Standout performers from AAF Week 4

We’ve seen one month of action, and there is just one team left with an undefeated record as the Orlando Apollos are atop the eight-squad heap following AAF Week 4.

Steve Spurrier has his guys playing hard and playing well and he’s getting fantastic production out of receiver Charles Johnson.

It’s with that in mind that we launch into our weekly segment looking at the standout performers from the latest action around the AAF. We’ll go ahead and start with Johnson, the former NFL receiver, who was also featured two weekends ago.

Charles Johnson, wide receiver, Orlando Apollos

Leading the AAF in receiving yardage by quite a large margin, Johnson was unstoppable on Saturday as the Apollos took down the Salt Lake Stallions. Racking up 105 yards on nine catches, Johnson provided the spark Orlando needed to eke out a narrow 20-11 win. In the process, he became the first player in AAF history to tally two 100-plus-receiving-yard games in this young inaugural season and now has 410 yards through four games.

Drew Jackson, linebacker, Memphis Express

Talk about coming out of nowhere with a superstar effort. Jackson entered AAF Week 3 with 10 total tackles, one forced fumble and one defensed pass on the season. Against San Antonio on Saturday, he went off.

The former sixth-round pick in 2014 out of Western Kentucky racked up 14 tackles (four for a loss), broke up four passes, had one sack and intercepted Alex Ross to cap off an amazing game.

Kenneth Farrow II, running back, San Antonio Commanders

San Antonio managed just 256 total yards Sunday against Birmingham in a brutal 12-11 slog. Farrow racked up well over half of that total, doing most of his damage on the ground. In a game where both teams struggled to move the ball, he was a veritable workhorse for the Commanders, touching the ball 31 times for 145 yards. It’s also worth noting that Farrow’s 142 rushing yards marks a single-game record for the AAF.

Dontez Ford, wide receiver, San Diego Fleet

San Diego thought it had the game in the bag against Memphis until the Express poured it on late in the fourth quarter. Ford was a big reason why the Fleet were cruising until the end. The former Pitt Panther had his best game of the young season. Though he hauled in just three passes, he led led all receivers during Saturday’s game with 71 yards — thanks in part to this play.

Ford also caught a touchdown to cap off his impressive outing in AAF Week 4.

Aaron Murray, quarterback, Atlanta Legends

The Legends (1-3) finally got off the schneid Sunday night with a rousing fourth-quarter go-ahead score courtesy of some clutch play by Murray. The former Georgia Bulldogs star had a rock-solid overall night. He went for 254 yards on 20-of-33 passing attempts, and he led the Legends with 54 yards on the ground thanks to some timely scrambles out of pressure.

Zach Mettenberger, quarterback, Memphis Express

For the second week in a row, Mettenberger was a spark of life for Memphis. He replaced Christian Hackenberg midway through last weekend’s game, and in the less than two games since then the former NFL starter has scored four times.

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On Saturday, Mettenberger threw a touchdown and ran in another, finishing the game with 174 yards on 18-of-25 passing.

Andrew Ankrah, linebacker, Orlando Apollos

Salt Lake’s offense struggled to get anything consistent going against Orlando, and Ankrah’s play had plenty to do with that. The former James Madison star linebacker was a nightmare behind the line of scrimmage. He tallied four tackles, three solo, and had two sacks against Josh Woodrum, forcing one fumble. Coming off last weekend’s three-hit, one-sack effort against Orlando, clearly Ankrah is emerging as a rising star.

Rashad Ross, wide receiver, Arizona Hotspots

How’s this for production? In four games, Ross has five touchdown receptions to lead the entire AAF. His fifth touchdown occurred in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game against Atlanta, and after a two-point conversion from John Wolford to Marquis Bundy the game was tied up.

Ross finished with 74 yards on four receptions. Every week he’s proving that he belongs in the NFL, and you can be certain he’ll have a camp invite this summer. Though, we can’t focus on his good stuff and forget about the incredible gaffe he made early in Sunday’s game.