Grading Each Top 25 Team's Spring Game Performance
Spring football games can be difficult to evaluate. They feature a variety of formats. Some coaches use a system that awards defensive points for stops and offensive points for big plays, leading to wildly inflated scores. Others use trick plays with 350-pound offensive tackles or pull kids out of the stands to hold an extra point or call a special play.
It’s all in the name of having fun and rewarding players at the end of what can be 15 grueling spring practices—all while raising fan enthusiasm for the season ahead.
Some stars shine during spring. Others barely play and rest for fall. So grading can be tough, but we can still glean some nuggets from the recently completed round of spring games. Here are grades for the top 25 teams’ spring games. The rankings are taken from Bleacher Report’s most recent post-spring top 25 poll, compiled by Ben Kercheval.
25. Boise State
1 of 25
Boise State tends to spend life out of the college football limelight until it matters, and that’s fine with the Broncos. Boise held its spring game on a rainy Saturday before an announced crowd of 10,472 fans, a far cry from the huge crowds that showed up at places like Ohio State, Nebraska or Alabama, to name a few.
But the Broncos accomplished most of what they needed to. Quarterback is one of Boise’s few glaring vacancies, and coach Bryan Harsin watched four signal-callers compete to replace departed senior Grant Hedrick. Sophomore Ryan Finley is the only returning quarterback with experience, and he’s competing with fellow sophomore Tommy Stuart and freshmen Alex Ogle and Brett Rypien.
Finley completed 13 of 25 passes for 196 yards, but Ogle had the only touchdown pass among the quartet. Finley impressed with downfield throws and would figure to have the lead entering summer.
Meanwhile, Boise also must replace talented tailback Jay Ajayi, who left early for the NFL. Corey Young was most impressive, but Jeremy McNichols, who missed spring with an injury, has the inside track to be the lead back. Regardless, Boise enters summer feeling pretty good about itself.
Grade: B+
24. Georgia Tech
2 of 25
Georgia Tech enjoyed a breakthrough 2014, tallying 11 wins, defeating rivals Clemson and Georgia and winning the ACC Coastal Division as well as the Orange Bowl. Paul Johnson has a bit of an offensive revamp on his hands this fall after losing four of his top five rushers (quarterback Justin Thomas, the leading rusher, returns) and his top two receivers from a year ago.
A rainy night in Atlanta didn’t necessarily answer many of those questions, but that didn’t bother Johnson, who was just happy to avoid injuries in a scrimmage that attracted around 4,000 fans. Thomas played only three series before yielding to backup Tim Byerly.
New B-back Marcus Allen (not that Marcus Allen) looked impressive as a runner, while receivers Dennis Andrew and Antonio Messick had costly drops. The Yellow Jackets still have work to do to defend their Coastal title.
Grade: C+
23. Nebraska
3 of 25
If fan enthusiasm was part of a team’s spring game evaluation, Nebraska gets an “A”. Cornhuskers fans were excited to see new coach Mike Riley’s spring debut. An announced crowd of 76,881 packed into Memorial Stadium on a beautiful day, one of the biggest crowds of spring.
Those who attended didn’t necessarily see a lot of flashy plays or wrinkles—Riley kept the game largely vanilla, which makes sense. Outside of Oregon State film, no one has any idea what his schemes will look like with Nebraska’s players.
Tommy Armstrong has established himself as the top option at quarterback, and it will be interesting to see how his relationship with dynamic sophomore receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El evolves. Pierson-El made impacts all over the field last fall, and he piled up 123 total yards and a touchdown in the scrimmage.
Nebraska is also looking to replace do-everything tailback Ameer Abdullah. Junior Terrell Newby (53 yards) was the top candidate, while burly back Imani Cross will also play a key role. Overall, the Huskers showed promise, although work is needed on the offensive line.
Grade: B
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22. LSU
4 of 25
One of the central themes of LSU’s 8-5 2014 campaign was quarterback play. While the Tigers had a strong defense, talented receivers and a blossoming young tailback in Leonard Fournette, they didn’t have anyone they trusted to capably run the offense. Neither Anthony Jennings nor Brandon Harris seized the job, a theme that carried over to this spring.
With the spotlight on them in the spring game, both looked sharp. Jennings completed 13 of 20 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, while Harris completed 11 of 17 for 178 yards and two scores.
Harris threw touchdowns of 35 and 41 yards to Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural, respectively, while Jennings threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Dupre and an eight-yard strike to Dural. Harris threw the day’s only interception.
