College Football Players with Most Pressure Riding on Their Shoulders
In college football, pressure is a relative term. When your sport is the biggest moneymaker on campus, the engine that fuels athletic department coffers across the nation, you’re going to feel pressure to consistently perform and win.
With only 12 regular-season games each season, every game matters, whether it’s the opener or a random midseason, nonconference road game. Any slip-up will dearly hurt a team’s quest for a coveted College Football Playoff berth. But some players will be feeling the pressure a bit more than most this fall.
These are players who’ll be depended upon heavily for a variety of reasons this fall, be it the crucial position they occupy, the key player they’re replacing or a lack of a supporting cast around them. Here are 10 players who’ll be feeling the most pressure in 2015.
Iowa QB C.J. Beathard
1 of 10
Last fall, one of the biggest storylines surrounding Iowa’s disappointing 7-6 season was the ongoing battle at quarterback between Jake Rudock and C.J. Beathard. Hawkeyes fans were divided between Rudock or Beathard, with the competition stretching all the way to season’s end.
Beathard led a comeback win at Pitt and won the following week at Purdue when Rudock was injured, but until the TaxSlayer Bowl, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz stuck with Rudock as his starter.
Before the game, Beathard’s father told The (Nashville) Tennessean that his son would explore his options if he didn’t start against Tennessee. Beathard started, but neither quarterback played well in an ugly 45-28 defeat.
Following the game, Ferentz issued a rare early-January depth chart with Beathard listed as the starter. This week, Rudock’s long-rumored graduate transfer to Michigan was completed, leaving Beathard as the clear starter. He’s the man, but that comes with its own set of pressures. As Rick Brown of the Des Moines Register notes, Beathard is now the man in the fishbowl. He’ll be expected to invigorate an offense that ranked No. 71 nationally last year in scoring offense, which won’t be easy at all.
Wisconsin TB Corey Clement
2 of 10
Wisconsin has a strong tradition of standout tailbacks, but last fall provided some of the best moments in that proud history. Junior tailback Melvin Gordon ran over, around and through opposing defenses on his way to the second-best single-season rushing total in FBS history, piling up 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Gordon also set the FBS single-game rushing record against Nebraska, which stood for a week until Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine eclipsed it against Kansas. Gordon is gone to the NFL, with good reason. Now, new coach Paul Chryst must replace him.
Luckily, Gary Andersen left behind a very capable fallback in Corey Clement. As Gordon’s understudy, Clement rushed for 949 yards and nine touchdowns last fall. Chryst likes to run the ball, as Pitt’s James Conner would tell you. With a shaky Joel Stave at quarterback, the onus will fall on Clement to make the Badgers offense go. He’ll have to adjust quickly to a starter’s workload to keep Wisconsin atop the Big Ten West Division.
Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg
3 of 10
When you examine statistics, perhaps no player in college football regressed more than Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg last fall. After throwing for 2,955 yards with 20 touchdowns against 10 interceptions as a freshman, the Penn State quarterback threw for 2,977 yards with 12 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, and that included a four-touchdown effort in a Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College.
Was it all his fault? Not really. Penn State’s offensive line was youthful and injured in 2014, and Hackenberg was sacked 44 times, up from 21 times as a freshman. Increased pressure led to Hackenberg making poor decisions.
This fall, the Nittany Lions’ line should be improved (it can’t get any worse, can it?) and Hackenberg should be more comfortable in his second season under James Franklin’s watch. But if Penn State is to improve from 7-6, it’ll need more than 20.6 points per game, which ranked No. 113 nationally a year ago. And improving that will largely fall on Hackenberg’s shoulders.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Oregon LT Tyler Johnstone
4 of 10
This spring and summer, one of the biggest stories surrounding Oregon’s program will be the eventual replacement for Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota. With good reason: Mariota was one of the nation’s most dynamic players last fall and a huge factor in Oregon’s runner-up finish.
We don’t know who the man under center will be, but we do know who’ll be protecting him – left tackle Tyler Johnstone.
Johnstone is returning after suffering a pair of torn ACLs: his last game was the 2013 Alamo Bowl. He’ll step in for Jake Fisher, who was impressive last fall while keeping Mariota’s blind side clean. In fact, the Ducks’ only regular-season loss came when Fisher was sidelined with a knee injury of his own. Oregon’s offense thrives behind a strong running game led by Royce Freeman, but its quarterback needs room to make plays.
With three new starting offensive linemen, it’ll be on Johnstone to help hold the line (and the offense) together. No pressure, right?
Clemson DE Shaq Lawson
5 of 10
When Vic Beasley decided to return to Clemson for his senior season, it was cause for celebration for Tigers fans, but you could excuse Shaq Lawson if, privately, he didn’t feel the love. Beasley’s return kept the 2013 freshman All-American in a supporting role for another season. Of course, it turned out great for Beasley and Clemson. He left as the Tigers’ all-time sack leader and is a lock to be an NFL first-round pick later this month.
Beasley’s graduation leaves a significant hole on Clemson’s defensive line. He finished with 12 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss a year ago. Lawson was impressive in a reserve role, making 3.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. But he’ll be part of a large-scale overhaul of the line. He and senior defensive tackle D.J. Reader are the only members of 2014’s two-deep returning.
