College Football Awards for the 2015 Offseason

Channeling our inner Professor Farnsworth, we have good news for everyone: The 2015 college football season is drawing nigh. Congratulations, you've nearly made it through the grueling offseason. All that's left is to get through preseason camp. 

And stay healthy. For goodness' sake, nobody tear anything. 

But before we move straight into football, let's take a look back at what made the offseason so interesting with the official Bleacher Report College Football Awards—2015 Offseason Edition. From the best quote to the best viral video, from the MVP to the worst controversy, we look back at everything that made the last few months bearable. Additionally, we'll mix in some storylines for the upcoming season as part of our flashy awards ceremony. 

Also, there are no trophies or red carpets or anything like that. It's just us with an "attaboy" pat on the back. 

MVP: Baylor TE LaQuan McGowan

To put it one way, no other player with one career touchdown reception has received as much offseason attention as Baylor tight end—and converted offensive lineman—LaQuan McGowan. Pretty much everyone from B/R's Adam Kramer to ESPN's Jake Trotter has written about McGowan, who famously caught a score in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State. 

It's easy to understand why, though. At 410 pounds, per his bio, and in pass-catching situations, McGowan is a football anomaly. And media coverage thrives on the interesting, the offbeat and the unique. 

McGowan will be making a full-time transition to tight end, a position seldom used for pass-catching in the Bears offense over the past several years. Exiting spring, McGowan was listed as the co-starter at tight end, indicating head coach Art Briles wasn't doing this for show. 

How will McGowan perform during the season? We'll find out, but no other player/position switch has as much novelty as this one does. 

Best Trend: Backflip Catches

There was a time this offseason when backflip-catch videos were being churned out seemingly by the day. Among the players to show off their athletic and acrobatic skills were North Carolina A&T running back Tarik Cohen, Northern Illinois' Aregeros Turner, Minnesota's Logan Hutton, FAU's Jenson Stoshak and even Texas kicker Nick Rose. 

In this day and age of social media, the opportunities to one-up the next person can lead to a mini-trend. That's exactly what we had here. The days of the backflip catch are over now, but it was fun, if not repetitive, for awhile. 

Worst Controversy: Satellite Camps

Tony Ding/Associated Press

There's usually one ridiculous offseason controversy every year in college football. Last year, it was the 10-second substitution proposal designed to improve player safety. It wasn't so much that the proposed rule change itself was bad as much as the reasoning was laughable and unsupported. The proposed change was eventually tabled, though, and nothing ever came of it. 

This year, satellite camps were all the rage—and not in a good way for some head coaches. If you need a refresher on exactly what satellite camps are, Mitch Sherman of ESPN.com had a good, easy-to-digest look at them in April. The long story short is that they're a loophole in the NCAA's rules allowing coaches to serve as guests at camps beyond a 50-mile campus radius. The most famous employer of satellite camps was Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh with his "Summer Swarm" tour. 

But because the ACC and SEC don't allow their coaches to even serve as guests for these camps, it puts them at a disadvantage. As such, the SEC led the charge on changing NCAA legislation to eliminate these camps. The alternative, the conference said, was that if the loophole wasn't closed by next summer (2016), it would lift its own ban. 

In other words, come 2016, SEC coaches will have the option to participate in satellite camps. Because that rule is not changing. 

Nor should it. The benefit of satellite camps is that they pair prospective players with coaches they may never have considered before. If a player and his family don't have the money to take multiple (or even one) unofficial visits, it can be a good way to keep the recruiting process alive and personal. The only thing that should matter anyway is how the recruits benefit. 

The rest of the outrage? To put it in the words of B/R colleague Adam Kramer: "Absurd." 

Best Quote: Arkansas Head Coach Bret Bielema

Move over, Steve Spurrier. There's another coach in the SEC who is proving to be every bit as quotable as the Head Ball Coach, and his name is Bret Bielema. 

Bielema brought down the house at SEC media days last month when he called last season's bowl win over Texas "borderline erotic." What, exactly, this meant is up for debate, but B/R SEC lead writer Barrett Sallee, who was in attendance, provided context for Bielema's quote: 

"Bret Bielema's 'borderline erotic' comment at media days stole the show, but the guy had plenty more in other rooms that were equally as fun," Sallee said. "Bielema has these pregnant pauses, where you can see the wheels turning in his head. He's thinking, 'Should I say this? Ahh, whatever, I'll do it.' He's the most quotable coach in college football, by far."

To say Bielema is more quotable than Spurrier is high praise, but it's not like Bielema isn't earning that title. You probably never thought you'd hear "borderline erotic" relative to football, and you probably won't again. 

Most Impressive-Looking Freshman: Tennessee DT Kahlil McKenzie

247Sports

Freshmen these days. They're bigger, stronger, faster and more equipped, at least physically, to handle the learning curve at the college level than ever before. 

But there are freshmen who are physically mature beyond their years, and then there's Tennessee defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie. 

With a nod to Patrick Brown of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, here's a look at McKenzie (No. 1) at the young age of 18 years old, next to defensive end Darrell Taylor (No. 19). Next to Taylor, who is listed at 228 pounds on his 247Sports profile, McKenzie looks like a California redwood. 