Fournette scarcely touched the ball, but that was by design. LSU’s passing offense was on display, and that might have reassured some fans who were nervous about the quarterback situation.
Grade: A-
21. Oklahoma State
5 of 25
2014 was a bit of a step back for Oklahoma State, as a young team scrambled to make a bowl game but finished with a 7-6 record following an upset of Oklahoma and a Cactus Bowl win over Washington. The Cowboys return 16 starters from that team, led by emerging sophomore quarterback Mason Rudolph, who was solid after having his redshirt pulled in the season’s second half.
One of the biggest concerns is tailback, but Rennie Childs showed he was highly capable of taking a lead role in the spring game. He rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown, including a 58-yard run. A pair of JUCO transfers in Chris Carson and Todd Mays will have their say, but Childs was solid.
Oklahoma State’s defense, led by active defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah and defensive tackle Vincent Taylor, was effective, forcing five turnovers on the day. That might be a concern for the offense, but it was a win for the defense. Such is life in spring ball.
Grade: B+
20. Arizona
6 of 25
Arizona is coming off a breakthrough 2014 under Rich Rodriguez, winning 10 games and the Pac-12 South while making a Fiesta Bowl berth with a freshman quarterback in Anu Solomon and a freshman tailback in Nick Wilson.
The Wildcats didn’t slow down in their spring game, either. Rodriguez kept the hammer down, running 100 plays as the offense took a 96-68 victory in a game that used a modified scoring system. Wilson was held out to rest injuries, but Solomon played like a more mature quarterback, completing 19 of 25 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
One big focus was the tight end, with Josh Kern nabbing five catches for 31 yards. Arizona’s defense, despite the presence of one of the nation’s top defenders in linebacker Scooby Wright, still had its struggles, although it showed some resilience. However, improvement is needed from a group that ranked No. 80 nationally in scoring defense a year ago.
Grade: B
19. Texas A&M
7 of 25
There’s plenty of interest in spring football at Texas A&M, but with renovations ongoing at Kyle Field, Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies opted against holding a public spring scrimmage for the second consecutive season. The spring game will return in 2016.
Spring was a chance for Kyle Allen to assert himself as the starting quarterback ahead of highly touted recruit Kyler Murray’s arrival this fall, and for new defensive coordinator John Chavis to introduce himself to his new charges. But without a public game, it’s hard to gauge public progress.
Grade: Incomplete
18. Arkansas
8 of 25
Following last season’s strong finish and a Texas Bowl rout of Texas, anticipation is high in the Ozark Mountains for Arkansas’ 2015 season, Bret Bielema’s third at the Razorbacks’ helm. The spring game did little to dispel that enthusiasm.
Returning 1,000-yard rushers Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, the twin engines behind the powerful rush offense, didn’t play while resting nagging injuries, but quarterback Brandon Allen picked up the slack.
Allen showed expertise in new offensive coordinator Dan Enos’ system, completing 17 of 21 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns against the second-string defense. Meanwhile, Kody Walker rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns, showing he can be a powerful option behind Collins and Williams.
Grade: B+
17. Oklahoma
9 of 25
This spring was a time for renewal and change for Oklahoma. Following 2014’s 8-5 disappointment, Bob Stoops cleaned house on his offensive staff and brought in East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley to run a pass-happy scheme that will complement dominant tailback Samaje Perine.
At first glance, Riley still has some work to do before the Sooners take the field this fall. While the schemes were vanilla, Oklahoma managed only 27 total points. The Sooners had three touchdown drives and five interceptions, never a good ratio at any point.
Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield, trying to unseat inconsistent Trevor Knight at quarterback, completed 10 of 13 passes for 176 yards with a touchdown, but he threw two deep interceptions. Knight completed six of 13 passes with an interception.
A new offense means there’s a learning curve over 15 practices, but Sooner fans would have preferred to see greater progress overall.
Grade: C
16. Florida State
10 of 25
With the departures of 12 starters, including likely NFL top overall pick Jameis Winston, defensive end Mario Edwards, cornerback P.J. Williams and defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, not to mention leading wideout Rashad Greene, this was set up as a transition spring in Tallahassee. There’s plenty of talent on Jimbo Fisher’s roster but precious little experience.
Junior Sean Maguire is Winston’s likely successor, but he had an up-and-down spring game. He completed 22 of 44 passes for 289 yards with two interceptions (although he was the only scholarship quarterback to face the starting defense). He still leads J.J. Cosentino and De’Andre Johnson.
