Rising Stars Emerging in College Football 2015 Fall Camps
The start of preseason camp is a time when, for many position battles, there's a clean slate. Sure, spring practices help mold depth charts, but they are by no means final.
In this early part of August, reps are more evenly divided and new players have the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of playing time. In the following slides, we look at freshmen and transfers who are beginning to emerge as fall camp rolls on.
While the following players may not start, they are at least pushing for playing time and have specifically caught the eyes of their coaches and teammates.
Texas A&M QB Kyler Murray
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We knew Texas A&M freshman quarterback Kyler Murray entered college with accolades. The former 5-star prospect was recently named the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year and went undefeated in high school.
But now we're getting a glimpse into just how special he can be. Speaking with reporters this week, Aggies offensive coordinator Jake Spavital even threw out a little Johnny Manziel comparison, per Brandon Wheeland of the Dallas Morning News:
"The thing that is pretty impressive with him is sometimes, when he doesn’t know what’s going on exactly when you’re throwing a lot of new plays out there, he has a football savvy to him. He will drop back if the pocket collapses and he just turns and goes and makes something happen, very similar to how Johnny used to play [while at A&M].
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None of this means Murray is slotted to start right away. Kyle Allen is no slouch and has a year of playing time and team chemistry building under his belt. Murray will get his shot to compete for the starting job, and early word out of practice is that he's as advertised, but he's still learning the ropes.
USC WR De'Quan Hampton
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We know what USC receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster can do. The No. 2 wideout for the Trojans as a freshman figures to slide into the top role in 2015. Beyond him, USC is looking for a steady complement. Junior college transfer De'Quan Hampton could fill that role.
Hampton has been getting rave reviews since he arrived on campus over the summer, with Garry Paskwietz of ESPN.com noting that Hampton projects as an immediate impact player. That appears to have carried over into fall camp, with Hampton reportedly making highlight-reel catches in practice.
At 6'4" and 220 pounds, Hampton is the type of big-bodied wide receiver who can add another dimension to the Trojans' passing attack.
Ohio State QB Torrance Gibson
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Torrance Gibson, one of the top dual-threat quarterback prospects from the 2015 class, faces a bit of a dilemma. Ohio State is, as you no doubt know by now, loaded at quarterback. It's not even a matter of high-end talent at the top of the depth chart, either. Ohio State is actually stockpiled with able bodies at that position.
Even with Braxton Miller's move to H-back, it's always possible he serves as a reserve quarterback should the situation warrant.
That could lead Gibson to a redshirt year. Or, it could mean the Buckeyes' coaching staff attempts to use him in different ways. Reports out of preseason camp from Eleven Warriors and Dave Biddle of 247Sports say Gibson has been taking snaps at wide receiver. It's not a permanent move, per se—at least not yet. However, Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors tweeted that Gibson performed well during a one-on-one goal-line drill.
For as much athleticism as Gibson has, it behooves Ohio State's coaching staff to at least see what he can do.
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Clemson OL Mitch Hyatt
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Blue-chip offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt actually enrolled in Clemson early, so preseason camp isn't exactly his first rodeo with the Tigers. However, with the departure of Isaiah Battle to the supplemental draft, Hyatt could be bumped into the starting rotation sooner rather than later.
If that's the case, he'd be the first true freshman to start for Clemson along the offensive line in the modern era, according to Scott Keepfer of the Greenville News.
Tigers offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell told Keepfer that Hyatt is the “most advanced and knowledgeable” of any freshmen linemen he’s ever coached. Hyatt has already been impressive during the offseason and Battle's departure could very well mean he gets the nod in Week 1.
Tennessee DT Kahlil McKenzie
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Tennessee freshman defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie is a big ol' boy. This has been well-documented in photos. There have also been reports (and video) of McKenzie steamrolling poor offensive linemen in one-on-one drills.
But, as defensive coordinator John Jancek told Wes Rucker of 247Sports, McKenzie is still working on his conditioning:
"He’s a work in progress, but Kahlil’s a hard worker. He's dropped some weight even since he’s been here. You can see his body starting to tone up. It doesn’t happen overnight, you know? We as coaches are the most impatient people in the world, and we’ve got to continue to tell ourselves that, ‘Hey, it doesn’t just happen overnight.'
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If McKenzie is making these types of plays while not in the best physical condition, just wait until the coaching staff gets him where they want him weight-wise.
UCLA QB Josh Rosen
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Early enrollee freshman quarterback Josh Rosen already stood out for UCLA in spring practice. Throughout much of the offseason, the assumption has been that Rosen will win the starting job. While that is still just an assumption, there are indications it may be coming to fruition.
Joey Kaufman of the Orange County Register reported this week that Rosen "took all of the first-team reps during the 11-on-11 period. UCLA has rotated the quarterbacks this week, typically with one of them getting a majority of the snaps with the first team. But this was the first time that one of the signal callers exclusively worked with the ones in 11-on-11s. On Wednesday, for example, Jerry Neuheisel had most of the first-team reps, but Rosen also had some at the end."
The point of preseason camp around this time is, if there's an open competition, to give equal reps. The hope is that someone emerges from that battle and a depth chart is established throughout the rest of camp. While Rosen's role is not set in stone, it sounds like he isn't just a spring sensation and is seriously contending for the job.
Ohio State OL Isaiah Prince
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Ohio State's starting offensive line is basically set, but there's room for freshman Isaiah Prince to make the two-deep right away. When asked which frosh O-lineman could contribute right away, Buckeyes offensive line coach Ed Warinner mentioned Prince's name "without hesitation," per Bill Landis of Cleveland.com.
Landis also noted that Prince was the first freshman to have his "black stripe" removed from his helmet, a symbolic move by head coach Urban Meyer that recognizes Prince as a true Buckeye:
"Standing out among the five scholarship offensive linemen Ohio State had in the 2015 recruiting class is one thing, being the first to have his stripe removed among a group ranked as the No. 7 class in the country is another. If it were one of Ohio State's early enrollees, maybe linebacker Nick Conner, it wouldn't be as surprising.
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If all of those accolades are to be believed, and those are a big deal for someone who just arrived on campus, don't be surprised to see Prince on the field in 2015.
Florida OL Martez Ivey
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The sheer lack of depth along Florida's offensive line meant freshman Martez Ivey was likely going to be thrust into a starting role anyway. However, Ivey isn't just getting this consideration by default. The kid can play and he's already catching the eyes of his teammates.
“Oh my gosh, Ivey, Martez Ivey. The guy’s a freak, dude,” running back Kelvin Taylor said, via Nick De La Torre of GatorCountry.com. “The guy’s going to be great. He wasn’t a 5-star for nothing, trust me. He’s physical, he’s smart, he knows exactly what he’s doing.”
The transition from high school to college can be difficult for any freshman, but there's so much maturation that has to take place for offensive linemen. Ivey may not have the luxury of redshirting his freshman year, but it sounds like he's already showing he's up to the task in preseason camp.
Now, it's just about getting him game reps.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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