Every College Football Playoff Contender's Most Important Fall Camp Battle
As July ends, we’re moving from one phase of college football’s preseason to another. Talking season—which is characterized by the dog and pony shows that are conference media days scattered across the nation—is wrapping up.
As we turn the calendar to August, another season will begin as teams open preseason practice. Proving season. Every team from the bottom to the top of the Football Bowl Subdivision has questions to be answered before it takes the field in early September, and preseason practice is about nailing those queries to the best of their abilities before facing live opponents.
Even the top contenders for the College Football Playoff have questions, believe it or not. Here’s a look at the most important camp battle for every College Football Playoff contender. We limited the scope to the top 12 teams in Bleacher Report’s projected preseason top 25 by Justin Ferguson this week. If your team didn’t make the cut, that isn’t to say they’re out of contention already. After all, nobody pegged TCU as a preseason contender last fall. But we had to draw the line somewhere. Let’s go.
12. Georgia
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Georgia should be the clear SEC East favorite after returning 12 starters from a team that went 10-3 and won the Belk Bowl in 2014, keyed by sophomore tailback and Heisman Trophy candidate Nick Chubb. But following Hutson Mason’s graduation, the Bulldogs lack a quarterback and enter fall camp without a defined front-runner for the position.
Sophomore Brice Ramsey and junior Faton Bauta spent spring fighting for the opening, but neither gained a clear foothold with new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. The waters got murkier following the arrival of Virginia graduate transfer Greyson Lambert, who was the Cavaliers’ starter in 2014.
Lambert threw for 1,632 yards with 10 touchdowns against 11 interceptions while completing 59 percent of his passes in UVA’s offense. Ramsey served as Mason’s backup, completing 24 of 39 passes for 333 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions. Bauta, a more mobile quarterback, completed four of five passes for 48 yards in a mop-up role.
The battle should be wide open, but it will be crucial for Schottenheimer and Mark Richt to find a consistent starter quickly to give the offense a calming effect.
11. Florida State
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Following a strong run that included three consecutive ACC championships, a national title and a College Football Playoff berth, Florida State is retooling a bit in 2015. The Seminoles enter the season with just 10 returning starters, three on offense. The most important question? Who will replace Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston?
Winston was many things: controversial, boisterous, brash. But no one could doubt his ability to win games, as he suffered his only collegiate loss in the Rose Bowl, his career finale. His replacement must prove that he can lead the offense and consistently win as well.
Junior Sean Maguire emerged as the favorite to succeed Winston following spring practice. He is experienced in FSU’s system and led the Seminoles to an overtime win over Clemson last fall with Winston suspended for yelling a vulgarity on Florida State’s campus. He threw for 304 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
However, the arrival of Notre Dame graduate transfer Everett Golson threw an interesting wrinkle into the picture. Golson was turnover-prone last season as the Fighting Irish starter, throwing 29 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, but he’s big-game tested and led Notre Dame to the 2012 BCS national title game. He could provide an excellent bridge from the Winston era to whatever comes next in Tallahassee.
10. Auburn
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Although Auburn’s offense will look a little different this fall with Jeremy Johnson instead of Nick Marshall under center, there’s no question that the Tigers will run the ball plenty. Last fall, Auburn ran the ball 607 times while attempting 332 passes and boasted the SEC’s leading rusher in senior Cameron Artis-Payne.
With Artis-Payne gone and No. 2 tailback Corey Grant gone, there’s an opportunity for a lead back in Auburn’s offense and no shortage of talented candidates. Peyton Barber, Jovon Robinson and Roc Thomas spent spring battling for the lead role and ended it with little separation.
All three bring something a little different to the role. Robinson returned to Auburn as the nation’s top junior college recruit and went through spring practice with his new teammates. Thomas, a sophomore, carried 43 times for 214 yards and two touchdowns last fall, while Barber carried 10 times for 54 yards.
Gus Malzahn’s offense requires a back who can carry the load, and one will likely emerge eventually. Will it happen before the Georgia Dome season opener against Louisville? That’s a good question.
9. Clemson
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Clemson has established itself as one of college football’s most consistent programs. The Tigers are one of four FBS teams to win at least 10 games in each of the past four seasons, a truly impressive feat. This fall, Dabo Swinney and Co. have a talented but untested roster, as Clemson will return only six starters from last fall’s 10-3 team.
