College Football Player Props for Week 5: Sept 22-28
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Scott Kacsmar
- September 25, 2025
Oregon vs. Penn State is the big game many are focused on for Week 5 of the college football season. But when it comes to the best player props, we found our interest in some other games between ranked teams this week, including the USC vs. Illinois matchup in the Big Ten.
Using the latest odds from top-rated sportsbooks, we have our favorite prop bets for a couple of quarterbacks in Week 5.
Jayden Maiava Over 2.5 Passing TDs (+182) at BetOnline
USC vs. Illinois – Saturday, September 27, 2025, 12:00 PM EDT
One of Week 4’s most shocking scores was No. 9 Illinois getting plastered 63-10 by No. 19 Indiana. With the Heisman Trophy race in shambles, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has emerged as a new favorite after he shredded the Fighting Illini by completing 21-of-23 passes for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns last week.
Now, it’s USC quarterback Jayden Maiava’s turn against this defense in a game where USC is a 6.5-point favorite, as Illinois has fallen to No. 23 in the rankings. Maiava should have advantages with his receivers in this matchup, and he’s already thrown 9 touchdowns to 0 interceptions during his team’s 4-0 start. He threw 3 touchdowns against Michigan State last week.
Maiava also threw at least 3 touchdowns in 3-of-4 games to end the 2024 season, so he’s been on a good run as he averages a whopping 12.7 yards per pass attempt this season. He may not throw 5 touchdowns like Mendoza did a week ago, but the Illinois pass defense is a matchup to exploit right now for a talented passing team like USC.
Ty Simpson Over 265.5 Passing Yards (-115) at BetOnline
Alabama vs. Georgia – Saturday, September 27, 2025, 07:30 PM EDT
We have another good clash between SEC rivals in Alabama vs. Georgia this Saturday evening. While Kirby Smart’s defense deserves respect in this matchup against an Alabama team that no longer has Nick Saban, we have to say the Georgia defense doesn’t look as dominant as it did a few years ago, either. A lot of talent has been lost to the NFL, and we saw the Bulldogs give up 41 points to Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar, who had 371 yards and 4 touchdowns in that game.
In years past, Georgia stifled that Tennessee offense. In years past, Georgia has struggled with Alabama, including a 41-34 loss this time a year ago. In that game, Jalen Milroe happened to be the one passing for 374 yards, his career high in college.
New quarterback Ty Simpson is playing well with 9 touchdowns and no picks. He completed all 17 of his passes against Louisiana-Monroe before throwing for 382 yards and 4 touchdowns against Wisconsin in Alabama’s last game.
There should be enough offensive opportunities in this one, and Alabama is still the underdog, so they could be in store for more passing. We’ll take the over on Simpson’s passing yards as he has real 300-yard potential in this game.
Place Your Bets
Our favorite Week 5 college football player props are for USC’s Jayden Maiava to throw at least 3 touchdowns and Alabama’s Ty Simpson to go over in passing yards. Be sure to shop around the top-rated sportsbooks for the best odds for your favorite picks this weekend.
More Picks from Our Experts
With several big games on the way in Week 5, remember to check out our YouTube channel for more daily betting advice from Donnie RightSide’s favorite prop picks.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
