RADIO
We are entering a new era of college football. If you have read what I have written over any of the last two years, you know my feelings on playoff expansion. It cheapens the only great regular season in any sport. Sure, conference realignment is annoying and greedy morons in suits doomed the Pac-12, but that itself won't ruin college football. Neither will the transfer portal or NIL. College football is resilient. It has survived a lot but college football cannot survive a cheapened regular season while the NFL is going on. I hope I'm wrong, but...I doubt it.
As far as the transfer portal goes, this is one of the few times where the NCAA's general apathy and laziness might pay off. This year over 3,000 players entered the portal. 48% of them are still out there at the end of the spring window. Coaches are more reluctant to accept mid-tier players that could upset the balance or chemistry of the team and players transferring from a power school refuse to go to mid-majors without a guarantee they will start. By the NCAA ignoring it, the coaches get to decide what's best. To me, this kind of message speaks loud and clear. NIL deals will have top names jumping like free agents in pro sports, but those sweetheart deals are only there for a few dozen, not 3,000.
Where does that leave us? The Power Five is now a Power Two with two other conferences desperately trying to prove their importance lest they get left behind too and become a bygone relic of better days a la the Pac 12. The huge conglomerate is still trying to box out the smaller schools. The show must go on, and so must the rankings. The spring portal is closed and the spring games are done. Most teams look now like they will in August. Kind of. Teams are waiting to announce the starting quarterback even if they know who it will be so a quality backup doesn't bolt before the fall. All is fair in love, war, and the college football transfer portal.
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College Football Power Rankings - Spring Edition
These rankings are based solely on what is on the roster as of May 21. They do not include the perceived strength of schedule since there is so much unknown surrounding college football this year. There are new coaches and new players in new places. That's always a given. Now we have to deal with entire teams in new places. And let's face it...two losses won't disqualify you from the playoff anymore.
Three losses won't even disqualify teams from the Big Ten (18) or SEC. The strength of schedule doesn't mean what it used to. This is the beginning of the end. The only way to go is more expansion of the playoffs, which means the regular season will be as "important" as the NFL in five years. I am Nero watching Rome burn, but instead of playing a fiddle, I'm writing about it. How times have changed!
You will notice that many of these teams are full of quarterbacks that have experience. There may be no more important thing at the beginning of the season than a quarterback who knows the system. Transfers sometimes can't grasp a new scheme as quickly.
You may also notice that I have teams ranked a little higher based on depth. Why is that? The team that hoists the trophy this season will have played 16 games to get there. 16! That's an NFL season (before they expanded that in 2021)! Depth is going to be more important this year than in most others. So yes, schools that managed to keep a backup quarterback who is familiar with the scheme should have a bit of a leg-up on the competition.
The Jordan Travis case last year is the most extreme example, but with players becoming more guided missile and less athlete, injuries are always just around the corner, no matter how much technology has helped mitigate the risk.
(25) Clemson
I wasn't going to put Clemson on here at all, and I wouldn't have if I didn't feel the need to discuss something. The teams that are left are fairly interchangeable, so I'm going to use this spot to get a point across. Clemson has only brought in eight transfers in the last three years combined. If you look at the top teams, many of them have high-impact transfers, even if they don't make an impact until their second year in the system.
Clemson isn't getting those, and it appears as if they don't even have an interest in them. Dabo Swinney's apathy for the portal and his attitude that most players in the portal "aren't good enough to play at Clemson" is arrogant and mostly untrue. Look, if Kirby Smart comes out and says something like that, he's probably right. Georgia's chance at a three-peat was derailed by injuries to Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey at the worst time. Swinney holding that sentiment when his teams have consistently slipped since Trevor Lawrence went to the NFL is ignorant and arrogant. At this point, I'm not sure whether it's more ignorance or arrogance.
Trevor Etienne should have been a shoo-in for Clemson since his brother played there (and seemed to love it). Georgia landed him because Clemson made little effort. I understand Dabo doesn't want to play this NIL game and thinks it's stupid. He's entitled to his opinion, but his apathy on the subject is going to land him next to Nick Saban at ESPN much sooner than he would like.
