College Football Teams and Players Primed for Huge Bounce-Back Years
As the calendar flips from March to April, spring has officially sprung across the nation. With spring football in full swing on football-starved FBS campuses, hope springs eternal. This will be the year that quarterback gains consistency with a new offense, or an injured player finds his groove, or an ugly 2014 turns into a 2015 full of promise.
This is the time of year when coaches, players and fans have pure optimism that they’ve put the ugly seasons of their past behind them, and they’re ready for a huge season. Here are nine players and teams who, for one reason or another, are primed for huge bounce-back years in 2015.
Alabama TB Kenyan Drake
1 of 9
October 4, 2014, was an ugly day for Kenyan Drake and the Alabama football program. The Crimson Tide’s promising tailback saw his season end with a gruesome broken leg, and the Tide fell at Ole Miss, 23-17.
This spring, Drake, who had six total touchdowns in four-plus games last fall, is healthy and poised for a big role in Alabama’s offense. With T.J. Yeldon gone to the NFL, Derrick Henry will be the top tailback, but Drake should see plenty of snaps.
He has excellent speed, as his 87-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown against Florida last season showed. With Alabama needing replacements for departed receivers Amari Cooper and DeAndrew White, Drake has found time all over the field, including with the receivers, as AL.com’s Michael Casagrande reported.
He could find himself as a versatile, change-of-pace back who’ll make a difference in Alabama’s offense under Lane Kiffin’s watch this fall.
Auburn DE Carl Lawson
2 of 9
Last fall, one of the biggest problems surrounding Auburn’s struggling defense was its pass rush. And all Carl Lawson could do was watch. Auburn’s standout defensive end earned plenty of playing time as a true freshman in 2013, helping fuel the Tigers’ run to the final BCS National Championship Game. He was named a freshman All-American by 247Sports and Sporting News.
But Lawson suffered a torn ACL last spring, and while he underwent surgery, he could never get cleared to return, instead taking a redshirt season. The Tigers defense wasn’t the same without him and had minimal pass rush: Kris Frost and DaVonte Lambert shared the team lead with 3.5 sacks apiece.
Lawson has been cleared to participate in spring practice, and he’ll be a key piece of Will Muschamp’s new Auburn defense. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be one of the Tigers’ top defensive linemen and fuel overall defensive improvement.
Louisville DE Devonte Fields
3 of 9
Last summer, it appeared Devonte Fields had everything going his way. Following an excellent season at TCU, the defensive end was voted as the Big 12’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
However, Fields’ TCU career ended after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault against his ex-girlfriend, who suffered a swollen cheek and small cut under her eye. She also claimed, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that he had punched a window in from the outside of a house that she was currently inside.
He was dismissed by TCU and wound up at Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College, where he excelled on the field and earned a Louisville scholarship offer from Bobby Petrino, a guy who knows a thing or two about second chances. WDRB's Eric Crawford said Fields' signing by Louisville sends a disturbing message.
A talented pass-rusher, Fields will be a centerpiece in Todd Grantham’s second Louisville defense. If he keeps his nose clean, he’ll wreak havoc on ACC offensive linemen.
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LSU
4 of 9
There are programs where 8-5 and a berth in the Music City Bowl are cause for celebration.
LSU is not one of them. In 10 years as LSU head coach, Les Miles has seven 10-win seasons and a BCS national title. So 2014 was cause for concern. A long line of early NFL draft departures caught up with the Tigers, who finished just 4-4 in SEC play.
2014’s hard knocks should pay off in 2015, however. While Miles must find a consistent quarterback between Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings, the Tigers have plenty of talent with 14 starters returning.
Rising sophomore tailback Leonard Fournette is a powerful runner who had 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns, and whoever emerges at quarterback will throw to the likes of Travin Dural, Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn.
The Tigers must travel to Alabama, Ole Miss and Mississippi State this fall, but if the offense stabilizes, there’s enough talent to return to the upper echelon of the SEC and the national picture.
Notre Dame
5 of 9
Let’s face it: Being a Notre Dame fan was incredibly frustrating in 2014. The Fighting Irish began the season 6-0 and were a controversial offensive pass-interference penalty away from pulling off an upset at defending national champion Florida State. But the season went off the rails in November, and the Irish closed the season with four consecutive defeats.