Early-enrollee safety Derwin James had a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown, and fellow freshman George Campbell had two catches for 99 yards and a 65-yard touchdown.
The Seminoles will be talented, but there will be growing pains this fall, to be certain. The spring game showed that.
Grade: B-
15. Tennessee
11 of 25
For Tennessee, 2014 was a year to build on. The Volunteers made their first bowl since 2010 and finished with a 7-6 record after belting Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl, and they’ll return 19 starters this fall while adding an impressive recruiting class to the mix.
Butch Jones used a modified scoring system, and the defense won the game, 54-44. But that’s hardly relevant, although some young players did find their way into the spotlight. Former 4-star wide receiver Josh Malone had two catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. Freshman quarterback Quinten Dormady was on the other end of that throw, passing for 96 yards and the touchdown while completing five of 11 passes.
Starter Joshua Dobbs completed five of eight passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Cameron Sutton and Jaylen Reeves-Maybin both made big plays defensively for a unit that should be even better this fall.
Grade: B
14. Arizona State
12 of 25
Arizona State is coming off consecutive 10-win seasons and returns plenty of talent, including do-everything back D.J. Foster, but making any judgments from its spring game would be ill-advised. Due to construction at Sun Devil Stadium, ASU used only 70 yards of the 100-yard field, with supplies and construction trucks occupying the rest.
Senior quarterback Mike Bercovici found Foster for a pair of long gains as a receiver, but he did throw a red-zone pick and could only watch as tailback De’Chavon Hayes dropped a potential long gain.
Hayes and sophomore back Kalen Ballage both scored during red-zone drills, and coach Todd Graham pulled fans out of the stands to assist on punts and kicks. It was that kind of night in Tempe; expect the intensity to ratchet up just a bit before the Sept. 5 season opener against Texas A&M.
Grade: B
13. Georgia
13 of 25
Georgia is coming off a 10-3 season, but the Bulldogs are looking for more this fall after failing to even win the SEC East in 2014. Mark Richt and Co. return 13 starters, but one of the biggest concerns is under center, where steady senior Hutson Mason graduated.
Spring didn’t create a ton of separation between Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta, who are competing for the job. At G-Day, both split reps with the first-team offense, as they did throughout spring. Ramsey completed five of nine passes for 174 yards and a touchdown, while Bauta completed 16 of 25 for 171 yards and a score.
Tailback Nick Chubb, who rushed for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman, had three carries for 34 yards (including a 17-yard touchdown) and three receptions for 23 yards.
Black defeated Red 24-17, but that score was forgotten before fans cleared out of Sanford Stadium. The quarterback battle, however, will stretch into preseason practice, which could be a concern for Richt’s staff.
Grade: B-
12. Clemson
14 of 25
Following four consecutive 10-win seasons, Clemson has established itself among college football’s upper echelon. A crowd of approximately 37,000 turned out at Memorial Stadium to see how the Tigers would take their first public step in the post-Chad Morris era, but Dabo Swinney and Co. painted an incomplete picture.
Star quarterback Deshaun Watson sat out while continuing his rehab from December ACL surgery (he’ll be ready for preseason practice), so backup Nick Schuessler took the reins, alternating for both the Orange and White teams.
He completed nine of 13 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns, while junior receiver Mike Williams caught five passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Tailback C.J. Davidson carried four times for 76 yards and a 54-yard touchdown.
Clemson’s red-zone offense looked solid, although there were concerns about a defense that is replacing eight starters from the nation’s No. 1 overall scoring defense in 2014. That’s to be expected, especially given the lack of experienced depth and the day’s split-squad nature.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad day in Death Valley, although not one you’d draw a ton of conclusions from come September.
Grade: B
11. Ole Miss
15 of 25
Ole Miss had an impressive season of growth in 2014, going 9-4 with wins over rivals Alabama and Mississippi State and shaking off the label of SEC West also-ran that has plagued the program in recent seasons.
Hugh Freeze’s team will return 17 starters, but one of the biggest questions is at quarterback, where mercurial Bo Wallace must be replaced. The Grove Bowl offered little separation between the contenders vying to become the man under center: Clemson transfer Chad Kelly, Ryan Buchanan and DeVante Kincade.
Kelly completed nine of 19 passes for 104 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Buchanan completed five of 16 for 49 yards and an interception, while Kincade completed nine of 18 for 93 yards, adding 50 yards rushing.
