10 College Football Players Under Unrealistic Pressure in 2015
In college football, pressure is inherent. Teams prepare all year long for 12 autumn Saturdays (with the occasional weeknight game thrown in for good measure), and the huge influx of television and bowl dollars in recent seasons has only raised the stakes.
With the margin for error between a great season and a good one—or a bowl season and a holiday season spent at home—so thin, pressure permeates through coaching staffs and onto players’ shoulders. Pressure is understandable, and some players carry it well.
However, several players will carry unrealistic pressure this fall due to issues surrounding them that are out of their control or other extenuating issues. Here’s a look at 10 players who will face unfair amounts of pressure in 2015.
Oregon QB Vernon Adams
1 of 10
Around Eugene this spring, the dominant storyline has concerned Oregon’s successor to Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota, who left for the NFL draft after leading the Ducks to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. And for good reason: Mariota was the engine that made Oregon’s offense go.
Following spring practice, Jeff Lockie, Mariota’s backup last fall, emerged from a crowded field of competitors, but he has one more challenge to surmount in Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams. Adams, who stands 6’0”, 190 pounds, used the graduate transfer rule to spend his final season in the Pac-12.
Adams is a dynamic player who has excelled against FBS competition, including against Oregon State last fall. But with no spring practice, will he be able to pick up the learning curve quickly enough to succeed this fall, his only shot at big-time football? That’s a pretty tough assignment, and it might be fair to release the pressure on his shoulders.
Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong Jr.
2 of 10
Despite seven consecutive nine-win seasons, Nebraska officials had seen enough of Bo Pelini’s act last winter, canning the boisterous coach following another 9-4 season that wound up short of the Big Ten title game. Pelini was replaced by Oregon State coach and noted nice guy Mike Riley, a personality sea change if ever there was one.
Riley’s presence will change many things about the program, but Husker fans will still demand nine wins. One player who could feel the biggest impact is junior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. A solid dual-threat passer, Armstrong threw for 2,695 yards and 22 touchdowns against 12 interceptions last fall, adding 705 rushing yards and six touchdowns as well.
But he’ll likely be asked to modify his game and play in more of a pro-style offense, all while adjusting to life without standout tailback Ameer Abdullah. Talented players like De’Mornay Pierson-El and Jordan Westerkamp remain, but plugging Armstrong, who completed 53.3 percent of his passes a year ago, into a pro-style system might be a mistake.
He’ll face real pressure to keep Nebraska’s offense humming and the win total high, but it won’t be easy for Armstrong in 2015.
Iowa QB C.J. Beathard
3 of 10
Last fall, C.J. Beathard was the most popular man in Iowa City. While quarterback Jake Rudock started 11 games in the regular season, fans clamored for Beathard, the Hawkeyes backup who led a comeback win at Pitt and another win at Purdue with Rudock sidelined by injury.
Rudock is now gone after taking advantage of the graduate transfer rule and winding up with new coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. While Beathard has a higher ceiling than Rudock, it might be a case of “Door No. 2” for Iowa fans.
As in, be careful what’s behind Door No. 2. The offensive talent surrounding Beathard is mostly pedestrian, especially with standout left tackle Brandon Scherff gone to the NFL as a top-five overall draft pick.
Will Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Greg Davis allow Beathard to run an open offense or the same risk-averse scheme which Iowa fans have come to loathe? Beathard might be viewed as a savior, but saving Iowa’s offense could be beyond his powers.
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Florida State QB Everett Golson
4 of 10
For Everett Golson, 2014 was a season of highs and lows. His return from an academic suspension started off swimmingly, and Notre Dame hit midseason with a 6-0 record. But the Fighting Irish finished the regular season 1-5, and Golson lost his starting role to Malik Zaire.
Golson had 29 touchdowns and 3,445 passing yards, but he also had 14 interceptions and eight fumbles. He noted that his turnovers were "just me not taking care of the ball," per FoxSports.com's Bruce Feldman:
"It was me trying to do too much at times. Not giving up on plays. Me trying to escape the pocket and not keeping two hands on the ball. Just being real careless. Lots of little detail stuff. And that costs us a little bit. At the end of the day what didn't happen was me getting back to the fundamentals.
"
The pair competed for the job during spring practice, and while Brian Kelly didn’t name a starter, Golson announced his intent to transfer shortly afterward. He wound up at Florida State, a program that is trying to replace Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston.
Sean Maguire finished spring practice in the lead for the job, but Golson is expected to challenge him for the job. Some Florida State fans might consider him the savior, but Golson isn’t stepping into an easy situation.
FSU returns only one starting offensive lineman, and while talented tailback Dalvin Cook returns, the Seminoles must also replace key passing-game targets in Rashad Greene and Nick O’ Leary. Expecting Golson to pick up Jimbo Fisher’s offense over the summer and excel with a short learning curve might be a bridge too far.
Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg
5 of 10
Last fall, Christian Hackenberg took a big, clear step backward. Following a freshman season that saw him throw for 2,955 yards and 20 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, he threw 12 touchdowns against 15 interceptions with 2,977 yards in 2014.
However, it wasn’t really Hackenberg’s fault. Penn State’s awful offensive line allowed 44 sacks last season, compared to 21 in 2013, and the Nittany Lions quarterback was consistently rushed and forced into bad decisions.
