It's that time again, and with North Carolina traveling to Clemson, South Carolina hosting Mississippi State in the SEC opener, and Florida visiting Auburn in a rivalry renewal, there's a great lineup of games to add to your betting card.
I've pinpointed three player props for Saturday, including picks for North Carolina's Billy Edwards Jr., South Carolina's Nitro Tuggle and Florida's Jadan Baugh.
With that said, let's dive into my top three college football player props and NCAAF picks for Week 3 on Saturday, Sept. 19.
College Football Player Props, Picks
- Billy Edwards Jr. Over 199.5 Passing Yards (-114 · FanDuel)
- Nitro Tuggle Under 40.5 Receiving Yards (-115 · bet365)
- Jadan Baugh Under 111.5 Rushing Yards (-115 · FanDuel)
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Billy Edwards Jr. Over 199.5 Passing Yards (-114)
Billy Edwards Jr. has been outstanding through two games as UNC's new starter, and he has cleared this number comfortably both times.
He opened the season with 232 yards on 16-of-28 passing in a statement win over TCU in Dublin.
Then, he followed it up with an even sharper performance against East Tennessee State, going 15-of-20 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, spreading the ball to eight different receivers.
That's back-to-back 230-plus yard efforts to open his Tar Heels career, and he's done it as an efficient, low-mistake passer (zero interceptions through two games) rather than someone padding stats in garbage time.
This matchup sets him up well to keep that going. Clemson's defense has been genuinely shaky against the pass this season, allowing 240.3 passing yards per game and ranking 73rd nationally in total defense, which includes a 433-yard outburst allowed to Syracuse.
Clemson is also breaking in true freshman Tait Reynolds at quarterback after starter Christopher Vizzina went down with an elbow injury, which puts extra pressure on Clemson's offense to control the clock.
That could realistically mean more possessions and more opportunities for Edwards and UNC's passing attack if Clemson's offense sputters again as it did in a 41-point loss at LSU.
Between his early-season form and a defense that's proven vulnerable through the air, clearing 199.5 yards looks very reachable.
Pick: Billy Edwards Over 199.5 Passing Yards (-114)
Nitro Tuggle Under 40.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
Nitro Tuggle simply hasn't been part of South Carolina's passing-game plan through two games. He has caught just two passes for 15 yards total this season — nowhere close to this number, even cumulatively, let alone in a single game.
The production at wide receiver has instead flowed through Donovan Murph (four catches, 92 yards, two touchdowns against Kent State) and other options, with Tuggle mostly working as a decoy or secondary read.
His lone notable target against Kent State was a deep shot that drew a pass-interference flag rather than a completion.
That's consistent with how South Carolina's offense is built under new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles this season.
Briles has implemented a run-heavy, RPO-driven attack that leans on LaNorris Sellers' legs and a deep stable of skill players rather than funneling volume to any one perimeter target.
Tuggle, a first-year Gamecock after stops at Georgia and Purdue, is still working his way into the rotation.
With South Carolina now opening SEC play at home against Mississippi State and no indication his role is expanding, there's little reason to expect a sudden breakout to a number he hasn't sniffed all season.
Pick: Nitro Tuggle Under 40.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
Jadan Baugh Under 111.5 Rushing Yards (-114)
I know this is a hard sell, but hear me out.
Baugh is playing as well as almost any running back in the country right now. He has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games to open the season.
Totaling 28 carries for 296 yards and five touchdowns through two contests, he's leading the SEC in rushing yards, yards per game (148.0) and yards per carry (10.57), and he's done it while forcing missed tackles at an elite clip (third-most in the FBS) without putting the ball on the ground once in 429 career touches.
The case here rests almost entirely on matchup and moment rather than any real dip in form.
Florida will hit the road for the first time all season, walking into a hostile Jordan-Hare Stadium for the SEC opener against an Auburn team that's also 2-0 under new head coach Alex Golesh.
It's a significant step up in competition and environment compared to the Long Island and Campbell games that have fueled Baugh's gaudy numbers so far.
Auburn's defense, under a first-year staff building its own identity, will have had a full week of game planning specifically to slow down the nation's hottest rushing performer. Elite backs facing that level of preparation for the first time on the road don't always sustain a 148-yard-per-game pace.
Even accounting for his exceptional talent, some regression toward a more modest rushing total feels like the more likely outcome in a true road test like this one.
Pick: Jadan Baugh Under 111.5 Rushing Yards (-114)