While the Ole Miss offense should be fine, especially with standout receiver Laquon Treadwell returning from the broken ankle that ended his 2014 season prematurely, a quarterback must emerge quickly for it to reach its maximum potential.
Grade: C+
10. UCLA
16 of 25
UCLA didn’t have a lot to prove this spring. Jim Mora’s team is coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and should be a top College Football Playoff contender this fall. The Bruins return 18 starters but did absorb two key losses in dual-threat quarterback Brett Hundley and linebacker Eric Kendricks, their leading tackler.
Mora eschewed a spring game in favor of a “Spring Showcase” that was open to fans. It was a basic workout to end spring practice, and he left it with little news on the most pressing question: Who will start at quarterback this fall?
Early-enrollee freshman Josh Rosen, a 5-star recruit, was the most impressive of the three quarterbacks who are vying to replace Hundley as the starter. But Mora didn’t name a starter, which will leave at least a little suspense as we enter summer.
Grade: Incomplete
9. Auburn
17 of 25
Auburn’s annual A-Day game featured new faces and new concepts across the board. Following an ugly defensive effort in 2014, it was the first opportunity for fans to see how new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s system would take place, as well as a chance for new offensive pieces like quarterback Jeremy Johnson and tailbacks Jovon Robinson and Roc Thomas to shine.
Johnson was impressive, cementing the starting quarterback role by completing 14 of 22 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. He made solid connections with returning standout D’haquille Williams as well as Ricardo Louis and Myron Burton (who made six catches for 124 yards).
And while it was hard to judge Muschamp’s defense due to the day’s divided format and a rash of injuries, Auburn’s defensive line consistently got pressure, which was a positive sign given the struggles that unit endured to create a pass rush in 2014.
Grade: A-
8. Oregon
18 of 25
Oregon likes to do things a bit differently, as anyone who has watched a Ducks game recently and noticed their colorful uniform combinations knows. That extends to its spring game, too. While the rest of the nation has wrapped up its spring football season, Oregon won’t play its spring game until Saturday, joining Hawaii as the last FBS programs to hold their games this season.
One of the biggest storylines will surround quarterback Jeff Lockie. He has established himself as the leader to replace Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota under center this fall, but will he be able to hold off Eastern Washington graduate transfer Vernon Adams, who arrives on campus this summer? This will be Lockie’s best chance to leave a final impression entering summer.
Grade: Incomplete
7. Notre Dame
19 of 25
Notre Dame had a roller-coaster 2014 season, ending up with an 8-5 record and a Music City Bowl win over LSU. Bigger things are expected of the Irish this fall, as Notre Dame returns 19 starters from a young, talented group.
One of the biggest question marks was a key storyline of the Blue-Gold game, which the defense won 36-34 in a modified scoring system. Late last season, incumbent starter Everett Golson was benched following a flurry of turnovers in favor of Malik Zaire, and the two have carried their battle for a starting role into spring practice.
Both showed coach Brian Kelly why they could be considered the starter in the Irish’s final spring showcase. Zaire completed eight of 14 passes for 137 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown pass. Golson completed seven of 15 passes for 83 yards and an interception. Both showed promise running the read option as well.
Brian VanGorder’s defense shook off a slow start to find consistent pressure on the quarterbacks, a positive sign as the Irish enter their second year in his system. Overall, however, there was no resolution to the question at quarterback, which will carry over into summer and preseason practice.
Grade: B+
6. Southern California
20 of 25
While Steve Sarkisian’s second season at Southern California’s helm brings high hopes, the spring game was a bit different. USC is still recovering from NCAA sanctions, so depth was an issue this spring. Sarkisian banned tackling outside of goal-line drills, used an offense-vs.-defense modified scoring format and adopted a pass-heavy approach.
Senior quarterback Cody Kessler shined, completing eight of 10 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown, and he built chemistry with the likes of JuJu Smith, Steven Mitchell and Isaac Whitney. Do-everything athlete Adoree’ Jackson played all over the field, lining up at wide receiver and in the backfield and also playing as a cornerback. He’ll also serve as USC’s primary kick and punt returner.
The format kept fans from getting a real read on USC’s rebuilt defense. Those tests will come this fall.
Grade: B+
5. Alabama
21 of 25
While Alabama, which will return nine starters from 2014’s SEC championship squad, had many questions entering spring practice, one of the most pressing surrounded who would succeed Blake Sims as the Crimson Tide’s new quarterback.