As far as the team itself, Cade Klubnik is not "that dude" and the receiving corps is composed a stack of unknown underclassmen. If Clemson were as desirable of a destination as Dabo thinks, don't you think they could have landed at least one veteran with even minimal effort? I like Phil Mafah, but I have questions as to whether he can be an every-down back. The defense is good, but the offense is likely to hold Clemson back.
(24) Colorado
I'm not chugging the black-and-gold Kool-Aid, but I am going to take a sip. Colorado's offensive line was an unmitigated disaster last year even before injuries took hold. That led to Shedeur Sanders running for his life instead of making the plays that he did at Jackson State. Colorado revamped their entire offensive line and brought in RB Dallan Hayden from Ohio State to help out the depleted RB room. Freshman Micah Welch will also get some tries.
They also beefed up an already talented receiver room, adding LaJohntay Wester from Florida Atlantic and Will Sheppard from Vanderbilt to Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. Deion also hit the portal hard on defense. There are 12 transfers on the two-deep with five of them expecting to start. What Shedeur Sanders said was an unprofessional way to tell the truth. Colorado had a lot of players leaving, but the ones that really matter still remain in Boulder.
Ion even remember him tbh. Bro had to be very mid at best. https://t.co/qwK48Ys0Et
— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) April 30, 2024
(23) Florida State
Was Clemson right about D.J. Uiagalelei? He started fast in Corvallis last year but faded down the stretch. Was it line play? We know the receivers and backs were good enough. We'll find out this year in Tallahassee. The receiving corps is largely unproven, led by Alabama transfer Malik Benson. What the Seminoles do have is a stacked backfield.
Mike Norvell used a stacked backfield at Memphis, but he also had underrated quarterbacks and receivers that stepped up. Who will step up on this team? Alabama transfer Roydell Williams will be paired with Lawrance Toafili with freshman Kam Davis fighting for time with Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas. That's four starting-caliber backs in the same backfield. We could see Florida State be more of a running team.
Legacy Marvin Jones Jr. (son of Marvin "Shade Tree" Jones) transfers in from Georgia to fill the hole left by Jared Verse. If Jones can fill that void (as he should), this defense won't lose a step on what was a strength of this team last year. Questions about the offense, particularly the receivers, have the Seminoles this low on my list. This team does have playoff potential if the receivers pan out and Uiagalelei finally cashes in on his potential.
(22) North Carolina
I still have big questions about this defense, but Mack Brown got a win from the portal in former LSU and Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson. Johnson doesn't have the massive upside that Sam Howell and Drake Maye had, but he shouldn't completely disappear down the stretch as Maye did either. Johnson's veteran leadership and consistency are exactly what this offense needs.
North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton is RB1 in the 2025 #NFL Draft as of now:
- Very Good pre-snap awareness of defensive front alignment.
- Good vision to identify his run lane on Zone/Base runs and good mental processing with patience.
- Good initial burst off his plant foot. pic.twitter.com/gB652OrNuz— • Colton Edwards • (@cedwardsNFL) May 18, 2024
Omarion Hampton is the best back in the ACC and USC/TCU transfer Darwin Barlow is a nice backup. Kobe Paysour should have a big year with Johnson as the quarterback, but UNC will need production from J.J. Jones as well for this offense to succeed.
The defense did get better last year. Most of the unit is back, led by likely first-round pick Power Echols. If this defense holds up their end and Johnson is the consistent force the offense needs, the Tar Heels could mess around and win the ACC.
(21) Michigan
I'm a big fan of Sherrone Moore, but this is an awful position that Jim Harbaugh left him in. The cheating allegations haven't really gone away, and in true NCAA fashion, they'll punish the current regime instead of the one that cheated. That's the wrong way to handle it because it punishes many who likely weren't involved in the first place. The NCAA doesn't care about that. They only care about carving off their pound of flesh, so they leave the illusion that they are actually important.
On top of that, the cupboards are bare compared to last year. Donovan Edwards will be one of the best backs in the country, but he has nothing proven around him. Alex Orji was average when he played last year. He looked better in spring, but he still didn't look like the leader of a top-tier college football team.
