5-4-3-2-un: A recap of standouts in each Rivals star category

In a new weekly feature on Rivals.com, we take a look at the weekend’s standout performances from both college and pro football and pick one player from each star rankings group to spotlight.

As a recruit: As a five-star and a national level recruit, Mixon explored his options from coast-to-coast, taking official visits to Cal, Florida State, Washington, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. In the end, the Sooners won out, nabbing his commitment in January of 2014.

What he did this week: With Samaje Perine out, Mixon took center stage for the Sooners and had one of the best performances in school history. He rushed for 263 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching four passes for 114 yards and three more scores. After sitting out his freshman season due to off-field issues and splitting time with Perine over the past season and a half, Mixon is starting to show why he was ranked ahead of the likes of Nick Chubb and Royce Freeman.

As a recruit: As a Louisiana native, it was always assumed Beckwith would stay close to home and sign with the Tigers, but Alabama was in the mix until the very end and was actually the only official visit host before Beckwith announced his decision.

What he did this week: Beckwith continues to be a standout performer for the Tigers defense and this week he seemed to be all over the field in the school’s 38-21 victory over Ole Miss. He finished the game with nine total tackles and one pass break up, but even those stats don’t reflect his impact on the game.

As a recruit: After wowing at Vanderbilt’s camp in the summer of 2013, Haley didn’t wait long before giving the Commodores his commitment. But when James Franklin left Nashville for State College, he took several Commodores commits with him, including Haley, who flipped just before Signing Day.

What he did this week: Haley was the hero of the weekend, recovering a blocked field goal and scooping it up and returning it for the go-ahead touchdown in the Nittany Lions’ stunning 24-21 upset over Ohio State. Haley also chipped in three tackles on defense and has been a steady contributor since arriving on campus.

As a recruit: West committed to SMU during the summer of 2014 over the likes of BYU, Houston and UNLV. Despite late interest, West never wavered on his commitment to the Mustangs.

What he did this week: West played a starring role in SMU’s surprising upset of Houston, rushing for 115 yards and touchdown and also catching one pass for 18 yards. West has already nearly doubled his output from his freshman season and looks to be a vital part in the program’s turnaround.

As a recruit: Unlike some players who appear in this section, Roberts did actually have a Rivals profile, both as a high school prospect out of Tallahassee (Fla.) Maclay in 2010 and again as a junior college prospect in 2012. But despite interest from schools like Florida State, Minnesota, North Carolina and others, Roberts never received an FBS offer and ended up signing with Division II program West Alabama, where he was teammates with eventual Super Bowl hero and current starter for the New England Patriots Malcolm Butler.

What he did this week: Roberts continues to be a pleasant surprise for the Oakland Raiders and this week he caught four passes for 42 yards in the team’s victory over Jacksonville. He has 19 catches and three touchdowns for the season.