Senior Jake Coker, who alternated with Sims before Sims claimed the role as his own last fall, leads a pack of five candidates. However, none of them seized the day, including Coker. The senior completed 14 of 28 passes for 183 yards with a touchdown, but he also threw a costly pick-six to defensive back Maurice Smith. Freshman David Cornwell was next, completing 12 of 24 passes with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Overall, Alabama’s five quarterbacks combined to throw six interceptions on the day to six different defensive backs. That was a concern for coach Nick Saban, per AL.com's Matt Zenitz:
"I thought Jake did a good job. Threw the one pick that was a pick-6. That would be one of the things that I would say, the turnovers. A big emphasis this spring has been the ball. How are we going to take care of the ball on offense? How are we going to ball-hawk on defense? We obviously did a better job of ball-hawking on defense because that's way too many turnovers.
"
White defeated Crimson 27-14 before a crowd of 67,000-plus, but those in attendance surely left with some questions about the Tide’s offensive viability.
Grade: C+
4. TCU
22 of 25
TCU didn’t have a lot to prove this spring. The Horned Frogs had a breakout 2014 campaign, going 12-1, barely missing the College Football Playoff and finishing the season with a 42-3 Peach Bowl drubbing of Ole Miss.
Gary Patterson is an old-school coach, and TCU’s spring game reflected that sensibility, to an extent. The Frogs adopted a “Friday Night Lights” format that saw them unveil sharp new Nike uniforms and serve as a showcase for recruits. However, star quarterback Trevone Boykin didn’t play while rehabbing a minor injury.
The only development of note came when Foster Sawyer took the lead over Grayson Muehlstein and Bram Kohlhausen to become Boykin’s backup this fall. It was that kind of night in Fort Worth.
Grade: B
3. Michigan State
23 of 25
Michigan State is coming off another impressive season, finishing 11-2 with a Cotton Bowl win over Baylor. The Spartans should be one of the nation’s most talented teams again this fall, but they do have some significant holes to fill with the departures of leading rusher Jeremy Langford and top receiver Tony Lippett.
During the spring game, former Tennessee transfer DeAnthony Arnett showed that he could be worthy of filling the void left by Lippett, catching five passes for 52 yards.
At tailback, Madre London and Gerald Holmes both showed signs of being the No. 1 option. London carried nine times for 78 yards, including a 50-yard gain, and Holmes carried 11 times for 48 yards. Overall, it was a highly positive spring game for the Spartans, who showcased a number of trick plays and had fun.
Grade: B+
2. Baylor
24 of 25
After just missing the College Football Playoff last fall, Baylor again figures to be among the nation’s elite programs. Art Briles loses standout quarterback Bryce Petty and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery (the new head coach at Tulsa) but does return 17 starters including 1,000-yard receivers Corey Coleman and KD Cannon, tailback Shock Linwood and big defensive end Shawn Oakman.
2014 Petty understudy Seth Russell was the favorite entering spring to win the job, and the 345 yards he put up in the spring game didn’t hurt his chances. Backups Chris Johnson and Jarrett Stidham combined to complete eight of 24 passes for 73 yards.
Baylor’s secondary, a weak spot in 2014, also looked solid, although the Bears could stand to improve their offensive line depth, as the second unit struggled at times. Overall, though, Briles’ bunch showed no signs of slowing down in 2015.
Grade: A-
1. Ohio State
25 of 25
Ohio State had a truly special 2014 season. The Buckeyes shook off an early loss to Virginia Tech to run the table the rest of the way and win the College Football Playoff national title, Urban Meyer’s third overall and first as Ohio State head coach. They did so with a pair of quarterbacks: J.T. Barrett stepped into Braxton Miller’s shoes following a season-ending shoulder injury, and after Barrett suffered a season-ending broken ankle, it was Cardale Jones’ turn to lead the charge to the title.
Miller and Barrett missed spring while rehabbing their injuries, so Jones had the opportunity to shine in the spring game, which was played before a national spring game record of 99,391 fans. And while he completed just 19 of 42 passes, he threw for 304 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
He carried the offense, as standout tailback Ezekiel Elliott also sat out while recovering from wrist surgery. Jones' deep-ball ability was impressive, and while he didn’t lock down the job, he served notice that he’ll be a factor in this fall’s quarterback derby.
Grade: B+
Note: Recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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