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Chris Olave

Ohio State’s Chris Olave Leads Latinos In College Football

Our Esquina tracks contributions of Latinos in college football

If you watched closely, you surely noticed Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave and other Latinos in college football making impacts during the first full week of the season. Latinos have a rich history in college football. This season promises to add another strong chapter.

Whether head coaches such as Mario Cristobal of Oregon or defensive linemen such as Fresno State’s David Perales, there were plenty of Latinos in college football this weekend. USC defensive back Chris Steele, whose mother is Mexican, also shone while helping the Trojans put on a defensive show against San Jose State.  

Pro Football Hall of Famers such as Anthony Muñoz and Tony Gonzalez first captured the sports world’s attention at USC and Cal, respectively. The next generation looks promising too, whether playing or coaching.

Several Latinos had impressive performances this weekend, including Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. Following the legacy of Hall of Famer Tom Flores, Corral accounted for 436 total yards of offense and two touchdowns while completing 22 of his 32 attempts.

Arizona quarterback Gunner Cruz passed for 336 yards. Perales helped the Bulldogs put a scare into Cristobal’s Ducks.

Tracking Latinos in college football

At Our Esquina, where we amplify Latino voices in sports, arts and culture, we’ll keep track of all the Latinos playing college football. This is our first weekly list of Latinos in college football.

We want to highlight their achievements and tell their stories during the season. There is no database at this point of Latinos playing college football, so this list is admittedly incomplete. Please email us if we missed a name.  

Chris Olave
Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave torched Minnesota.

Latino Offensive Player of the Week

Chris Olave, wide receiver, The Ohio State University.

The San Diego native had four catches for 117 yards, with two of the catches going for scores in Ohio State’s season opening win against the upstart University of Minnesota.

Keep an eye on Olave, a Buckeyes captain, this season. He will likely be picked in the first or second round of the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. 

Latino Defensive Player of the Week

David Perales of Fresno State

Perales nearly helped the Bulldogs pull off a major upset over Pac-12 powerhouse Oregon, which is led by Cuban-American Mario Cristobal. 

Perales, a Central Valley product from Merced, Calif., notched four solo tackles and a half a tackle for the Bulldogs against the Ducks. 

NAME TEAM POSITION STATS TEAM RESULTS
Aranda, Dave  Baylor  Head Coach  W, 29-20Texas State 
Arias, Daniel  Colorado  WR  0 catches W, 35-7  Northern Colorado
Avalos, Alex Boise State Head Coach L, 31-36Central Florida 
Banda, Ephraim  Utah State Def. Coord/Safeties W, 26-23Washington State 
Canales, Mike “Chico” Maryland  Analyst  W, 30-24West Virginia 
Cardenas, Oscar UTSA TE 1 tackle W, 37-30Illinois
Corral, Matt Ole Miss  QB 22/32, 436 total YDS, 2 total TDs Louisville
Corrales, Beau  North Carolina WR 0 catches  L, 10- 17 Virginia Tech
Cristobal, Mario  Oregon  Head Coach W, 31-24Fresno State
Cruz, Gunner  Arizona   QB 34-45, 336 yds1 TD, 1 IN L, 24-16BYU
Diaz, Manny Miami (FL) Head Coach  L, 13-44Alabama
Escobar, Alex  New Mex. St.  RB 1 rec., 19 yds.  L, 10-28San Diego St. 
Escobar, Ivan  New Mex. St. DL Tackles- 1 solo, 1 assisted,  L, 10-28San Diego St. 
Figueroa, Nick  USC DL Tackles- 1 solo and TFL W, 30-7San José State
Flores,Reynaldo UTEP RB 9 rushes, 37 yds. W, 38-20Bethune-Cookman
Fuente, Justin  Virginia Tech  Head Coach  W, 17-10 North Carolina 
Garcia, Elijah  Rice  DL Tackles- 2 solo, 2 assisted,  L, 17-38Arkansas 
Garcia, Julio UNLV OL 339 yds.- Total offense
Gonzales, Christian  Colorado CB Tackles- 2 solo, 1 assisted, .5 TFL W, 35-7  Northern Colorado
Gonzales, Danny  New Mexico  Head Coach W, 27-17Houston Baptist 
Gonzales, Paul TCU Safeties Coach  W, 45-3 Duquesne
Gutierrez, Daniel  UNLV K 4/4- FG1/1- PAT L, 33-35Eastern Washington
Hernandez, Dan Eastern Illinois  OL Coach L, 0-46South Carolina 
Jackson, Jim  Rice  TE Coach  L, 17-38Arkansas 
Mateos, Eric  Baylor  OL W, 29-20Texas State 
Melo, Lucas  Davenport University  Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line L, 14-31 Truman State 
Mendez, Julian  Ottawa University  Offensive Coordinator  L, 13-41Southwestern College
Mirabal, Alex Oregon  OL Coach  W, 31-24Fresno State
Madrigal, Anthony  SJSU LB No stats  L, 7-30USC
Montano, Abraham  Fresno State K 1 tackle,3/3 – FG1/1- PAT L, 24-31Oregon
Montero, Antonio Rice LB Tackles- 4 solo, 7 assisted, 1 TFL1 sack L, 17-38Arkansas 
Navarro, Jaime  SJSU OL 376 yds.- Total offense  L, 7-30USC
Navarro, Juan  NCCU  DL Coach OFF
Navarro, Donny  Illinois  WR 3 rec., 24 yds.1 PR, 14 yds1 KR, 18 yds L, 37-30UTSA
Olave, Chris  Ohio State WR 4 rec.,117 yds.2 TD’s W, 45-31Minnesota
Ornelas, Jesse Central Oklahoma  RB W, 24-20Missouri Western
Ortega- Jones, Julian  Texas St.  WR  3 rec., 23 yds.  L, 20-29Baylor
Perales, David  Fresno State DL Tackles-4, solo.5, TFL L, 24-31Oregon
Ponce, Frank  Appalachian State  Offensive Coordinator  W, 33-19East Carolina 
Regalado, Marco Washington State Director of On-Campus Recruiting L, 23-26Utah State 
Reveles, Miguel La Verne Offensive Coordinator W., 42-0 Whittier College
Rivas- Sandoval, Cesar Southeastern University  Head Coach L, 14-31Faulkner University 
Rodriguez, Juan  Fresno State  TE No stats L, 24-31Oregon
Rodriguez, Oscar Akron Associ. HC/ ILB L, 10-60Auburn
Rodriguez, Robert  Arizona St. DL coach W, 41-14Southern Utah
Santa Cruz, Victor  Hawaii  Defensive Ends coach W, 49-35Portland State
Santana, JuanCarlos  Tulsa  WR 1 rec., 21 yds. L, 17-19UC Davis 
Soto, Anthony Lenoir-Rhyne  Offensive Coordinator/ /OL W, 48-7 Virginia State
Steele, Chris  USC CB Tackles- 3, solo W, 30-7San José State
Velazquez, Alonzo Wyoming  OL 347 yds.- Total offense W, 19-16Montana State

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