Here's another photo. Look at those legs. Those things are tree trunks. 

Head coach Butch Jones has tempered expectations with McKenzie, saying, "Every day is a learning experience" (per Mike Strange, Knoxville News Sentinel). However, there's no denying that McKenzie is physically imposing. 

Funniest Video: Dakota State's Dizzy Punt

If you've followed B/R's social stories this offseason, you might already be familiar with the "Dizzy Punt" video from Dakota State, a program in the NAIA ranks. 

It was a show-stopper in April when it was released and it's every bit as good today. Just watch it, over and over again. It never gets old. 

Ohio State has put out some exceptional videos, including pranks and spoofs. The Buckeyes, along with Clemson and Arizona, have some of the best video teams in the sport. But nothing beats a single camera, a little slow motion and a couple of coaches willing to make idiots of themselves in front of their players. 

Best Twitter Presence: Ohio State QB Cardale Jones

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones has gone from being lambasted for his tweets to being recognized for them. 

Beside Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, nobody captivated Twitter in the college football world like Jones. This is the guy who courted UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, picked fights with Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls, crushed a Twitter follower (so much so that the guy had to delete his account) and poked fun at himself, among other things. 

Jones has since deleted some of those tweets, but deleting doesn't turn back time. Those tweets existed and they were awesome. 

Some coaches ban players from using Twitter, which as Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com tweets, isn't the best policy. These are people with thoughts and emotions. Sometimes that means a player will say something regrettable, like Jones did a few years ago. But it also allows that player to learn from it and become better. Now, Jones is one of the best personalities on social media. 

Biggest Unresolved Position Battle: Quarterbacks

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Serious question: When was the last time college football had so many high-profile quarterback battles entering preseason camp? Yes, quarterbacks will always garner the most attention, but 2015 truly has been the year of the quarterback competition so far. Take a look at some of the bigger battles still ongoing:

• Alabama (Jake Coker and David Cornwell)
• Florida (Will Grier and Treon Harris)
• Florida State (Sean Maguire and Everett Golson)
• Georgia (Brice Ramsey, Faton Bauta and Greyson Lambert) 
• LSU (Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings)
• Michigan (Jake Rudock, Shane Morris)
• Ohio State (J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones)
• Oklahoma (Trevor Knight, Baker Mayfield and Cody Thomas)
• Oregon (Vernon Adams Jr. and Jeff Lockie)
• Texas (Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard)
• UCLA (Josh Rosen, Jerry Neuheisel and Mike Fafaul)

That's not even every one, either.

The number of major quarterback battles, sometimes with three or more players, that haven't been resolved is mind-boggling. Having an experienced quarterback isn't a prerequisite for winning a national championship, but having at least a decent one is. 

What are the odds, with so many wide-open battles, that the Week 1 starter in every one of these competitions is the Week 15 starter? We could see some of these quarterback competitions carry over into the season. 

Best Dancer: Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield

Look, we know you think you're pretty special out there on that dance floor. You may even have a go-to move or two, like the lawn mower or something.

But you—nor I, nor anyone else—don't have dance moves like Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. 

The Texas Tech transfer, who is competing for the starting job with the Sooners in 2015, originally showed off some moves last winter during bowl game preparation (see above). But that wasn't the last time he was caught dancing on camera. 

Whether he wins the starting job or not, Mayfield has moves. That's going to get him far in life, frankly. 

The 'You're Always Undefeated in the Offseason' Coach of the Year: Jim Harbaugh

Mark Cunningham/Getty Images

Jim Harbaugh has a saying: "Who's got it better than us? Nobody!" And nobody has had a better offseason than Harbaugh, who is in his first year with Michigan. 

From the moment he took the job with the Wolverines, college football got 1,000 times more interesting. For one, he took over a blue-blood program that had fallen on hard times. The moment Michigan becomes nationally relevant again on the field, and many think Harbaugh can get things turned around, the sport gets more compelling. 

The rivalry with Ohio State and head coach Urban Meyer? It gets more compelling. 

The Big Ten's place in the playoff era? It gets more compelling. 

What it means for a coach to have that kind of effect on the sport cannot be overstated. 

Additionally, Harbaugh is a fascinating individual. Whether he's tweeting celebrities, documenting his international trips, trying his hand at baseball or getting awkward during an ESPN interview, Harbaugh does nothing halfway. 

Who knows how Michigan will play this year, but we're just glad Harbaugh's back in college. 

Biggest Comeback: Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

One of the most gruesome, horrific and heart-wrenching injuries of 2014 was the leg injury to Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell. The standout receiver sustained a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula in a tough loss to Auburn. Making matters worse, the play on which Treadwell suffered his injury would have been a go-ahead touchdown. 

You may have seen the injury by now. If not, you can view it here, but it's not recommended. 

For as bad as the injury looked and was, Treadwell has slowly been making his way back in recovery, posting videos of himself running and doing backflips on trampolines. 

The fact that Treadwell is cleared to practice is nothing short of remarkable. The junior is one of the most dominant receivers in college football with a bright future ahead of him. If we're lucky, we'll get two more years of him in the college game. We probably won't though, so enjoy him while you can. And appreciate how hard he worked to come back to the game he loves. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.