Week 8: Josh Ehrlich, UNC Pembroke

photo by david fernandez

University of North Carolina Pembroke quarterback Josh Ehrlich, who starred at Broadneck High School in Annapolis, has been named the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Player of the Week after another terrific performance carried the Braves to victory.

Ehrlich, who began his career at Marist and played the past three seasons at Susquehanna, completed 18 of 21 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 20 times for 136 yards and one touchdown as UNC Pembroke beat Chowan, 38-21.

“He’s been everything we thought we were getting when we got him,” UNC Pembroke Coach Mark Hall said. “For the past six or seven games, he’s been lights out. He’s been the best player, I think, in the conference. We’re certainly going to lean on him. He’s a winner. He does winning things. He’s a competitor and we’re certainly blessed to have him out there.”

Ehrlich was 33-6 as a starter at Susquehanna, twice being named the Landmark Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He passed for 2,670 yards and 32 touchdowns with just one interception last season.

Ehrlich entered the transfer portal for his final season of collegiate eligibility and enrolled at Division II UNC Pembroke. He earned the starting job in the preseason and in nine games has completed 139 of 225 passes for 1,940 yards and 19 touchdowns with four interceptions. Things have really picked up over the Braves’ past four games, throwing 15 touchdown passes without an interception. He also iced the victory this past Saturday with a 44-yard touchdown run.

“I think he deserved that moment,” Hall said.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• Georgetown QB Gavin Beard completed 21 of 36 passes for 265 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winner in the final minute, as the Hoyas beat William & Mary, 28-27.

• Howard DB Ben Chandler IV (Bishop McNamara) made three tackles and returned an interception 87 yards for the game-winning touchdown in overtime as the Bison rallied from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Morgan State, 26-20.

• Navy QB Jackson Gutierrez completed 7 of 10 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown and rushed 26 times for 228 yards and three touchdowns as the Midshipmen lost to North Texas, 49-39.

• Tennessee Tech WR Tre Holloway (H.D. Woodson) caught five passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns as the Golden Eagles beat The Citadel, 28-13.

• Richmond LB Blake Houser (DeMatha Catholic) made 10 tackles with a career-high three sacks and snagged his first career interception as the Spiders beat Colgate, 13-6.

• South Carolina DE Dylan Stewart (Friendship Collegiate) made two tackles, including a sack where he forced a fumble that a teammate recovered, leading to the game-winning field goal as the Gamecocks beat Tennessee, 27-24.

• Alabama LB Caleb Woodson (Battlefield) made 10 tackles with 1 ½ tackles for loss as the Crimson Tide beat Texas A&M, 31-20.

• Albany LB Jamari Young (Bullis) made six tackles with four tackles for loss and three sacks and broke up two passes as the Great Danes beat Rhode Island, 38-21.

Week 7: Dillon Dunathan, Albany

photo courtesy albany athletics

University at Albany linebacker Dillon Dunathan, who starred at Damascus High School, has been named the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Player of the Week after his career-best performance led the Great Danes to a rivalry victory.

Dunathan made a career-high 13 tackles with 1 ½ sacks and broke up two passes as Albany beat Stony Brook, 48-31 to claim the Golden Apple Trophy.

An honorable mention All-Colonial Athletic Association selection last season, Dunathan returned to Albany and has been a leader under first-year coach Tom Perkovich. The redshirt junior leads the team with 54 tackles and is second on the team in tackles for loss (six) and sacks (four). After winning just two games last season, Albany already is 4-3 this season.

“I may not be the most rah-rah guy or be talking to everyone, but I’ll do what I have to do and people will see that and they’ll follow,” Dunathan told the Albany Times-Union in a preseason interview.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• Tennessee LB Amare Campbell (Unity Reed) made eight tackles with two tackles for loss as the Volunteers beat Georgia, 26-10.

• Georgetown TE Burke Carroll (Gonzaga) caught two touchdown passes as the Hoyas beat Colgate, 27-17.

• Rhode Island LB Rohan Davy (St. John’s) made eight tackles and intercepted a pass as the Rams beat Yale, 41-23.

• Navy QB Jackson Gutierrez completed 3 of 7 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns, rushed 21 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 63-yard pass to set up another score as the Midshipmen lost to UTSA, 38-34.

