While the 2020 season has been a tumultuous one, it's given young players a unique opportunity. With regular season games being played this late into December, the rising superstars of the state came through – mixed with a few departing stars, of course. 

Finding the superlatives of the weekend takes much more than just seeing a final score. It's about standing out and exceeding expectations in a way that forces the state of Texas to take notice. Here are five players who earned those honors in Week 15.

TCU freshmen

It’s unbelievable that TCU managed to finish 6-4 this season with all the adversity. Suddenly, thanks to a number of freshmen, the future looks extremely bright. 

Running backs Zach Evans (Galena Park North Shore) and Kendre Miller (Mount Enterprise) combined for 266 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just 12 carries. Wide receiver Quentin Johnston (Temple) added five catches for 133 yards and two all-purpose touchdowns. On defense, freshman Khari Coleman posted 1.5 sacks. That doesn’t even count underclassmen like Ochaun Mathis (Manor) or C.J. Ceasar who caused all sorts of mayhem on defense. 

Granted, it was against Louisiana Tech, but TCU hasn’t put together a complete team performance in quite some time. Now, we know that TCU has an incredible – maybe unmatched – stable of high-end running talent. 

QB Calvin Brownholtz, UTEP

Late on Friday, Brownholtz suddenly got the news that he had to take over starting quarterback duties – without any practice time. Yes, Brownholtz threw four bad interceptions, but his overall effort in a no-win situation was phenomenal. 

Brownholtz passed for 196 yards and two touchdowns and added 114 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in the 45-43 ballgame. After struggling to find rhythm with his receivers early, he completed 7-of-11 passes for two touchdowns in the second half and led touchdown drives on three of the final four drives. 

Was it perfect? No. But Brownholtz did better than anyone could have expected to keep it close. 

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas (Aldine Eisenhower)

I’m not saying there’s such a thing as a perfect football game, but if there is, Jaelon Darden had it. The senior from Houston got off to a slow start, but ended up catching eight passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. 

Now, Darden officially leaves North Texas as the leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Simply put, Darden is the best receiver in North Texas history and has the numbers to prove it. 

TE Jordan Myers, Rice (Dickinson)

Every time Rice needed a play against UAB on Saturday, it seemed like the senior Myers was always in the right place. Myers scored a 26-yard touchdown early in the game and finished with nine caches for 62 yards. 

The numbers won’t blow you off the page, but his situational plays made a huge difference. During a 20-yard scoring drive, Myers caught a 7-yard pass on third down to move the chains and a 2-yard pass on 4th-and-1 to set up a field goal. His presence helped JoVoni Johnson put together a very efficient performance. 

LB Grant Stuard, Houston (Conroe Oak Ridge)

Over the past few seasons, Memphis running backs are known for breaking games open. With Stuard starring at the second level, the defending AAC champions didn’t have any chance to do that. 

Stuard led the team with 11 tackles, including two tackles for loss. His performance helped contain Memphis to just 2.1 yards per carry and 310 total yards on the day. Houston unfortunately couldn’t put this game away, but the defense more than held up its end of the deal. Stuard excelled, just like he always does.