Top CFB Storylines to Watch During 2023 Spring Practices
Are you ready for some (spring) football?
If you're feening for the sport, 15 practices provide you a little bit of a fix during a glorious time of year for sports with things like the NCAA tournament, Major League Baseball and the Masters right around the corner.
With the advent of the one-time transfer rule and the excessive use of the portal, there are plenty more reasons to pay closer attention to spring practice than you used to. No longer is it only about position battles, but there are other focal points.
Early freshman enrollees are more prominent now than ever before, so this is our first chance to see the new additions to our favorite teams. For players who feel like they're on the outside looking in at key roles, the second transfer portal window opens, too.
And, for some programs, it's the first opportunity to see your team's new coach and how everything meshes on the field. Headlines abound this spring, so you have plenty of reasons to read about your favorite teams—even if it is just practice.
Tune into these things during college football's spring session.
College Football Reset (Realignment)
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The past few years of Group of Five college football have produced a few powerhouses, but a couple from recent memory stand out.
With apologies to Tulane's golden run in '22 that ended with a 46-45 Cotton Bowl upset of USC, the best two teams to come from lower-level competition were fellow American Athletic Conference programs UCF (2017) and Cincinnati (2021).
The Knights claimed a natty following Scott Frost's final year in Orlando, going undefeated and feeling slighted they weren't in the College Football Playoff. The Bearcats actually made it a couple seasons ago before losing 27-6 to Alabama.
Now, those teams no longer have to "prove it" to get to the final four. They are joining the Big 12 in 2023, along with BYU (another recent feel-good story) and Houston. Perhaps the biggest storyline of that bunch is Scott Satterfield leaving Louisville to usher Cincy into the new surroundings.
While there won't be anything known this spring about whether they compete playing up a level, everything needs to ramp up. They must elevate their play, and all that starts this spring as they find out who can cut it and who can't.
Those four aren't the only programs changing conferences, either. The AAC lost three of the four teams above and will replace them with Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and mid-major powerhouse (from Conference USA) UTSA.
With the AAC picking on Conference USA, that league had to revamp, too. It did so by adding Liberty (who is bringing in former Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell to replace Hugh Freeze), New Mexico State, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State. Kennesaw State moves up to the FBS this year and will join CUSA in 2024.
Gear up, because realignment isn't done. Texas and Oklahoma joins the SEC next year.
Once Proud Programs Look for Rejuvenation
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There are a ton of reasons to be excited if you're an Auburn fan after the program seemed dead on the side of an Alabama highway just a season ago under coach Bryan Harsin.
The Tigers replaced him with Hugh Freeze and were able to keep on interim coach, recruiting dynamo and favorite son Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, too.
Freeze injected tons of talent through recruiting and the transfer portal, and Auburn is a threat to begin building one of the biggest turnarounds this spring.
They have to figure out quarterback issues, but injecting players like South Florida running back Brian Battle, defensive linemen Justin Rogers (Kentucky) and Mosiah Nasili-Kite (Maryland) and tackle Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky), along with star recruits such as defensive lineman Keldric Faulk and cornerback Kayin Lee, will help now.
Another team with massive turnaround potential is Wisconsin with Luke Fickell at the helm. Getting North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo and SMU transfer signal-caller Tanner Mordecai perhaps makes the Badgers the favorite in the Big Ten West.
The Matt Rhule era at Nebraska has some promise, with Georgia Tech transfer quarterback Jeff Sims entering to battle Casey Thompson, and Rhule has brought in 40 new players, including recruits and transfers. Twenty-six of those could be available this spring.
Jeff Brohm returns to his alma mater to coach Louisville, Scott Satterfield will help Cincinnati into the Big 12 era after leaving the spot Brohm filled, and Jamey Chadwell takes over for Freeze at Liberty.
Tom Herman's return begins at Florida Atlantic, and Georgia Tech retained interim Brent Key. Kenny Dillingham will have a high-flying attack at Arizona State, and Ryan Walters took over Purdue after a successful run as Illinois defensive coordinator. And we'd be remiss not to mention the new era at Mississippi State under Zach Arnett following the tragic death of Mike Leach.
There are too many names to mention them all, but the eras start this spring.
