6 Players Under the Most Pressure During Spring Practice in 2015
Spring practices—which are already underway, mind you—are the clean slate. Everyone is undefeated. Usually, everyone is healthy or at least getting there. Optimism is as high as pollen, cedar or whatever other allergens are floating around.
But spring practices are also a time to prove. Maybe last season didn't go as well as anticipated for a certain player. Maybe an early enrollee is primed to leapfrog his way up the depth chart. In any case, plenty of players, both starters and backups, are feeling the pressure over the next few months.
Which players are under the most pressure this spring? We choose six of them in the following slides based on 2014 performance and upcoming competition.
Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight
1 of 6
This time last year, Trevor Knight was a way-too-early Heisman candidate and seemed primed for a breakout year in 2014. That's what the classic bowl-game bump—in Knight's case, 348 passing yards and four touchdowns in a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama—can do for you.
But, Knight never got over his injury issues and failed to take the next step so many thought he could. The anticlimactic season ended with 103 passing yards and three picks in a Russell Athletic Bowl loss to Clemson in which Cole Stoudt outplayed him.
Oklahoma has made a lot of staff moves this offseason, highlighted by firing co-offensive coordinators Josh Heupel and Jay Norvell. In comes Lincoln Riley from East Carolina to bring the Sooners back to a more Air Raid-based offense.
In theory, that should favor Baker Mayfield, the Texas Tech transfer who sat out the '14 season to satisfy NCAA and Big 12 rules. Mayfield may have been a walk-on for the Red Raiders, but he started seven games and was the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in '13.
Knight should also be pushed by sophomore-to-be Cody Thomas, who took over for Knight when he was injured last season. No matter what Oklahoma does on offense under Riley, Knight will have to show he's more than just a skilled runner. To date, he's had a hard time demonstrating that consistently.
Texas QB Tyrone Swoopes
2 of 6
The Big 12 used to be known for its quarterbacks. Now, both quarterbacks in the conference's blue-blood programs are on player hot seats, if you will.
To put it one way—a lighter way—2014 was a learning experience for Texas' Tyrone Swoopes. In fairness to him, a career-ending concussion to David Ash thrust him into the starting spot early. Combine that with a new offense and, well, there were going to be a lot of mistakes. And there were.
Swoopes finished with 2,409 yards passing, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In his final two games—both blowout losses—Swoopes went 33-of-59 for 257 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions. That's enough to make head coach Charlie Strong re-evaluate things this spring.
Redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard could even be the favorite to start once spring practice gets underway, but don't count out 2015 signee Kai Locksley once preseason practice starts. Texas will be moving toward a spread-based offense that caters to Heard and Locksley' skill set. On national signing day, Strong noted that Locksley will be "in the mix" once he arrives on campus.
For spring, Heard and Swoopes should be locked in a tight battle. A front-runner may not be named exiting spring, either.
Auburn RB "Roc" Thomas
3 of 6
Auburn has churned out 1,000-yard running backs like a factory. Can "Roc" Thomas be the next every-down back for the Tigers in 2015?
These are the types of expectations the sophomore is facing.
Thomas was a solid backup to Cameron Artis-Payne last season, tallying 214 yards at five yards per carry and a pair of touchdowns. Can he take the next step, though? He has a couple of guys chasing him for playing time.
Perhaps the biggest threat is junior college transfer Jovon Robinson, a 4-star early-enrollee member of the Tigers' 2015 class. Like other Auburn running backs in recent years, Robinson has been a stat machine. At Georgia Military College in 2013, he rushed for 2,387 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Will Thomas be leapfrogged by Robinson exiting spring? The position battle appears to be wide open.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Michigan Cornerback Jabrill Peppers
4 of 6
Jabrill Peppers—remember him? The 5-star athlete who was expected to enter Michigan's secondary as a freshman and see playing time right away?
Because of multiple injuries, Peppers barely played last season. The good news is that he was recently cleared for a medical redshirt, meaning he still has four more years of eligibility to live up to the massive hype that followed him to Ann Arbor.
According to Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press, Peppers appears to be moving from cornerback to safety for the '15 season. Even though the depth chart at safety is loaded heading into spring, Mitch Sherman of ESPN.com writes that "Peppers is likely more natural at safety than cornerback and could make an immediate impact."
If Peppers fails to break the starting lineup, however, questions will start to arise and—fair or unfair—the dreaded "B word" could start getting thrown around casually. Perhaps that's the fault in such lofty expectations for any freshman. In any case, with a potentially new position and new coaching staff, this spring is a crucial time for Peppers to make his move.
Stanford RB Barry Sanders
5 of 6
Time is starting to run out for Stanford running back Barry Sanders. The former blue-chip running back out of Oklahoma signed with the Cardinal in 2012. And because of his famous last name, expectations were high for him.
However, his impact has been relatively minimal.
Now a redshirt junior, Sanders has been used as a backup and a situational player for the past two seasons. In all, he's totaled 64 carries for 357 yards and a touchdown. In 2014, the Cardinal played more running back by committee, but Remound Wright was the primary back.
With Stanford's entire backfield returning, can Sanders break through in the spring? This is still a new-look Cardinal rushing attack, one that features no bruising backs that fans have become accustomed to seeing in recent years.
Alabama QB Jake Coker
6 of 6
Jake Coker didn't win Alabama's quarterback battle the first time around. Instead, the Florida State transfer took a backseat to the veteran Blake Sims.
This time around, Coker is far more familiar with Alabama's offense. With offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin sticking around for at least one more year, Coker has the rapport with the staff, playbook and teammates that he may not have had before.
"It was tough coming in trying to get to know everybody and be on that same page," Coker said last month, via Duane Rankin of the Montgomery Advertiser. "Learn the playbook and everything, but I feel like I've gotten a lot better since I've gotten here."
Coker was solid in limited time last year, completing 38 of 59 passes for 403 yards and four touchdowns. The pressure will be on him to take full control of the offense this spring. He won't be a one-man show, however. Alec Morris, Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell and true freshman Blake Barnett, an early enrollee, will push Coker.
Coker has been a backup his whole college career, though losing a starting job to Jameis Winston isn't the worst thing in the world. Now that he's had time to cement himself within the program, Coker can write his own story in his final year with the Tide.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