The defense has continuity, but they also lost a lot of talent. I'm afraid that the expectations are too high for Moore considering how this team looks on paper and the fans/administration will unfairly blame him for the shortcomings of a team that barely looks like a top-25 squad in the spring. There is still time and many players in the portal if Michigan wishes to make a move, but I have doubts that it will be a significant one.
(20) Washington
I think Jedd Fisch has proven without a doubt how good of a coach he is. Michael Penix Jr. was a high draft pick, as were Rome Odunze and Ja'Lynn Polk. Jalen McMillan is also gone and Germie Bernard followed his coach to Tuscaloosa. So Fisch did what any air-raid team would be happy to do: he brought in Mike Leach's protege Will Rogers from Mississippi State.
Cal transfer Jeremiah Hunter leads a new-look receiver room. Giles Jackson could have a big year in this offense. Fisch brought RB Jonah Coleman with him from Tucson, who just so happens to be a great receiver out of the backfield. Keep an eye on all three of those in fantasy leagues. Career years should be in store for all of them.
The Huskies also lost a ton of defensive talent from last year. I struggle with having Washington this high because of the roster (and coach) turnover, but there is still a lot of potential in this offense.
(19) USC
The firing of Alex Grinch should have happened sooner and the defensive performance in the bowl game proved it. The Trojans didn't look great on defense, but they were good enough. Five transfers will help bolster the maligned unit that held back the team of destiny last year.
This will be the first time that Lincoln Riley doesn't have a stud quarterback to fall back on. Is Miller Moss that guy? Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams have played out his head coaching career. Miller Moss looked really good in the bowl game and the Trojans backed him up with UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava.
Jo'quavious Marks takes over the giant gaping hole in the backfield. Marks was a good back at Mississippi State, but he never carried a massive workload. With unproven players behind him, we're going to see what Marks is made of early in the season.
Zachariah Branch is the only returning receiver who had meaningful snaps last year and should be a star. There are a lot of questions on both sides of the ball for the Trojans though. USC still has talent, but most of it is unproven. That's a weird place to be for a team that spent an NFL team's salary cap on NIL last year.
(18) North Carolina State
The pack lost MJ Morris to the portal, but they lured Coastal Carolina star Grayson McCall to Raleigh. That's a huge get for this team. Kevin Concepcion burst on the scene last year and is joined by Ohio State transfer Noah Rogers. Rogers doesn't have experience, but he was a four-star recruit out of high school. He's 6-foot-2 and ran a verified sub-4.5 40-yard dash. He has all the tools.
There is cautious optimism in Raleigh that the defense might be better than last year. Auburn transfer Cam Riley plugs a hole in the linebacker unit and JuCo transfer Wyatt Wright is expected to start on the other side. How those linebackers hold up could control the fate of the defense.
(17) Miami (FL)
The gaffe by Mario Cristobal in the Georgia Tech game sent Miami into a tailspin. The absence of Tyler Van Dyke did the same. Van Dyke moved on to Wisconsin. Miami went into the portal and got a better replacement in former Incarnate Word and Washington State star Cameron Ward. Ward comes into a loaded receiver room that boasts track star and tough catch connoisseur Xavier Restrepo. Jacolby George also returns.
The Hurricanes lost Donald Chaney to the portal, but Mark Fletcher Jr. looked good when he played last year. Nebraska transfer Ajay Allen was a force down the stretch for the Hurricanes last year. We have every reason to think this offense will be better than the 2023 version.
Miami overhauled the defense with seven incoming transfers, of which five are expected to start. There may be a bit of a learning curve for the defense to catch up, but the offense won't have any problems keeping up with opponents.
(16) Tennessee
I'm not trying to discount how good Nico Iamaleava was in the bowl game last year. He looked like he should have been starting for the Vols all season over Joe Milton III. My issue here is the gutting of the backfield with Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small gone. Tennessee seems fine to hand it over to Dylan Sampson, but my concern is the lack of depth behind Sampson.
Leading receiver Squirrel White was outstanding last year. Bru McCoy needs to step up with him since Ramel Keyton is gone. Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell is a wild card and could have a big year. Notre Dame transfer Holden Staes is the best tight end Tennessee has had in a while.
The top six tacklers from last year's defense are all gone. Sack master James Pearce returns though. Most of the rest of the defense has played in this system for at least two years now, so there is hope that they will be ready by the time the schedule gets tough.
