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football Edit

How did they fare?

Tennessee junior running back John Kelly.
Tennessee junior running back John Kelly. (Michael Patrick)

Week one of the college football season is in the books, and players from the Detroit area showed up big for their respective teams across the nation.

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How Kelly was only a three-star in high school blows my mind still, but the junior running back has become Tennessee's best option on offense. Kelly ran for 128 yards on 19 carries and four touchdowns in a thrilling 42-41 2OT win over Georgia Tech. Imagine that: a Detroit kid being one of the best running backs in the SEC.

A highly-touted wide receiver prospect coming out of high school, Fitzpatrick redshirted last season for Louisville. He began his career in college with a bang, catching four balls for 95 yards and one score in Louisville's win over Purdue. Expect more of that from Fitzpatrick this season.

Some thought he'd never play at Florida. Now he's arguably their best player on defense. His team lost to Michigan, 33-17, but Reese led the Gators in tackles with 11, six of them which were solo. He has a knack for finding the ball.

When his time comes, Thomas will be a good player for Michigan at the cornerback position. Until then, he will make noise on special teams, which he did against Florida, forcing and recovering a fumble on Saturday night.

His first start at the collegiate level was not too bad. In the Hokies' 31-24 win over West Virginia, Josh Jackson went 15-26 for 235 yards and one touchdown, while also running for 101 yards on 11 carries and one score.

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