Big Ten Football: Biggest Remaining Position Battles in Fall Camp
Little by little, we're inching closer to the start of the 2015 college football season. Now is around the time in preseason camps when coaches will begin to establish pecking orders in open position battles. Ideally, there's a clear two-deep by Week 1, but realistically that's not always the case.
For the Big Ten, there are some important position battles that remain unanswered. From high-profile quarterback battles at Ohio State and Michigan to establishing an offensive line at Wisconsin, we take a look at the most important competitions that have yet to be sorted out (and perhaps won't be for some time).
Selections were made on incoming and returning players, the impact of any departing players/attrition and the overall position situation (e.g., offensive line, linebackers).
Illinois: Wide Receiver
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Illinois appears to have its quarterback of the future with Wes Lunt, but whom Lunt throws to has suddenly become a big question mark.
Mike Dudek, the freshman star who led the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns in 2014, will miss a good chunk of the season with a torn ACL. Additionally, Justin Hardee will be out for at least the first two games with a broken foot (h/t IlliniInquirer.com's Jeremy Werner).
Geronimo Allison and Malik Turner figure to be early staples of the receiving corps, but who steps up beyond them? Marchie Murdock, Sam Mays and Desmond Cain could be some of the players asked to step up in a rotational role.
The Illini have been known to air it out under offensive coordinator Bill Cubit, but will that be the case early with injuries taking their toll?
Maryland: Quarterback
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C.J. Brown isn't in a Maryland uniform anymore. Thus begins one of the more underrated quarterback battles in the Big Ten. It wasn't just that Brown was a longtime player for the Terps; he was the team's leading rusher last season with 539 yards and eight touchdowns.
This year's quarterback race features Caleb Rowe, Perry Hills and Oklahoma State transfer Daxx Garman. ESPN's Josh Moyer notes, however, that "it’s really a Rowe-Garman battle."
“I’d like to make a decision as quick as we can so we can get some continuity,” head coach Randy Edsall said (via Moyer). “But they’re competing, and we will continue to evaluate it through the next week or so.”
Rowe has the experience with the team, but Garman earned plenty of reps during his time with the Cowboys in a similar revolving-door situation. Garman has the arm; Rowe has the familiarity. Either way, it's a close battle and may not be resolved any time soon.
Michigan: Quarterback
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Michigan has a few big position battles remaining, including one at running back. In a way, that is every bit as important as the quarterback competition because it could establish some semblance of offensive balance.
But let's not kid ourselves: The quarterback battle between Shane Morris and Iowa transfer Jake Rudock (with Wilton Speight as a long shot) takes center stage.
How close is it? Close enough that Dave Revsine of the Big Ten Network thinks Morris and Rudock will both play against Utah to start the season. On the other hand, Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo thinks if push comes to shove, Morris has the edge (h/t Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News).
Harbaugh is a quarterbacks guy. The hope for Michigan fans is that he can greatly improve a position that has struggled over the past few years.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Michigan State: Linebacker
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Cornerback would probably be the typical answer here. However, the season-ending knee injury to Michigan State linebacker Ed Davis is among the biggest, if not the biggest, of its kind this year in terms of potential impact. Davis was a veteran leader for the Spartans defense and listed on several preseason award watch lists.
His absence now means Michigan State has to come up with some answers quickly at linebacker. This could mean some shuffling, according to Mike Griffith of MLive.com:
"Sophomore Chris Frey (6-2, 235) is listed on the preseason depth chart as the backup to Davis at strong side linebacker. But starting middle linebacker Riley Bullough (6-2, 230) and starting weak side linebacker Darien Harris (6-0, 220) are also capable of playing the spot.
Third-year sophomore Jon Reschke was limited in spring, but he's a capable middle linebacker.
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Griffith also notes an important fact: Head coach Mark Dantonio and this defensive staff are more concerned about getting the best 11 players on the field and less concerned about making sure someone fits within a specific position.
If Bullough stays at middle linebacker, Frey could be promoted from second team, or Harris could move. It's not a true position battle, per se, but Michigan State suddenly finds itself experimenting with solutions in the wake of Davis' injury.
Northwestern: Quarterback
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Trevor Siemian is out, and Northwestern has a three-man race to succeed him with Matt Alviti, Zack Oliver and redshirt freshmen Clayton Thorson.
Which direction head coach Pat Fitzgerald will go remains unanswered. Oliver and Alviti played last season, but Oliver has more turnovers than touchdowns, and Alviti is thought of as more of a rushing threat than a passing one. That could mean Thorson has a puncher's chance to earn the starting job, but nothing is decided yet.
"We'd rather have it happen organically than to force something," Fitzgerald said via John Paschall of CSN Chicago. "And at this point, we're not ready and prepared to inject right now and be forceful either because all three guys have had a good summer from a leadership standpoint. I think they're all in really good shape, and now we're going to roll the ball out and let it play."
While there's no clear direction, Thorson is an intriguing possibility since we've already seen what Alviti and Oliver have done, even if on a limited basis.
Ohio State: Quarterback
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Surprise, right?
The latest update on Ohio State's highly anticipated quarterback battle between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett is, well, update-less.
"It's a little bit of a work in progress. Our objective is [in] the first dozen practices, 50-50 right down the middle," head coach Urban Meyer said last week via B/R colleague Ben Axelrod. "Have we ever done it like this? I can't think we have."
This is to be expected. Open battles like these, especially with two proven players, are always going to start with 50-50 reps in camp. As Axelrod notes, though, Meyer will have to make a decision sooner rather than later to establish a chemistry among the first-team offensive players. The chances Meyer divulges that decision before Week 1 versus Virginia Tech is somewhere around zero percent, though.
But you better believe this is as tight a race as you're going to find anywhere at any position.
Penn State: Offensive Line
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Given how porous this group was a year ago, it's no wonder that they make this list. Penn State was tied for 124th last year in sacks allowed, per cfbstats.com. However, the Nittany Lions offensive line should theoretically be better and deeper this year.
Still, there's some shaking that could play out. As Audrey Snyder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, Wendy Laurent and Angelo Mangiro could play either center or guard. Meanwhile, junior college transfer Paris Palmer and Chance Sorrell are battling at left tackle.
“It’s still uncertain,” head coach James Franklin told Snyder about left tackle. “Nobody has kind of grabbed a hold of the spot. We’re going to have to make a decision here. Are we moving some guys around to get the best five on the field? But we’re not at that point yet.”
Since that's quarterback Christian Hackenberg's blind side, figuring that out is of the utmost importance.
Wisconsin: Offensive Line
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Great offensive line play has been a staple for Wisconsin—almost as much as great running back play. However, heading into 2015, the Badgers have some unanswered questions up front.
We know that left tackle Tyler Marz and center Dan Voltz will be the anchors, and Michael Deiter looks like a lock for right guard. But what about the other spots? As of the Journal Sentinel notes, the ongoing competition appears to be down to the following players:
Left guard: redshirt senior Ray Ball and freshman Jon Dietzen.
Right tackle: redshirt freshman Beau Benzschawel and redshirt sophomore Hayden Biegel.
There's a good possibility Wisconsin breaks in a couple, if not a few, freshmen, redshirt or otherwise, along the O-line this year. How quickly will the group come together? Their first assignment is against Alabama, which boasts one of the most lauded defenses coming into the season.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
