The college football slate in Week 7 was expected to be one of the best of the season, and it delivered.
No. 1 Texas stayed undefeated, beating No. 18 Oklahoma 34-3 in the Red River Rivalry. In a pair of closely contested Big 10 games, No. 3 Oregon upset No.2 Ohio State, winning 32-31, and No. 4 Penn State came back to avoid an upset loss to USC.
Cincinnati natives, as usual, played a role all around the college football slate in Week 7. With that, voting is now open for The Enquirer’s top local college football performers of the week for Week 7. Polls close at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18.
Demeer Blankumsee, Memphis (Winton Woods)
The senior receiver scored his first touchdown of the season and caught three passes for 40 yards on Saturday in Memphis’s 21-3 win over South Florida.
Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati (Colerain)
Corleone recorded four tackles and his second sack of the season on Saturday as the Bearcats beat Central Florida 19-13.
Trey Gronotte, Army (Covington Catholic)
Gronotte stayed perfect on the season, making one field goal and four extra points in the undefeated Army Black Knights‘ 44-10 win over UAB on Saturday. So far this year, Gronotte has made two-of-two field goals attempted and he’s 31-for-31 on extra points.
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa (Hamilton)
Johnson continued an incredible season with 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries Saturday as Iowa beat Washington 40-16. So far this season, Johnson is second in the country in rushing yards, just behind Boise State sensation and Heisman favorite Ashton Jeanty. Johnson has scored a touchdown in every Iowa game this season, and he’s scored two or more in five of six games.
Max Klare, Purdue (St. Xavier)
Klare, a sophomore, had the best game of his young college career on Saturday, catching six passes for 133 yards in Purdue’s 50-49 overtime loss to Illinois.
Joe Royer, Cincinnati (Elder)
Royer led the Bearcats in receiving in their 19-13 win over Central Florida on Saturday. He caught eight passes for 84 yards.
Devonta Smith, Alabama (La Salle)
Smith had three tackles, and he forced a fumble in the second quarter of Alabama’s tight win over South Carolina on Saturday.
Joey Stemler, Ball State (Elder)
Stemler had arguably the best game of his career as Ball State beat Kent State, tying a career high in tackles with eight and recording a career high in sacks with 1.5.
Malik Verdon, Iowa State (Hamilton)
Verdon was all over the field on Saturday in Iowa State’s 28-16 win over West Virginia, recording 10 tackles in the game.
Silas Walters, Miami-Ohio (Lakota West)
Walters recorded three passes defended to go with six tackles and a fumble recovery on Saturday in Miami’s 38-14 win over Lakota West.
Small schools
Brady Buller, Mount St. Joseph (Elder)
Buller, a graduate student, grabbed two sacks in the Lions 49-0 win over Anderson University on Saturday.
Ronald Cutts Jr., Lake Erie College (Taft)
Cutts had five tackles and his first collegiate interception in Lake Erie’s 29-23 win over Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday.
Freddie Johnson, Thomas More (Colerain)
Johnson caught five passes for 107 yards in Thomas More’s 20-3 loss to Northwood on Saturday.
JJ Jones Centre College, (Hamilton)
Jones, a senior, had 1.5 sacks and six tackles on Saturday as Centre beat Millsaps 24-20.
Tyler Prather, Mount St. Joseph (Colerain)
Prather threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, leading the Lions to a 49-0 win over Anderson University.
Kole Viel, Indianapolis (East Central)
Viel had six tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss on Saturday as UIndy beat Quincy University 47-10.
Want to nominate a player for a future week? Email jschmelzinger@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Vote: Top Cincinnati natives who shined in college football Week 7