Lawson will be relied upon to lead a defensive line that has talent but is largely young and lacking front-line experience. If he can prove himself as an every-down player capable of drawing attention from opposing offenses, it’ll ease the pressure on his fellow linemen to perform.
Florida State QB Sean Maguire
6 of 10
This spring has been much quieter in Tallahassee. The circus that surrounded Jameis Winston is gone to the NFL, leaving Florida State and Jimbo Fisher to focus on the business of football. That’s something of a blessing and a curse: The Seminoles return only three offensive starters and must find a way to replace Winston’s prodigious, Heisman Trophy-winning presence.
That job will likely fall to Sean Maguire. Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel says the job remains open, but it's Maguire's to lose following spring practice.
Maguire served as Winston’s backup last fall, and he piloted an overtime win over Clemson with Winston suspended for yelling a vulgarity on campus. He’ll have some talent around him, most notably standout tailback Dalvin Cook, but FSU is replacing Rashad Greene, the program’s most prolific all-time receiver, tight end Nick O’Leary and four of five starting offensive linemen.
Expecting Maguire to duplicate Winston’s production (3,907 yards, 25 touchdowns) would be silly, but he’ll have to take a step forward this fall, even surrounded by inexperience. He’ll likely find out that being the man in Tallahassee is harder than Winston made it appear.
Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
7 of 10
Last fall, Dak Prescott and Mississippi State authored one of the nation’s most compelling stories. The Bulldogs ascended to No. 1 nationally for the first time in program history, spending four weeks there en route to a 10-3 record and an Orange Bowl berth.
It was an unforgettable season in Starkville. Now comes the hard part: Building on it. One of the Bulldogs’ biggest pieces, senior quarterback Dak Prescott, will be back this fall. A year ago, he threw for 3,449 yards with 27 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, adding 986 yards and 14 touchdowns as a great dual-threat quarterback. However, the team will look very different around him.
Mississippi State returns only eight starters from a year ago, and leading rusher Josh Robinson (1,203 yards, 11 touchdowns) departed for the NFL draft, as did top linebacker Benardrick McKinney. MSU also must replace three starting offensive linemen around Prescott.
Prescott will be counted upon to duplicate his 2014 numbers and keep the Bulldogs relevant in the SEC West, but with so much new talent around him, 2015 could be a step back in Starkville. Pressure to avoid such a fate will fall most heavily on Prescott.
Alabama LT Cam Robinson
8 of 10
One of the more pleasant surprises of Alabama’s potent 2014 offense was the play of freshman left tackle Cam Robinson. Robinson became the Crimson Tide’s first true freshman left tackle since Andre Smith in 2006 and was very capable in protecting Blake Sims’ blind side. Alabama averaged 36.9 points per game, No. 16 nationally.
As 2015 dawns, Robinson finds himself as a veteran presence. Alabama returns only two starters on offense and must find Sims’ replacement as well as a replacement for standout wide receiver Amari Cooper, the 2014 Biletnikoff Award winner.
Alabama coach Nick Saban told Matt Zenitz of AL.com that Robinson has taken big steps this spring.
"I think the big thing is he's a lot more confident right now," Saban said. "He's got a lot more experience. We're really focused on getting him to play with the kind of power that he's capable of playing with on a consistent basis. But he's done a really good job so far this spring."
The Crimson Tide has yet to determine a starting quarterback, but Robinson will loom huge in protecting the eventual starter. Whoever lines up under center will need time to adjust, and continued solid play from Robinson will play a big role in a smooth transition and continued offensive success under Lane Kiffin’s watch.
Baylor QB Seth Russell
9 of 10
One of the biggest factors in Baylor’s rise to national prominence has been its quarterback play. Robert Griffin III won a Heisman Trophy under Art Briles’ watch, and Bryce Petty built on that success, leading the Bears to the brink of a College Football Playoff berth in 2014, throwing for 3,855 yards with 29 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
But Petty has graduated, leaving the job to 2014 backup Seth Russell, who threw for 804 yards with eight touchdowns against one interception last fall.
Russell has the talent and the experience to thrive in the Bears offense, with all five offensive line starters, 1,200-yard rusher Shock Linwood and 1,000-yard receivers Corey Coleman and KD Cannon returning. Quarterback is a crucial position in Baylor’s system. If Russell struggles, 5-star recruit Jarrett Stidham will be breathing down his neck for an opportunity.
Georgia Tech QB Justin Thomas
10 of 10
Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas had a tremendous debut as a starter in 2014. Thomas threw for 1,719 yards with 18 touchdowns against six interceptions, and also served as the Yellow Jackets’ leading rusher with 1,086 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a huge reason why Tech went 11-3, won the ACC Coastal Division and the Orange Bowl.
Expectations will be higher on The Flats this fall, but repeating last fall’s impressive accomplishments won’t be easy. Graduation took a heavy toll on Tech’s offense, as four of the top five rushers and the top two receivers from 2014 are gone. Besides Thomas, the leading rusher returning is Broderick Snoddy, who rushed for 283 yards and three touchdowns before suffering a season-ending broken leg against Clemson.
Thomas is talented, without question, but Georgia Tech’s flexbone offense requires multiple offensive options firing on all cylinders to be effective. Unless new options emerge, opposing defenses will be able to key on Thomas and make his life miserable.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
