There's only one way to make the Week 0 Saturday better than it always is: betting on some college football player props.
Our college football writers hand-picked three NCAAF player props for Saturday's games, including picks for SMU's Preston Stone, Georgia Tech's Haynes King and New Mexico's Devon Dampier.
With our props lineup starting at 12 p.m. ET and rolling all the way through 8 p.m. ET, we'll have you covered all day.
Continue reading for all three of our college football player props for Saturday, Aug. 24.
College Football Player Props
In the table below, you'll find each of our college football staff's top player props from Saturday's slate of Week 0 games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | |
| 4 p.m. | |
| 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Florida State vs. Georgia Tech Player Props
Haynes King 50+ Rush Yards
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King will kick off his second act as the starting quarterback for the Yellow Jackets and will look to build on his excellent first season in the ACC.
In 2023, the former Texas A&M Aggie threw for 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns while adding 737 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. King and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels were the only two Power 5 players with at least 2,800 passing yards, 25 touchdown passes, 700 rushing yards and 10 touchdown runs in 2023.
Using his arm, King finished the 2023 campaign completing 61.6% of his passe while averaging 218.6 yards per game. Additionally, he put up 56.7 yards per game on the ground.
The 2023 box scores show an interesting change in production for King, as he resorted to the run more as the season progressed.
As King got more comfortable with his new playbook, he used his feet more, albeit at the expense of the passing game. King has long been known for his speed. In fact, he was once reportedly clocked at over 22 miles per hour, according to 247Sports.
I'm inclined to think that there will be a heavier emphasis on the run in this game. Head coach Brent Key looked to rely on King's size and speed in the first game last season, and a focus on the run proved to show off one of his signal-caller's biggest assets.
I like betting King to rush for 50-plus yards against a Florida State defense that's returning just 56% of its defensive production.
Last year, the Seminoles finished the year with the 72nd-ranked rush defense. Florida State allowed 152.2 rushing yards per game, and with the reload that's required, I think the veteran quarterback will use the threat of his arm as a way to gain more than 50 yards on the ground.
Pick: Haynes King 50+ Rush Yards (+100 · Play to -110)
Montana State vs. New Mexico Player Props
Devon Dampier Anytime TD (+188)
Bronco Mendenhall has coached up some of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the past 20 years of college football.
He unleashed BYU's Taysom Hill, a bull of a ballcarrier who finished his college career with 32 rushing touchdowns in the royal blue.
When Mendenhall moved from Provo to Charlottesville, it took him some time to find the ideal fit at quarterback. Once he turned the keys of the offense over to Bryce Perkins, everything fell into place for the Wahoos. Perk scored 20 rushing touchdowns in his two seasons as UVA's starter.
That brings us to Devon Dampier.
The former three-star recruit was a must-watch in high school. He led Saguaro to its first Open Division state title and followed that up by winning the Ed Doherty Award, given to the state’s best football player.
In limited work last year, he had a perfect 6:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio and was prominently used in the running game, specifically in goal-to-go packages. He finished with 5.6 yards per carry and an 80-plus rushing grade from PFF.
Montana State surrendered a rushing touchdown to an opposing quarterback in three of its last four games. The Bobs also must replace their two best players in the front six of their 4-2-5 defense. The biggest loss will be linebacker Nolan Askelson, who led MSU in tackles in 2023.
I like this play at +188 and would play it down into the +175 range.
Pick: Devon Dampier Anytime TD (+188 · Play to +175)
SMU vs. Nevada Player Props
QB Preston Stone Under 230.5 Passing Yards
By Doug Ziefel
SMU quarterback Preston Stone burst onto the scene in 2023, as he led a high-flying Mustangs offense. Behind Stone, SMU's passing game flourished, ranking 35th in yards per pass and 10th in points per game.
However, Stone's breakout campaign ended abruptly when he suffered a broken fibula on Nov. 25 against Navy.
That injury thrust dual-threat Kevin Jennings into the starting role, and Jennings led the Mustangs to an AAC Championship before losing to Boston College in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
Jennings' performance down the stretch forced a quarterback competition as Stone worked his way back to full health. As of Aug. 14, offensive coordinator Casey Woods said the team had yet to make a decision on who would start.
However, six days later, Stone was named the starter, but it was also reported that Jennings is expected to play in the season opener as well.
With the quarterback competition being so tight and running late into the fall, Stone's opportunity to go over his passing yards total may be severely limited.
Another factor is the opponent. This could be treated like a preseason game in which we see each quarterback get equal time against an inferior opponent like Nevada.
Pick: Preston Stone Under 230.5 Passing Yards (-114 · Play to 225.5)