(15) Virginia Tech
● QB Spotlight ●
Kyron Drones - Virginia Tech
• Drones made a big difference for the Hokies last season once he became QB1. He threw for 2,085 yards 17 Touchdowns with only 3 INTs and rushed for 818 yards 5 Touchdowns. Drones has the size to run over defenders and quickness… pic.twitter.com/nQdrBavXUE
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) May 21, 2024
I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the Hokies win the ACC this year. No, I'm not joking. Kyron Drones is the best-returning starter in the conference, though a couple of transfers could usurp him. Bhayshul Tuten is a really tough runner and backup Malachi Thomas returns as well. The receiver room also remains the same. The difference is that Ali Jennings, Jaylin Lane, and Da'Quan Felton are all finally healthy at the same time.
The Virginia Tech defense looked good down the stretch last year. Brent Pry finally has them living up to their potential. This is a defense that Frank Beamer can be proud to watch. If Drones takes the next step in his development and the receivers stay healthy, this could be a top-10 team.
(14) Oklahoma State
If my thoughts on continuity are right, the Cowboys are too low on this list. All three receivers (Brennan Presley, Rashod Owens, and De'Zhaun Stribling) return with Texas Tech transfer Alan Bowman entering year two in this system. Ollie Gordon II proved to be one of the best backs in the country last year and has an intriguing backup in Arkansas transfer AJ Green.
We are doing a 2025 RB thread and to zero surprise, I am true to my word and Ollie Gordon II is the first player I am watching. Explosive vertical jump cut while dealing with contact at the ankles and having the vision to see the outside cutback lane for a TD. pic.twitter.com/BbAcjO9AVJ
— Nick Martin (@themicknartin) April 30, 2024
The only reason OSU is this low is because of a defense that let them down many times last year. The unit looks improved this year if for no other reason than experience. JuCo transfer Obi Ezeigbo looked promising this spring and could anchor a front line that needs to be the force of this team.
(13) Iowa State
Kansas, Arizona, Utah, and even West Virginia are being mentioned as Big 12 contenders, but not a peep about Iowa State. The Cyclones could win this conference. Rocco Becht got better as the season went on. Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins are really good receivers on the outside. Once the Cyclones finally turned Abu Sama III loose, this is what happened.
Abu Sama makin the Kansas State defense feel frosty ☃️ Cyclones up 14-6 on another big run by the Freshman!#ISU #IowaState #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/2dHh4i0AI0
— CFB Saturday Slate w/ Mick N Bus (@CFB_SatSlate) November 26, 2023
Sama dominated Farmageddon (which the Big 12 are absolute morons for not protecting that rivalry) after a coming-out party against BYU. Sama will only be 19 when the 2024 season starts. Consider him the next greatest Iowa State running back. In fact, he already looks a little better than Breece Hall did at this age. This team finally has all the pieces on offense and the defense is another finely-tuned Matt Campbell unit.
(12) Penn State
You may trust Drew Allar more than I do, so you may think I have Penn State too low. I won't argue with you. What Allar didn't do at the end of last year far overshadowed what he did. The offense once again became stagnant despite two really good running backs and star receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith.
Lambert-Smith is off to Auburn, leaving Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming as Allar's new best friend. Penn State will need someone to step up with Fleming to finally get over the hump. The running game will still be a strength behind Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
Curtis Jacobs, and Adisi Isaac leave some big shoes to fill, but this defense is still a strength. Jaylen Reed, Kevin Winston, Kobe King, and Abdul Carter were all very good on this defense last year. Once again, Penn State looks like they might be ready to infiltrate the upper echelon of the Big Ten (18). This team will go as far as Drew Allar and Fleming take them.
(11) Oklahoma
Hey, Kansas beat the Sooners last year, so it's only fair to have the Jayhawks in front. Kansas also had far less turnover on the roster. Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) and Tawee Walker (Wisconsin) transferred out. Drake Stoops is gone, but Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, and Andrel Anthony return. Purdue transfer Deion Burks could be a huge addition to the passing game. Jackson Arnold looked good in the bowl game, but the timing of his couple of errors broke the back of the Sooners. Credit the Arizona defense for making the plays at big times in that game.