• Tennessee Tech WR Tre Holloway (H.D. Woodson) caught seven passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns as the Golden Eagles beat Eastern Kentucky, 49-20.

• Campbell DB Myles Johnson (Gonzaga) made seven tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up a pass as the Camels beat Towson, 24-20.

• Wake Forest DB Myles Turpin (Stone Bridge) made a career-high 10 tackles with 1 ½ tackles for loss and broke up two passes as the Demon Deacons beat Cal, 41-7.

• Catholic RB Lamar West Jr. rushed 17 times for 145 yards and one touchdown as the Cardinals earned their first win of the season, 28-27 over Western Connecticut.

Week 6: Jayden Sauray, Delaware State

Delaware State quarterback Jayden Sauray, who starred at Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, has been named the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Player of the Week after his career-best performance led the Hornets to a lopsided homecoming victory.

Sauray completed 15 of 29 passes for 130 yards and rushed 17 times for a career-high 292 yards and three touchdowns as the Hornets beat Franklin Pierce, 34-0.

Sauray reeled off a pair of 94-yard touchdown runs, one started the scoring midway through the first quarter and the other finished the scoring midway through the fourth quarter. He was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

To say it was a long time coming might be an understatement.

Sauray threw 60 touchdown passes and rushed for 17 more scores during his two seasons as the starter at Wise. He began his collegiate career at the University of Maryland, spending three seasons as a reserve for the Terrapins, including a spring practice spent at running back, before transferring to Delaware State prior to last season.

He played in 11 games for the Hornets last season, but emerged from preseason camp third on the depth chart behind a pair of transfers. Sauray then struggled in practice and briefly slipped to fourth. At the same time, Delaware State offensive coordinator Nyema Washington said, Sauray maintained an excellent attitude.

“I’m so happy for the kid,” said Washington, a former Suitland High standout. “Honestly, it’s a testament to his work ethic. He’s been in a tough situation, sitting on the sideline but he handled it the right way. Things like that don’t happen if you’re pouting or not being a great teammate. He was unreal on Saturday.”

With Houston and Troy transfer Ui Ale injured in Delaware State’s previous game and Coastal Carolina transfer Samari Collier already out with a shoulder injury, the Hornets turned to Sauray.

“It’s a wild story how it played out,” Washington said. “Jayden earned it. He’s a gamer.”

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• UNC Pembroke QB Josh Ehrlich (Broadneck) completed 18 of 27 passes for a career-high 355 yards and five touchdowns and rushed nine times for 86 yards and another score as the Braves beat Erskine, 44-3.

• Navy QB Jackson Gutierrez overcame two lost fumbles and an interception to complete 5 of 7 passes for 95 yards and one touchdown and rush 41 times for a career-high 232 yards and three touchdowns as the Midshipmen scored the game’s final 20 points to beat Tulsa, 34-26.

• Shippensburg QB Roman Jensen (Maret) completed 16 of 26 passes for 242 yards and five touchdowns as the Raiders beat Millersville, 35-27.

• Coastal Carolina RB Dominic Lee-Knicely rushed 25 times for a career-high 169 yards and one touchdown and caught three passes for 42 yards as the Chanticleers beat Marshall, 27-21.

• Ohio LB Jermaine Minnis (DeMatha Catholic) made a career-high 12 tackles as the Bobcats beat Central Michigan, 31-14.

• Frostburg State QB Peyton Murphy (St. Charles) completed 19 of 21 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns in his first collegiate start as the Bobcats beat Glenville State, 56-7.

• Penn State LB Tony Rojas (Fairfax) made 10 tackles with one sack as the Nittany Lions lost to USC, 31-23.

• Bowie State LB Michael Thompson III made five tackles with two tackles for loss and 1 ½ sacks, forced a fumble and returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown as the Bulldogs beat Winston-Salem State, 21-0.

Week 5: Umari Hatcher, Syracuse

photo courtesy syracuse athletics

Syracuse wide receiver Umari Hatcher, who starred at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, has been named the DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week, after his career-best performance helped the Orange pull out a thrilling victory.

Hatcher, in his sixth season at Syracuse, set career-highs with 12 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns, the last one coming on fourth-and-goal from the 17 in overtime as the Orange beat U-Conn, 42-41.

Hatcher missed most of the past two seasons because of a serious knee injury. He worked hard to prepare for this season and it has shown in his results. He had eight catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against New Hampshire and almost certainly will set career-highs in every receiving statistic.

