Impact HVAC Player of the Week: Missouri’s Jamal Roberts Runs Away With Week 5
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Week 5 delivered another crowded field of outstanding college football performances. Jeremiah Smith continued to make the extraordinary look routine, Aiden Flora accounted for five touchdowns and DeSean Bishop carried Tennessee through an SEC battle. But Missouri running back Jamal Roberts earns Sportsvival’s Impact HVAC Player of the Week award after helping the Tigers turn their matchup with Florida into a statement victory.
Week 5 Winner: Jamal Roberts, RB, Missouri
Missouri 45, Florida 17
24 carries, 211 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns; 3 receptions, 29 receiving yards. Total: 240 yards from scrimmage.
Roberts averaged 8.8 yards per carry and supplied the finishing blows against the Gators. His touchdowns covered five, one and 80 yards. A separate 77-yard burst late in the third quarter set up his short scoring run to begin the fourth. Missouri scored 35 unanswered points after a 10–10 tie, and Roberts helped turn a competitive SEC matchup into a runaway victory. Florida Gators
The long runs showed why this performance deserves more than a glance at the box score. On the 77-yard gain, Roberts spun free from traffic and accelerated into the open field. Then came the 80-yard touchdown, the exclamation point on Missouri’s afternoon. Those plays combined the ability to escape contact with the speed to punish a defense once he found daylight.
Roberts’ Road to the Spotlight
The 6-foot, 216-pound senior is a St. Louis native who helped St. Mary’s win consecutive Missouri state championships. He earned first-team all-state recognition and was named the state’s Class 4 offensive player of the year in 2022. His athletic background includes a 10.94-second high school 100-meter time.
Roberts’ college career has been a steady climb. He appeared in just two games in 2023, then rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns in 2024. In 2025, he produced 753 rushing yards and six touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry, adding 18 receptions for 141 yards and another score. Missouri credited him with 480 rushing yards after contact that season. He has also earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition.
That background gives this breakout some substance. Roberts had already shown he could contribute, absorb contact and make explosive plays. Against Florida, he put those pieces together on a much bigger stage.
NFL Draft Stock: A Performance That Demands Another Look
Sportsvival’s evaluation: Stock up.
Roberts’ size, production through contact and ability to break long runs make him a running back worth following for the 2027 NFL Draft. His receiving contribution against Florida adds another useful piece to the discussion.
NFL evaluators will want to see how consistently he finds the right crease, handles protection assignments and contributes as a receiver. The next step is stacking productive games against strong competition, then confirming his athletic traits through testing.
My early view is that Roberts belongs in the Day Three prospect conversation, with room to climb if this level of play continues. That is a Sportsvival assessment, not a reported consensus grade. Saturday gave scouts a strong reason to revisit his tape.
Week 5 Runners-Up
2) Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Ohio State 31, Iowa 14
11 receptions, 206 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns.
Let’s be honest: Jeremiah Smith could win this award every week. After earning our Week 4 honor with 12 catches, 217 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois, he came back with another 200-yard performance at Iowa. Across those two games, that is 23 receptions, 423 yards and six touchdowns. Ohio State
Smith keeps setting a standard that almost feels unfair. His combination of size, ball skills and explosive-play ability gives him a chance to become one of the best wide receiver prospects to enter the NFL Draft in years. Roberts earned this week’s award, but Smith remains a threat to claim it whenever Ohio State takes the field.
3) Aiden Flora, RB, Iowa State
Iowa State 45, West Virginia 42
22 carries, 212 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns; 2-of-2 passing, 48 yards, 2 passing touchdowns.
Five total touchdowns from a running back will get your attention. Flora delivered both on the ground and through the air, then scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:57 remaining. Iowa State needed his production in a game that stayed in doubt until the closing minute. He had one of the strongest arguments for this week’s award. Iowa State Athletics
4) DeSean Bishop, RB, Tennessee
Tennessee 24, Auburn 14
34 carries, 220 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns.
Bishop supplied the workload and the scoring as Tennessee overcame a 7–3 halftime deficit. His career-high rushing total and three touchdowns powered a second-half turnaround. This was the kind of performance that allowed an offense to lean on its running back when it needed answers. University of Tennessee Athletics
5) CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 26
21-of-29 passing, 234 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 4 carries, 15 rushing yards, 1 touchdown.
Carr accounted for five touchdowns without throwing an interception in a road victory. The passing yardage was modest compared with some of the weekend’s biggest totals, but his efficiency and scoring production made him an easy choice for this group. College Football at Sports-Reference.com
6) Xavier Esqillion, LB, Georgia State
Georgia State 42, Old Dominion 10
5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.
Defense deserves a place in this discussion, and Esqillion earned it. His three sacks tied Georgia State’s single-game record, while the two forced fumbles added another layer of disruption. He helped lead a defense that controlled the afternoon. Georgia State University
Roberts takes the Week 5 honor with 240 yards from scrimmage, three touchdowns and a pair of enormous runs that helped Missouri finish off Florida. A crowded award race needed a defining performance, and the Tigers’ running back delivered one.
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