The Sooners weren't shy about addressing offensive line needs in the portal. Gavin Sawchuk was a great runner last year as a freshman behind a suspect line. If this turns out to be a good line, Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes could rip off huge chunks on the ground.
Danny Stutsman, Ethan Downs, and Billy Bowman Jr. were stars of the defense last year, and all three return. TCU transfer Damonic Williams will help up front, making this the best Oklahoma defense in years.
(10) Kansas
Does it feel weird seeing Kansas up here? Are you expecting to see Mark Mangino on the sidelines? I assure you that this ranking is warranted. Jalon Daniels is back and presumably healthy. We all remember the kind of season that he had in 2022. Jason Bean, the steady hand as Daniels' backup is gone, but the rest of the team is intact. Both star running backs Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. return. So do all three leading receivers.
in case you #kufball fans wanted to see the downfield dime from Jalon Daniels to Quentin Skinner from tonight's Spring Showcase: pic.twitter.com/ftXAahEpia
— Katie Maher (@wibwKatie) April 13, 2024
It's much the same on the defensive side of the ball. The entire secondary, Jerome Robinson, and Taiwan Berryhill Jr. all return. Add this to a Big 12 that probably isn't as good as last year, and Kansas could be in store for a special season.
(9) Mississippi
How much will Ole Miss drop off without Quinshon Judkins there? Maybe not as much as you think. Ulysses Bentley was a successful back at SMU before transferring in last year. Logan Diggs, plucked from LSU's backfield, will fill Bentley's role from last year. One simply cannot replace a back like Judkins, but the combination of Diggs, Bentley, and QB Jaxson Dart will fill the hole nicely.
The Rebels also return their top two receivers Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins. Caden Prieskorn came on at the end of last year as well. Add Antwane "Juice" Wells coming in from South Carolina, and there is a path for the Ole Miss offense to be even better than it was last year.
The defense has a few new faces, but important old ones are still there. Leading tackler Trey Washington is back for his senior season, as are sack masters JJ Pegues and Jared Ivey. If Alabama and Georgia didn't plug the holes as well as they think, Ole Miss could be ready to fill the void.
(8) Utah
I had Utah ranked second in the preseason last year and most thought I was nuts. Cameron Rising proved them right by not playing for the entire season. It was the best decision for him, and for a guy who might have a career at the next level, I understand him making it. Rising returns to Utah this year to try and bring all of the promise they had last year to fruition. Can his knee hold up? That will determine Utah's level of success this year.
Utah is doing everything they can to maximize Cameron Rising this season. There are a number of weapons for him to utilize, which will shine a light on Cam’s strongest quality, his mind. It’s up to him to spread wealth and with his command of the offense and ability to ID…
— Steve Bartle (@SBartle247) April 18, 2024
Looking over the Utah roster, you don't realize how many injuries they battled last year until you see them all on the team again this year. Their running back room was so gutted last year that a starting safety carried the ball 42 times! Micah Bernard looked good in the spring, so they should be good on the ground.
Rising gets Brant Kuithe back, one of the best tight ends in college. Both Money Parks and Mycah Pittman are back. Along with Arizona transfer Dorian Singer, this receiver room has a lot of potential. Utah's defense is loaded with veterans and should at least be comparable to last year's unit.
(7) Missouri
Luther Burden III is WR1 in the 2025 NFL Draft ?
He is a compact threat from the slot who is dangerous and strong both at the catch point and with the ball in his hands. pic.twitter.com/GoCdAp9mq0
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) May 7, 2024
The Tigers shocked a lot of people by winning 11 games last year. Early in the season, we saw improvement from Brady Cook and he kept getting better. Luther Burden III is a big reason for that. Burden battled injuries in 2022 that sent Missouri tumbling in the standings after the narrow loss to Georgia. Travis Hunter may be the best two-way player in the country, but Burden might be the best receiver. Both Cook and Burden are back for more.
I mentioned in the intro that depth and continuity were going to be very important during the 2024 season. Missouri has the continuity in the passing game with Burden and Theo Wease back. They caught lightning in a bottle with Division III Truman State transfer Cody Schrader at running back for the last two years, but this backfield got two high-profile transfers to fill the void.