"He's on a mission, and he's one of our leaders that we're following on the football team," Syracuse Coach Fran Brown said after the New Hampshire game.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• Tennessee LB Amare Campbell (Unity Reed) made nine tackles with one sack as the Volunteers beat Auburn, 24-14.

• Bowie State RB Daniel Coles Jr. (Brooke Point) rushed 10 times for 121 yards and one touchdown and threw a 34-yard touchdown pass as the Bulldogs beat Shaw, 34-29.

• Albany LB Dillon Dunathan (Damascus) matched his career-high with 11 tackles and had one sack as the Great Danes beat Delaware State, 28-3.

• Central Connecticut QB Brett Griffis (Broad Run) completed 10 of 16 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns and rushed nine times for 62 yards and another score as the Blue Devils beat Wagner, 45-14.

• Frostburg State DE Rainer Halveland (Tuscarora, Va.) made 14 tackles with six tackles for loss and 2 ½ sacks and forced a fumble as the Bobcats lost to Concord, 41-31.

• Fairmont State QB Nino Marzullo (Quince Orchard) completed 21 of 28 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 36 yards and the game-winning score with three minutes left as the Falcons beat Glenville State, 31-24.

• Christopher Newport QB Brandon Pena (John Champe) completed 21 of 25 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score as the Captains beat William Paterson, 49-3.

• Shepherd DB Reggie Snowden (Frederick) made three tackles and intercepted two passes as the Rams beat Millersville, 35-7.

Week 4: Jeffrey Overton Jr., Virginia Tech

photo courtesy virginia tech athletics

Virginia Tech running back Jeffrey Overton Jr., who starred at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, has been named the DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week after posting one of the best rushing performances ever by a Hokies player and lifting the team to victory this past Saturday.

Overton, a sophomore, rushed 25 times for 209 yards, including a decisive 76-yard touchdown run with five minutes left, as the visiting Hokies beat Boston College, 21-14, on a cold and wet afternoon. It was the sixth-highest rushing total for a Virginia Tech player and the most for a Hokies player in a road game in 22 years.

Overton missed last season’s first eight games because of a knee injury. He returned to rush for 146 yards and one touchdown in the season’s final four games. During the offseason, he gained more than 20 pounds and that added strength has brought added speed.

"When I got here, Jeff was 185 pounds," Franklin told reporters after the game. "[Now], he's 207 pounds. So, he's put on that type of weight in a short period of time and hasn't lost a step. And I make the argument he's actually gotten faster."

Overton rushed nine times for 140 yards in the fourth quarter as the Hokies erased a 14-6 deficit. He ran for the game-tying two-point conversion, scored the long touchdown on his next carry and then helped the Hokies run out the clock at the end of the game.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• Iowa DB Tyler Brown (Spalding) made nine tackles as the Hawkeyes beat Michigan, 20-19.

• Florida LB Aaron Chiles (Good Counsel) made seven tackles with one tackle for loss and forced a fumble as the Gators beat Ole Miss, 52-28.

• Holy Cross WR Lincoln Fisher (Gonzaga) caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Crusaders beat Lafayette, 38-30.

• Bowie State RB Maximus Jones (Old Mill) rushed 23 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat Elizabeth City State, 34-23.

• Marist QB Sonny Mannino (Tuscarora, Va.) completed 20 of 26 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 15 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns as the Foxes beat Presbyterian, 42-7.

• Navy LB MarcAnthony Parker made 10 tackles and had three sacks as the Midshipmen lost to UAB, 24-20.

• Monmouth QB Frankie Weaver (Good Counsel) completed 33 of 42 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns as the Hawks rallied to beat Dartmouth, 31-28.

• Alabama LB Caleb Woodson (Battlefield) tied his career-high with 12 tackles as the Crimson Tide beat South Carolina, 49-18.

Week 3: Brodie Carroll, Elon

photo courtesy elon athletics

Elon University linebacker Brodie Carroll, who starred at Battlefield High School in Haymarket, has been named the DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week after making a career-high 16 tackles with one sack and breaking up two passes as the Phoenix beat Sacred Heart, 24-21.

A 2023 graduate of Battlefield, Carroll began his collegiate career at Shepherd. He redshirted in 2023, but the following season was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division Freshman of the Year after making 52 tackles with seven tackles for loss.

