Oregon State’s Omar Speights among top Philly-area performers in college football’s Week 10
Speights spent his first three seasons of high school football at Imhotep before transferring out west. He is making a huge impact for Oregon State this season.
With two top-10 matchups, plus a handful of upsets, college football’s Week 10 was one of the best of the season.
With players like former St. Joseph’s Prep standouts Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Trotter Jr., plus former Imhotep Charter star Tykee Smith all having quiet performances this weekend, the spotlight can shine on two local players who are putting together memorable 2022 campaigns.
On either coast, Oregon State’s Omar Speights and North Carolina’s Asim Richards, Philadelphia natives, lead this week’s best performances.
» READ MORE: Marvin Harrison Jr.’s big day leads best Philly-area performances in college football’s Week 9
Omar Speights, LB, Oregon State
Opponent: Washington
Stat line: Nine tackles (one for loss), one QB hurry
Game recap: While No. 23 Oregon State ended up losing to Washington, 24-21, on Friday night it wasn’t because of the Beavers star linebacker. Speights, who played his first three seasons of high school ball at Imhotep Charter and was a top player in the state before transferring out to Corvallis for his senior season, has been a consistent performer for the last three seasons at the Pac-12 school.
Against Washington, Speights quickly diagnosed screens, chased down running backs and receivers, and shot through gaps on blitzes to get Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. off his spot. Fundamentally sound as a linebacker, Speights is as disciplined as they come and certainly has an NFL future with his physicality and instincts. His nine-tackle performance was a season high.
Asim Richards, LT, North Carolina
Opponent: Virginia
Stat line: Zero sacks allowed
Game recap: Entering his third season as a starter, former Haverford School standout Asim Richards had never finished in the top three All-ACC teams in his career. The senior from Philly is well on his way now, finishing another game this season with zero sacks allowed in No. 17 North Carolina’s 31-28 win over Virginia.
There are not many stats to quantify how impressive Richards’ performance has been this season, but entering Saturday’s game, the Tar Heels left tackle had the third-lowest pressure rate (0.9%) given up this season by college football tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. His light footwork in pass protection, ability to work his hands inside, and pure strength play a big part in that.
If he can continue to protect his Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Drake Maye, the Tar Heels could not only clinch an ACC championship game berth but push for a spot in the College Football Playoff or a New Year’s Six bowl game.
Ke’Shawn Williams, WR, Wake Forest
Opponent: No. 22 North Carolina State
Stat line: Five catches, 49 yards
Game recap: For the second week in a row, former Springside Chestnut Hill standout Ke’Shawn Williams pulled in five catches in No. 20 Wake Forest’s 30-21 loss to No. 21 N.C. State on Saturday. While the receiving yards won’t blow you away, Williams’ ability to drop his hips on low passes across the middle of the field and the concentration to make contested catches are part of a skill set he continues to perfect.
Time and time again, Demon Deacons quarterback Sam Hartman went to Williams on crucial third-down situations. Two of the sophomore’s five catches came on third-and-long, and the Philly native delivered for his team. Wake Forest may be fading in the ACC race, but Williams is becoming a go-to weapon in this offense.