College Football Injuries That Will Have the Biggest Impact This Spring
The term "spring-game stars" applies to anyone who breaks out in the offseason. Sometimes, though, it's out of necessity because, while spring is a time for optimism, it's also a good time to get healthy.
Depth issues are always a concern during spring because it's a unique period between the loss of departing players and the arrival of incoming freshmen. Sometimes, there aren't enough early enrollees and junior college transfers to offset that depth problem, and injuries only further those concerns.
The impact of these injuries isn't always negative. In some cases, a player will be back by the time preseason practices start, giving someone else valuable practice reps. With that in mind, here are five injuries—one from each of the Power Five conferences—that will have the biggest impact this spring.
Tennessee Defensive End Derek Barnett
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In theory, this entire list could be made up of Tennessee players. Seriously, the team is banged up.
Injuries have taken a particular toll on the defensive line, which according to Wes Rucker of 247Sports, will have a handful of healthy scholarship players:
"Injuries have temporarily ravaged this incredibly talented group to the point where there will be just five 100 percent healthy scholarship players heading into the start of spring ball.
Many of the team’s best D-linemen—and best overall players, in some cases—will be limited or off the field this spring. A few injuries wouldn’t be such a bad thing, because that would open up spots for others to make plays and help their own causes moving forward. But the Vols don’t have a few injuries on the defensive line. They have a lot. They have way too many.
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Among those to be sidelined is defensive end Derek Barnett, who is recovering from a shoulder injury. Barnett is an especially tough loss since he was second on the team with 10 sacks in 2014. It's not just his on-field impact that makes this a tough loss, though. He's only going to be a sophomore, meaning spring is a valuable part of his development.
Andrew Butcher, a 4-star member of the 2015 class who enrolled early, should see additional practice time while Barnett is out.
Ohio State Quarterbacks J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller
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This almost goes without saying, doesn't it?
Ohio State's quarterback competition is so unique, in part, because it won't really pick up until preseason practice. Braxton Miller is still recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him out all of last year. His replacement, J.T. Barrett, is getting over a season-ending ankle injury.
At best, they'll be limited in spring drills, though Barrett appears to be further along in his recovery. That leaves Cardale Jones, who went on a miraculous three-game winning streak ending in the national championship, to take the majority of the first-team reps.
"Cardale is getting more reps than he's ever gotten," head coach Urban Meyer said via B/R's Ben Axelrod. "He's still almost a rookie—an older rookie that hasn't had a lot of reps."
Sometimes, momentum is everything, and Jones certainly has it on his side. The redshirt junior is picking up where he left off in the national championship and leading the first-team offense. That may count for something down the line.
Clemson Quarterback Deshaun Watson
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2014 was a breakout year for Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. It was also an injury-riddled one. In addition to suffering a broken hand midseason, Watson missed the Russell Athletic Bowl last December because of a partially torn ACL which required surgery.
The latter injury will essentially sideline Watson for the spring outside of one or two individual drills. Once he's 100 percent again, Watson will be the face of the Tigers' offense. Until then, it's about getting much-needed reps for the backups.
Nick Schuessler, a rarely used redshirt junior, appeared in five games last season and completed seven passes for 47 yards. There are also two early enrollee freshmen—Kelly Bryant and Tucker Israel.
As of late March, Schuessler is the front-runner to be the No. 2 guy. That's not surprising, considering this isn't his first spring rodeo. Head coach Dabo Swinney has been encouraged by what he's seen so far, via David Hood of TigerNet.com:
"I can't say enough good things about Nick Schuessler. This is one of those practices that you wish that everybody got to see. It was pretty impressive. He has had six outstanding days of football practice. It's great to see the light come on for guys. He has done an outstanding job of leading. He's made some big time throws. Just playing with a sense of urgency that I have not seen from Nick Schuessler since he's been here. He's playing with a confidence that I have not seen since he's been here. As a result of that, he's playing faster and more decisive and accurate.
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Having an experienced backup is crucial. Even Cole Stoudt had his time to shine in December's bowl game against Oklahoma. Having a solid two-deep, especially considering Watson's injury-filled past, will be a huge part of the offseason for the Tigers.
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Oklahoma Linebacker Dominique Alexander
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Oklahoma will have a variety of new faces this spring, particularly among the coaching staff. However, the Sooners will also be breaking in some new players because of injuries. The most notable one is to the Sooners' leading tackler, linebacker Dominique Alexander, who will miss spring practices after undergoing wrist surgery last month.
"It had healed up, looked like it was going to be OK," head coach Bob Stoops said via Ryan Aber and Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman. "Through the winter with all the different working out, the different everything they have to do with their wrist, it wore down. Doctors didn’t anticipate that. It happened."
Alexander should be good to go in time for preseason practice. However, combined with the absence of fellow linebacker Frank Shannon, who is serving a year-long suspension, the middle of the defense will be thin. Redshirt freshmen Tay Evans and Curtis Bolton should get plenty of practice time as a result.
Oklahoma needs Alexander back and ready to go as soon as possible. The junior-to-be has recorded 187 tackles in two seasons and is becoming the heart and soul of the defense.
Arizona State Wide Receiver Cameron Smith
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Arizona's quest to replace the production of Jaelen Strong at wide receiver just got more difficult. Last week, head coach Todd Graham announced that Cameron Smith will miss the 2015 season because of a knee injury.
Smith was the team's leading returning receiver with 41 catches for 596 yards and six touchdowns. To put that into perspective, though, Strong essentially doubled most of those numbers last season.
D.J. Foster's move from running back to slot receiver will provide relief—the senior caught 62 passes last year—but the Sun Devils still need help. No other receiver—including tight ends and running backs—caught more than 16 passes last year.
The Sun Devils were a balanced offense last season in terms of run plays versus pass plays, but with Mike Bercovici, the team's quarterback rushing attack may be diminished, and the passing game could take on a bigger role in 2015.
For Smith not to be a part of that, Arizona State will need plenty of receivers to step up beyond Foster.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.
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