Once again Missouri hit the smaller schools, bringing in former Georgia State star Marcus Carroll as the starter and Appalachian State's Nate Noel to back him up. Both will feature a prominent role in this offense. Missouri hung with Georgia last year and should have beaten them in 2022. They dodge the Bulldogs in the regular season this year. Maybe this is the year they get over the SEC hump.
(6) Alabama
I do have reservations about the Tide this high, but at the end of spring, not much has changed besides the coach. Kalen DeBoer turned Washington back into a power and he did it in two years. What can he do at a school that is already a power? He is going to face unfair comparisons to Nick Saban. How he handles that will determine the course of Alabama's season as much as Jalen Milroe will.
The lack of playmakers at receiver hurt the Tide last year. The three leading receivers Jermaine Burton (NFL), Isaiah Bond (Texas), and Amari Niblack (Texas) are all gone. The only import they got was Germie Bernard, who followed DeBoer from Washington. Kobe Prentice and CJ Dippre looked good last year when they played. The status of Jalen Hale is important. If he can play by the end of September and play like he did at the end of 2022, the Tide could be on to something.
Alabama also lost leading rusher Jase McClellan (NFL) and super-backup Roydell Williams (Florida State). Is Jam Miller ready to carry the load in this offense? He was a four-star RB coming out of high school. If he doesn't work out, Alabama has a ton of other four-star recruits behind him. They may cycle through them until they find the right fit if Miller doesn't work out.
USC's Domani Jackson will be tasked with replacing Kool-Aid McKinstry. That's a tough ask, but Jackson was the bright spot on an awful defense last year. With a talent-rich line in front of him, the going should be better in Tuscaloosa.
(5) Arizona
There is a giant power vacuum in the Big Pac 12 with Texas and Oklahoma abandoning ship. Who would have thought that the Big 12 would be the one left standing between them and the Pac-12 at the end of 2022? The Big 12 was dead until the Pac-12 and ACC intervened, and we all know how that turned out.
Arizona might be the best equipped to fill that vacuum. You already know my reservations about Cameron Rising. I have no reservations about Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan. Colorado transfer Montana Lemonious-Craig (2023) and Old Dominion transfer Reymello Murphy will try to fill the massive hole left by Jacob Cowing. You know what? I think they'll be just fine.
FBS off-season program of the day
ARIZONA WILDCATS
- Noah Fifita & McMillan are one of the BEST QB-WR duos in CFB
- Brent Brennan is an EXCELLENT hire
- SO much momentum coming of 2023
- Great BIG12 schedule coming up in 24I’m SUPER high on Arizona. BIG12 title contenders pic.twitter.com/ABoHaqbbVh
— College Football Daily (@FBSCFBnews) March 8, 2024
Jonah Coleman followed Jedd Fisch to Washington, but San Jose State transfer Quali Conley is a big addition. Conley ran for 842 yards on just 131 carries for the Spartans last year in his first Division I season. Offensive depth could be a question, but there's still some quality talent in the portal. Fifita, McMillan, and most of the defense are back to a team that won seven straight games to end 2023 and finished with just the fourth 10-win season in school history.
(4) Oregon
The Ducks start in the top five despite losing Bo Nix and Troy Franklin. They will miss Franklin less than Nix. Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart is every bit the burner that Franklin is with better hands. As for Nix, they won't miss him much either. Not every quarterback would do well in this Oregon scheme. They turned Nix from a UFL player at Auburn into a first-round NFL pick.
They won't have to do that with Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel is already conditioned to run this Oregon offense. He ran something similar at UCF. If you listen to Oklahoma fans, Gabriel didn't live up to the hype, but I don't agree. He played well when he was healthy. Oregon's offensive line is likely better than Oklahoma's was last year, so it's a win for Gabriel. If he stays healthy, he'll be a high first-round pick also. This was the best landing spot for Gabriel, and it's not close.
Returning QBs who were +1 STDEV better than FBS average in both successful dropback rate and explosive dropback rate:
Kaidon Salter
Dillon Gabriel
Carson Beck
Quinn Ewers
Brady Cook
Kyle McCord pic.twitter.com/q0FPpfqtVe— ??️♈️? (@ADavidHaleJoint) May 9, 2024
Bucky Irving is gone, but Jordan James is more than capable as a running back. The wild card in the backfield is Northwest Missouri State transfer Jay Harris. He'll have problems taking carries from Noah Whittington, but even if he doesn't, this backfield is comparable to last year's version. I am curious to see how Big Ten (18) defenses are going to handle the Oregon offense.