That said, there are few real “battles” as Clemson prepares for preseason. While some of Clemson’s new front-line players lack starting experience, there is separation between the first and second units. Perhaps the most intriguing spot in the lineup is left tackle. Five-star freshman Mitch Hyatt was expected to play this fall but his development was rushed by senior Isaiah Battle’s June departure via the NFL supplemental draft.
Hyatt is the obvious favorite to protect sophomore star quarterback Deshaun Watson but he’ll have to earn the position. If he doesn’t step forward, senior Eric Mac Lain, senior Joe Gore or even freshman Jake Fruhmorgen could shuffle into the role. It’s crucial for Clemson that Hyatt take ownership at left tackle.
8. Notre Dame
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Following an up-and-down 8-5 2014 season, Notre Dame appears poised to break through as a College Football Playoff contender this fall. The Fighting Irish return 16 starters and already answered one of their biggest questions when inconsistent Everett Golson transferred to Florida State following spring practice, leaving sophomore Malik Zaire as the starting quarterback.
With 16 returning starters, there won’t be a ton of red-hot position battles this summer, but one of the most intriguing is at tight end. The Irish have typically employed a solid pass-catcher there under Brian Kelly’s watch, but Ben Koyack’s graduation does leave a void.
Notre Dame is looking for a new starting tight end for the third consecutive season and will choose from a quartet of candidates already on campus. They are junior Mike Heuerman, sophomore Tyler Luatua, junior Durham Smythe and sophomore Nic Weishar.
Smythe is the only tight end on the roster with a career reception (he had one catch for seven yards last fall), while Luatua saw extensive action as a blocking tight end. They’re the favorites to emerge as the lead dog this fall, and Zaire will surely need to rely on one much as his quarterback predecessors have.
7. Southern California
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Southern California is in perfect position to return to its familiar position within college football’s ruling class in 2015. Following a 9-4 record in Steve Sarkisian’s head coaching debut, the Trojans return 14 starters on a very talented roster, led by standout senior quarterback Cody Kessler. However, USC does have some holes to fill following NFL draft departures.
One of the most notable is in the backfield, where Buck Allen rushed for 1,489 yards, adding 458 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns last fall. The Trojans have a pair of intriguing options to replace him as the lead back. Junior Justin Davis rushed for 595 yards and four touchdowns last fall, while oft-injured senior Tre Madden (who missed last fall with a foot injury) is finally healthy.
Two years ago, Madden rushed for at least 100 yards in four of USC’s first five games, flashing his potential. He is a lower-the-shoulders kind of back, while Davis is a shifty, big-play back. Together, they could be a solid 1-2 punch, but it’ll be interesting to see if one or the other emerges as a true lead back early on.
6. Oregon
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Oregon’s biggest question as it enters fall camp is crystal clear. The Ducks have established themselves as a national power following 2014’s national runner-up finish, and they’ll return 13 starters, including the heart of a powerful running game. But coach Mark Helfrich and offensive coordinator Scott Frost must replace Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota, the key to 2014’s impressive run.
Junior Jeff Lockie was the only returning quarterback to throw a pass in 2014, completing 21 of 28 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, and this spring he separated himself from a group that included redshirt freshman Morgan Mahalak, Georgia Tech transfer Ty Griffin, Taylor Alie and Travis Jonsen.
However, that’s only half the battle. Graduate transfer Vernon Adams, who excelled at FCS Eastern Washington, is finishing up his final degree requirements but will arrive on campus soon to battle Lockie for the job, per Ryan Thorburn of the Register-Guard.
"That’s the plan,” Adams said. “I want to get out there, continue doing what I’m doing and continue working hard. I missed the summer workouts, so the main thing is to earn these guys’ trust and show them I can lead.”
He’ll have to learn the offense quickly, but Adams is mobile and athletic and his skills are a perfect fit in Oregon’s offense. Their battle could go down to the season opener against, ironically enough, Eastern Washington.
5. Michigan State
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Michigan State enters 2015 as a prime College Football Playoff contender following a two-year run that includes a 24-3 record, a Big Ten title and Cotton and Rose Bowl wins. The Spartans return 12 starters, but one of the biggest voids is at tailback, where top tailback Jeremy Langford, who rushed for 1,522 yards and 22 touchdowns, graduated. So did Nick Hill, the second-leading rusher with 622 yards.