That included an ugly 55-31 loss at Arizona State and an even uglier 49-14 loss at Southern California, and quarterback Everett Golson lost his grip on the starting role with Malik Zaire entering the mix. But 2014 ended with an uplifting Music City Bowl win over LSU, and a remarkable 19 starters return. One of the biggest questions is at quarterback, where Golson and Zaire will battle through the spring.
But while the schedule features trips to Clemson and Stanford and visits from Georgia Tech, Texas and Southern California, it is manageable. If the 10 starters from a defense that yielded 29.2 points per game mature, 2015 will be much better than 8-5.
Oklahoma State
6 of 9
While Mike Gundy has brought Oklahoma State to national prominence, 2014 was something of a rebuilding year in Stillwater. The young Cowboys took a step back following a 10-3 season in 2013, falling to 7-6.
Amid the struggles were reasons for optimism, though. Oklahoma State ended the season strong with an upset of rival Oklahoma to get bowl-eligible and a 30-22 Cactus Bowl win over Washington. Mason Rudolph showed promise ending the season as a quarterback, throwing six touchdowns against four interceptions.
And while there are questions in the backfield, top receiving targets Brandon Sheperd, David Glidden and James Washington all return. In all, Oklahoma State will return 16 starters across the board. It’d be a surprise if Gundy’s group isn’t better in 2015.
Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg
7 of 9
Few players in America had a more frustrating season than the one Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg suffered through in 2014. While Hackenberg has outstanding physical attributes at 6’4”, 234 pounds and plenty of ability, he struggled behind a young, makeshift offensive line.
Penn State’s line allowed 44 sacks, and Hackenberg’s stats suffered. After throwing for 20 touchdowns against 10 interceptions as a freshman, he threw for 12 touchdowns against 15 picks (and that included a four-touchdown, no-interception performance in a Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College).
Penn State coach James Franklin said the criticism Hackenberg took in 2014 wasn't fair to him, per Mark Wogenrich of The (Allentown, Pennsylvania) Morning Call:
"Last year Christian spent most of his time solving problems, running from problems and taking a lot of criticism, which I'm really, really defensive about. To be honest with you, looking back at it, I'm a little angry that he faced some of the criticism he did. I don't know if it was fair, just or realistic.
In the long run, the adversity that he went through physically and emotionally in getting through those things is really going to help him. He earned a lot of people's respect inside our program with how he handled things.
"
The Nittany Lions offensive line should be improved this fall with three returning starters, and if Hackenberg can improve his pocket presence and stay calmer under pressure, he and the Penn State offense should be vastly better in 2015.
Stanford
8 of 9
2014 felt like a big step back for Stanford’s football program. Following a pair of Pac-12 championships, the Cardinal struggled at times to score points and lost three games by three points and/or in overtime.
However, David Shaw’s bunch finished the season on a three-game win streak, beating Cal, UCLA and Maryland by at least 21 points apiece to finish 8-5.
While standout left tackle Andrus Peat left early for the NFL, Stanford will return 10 starters on offense. Holes must be filled on defense, but with four-year starter Kevin Hogan leading the offense under center and handing off to talented tailback Christian McCaffrey, the offense should be much improved.
Expect the Cardinal to regain its perch near the top of the Pac-12 again in 2015.
Virginia Tech
9 of 9
It wasn’t that long ago when Virginia Tech was one of the ACC’s best teams. It only feels that way. From 2004-11, the Hokies won at least 10 games in every season and won four ACC championships. But over the last three years, they’re a combined 21-17. Last fall, they needed a late comeback win over Virginia just to squeak into the Military Bowl.
However, there are signs Frank Beamer’s bunch is back on the upswing.
The Hokies return eight starters from a defense that allowed 20.2 points per game, No. 14 nationally. And while there are questions at safety and on the offensive line, numerous positive pieces will be back this fall.
Quarterback Michael Brewer will seek more consistency after throwing for 18 touchdowns against 15 interceptions last fall. Isaiah Ford was one of the ACC’s top receivers last fall as a freshman, catching 56 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, freshman tight end Bucky Hodges was a major force, catching 45 passes for 526 touchdowns and seven touchdowns.
If the Hokies can cut down on turnovers and improve their record in close games (2-5 in games decided by a touchdown or less) they could emerge as ACC Coastal Division champions.
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