(3) Ohio State
I've heard some say that Ohio State has the best roster on paper. That may be, but there is no way on God's green earth that Will Howard is in the same class as Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers. That may sound like a knock on Howard, but it's not. Again, if you're familiar with my college football pieces, you know how I feel about Howard. His progression at Kansas State shows the work that he put in. Now he gets to reap the reward of his hard work. Howard is going to be a great fit for this offense in a way that Kyle McCord never was.
Jayden Ballard and Carnell Tate are unproven, so they aren't replacing Julian Fleming and Marvin Harrison Jr. anytime soon. Emeka Egbuka will be another in a long line of great Buckeye receivers in the last several years. Freshmen Jeremiah Smith and Mylan Graham could supplant Ballard and/or Tate by the time August rolls around.
Ohio State added the most-coveted transfer portal back in Quinshon Judkins, and the dude might be a backup. That's how good TreVeyon Henderson is. Like Howard, Judkins is going to rake in this offense. Remember what Will Howard did with Deuce Vaughn at Kansas State in 2022? Vaughn is (literally) half the back that Judkins is.
The Buckeyes also filled their only real hole on defense with Alabama transfer Caleb Downs. Stacked, indeed...
(2) Texas
As an Oklahoma fan, it's hard for me to admit this, but Texas is stacked. They aren't just a little better than the Sooners on paper. There's more of a talent gap than there has been since 2005. I know that Quinn Ewers is ready to play in the NFL, but he made the right decision. He would have been a late first-round pick at best in the 2024 draft. In the 2025 draft, he could be a top-five pick if this season goes as planned.
We got a sneak peek of what life will look like without Jonathon Brooks last December. CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue will be fine in this run game. Texas will have bigger issues replacing Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and Ja'Tavion Sanders.
Don't worry, Texas fans. The reload was more than successful and might be better than what they had in 2023. Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Matthew Golden (Houston), and Silas Bolden (Oregon State) form a formidable trio of receivers. Alabama transfer Amari Niblack was an underrated tight end for the Tide last year. He's not quite Sanders, but he already does some things better than Sanders.
Georgia's defense puts them ahead of Texas, but the Texas offense might be better, and it might not be close. Texas also has the most famous backup quarterback in history should something happen to Ewers. Even in this age of mega NIL deals, Texas gave Arch Manning enough money to stick around.
(1) Georgia
#Georgia's Most Passing Yards - Season:
1. 4,437 in 2022
2. 4,274 in 2023
3. 4,085 in 2013
4. 3,991 in 2012
5. 3,778 in 2021Carson Beck flirted with Georgia's record for passing yards in a season after not starting a football game for nearly 4 years. pic.twitter.com/Kin8MqSzwe
— The Bulldawg Report (@ReportBulldawg) May 8, 2024
It was tough for me to distinguish between the top three. At this point of the offseason, I believe the top three are clear. The order is not.
Georgia didn't reload the offense like Texas did, but they weren't far off either. Both Dominic Lovett (Missouri) and Rara Thomas (Mississippi State) transferred in before the 2023 season, so they didn't need to reload. Those two shouldn't have any problems replacing the production of Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint.
As of now, Oscar Delp tops the TE depth chart, but Stanford transfer Benjamin Yurosek is my pick to win the job. He's not quite Brock Bowers (hey...few are), but he is still going to be starting in the NFL next year. Florida transfer Trevor Etienne goes from running behind an average line to an elite one.
Not much has changed on the defensive side. Just a few names. Mykel Williams will anchor a front seven that might be the best in the SEC, which is saying something. The strength of the front seven is what gives the Bulldogs the edge right now. And hey, should something happen to Carson Beck, Jaden Rashada, one of the highest-rated quarterbacks of the 2023 class, is now behind him.
Others Receiving Votes
- Kansas State
- LSU
- South Carolina
- Louisville
- Kentucky
- California
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