and seems very comfortable making throws outside the pocket. Rashada only threw eight passes during the game, completing half of them for 25 yards.

Avery Johnson: Johnson is the most athletic of the four quarterbacks listed here, and he wasn’t able to really show off that part of his game until he was on the big stage Tuesday night. Johnson has a strong enough arm and does a good job getting the ball out of his hands, especially when on the run. Johnson had some issues getting comfortable throwing into coverage that was tighter than he was used to, but that’s something the Kansas State coaching staff will work on once he arrives on campus.

Cedric Baxter: Running backs don’t get much of a chance to show off their full skill set during practice, but Baxter impressed with his explosiveness and cutting ability during team drills. The Texas signee stepped it up during the game, too. He led all running backs in rushing yards and scored on a 13-yard run. Baxter showed off his vision and cutting ability, squeezing through narrow running lanes and breaking into the secondary. His size, speed and ability to accelerate quickly should help him see the field early in Austin.

Dylan Edwards: Edwards won the fastest man competition in a bit of an upset, but he backed up that title with his play during one-on-ones in practice and during the game. The Colorado signee is listed at a generous 5-foot-9, 175-pounds but he can absolutely fly and brings elite quickness to the table. Edwards made multiple defenders miss in the game by using sharp cuts and subtle head fakes to create open running lanes. The Colorado coaching staff will need to use him correctly to make sure it maximizes his abilities, but there’s certainly reason to believe he could be a difference-maker in Boulder.

Richard Young: Young was the most physically impressive running back at the event and he knew how to play to his strengths. The Alabama signee is a powerful back who excels at running between the tackles and finding running lanes. Young flashed a few times during team drills in practice and he really got off to a nice start during the game but he went down with a minor injury about midway through the third quarter and didn’t return. He finished with eight carries for 20 yards.

Zachariah Branch: Branch was great during the week of practice, so expectations were high for him heading into the game on Tuesday, and he didn’t disappoint. The future USC Trojan is arguably the most explosive player in the entire 2023 class. Throughout the week and in the game Branch had no problem creating separation from defensive backs and making it easy for quarterbacks to get him the ball. He led the game with seven catches and had two outstanding punt returns, one of which went for a 93-yard touchdown.

Johntay Cook: Cook was only targeted twice in the game but he was fantastic during the week of practice. He runs excellent routes, is almost as explosive as Branch and is a couple inches bigger, which makes it easy for quarterbacks to get him the ball. Cook does a nice job on downfield routes and has a way of making sure he’s able to create separation before he breaks on his route. As one of the highest-ranked four-stars, the Texas signee has been on five-star watch all week, so there will be plenty to discuss about him during the upcoming rankings meetings.

Nyckoles Harbor: Harbor has been a work in progress at tight end throughout his high school career, but he really ended it on a high note during this week’s practices and in the game on Tuesday night. With his elite speed and 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame, Harbor is a mismatch for whoever the defense assigns to him. He got more comfortable catching the ball as the week went on during practice and his route running seemed to improve during the game. He can make sharper cuts than expected and does a nice job giving quarterbacks big windows to throw the ball into. Harbor finished the game with two catches on three targets for 27 yards.

Zalance Heard: Heard was far away the best offensive lineman during practice, and that carried over to the game as well. During the week of practice, he used his immense size and impressive quickness to stymie nearly every pass rusher that challenged him. In team drills he was just as effective and then in the game he stepped it up a notch and dominated whoever lined up across from him. LSU coaches and fans should be really excited about what Heard brings to the table and should expect him to play a lot while he is a Tiger.

Amir Herring: The incredible talent assembled on the defensive line made it difficult for many other offensive lineman to shine, but Herring had a good week of practice and then stood out in the game. The Michigan signee doesn’t impress on the hoof, but he is extremely effective using outstanding technique and above-average strength. Herring does a really good job resetting his hands and using his feet to stay in front of the defensive lineman. It will be interesting to see how quickly he’s able to contribute at the next level, but if he doesn’t get on the field it won’t be for a lack of solid technique.

Cayden Green: Green has been committed to Oklahoma for a long time, and the Sooners are very familiar with the type of prospect they are getting, but it was interesting to see how his game has developed while he was in Orlando. Over the years his body has developed, he’s gotten stronger and his technique has been refined as he’s become a more versatile offensive lineman. Green did a nice job as a tackle this week, using his hands to slow down oncoming defensive lineman and getting a nice push in the running game. It’ll be interesting to see how much stronger he needs to get before he’s able to see the field consistently, but there is a lot of talent to work with here for the Oklahoma coaching staff.