It was a huge weekend for football fans as week 0 kicked off the college football season and fantasy drafts ran rampant. This new weekly piece is where those two meet, with a dash of NFL draft prospect evaluation mixed in.
Each week, I’ll highlight the stars of college football with an emphasis on their fantasy football performance and an NFL projection. Particularly useful for dynasty league owners who draft before rookies are selected to NFL teams, but still useful for any fantasy manager who wants a leg up on their league.
Ousmane Kromah, RB, Florida State
A stellar performance to kick off the season, Ousmane Kromah ran for 115 yards and a touchdown, earning the Lionshare of Florida State‘s rushes in their run-heavy win over New Mexico State. Although he carried the ball 14 times, you only need to see one to realize why he was the lead back.
The vision, shiftiness, and long speed are on display in a single run. Players his size (6’1″, 218 pounds) don’t often move like that, and he has certainly entered the view of NFL scouts.
After migrating from Liberia with his family as a child, Kromah took to football in a big way. He rushed for 4,643 yards and 55 TDs at Lee County High School in Georgia, where he earned 4-star recruiting status. After initially committing to the University of Georgia, he flipped to Florida State.
His would-be 18.7 fantasy points are just the beginning. After his Week 0 performance, Ousmane Kromah is sure to earn more touches going forward, which will only further his future draft stock. His rare size and speed combination is one that will pique the interest of NFL scouts and fantasy managers alike.
Jelani Thurman, TE, North Carolina
Bill Belichick led an impressive win over TCU, but not without the help of transfer Jelani Thurman. 13 receptions in three seasons on a crowded Ohio State offense had Thurman looking for work, which he found with the University of North Carolina.
In his Tarheel debut, Thurman caught 4 passes for 94 yards, using his great size at 6’6″, 250 pounds and rare athleticism to match.
11.4 fantasy points to start a senior year is a late-blooming coming-out party that will not go unnoticed. Thurman’s athleticism comes naturally; he’s large, but a smooth mover- traits he undoubtedly inherited from his former NFL linebacker father, Odell, and WNBA All-Star mother Kara Braxton. Professional athlete lineage gets recognized quickly in NFL circles. If Jelani Thurman continues to produce at a high rate, he could earn himself an early-round draft selection next spring. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the 2nd-generation NFL prospect, as he could be pro-ready after a season under the greatest NFL coach of all time.
Beau Pribula, QB, Virginia
A journeyman collegiate QB (yes, that’s a thing these days), Beau Pribula is with his 3rd program in 5 years. After playing only in spot duty as a backup at Penn State, he transferred to Missouri, where he started 10 games, threw for 1,941 yards, 11 TDs, and 7 INTs in an injury-riddled 2025 season.
His Virginia Cavalier campaign started off with a bang in a debut that amassed 265 total yards and 2 TDs. He was efficient through the air, throwing for 155 yards on 11 attempts, including 2 TDs. In the ground game, he tallied 15 rushes for 110 yards. In all, he totaled 29.2 fantasy points as a dual-threat QB.
Pribula is a long shot to have NFL fantasy relevance, but he’ll no doubt be part of the QB prospect evaluation process this spring, as teams are as desperate as ever for contributing signal callers. He’s worth keeping an eye on for deeper dynasty leagues, especially given his rushing upside.