Leading returning rusher Delton Williams, who had 316 yards and five touchdowns, missed spring while suspended after brandishing a firearm during a road rage incident, and pleaded guilty to a reduced weapons charge, per Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press. He’ll return to the team in mid-August as a non-scholarship player, joining a crowded backfield picture.
Sophomore Gerald Holmes and redshirt freshman Madre London waged a spirited battle in spring, and talented freshman L.J. Scott will join the mix this summer. Holmes is the only player with experience, carrying 15 times for 44 yards last fall.
The Spartans have backfield numbers and talent, but their backfield picture is muddled as August looms.
4. Alabama
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For the second consecutive season Alabama has questions at quarterback. Last fall, the Crimson Tide’s quarterback quandary lingered into September until Blake Sims claimed the job as his own, throwing for 3,487 yards with 28 touchdowns. He led Bama to an SEC title and College Football Playoff appearance, but his graduation leaves another void.
His backup, senior Jake Coker, competed with a group of talented young players this spring, and while Coker emerged as the leader, none truly stands out. The quarterbacks combined to throw six interceptions at Alabama’s A-Day spring game. Redshirt freshman David Cornwell was also impressive, and fellow freshman Blake Barnett showed flashes, too.
Coker hasn’t locked up the starting role yet. If he falters one of the youngsters, including Cornwell, could capitalize. It’ll be an interesting situation to watch.
3. Baylor
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When spring began it appeared that quarterback was Baylor’s biggest question mark entering 2015. And while there are still questions about how the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense will function without starting quarterback Bryce Petty, there’s little doubt about who his successor will be. Junior Seth Russell staked his claim with a strong spring and appears unlikely to be unseated in preseason practice.
That said, a defense that blew a 20-point lead to Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl still has issues despite returning nine starters. One of the biggest unresolved questions is at middle linebacker, where productive team leader Bryce Hager (who had 114 tackles a year ago) departed.
Former junior college transfer Grant Campbell finished spring atop the depth chart, but he’s being pushed hard by Aiavion Edwards. Last fall, Campbell had 11 tackles and a sack, while Edwards had 35 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Edwards is the more experienced player, and don’t expect him to go quietly this summer. Either way, the middle linebacker is a crucial piece of the defense and Baylor must find a starter it can lean on like it did Hager.
2. TCU
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This fall, everyone will see TCU coming for them. That wasn’t the case in 2014. Following a 4-8 record in 2013, the Horned Frogs’ march to a 12-1 record that finished just short of the College Football Playoff was the game’s biggest surprise.
Coach Gary Patterson returns 16 starters, led by senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Trevone Boykin, as well as 10 offensive starters from a group that averaged 46.5 points per game, No. 2 nationally. But he has defensive questions, most notably at linebacker.
Paul Dawson and Marcus Mallet were the heart and soul of a defense that allowed 19 points per game last fall, No. 8 nationally, and both have graduated. Last fall, they combined for 236 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Junior Sammy Douglas and converted safety Mike Freeze were listed as the starters following spring practice, but they’ll be pushed by true freshman Alec Dunham, redshirt freshman Ty Summers and sophomore Paul Whitmill. TCU will score plenty this fall, but it’ll have to stop some people, too. To do so, it’ll need some quick stability in its linebacker corps.
1. Ohio State
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And then, there were two.
The biggest story following Ohio State’s run to the 2014 national title surrounded the Buckeye quarterback. Who would emerge as the starter? Would it be two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Miller? Talented sophomore J.T. Barrett, who started the entire regular season after Miller’s shoulder surgery forced a redshirt season? Or big-armed junior Cardale Jones, who carried the Buckeyes to a title after Barrett suffered a broken ankle?
Miller changed the storyline a bit by announcing that he’d move to wide receiver/H-back this fall, per SI.com's Pete Thamel, but that still leaves Barrett and Jones to battle it out.
Last fall, Barrett was an excellent dual-threat passer, throwing for 2,834 yards with 34 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and adding 938 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. FoxSports.com's Stewart Mandel says he must be OSU's Week 1 starter.
Jones was very impressive in leading the Buckeyes through the College Football Playoff and to a national title. He threw for 860 yards with seven touchdowns against two interceptions, completing 60.9 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 296 yards and a touchdown.
It’d be hard for Urban Meyer to go wrong with either guy as his starter for the opener at Virginia Tech, especially with a loaded offense led by tailback Ezekiel Elliott returning. But whoever starts will be heavily scrutinized. It’s a fascinating story that we can’t wait to see unfold.
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