Get Ready for All Prime, All the Time
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You knew we couldn't go on about all the new coaches without mentioning the Deion "Prime" Sanders era at Colorado.
Whether you love him or not, the NFL Hall of Famer has brought plenty of pizzazz to Boulder and has made the 2023 Buffaloes must-see TV.
Sanders has a long way to go to make the program a force in the Pac-12, but attracting top-tier talent doesn't appear like it's going to be an issue. If Sanders can stay out of the headlines for the wrong reasons, he's destined for big things (or at least a public display).
Yes, Coach Prime shouldn't have said what he said about recruiting quarterbacks from two-parent homes and defensive linemen from single-parent homes, but it hasn't negatively affected his ability to lure quality players to his program yet.
His son, Shedeur Sanders, could be one of college football's brightest stars if he adapts to the bigger stage after following his dad from Jackson State. Last year's top-rated recruit, Travis Hunter, bolted for Boulder, too, and he could be a force right away.
Five-star cornerback Cormani McClain won't be on the field this spring, but star running back prospect Dylan Edwards will. Look for him to get on the field early.
Transfers like linebacker Demouy Kennedy (Alabama), cornerback Kyndrich Breedlove (Ole Miss), edge rusher Jordan Domineck (Arkansas), tight end Seydou Traore (Arkansas State) and more will make an impact, and they're already on campus.
Can this team make a run at a bowl game? It's going to be under a microscope with its coach grabbing daily headlines.
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Quarterback Battles Everywhere
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Pretty much always the biggest spring practice storyline that has tangible movement and impact on the actual season is the quarterback races across the country.
Boy, do we have them this year—and there are plenty that will be in bright lights on the marquee.
Start at the very top where the two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs will have to find a way to replace Stetson Bennett, a Heisman Trophy finalist who may be one of the best big-game quarterbacks in recent memory. That is likely a Carson Beck-Brock Vandagriff battle with Gunner Stockton a dark horse.
At Alabama, how do you replace '21's Heisman winner Bryce Young, who willed the Crimson Tide to wins when they weren't playing up to huge expectations at other positions? Will it be dual-threat, all-world athlete Jalen Milroe or elite underclassman Ty Simpson?
Ohio State has a wide-open race on its hands, too, as favorite Kyle McCord has a year longer in the system than Devin Brown. Both are former highly rated prospects who could win the gig, though.
Don't be surprised if talented early enrollees like Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee), Arch Manning (Texas), Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) and Dante Moore (UCLA) make it tough on favorites Joe Milton III, Quinn Ewers, Dillon Gabriel and Bruins' transfer from Kent State, Collin Schlee.
Finally, Lane Kiffin obviously wasn't impressed enough with an uneven sophomore year from Jaxson Dart, so he went out and signed Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and Walker Howard (LSU) to compete. That's a race worth watching, as well.
Planting Seeds for a Three-Peat
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Nobody's going to shed a tear for the Georgia Bulldogs.
A season ago, they lost virtually everybody off a dominant defense from the 2021 national title team, and all they did was go offense-heavy, bring along young defenders slowly and win another title in '22.
Can a three-peat be on the way?
It's not going to be easy, but nothing ever is. Just how hard is it? The only uncontested three-peat in college football history came from the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 1934-36, so, yeah, it's been a long time.
Replacing Stetson Bennett is more than just looking at his pedestrian season stats and saying, "Oh yeah, we can do that." As mentioned before, Bennett played his best when the lights were brightest, managed the games he had to and took over those he needed to.
The quarterback battle between Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton will provide the biggest bulk of the headlines this spring, and rightfully so. But there's more production that must be replaced.
Kenny McIntosh had a big year from an all-purpose standpoint, and the running back is off to the NFL. Adonai Mitchell transferred to Texas, so he's gone, too.
But Brock Bowers is the top tight end in the nation, and UGA added transfer receivers Dominic Lovett (Missouri) and Rara Thomas (Mississippi State) to join him, to add to Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint.
The defense should be the best in the nation with stars like Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Smael Mondon, Mykel Williams, Malaki Starks, Javon Bullard and many more.
If you're going to take the field against the Dawgs, it may not be a bad idea. But there isn't a single team in the nation with a ceiling as high as UGA's. Kirby Smart's team still needs to be the favorite.