Carroll then transferred to Elon and last season was named second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association, leading the Phoenix with 104 tackles. He made 9 ½ tackles for loss.

Elon Coach Tony Trisciani has placed significant responsibility on Carroll this season, calling him the quarterback of the team’s defense.

“He’s always studying the game,” Trisciani recently told the Elon News Network. “He’s going to be prepared and a step ahead.”

Carroll was certainly ready this past Saturday as he posted his fifth consecutive double-digit tackle game against an FCS opponent. After Elon kicked a field goal to take the lead with 1 minute 18 seconds left, Carroll made three tackles and broke up a pass on Sacred Heart’s final six-play possession

It is the second consecutive week that a Battlefield alum won this honor. Alabama linebacker Caleb Woodson was the Touchdown Club’s College Player of the Week last week.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• Villanova WR Brandon Binkowski (Battlefield) caught six passes for 113 yards as the Wildcats beat Long Island, 20-16.

• Wheeling LB Jalen Higginbotham (Bishop McNamara) made 17 tackles with one sack as the Cardinals beat Fairmont State, 28-24.

• Richmond LB Blake Houser (DeMatha Catholic) made nine tackles with 2 ½ tackles for loss and 1 ½ sacks as the Spiders beat Georgetown, 24-21.

• LSU RB Dilin Jones (Good Counsel) rushed 23 times for 106 yards and one touchdown as the Tigers lost to Ole Miss, 32-24.

• Salisbury DB Dylan Lyerly (Fairfax) made 12 tackles and blocked an extra-point that was returned for a two-point defensive conversion as the Sea Gulls beat Washington & Lee, 43-13.

• Monmouth WR Tra Neal (Frederick) caught five passes for 138 yards and one touchdown as the Hawks beat Albany, 28-20.

• Virginia Tech RB Jeffrey Overton Jr. (Hayfield) rushed 12 times for 49 yards and one touchdown and caught three passes for 63 yards and another score as the Hokies beat Maryland, 35-26.

• Campbell LB Kalen Villanueva (Justice) made 10 tackles with one sack and broke up a pass as the Camels beat North Carolina A&T, 42-14.

Week 2: Caleb Woodson, Alabama

photo courtesy alabama athletics photography

University of Alabama defensive back Caleb Woodson, who starred at Battlefield High School in Haymarket, has been named the DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week after making a career-high 12 tackles and with two sacks as the Crimson Tide beat Kentucky, 45-17.

Woodson, who transferred from Virginia Tech after last season, had just two sacks in his three seasons with the Hokies. He had only one tackle in Alabama’s season-opening rout of East Carolina, but stepped up this past Saturday in his first-ever SEC game.

“I like coming into hostile environments like that,” Woodson said after the game. “It really gives me the juice and the fuel to go do my thing.”

Woodson has made a strong impression on his new team. During spring practice, Alabama Coach Kalen DeBoer said he considered Woodson “a captain-type guy” with strong leadership skills. The Crimson Tide trailed 17-13 at halftime but delivered a shutout in the second half.

Woodson was named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week along with teammate Luke Metz.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• Tennessee LB Amare Campbell (Unity Reed) made eight tackles with one tackle for loss and broke up two passes as the Volunteers beat Georgia Tech, 45-24.

• Gallaudet QB Jayden DeFalco completed 19 of 37 passes for a career-high 296 yards and three touchdowns as the Bison lost to Anderson University, 49-28. It was the most passing yards by a Gallaudet player in 19 years.

• Tennessee Tech WR Tre Holloway (H.D. Woodson) caught six passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns and returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown as the Golden Eagles beat Samford, 45-19.

• Lafayette DB Dhonte Jackson (DeMatha Catholic) made a game-high 11 tackles with one tackle for loss and broke up a pass as the Leopards beat Marist, 13-9.

• Shepherd WR Carrington Nickens-Yzer (Centreville) caught 10 passes for 136 yards as the Rams beat Gannon, 45-28.

• Boston College WR Dawson Pough (Tuscarora, Va.) caught four passes for 106 yards and one touchdown as the Eagles beat Rutgers, 28-21.

• Penn State LB Tony Rojas (Fairfax) made seven tackles and intercepted a pass as the Nittany Lions beat Temple, 27-9.

• Maryland QB Malik Washington (Spalding) completed 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns as the Terrapins beat U-Conn, 38-14.