Penn State hopes to build on 2014’s 7-6 record, and fans surely have their sights set higher than another Pinstripe Bowl appearance. Talented wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton gives Hackenberg an excellent target in the passing game, but none of it will matter if the offensive line doesn't improve.
Three starters return from that line, with junior college transfer Paris Palmer expected to make an impact at a vacant tackle spot. Even if Hackenberg is a future first-round NFL draft pick—Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com has him as the top overall pick in an early 2016 mock draft—he won’t look like it if he’s constantly running for his life.
Florida OT Martez Ivey
6 of 10
When Martez Ivey chose Florida on national signing day, he was hailed as the jewel of Jim McElwain’s first signing class, and with good reason. Ivey, who stands 6’5”, 275 pounds, is rated as the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect by 247Sports and is an excellent long-term prospect.
Offensive line isn’t a traditional early-impact position: Many linemen redshirt for a season to build bulk and acclimate themselves to the college game. That won’t be the case for Ivey.
Florida lost five offensive linemen and a combined 47 starts from 2014, leaving McElwain a very thin line. That line grew thinner in spring practice when projected starting left tackle Roderick Johnson was forced to give up football due to spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column.
That means Ivey, along with sophomore David Sharpe, will likely serve as a starting tackle this fall. He’ll be protecting the winner of Florida’s quarterback derby, be it Treon Harris or Will Grier. That’s a tall, tall assignment for a true freshman. Ivey won’t have much time to adjust to SEC football.
Clemson DE Shaq Lawson
7 of 10
One year ago, the key to Clemson’s 10-win season was a deep, talented defense that finished No. 1 nationally in total defense and allowed just 16.7 points per game, No. 3 nationally. The bedrock of that defense? A veteran defensive line.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables hopes for a repeat in 2015, but that won’t be so easy this time around. Only two players return from last season’s defensive line two-deep—junior defensive end Shaq Lawson and senior defensive tackle D.J. Reader—and both will be leaned upon heavily this fall with an inexperienced group surrounding them.
Lawson will be replacing NFL top-10 overall pick Vic Beasley, who graduated as Clemson’s all-time sacks leader. He has talent, as his 2013 Freshman All-American status shows, and had Beasley bolted for the NFL following the 2013 season, Lawson would’ve inherited his starting role.
As it was, he had 34 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as Beasley’s backup. But the inexperience surrounding him, exacerbated by Ebenezer Ogundeko’s recent dismissal for credit card fraud, will make the load Lawson is carrying even heavier. He’ll be expected to make a big impact, but opponents will key on him. Is Lawson ready?
Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
8 of 10
Look, there’s little questioning Dak Prescott’s status as a breakout star of the 2014 season or his role in Mississippi State’s surprising success. Prescott was all over the field last fall, piling up 4,470 yards of total offense and accounting for 42 total touchdowns, keying MSU’s Orange Bowl run.
Prescott’s return for his senior season was cause for celebration. However, he’ll be surrounded by unfamiliar faces this fall. The Bulldogs return only eight starters and must replace 1,200-yard rusher Josh Robinson as well as three offensive line starters.
A year ago, MSU spent five weeks as the nation’s No. 1 team, but this fall, Dan Mullen’s team will be picked toward the bottom of the SEC West. Prescott will be expected to carry the Bulldogs to another respectable showing in 2015.
Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight
9 of 10
This time last fall, Trevor Knight was the man in Norman. He was entering his first season as a full-time starter coming off a dominant MVP effort in Oklahoma’s Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, and most observers expected him to build on that success as OU’s starting quarterback.
It never happened. Oklahoma was inconsistent at best, going from a preseason College Football Playoff pick to 8-5 following a humbling 40-6 Russell Athletic Bowl loss to Clemson. Knight never found his groove, throwing for 2,300 yards with 14 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and missing time with a scary-looking neck injury.
Now, Knight finds himself in the middle of a quarterback competition with a new offensive coordinator, East Carolina Air Raid aficionado Lincoln Riley, watching. His competition, Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield, was recruited to pilot a similar system at Tech, and there’s no guarantee Knight will win the starting role this fall.
He’ll face significant pressure to excel in Riley’s new, wide-open system, but maybe it’s time to realize that Knight simply isn’t consistent enough to be counted upon on a regular basis. Lower the expectations, and perhaps he’ll surprise.
Baylor QB Seth Russell
10 of 10
Art Briles is building a strong tradition of potent quarterbacks in Baylor’s offense. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III was followed by Bryce Petty, both of whom led the Bears to significant national success. Petty threw for 8,055 yards and 61 touchdowns in two seasons as the BU starter.
Into that breach steps junior quarterback Seth Russell. The 6'3" signal-caller, who served as Petty’s backup last fall, threw for 804 yards and eight touchdowns against one interception, leading a rout against Northwestern State with Petty sidelined by a back injury.
Baylor has excellent talent surrounding Russell, including tailback Shock Linwood (1,252 yards, 16 touchdowns) and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in KD Cannon and Corey Coleman. There will be plenty of pressure riding on his shoulders, but is that fair for a player who has appeared in only 15 collegiate games?
Baylor will be a College Football Playoff contender again in 2015, but building in a learning curve for Russell might be wise, at least early on.
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