College Football Player Props & Best Bets for Week 1

Beating the college football player prop market can be a profitable venture if you know where to look. Each week, I’ll be taking a deep dive into the offerings and will be selecting my three favorite gems from the early slate of games.

This week’s list features a trio of sophomore receivers ready to step up and make plays for pass-catching units that underwent a lot of turnover.

Here are my three favorite player props and college football picks for Saturday, August 30, highlighted by Mike Matthews.

Best college football player props for Week 1

•  Wingo o54.5 rec yds (-114)
• Preston o29.5 rec yds (-114)
•  Matthews anytime TD (+175)

Prop bet #1: Ryan Wingo Over 54.5 receiving yards 

-114 at FanDuel

In the 2024 recruiting class, Ryan Wingo’s name was up there with fellow wide receivers Jeremiah Smith, Cam Coleman, and Ryan Williams. While he had a productive season for the Texas Longhorns with 472 yards and two scores, he wasn’t quite the breakout star that his recruiting classmates were. 

That could change in 2025. The Longhorns lose their top three pass-catchers, who combined for 158 receptions with 2,313 yards and 21 touchdowns. Wingo’s the top returner and should thrive with heavier utilization.

There have been positive reports about his progress all offseason, and he reportedly balled out in the team’s first scrimmage of fall camp. That was against a pretty tough defense too, so while the Ohio State Buckeyes will present another difficult challenge, Wingo’s elite talent will be ready to show itself. 

Emmett Mosley was brought in from Stanford to fortify the starting wide receiving unit, but he has been out of practice with an injury. Parker Livingstone, who redshirted last year and has zero career receptions, is the likely starter in Mosley’s stead.

Wingo should answer the bell as the go-to option in Week 1.

• Matchup: Texas vs. Ohio State
• Date/Time: Saturday, August 30 at Noon ET
• Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
• TV: FOX

Prop bet #2: Shazz Preston Over 29.5 receiving yards

-114 at FanDuel

The Tulane Green Wave have experienced significant roster turnover, particularly on offense. They’ll need the new pieces to click in the opener against the Northwestern Wildcats in what’s expected to be a highly competitive game (the Green Wave are favored by 5.5 points as of Thursday afternoon). 

The pass-catching unit will be almost entirely different, with new names across the starting lineup. Alabama transfer Shazz Preston is the most notable of the group as a former four-star prospect out of Louisiana in high school. He was limited to six games last year for Tulane, but is reportedly healthy and ready for a breakout season. 

Coach Jon Sumrall said this offseason that Preston “had as good a summer as anybody in the program.” The time is now for the redshirt sophomore, and his team badly needs a go-to weapon to emerge. 

The transfer-down recipe worked for this team last year when Mario Williams exploded for 1,031 yards. While expecting a 1,000-yard season out of Preston wouldn’t be fair, the opportunity for a productive season is there. 

• Matchup: Northwestern vs. Tulane
• Date/Time: Saturday, August 30 at Noon ET
• Location: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, LA
• TV: ESPNU

Prop bet #3: Mike Matthews anytime TD

+175 at FanDuel

Much has been made about the Tennessee Volunteers’ dramatic offseason in which starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava hit the portal and was replaced by Joey Aguilar. We’re not here to rehash old storylines, so let’s focus on what we know about this offense heading into 2025. 

First off, Nico was not effective last season. While it’s difficult to feel fantastic about Tennessee’s offense outlook overall, the quarterback dropoff should not be a massive one. The Volunteers should still hold an advantage on offense against a beatable Syracuse Orange defense. 

Cuse already wasn’t up to snuff on that side of the ball (106th in EPA per play), and now deal with an immense amount of turnover. The cornerbacks will be all new on Saturday, and might include a 17-year-old (Demetres Samuel Jr.), a Georgia transfer who has barely seen the field (Chris Peal), and a sophomore who made only 14 tackles a year ago (Davien Kerr). 

Combine that with an unproven pass rush, and Aguilar should be able to build confidence in the opener. Tennessee loses its top three pass catchers, and Mike Matthews, a Top-10 receiver in the 2024 recruiting class, will have a chance to emerge as the alpha. 

• Matchup: Syracuse vs. Tennessee
• Date/Time: Saturday, August 30 at Noon ET
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
• TV: ABC

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