Week 1: Braxton Woodson, Navy

photo courtesy navy athletics

Navy quarterback Braxton Woodson has been named the DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week after his career-best performance led the Midshipmen to a season-opening win.

Woodson started one game in each of his first three seasons in Annapolis, but this is clearly his team now. Although he was only 3 of 6 passing for 21 yards, the senior rushed 23 times for a career-high 200 yards and three touchdowns as the Midshipmen beat Towson, 42-15.

“I think it was a really good opening game for us,” Woodson said. “Obviously there is a couple things to clean up on the offensive side of the ball. But if there’s a couple things to clean up and you can score 42 points, that’s not a bad day."

Navy Coach Brian Newberry said that Towson was sagging off the line of scrimmage, inviting the Midshipmen to run the ball. As a team, Navy rushed 73 times for 506 yards, its highest rushing output since 2017.

Woodson started the scoring with a 38-yard touchdown run on Navy’s opening possession and his eight-yard touchdown run made it 28-12 just before halftime. His four-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter finished the scoring.

“I thought he ran the offense well today and made good decisions,” Newberry said. “Braxton’s got a chance to be a really special player for us. There wasn’t really a need to throw the football [though] I’m excited about our ability to do that, too, when we need to do it. We took what they gave us today.”

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• Tennessee DL Xavier Gilliam (Quince Orchard) made six tackles with three sacks and forced a fumble as the Volunteers beat Furman, 56-9.

• Syracuse WR Umari Hatcher (Freedom-Woodbridge) caught eight passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns as the Orange beat New Hampshire, 66-3.

• Richmond LB Blake Houser (DeMatha Catholic) made 12 tackles and broke up a pass as the Spiders beat Howard, 28-21.

• LSU RB Dilin Jones (Good Counsel) rushed 23 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers beat Clemson, 51-10.

• Campbell WR Spencer Jones (Good Counsel) caught seven passes for 126 yards and one touchdown as the Camels beat Western Carolina, 28-19.

• Kansas WR Nik McMillan (Wise) caught six passes for 130 yards and one touchdown as the Jayhawks beat Long Island, 51-6.

• Dickinson CB Ellington Roane (Langley) made eight tackles and broke up three passes as the Red Devils beat Randolph-Macon, 27-14.

• Monmouth QB Frankie Weaver (Good Counsel) completed 26 of 37 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner with less than three minutes left, as the Hawks beat Sacred Heart, 31-24..

Week 0: Ja'Shawn Scroggins, Howard

photo courtesy howard athletics

Howard University quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins has been named the DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week after his career-best performance led the Bison to a season-opening win in Coach Ted White’s debut on the sideline.

Scroggins, a graduate student who has played his entire career at Howard, completed 19 of 36 passes for a career-high 315 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 15 times for 49 yards as Howard rallied to beat Alabama A&M, 31-24, in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff on Saturday night in Atlanta.

Trailing 24-23 late in regulation, Scroggins threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Se’Quan Osborne with 2 minutes 36 seconds left to lift the Bison to victory.

"When we fell behind, there was no panic or anxiety on the sidelines," Scroggins said after the game. "The coaching staff had prepared us, so we just went out and responded.

"On the drive for the win, we just executed what we had been working on. So, it was nothing special, just execution and belief in one another."

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

• Morgan State RB Jordan Barnett (Colonial Forge) rushed 12 times for 114 yards and one touchdown as the Bears beat North Carolina A&T, 17-7.

• Rhode Island LB Rohan Davy (St. John’s) made nine tackles as the Rams beat Merrimack, 34-7.

• Albany LB Dillon Dunathan (Damascus) made five tackles with one sack and returned an interception 24 yards as the Great Danes beat New Hampshire, 28-14.

• Alcorn State WR Jamarr Ebron (Carroll) caught six passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns as the Braves beat Miles College, 56-7.

• Richmond LB Blake Houser (DeMatha Catholic) made seven tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack as the Spiders beat Bucknell, 35-14.

• Eastern Michigan QB Noah Kim (Westfield) completed 27 of 38 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a touchdown as the Eagles beat Sacramento State, 28-17.

• Norfolk State WR Elyjah Mitchell (Gwynn Park) caught two touchdown passes as the Spartans beat Winston-Salem State, 56-0.