Contenders Blossoming?
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Nobody would be surprised if the usual suspects like Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State or Michigan began proving they have the firepower to pose a threat to Georgia this offseason. All those programs have plenty of pieces.
But who will be the TCU of 2023? We won't know that this spring, but it's always worth reading around those programs with a positive buzz and seeing how the new pieces everybody has added fit together.
Given all the great players TCU lost, it would be a surprise if the Horned Frogs were back in the College Football Playoff. How does Frogs 2.0 look?
If you want some picks that could make some noise outside the recent powers, start with Penn State. The Nittany Lions had an exceptional season a year ago, getting the running game untracked. Now, they must replace four-year starting quarterback Sean Clifford, but Drew Allar is an elite talent getting a lot of buzz.
Tennessee is without Hendon Hooker, but senior Joe Milton III looks the part and played great in the Orange Bowl win over Clemson, and the Vols should be much improved on offense.
Speaking of the Tigers, if Cade Klubnik meshes with new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, watch out. Another set of Tigers in Baton Rouge (LSU) have loads of quality playmakers, too.
You need to pay close attention to a Florida State team that returns veteran quarterback Jordan Travis and lots of playmakers on both sides of the ball. Watch out for the Seminoles.
Utah, USC and Oregon have all injected tons of talent, so they could take a step forward, and if Quinn Ewers takes a large leap (or Arch Manning usurps him), Texas has plenty of talent. These are some of the teams to watch that could take a large step toward contention.
Showcase Spring for Early Enrollees
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In this day and age of recruiting, kids sign early to start that Name, Image and Likeness money roll-in, get on the field and take their shots at stardom before heading to the NFL. That's just the way it is.
So, there are too many early enrollees who will go through spring practices to discuss. So many of them could make an impact right away.
Let's start in Tuscaloosa with Alabama's top-ranked class, where guys like offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, safety Caleb Downs, running back Justice Haynes and defensive teammates Qua Russaw and James Smith could make immediate splashes.
Arch Manning (Texas), Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee), Dante Moore (UCLA), Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma), Jaden Rashada (Arizona State), JJ Kohl (Iowa State), Brady Drogosh (Cincinnati) and Pierce Clarkson (Louisville) are just a few quarterbacks on campus who everybody should pay attention to.
USC receiver Zachariah Branch, Oklahoma safety Peyton Bowen, Texas linebacker Anthony Hill and running back Cedric Baxter Jr., Texas A&M running back Rueben Owens, Ohio State receiver Brandon Inniss and the Miami offensive line duo of Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola are just a few of the guys who could prove too talented to start.
There are simply waves of first-year players across the nation we will get our first look at this spring, so look at your favorite team's recruiting class and get ready to see who are going to be potential impact guys during your '23 season.
Focus on Fixing the Failures
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Others teams besides aforementioned Auburn, Wisconsin and Nebraska dished out a colossal thud last year, too. Enough so that a couple of new coaches burned their honeymoon period and a couple of highly paid ones saw the temperature on their seats turn up a notch.
Things have to get better quickly at Texas A&M, where Jimbo Fisher's Aggies failed to make a bowl game then saw a mass exodus of players, including a few top-tier prospects from the '22 top-ranked recruiting class.
Fisher made a high-reward, controversial hire to fix it, paying Missouri State head coach Bobby Petrino to come to College Station and help him as offensive coordinator. How Petrino meshes with either Conner Weigman or Max Johnson this spring will go a long way in determining how the season goes.
Following an 11-2 2021, Michigan State gave coach Mel Tucker a 10-year, $95 million contract, and he responded with a 5-7 failure that saw several injuries and little offensive production. He has to get it fixed quickly, because with high dollars come high expectations.
Oklahoma first-year coach Brent Venables and Florida first-year coach Billy Napier each made bowl games and lost them to fall to 6-7. Both signed quality recruiting classes, and Venables' was especially strong. They have to start turning things around now, or things will get ugly quickly for the proud programs.
At least they made the postseason, which is more than Mario Cristobal can say at Miami. The improvements must begin this spring, and those preaching of a culture change had better start seeing it reciprocated in the win column come fall.
All stats courtesy of cfbstats and Sports Reference unless otherwise noted. Recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.
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