The Hottest and Coldest Players in College Football Right Now
It’s hard to believe, but we’re already nearing the halfway point of the 2015 college football season. We’ve had over a month to think about and digest the amazing stories that have emerged. Who would have imagined we’d see a Top 25 with Utah, Oklahoma, Northwestern and Florida in the Top 15 and Auburn and Oregon unranked?
That’s how the season has unfolded, though. We also have a better feel on which players belong on the Heisman Trophy watch list and which players are just plain struggling. That’s what we’re doing here. This is a look at the hottest and coldest players in college football, with an eye given toward players who are standing out and guys who are simply underwhelming. Let’s go:
Oregon QB Vernon Adams
1 of 10
When Vernon Adams announced his plans to transfer from FCS Eastern Washington to Oregon for his senior season, it raised some eyebrows. The Ducks needed a quarterback after Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota left for the NFL, and Adams had dual-threat skills that fit Mark Helfrich’s fast-paced offense quite well.
Adams didn’t arrive at Oregon until after preseason practice had already begun while finishing his EWU degree, but quickly picked up the offense and beat Mariota’s backup, Jeff Lockie, for the job. However, his only season with the Ducks hasn’t progressed like many had hoped. He has 581 yards passing with four touchdowns against two interceptions, completing 60.6 percent of his passes.
The Ducks are 3-2 and out of the Top 25 after an embarrassing 62-20 home loss to Utah. Adams was pulled from the game after completing just two of seven passes for 26 yards. He has also missed games against Georgia State and Colorado with an injured finger. With only one season at Oregon, Adams couldn’t afford a slow start, but that’s exactly what has happened.
TCU QB Trevone Boykin
2 of 10
Saturday, all the attention surrounding TCU’s 50-7 win focused on embattled Texas coach Charlie Strong. But those honing in on Strong’s troubles should take time to notice the Horned Frogs offense and senior quarterback Trevone Boykin.
Boykin ripped Texas’ defense for 332 yards and five touchdowns and now has 1,802 yards with 19 touchdowns against three interceptions on the season. He’s completing 63.3 percent of his passes and also has 242 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. The Horned Frogs offense averages 50 points per game, tied for third-best nationally.
It wouldn’t hum so efficiently without the versatile Boykin at its helm. He is a strong Heisman Trophy candidate and will be a key piece in TCU’s push for a College Football Playoff berth.
Georgia RB Nick Chubb
3 of 10
Georgia came crashing to Earth with a 38-10 home loss at Alabama’s hands, but sophomore tailback Nick Chubb doesn’t deserve blame. He had 146 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, scoring the Bulldogs’ only touchdown on an 83-yard run.
Chubb, a physical, fast back, has rushed for 100-plus yards in 12 games dating back to the middle of 2014. He has 745 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. The Bulldogs are still alive for an SEC East title and in College Football Playoff contention, and Chubb is a strong Heisman Trophy candidate.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Baylor WR Corey Coleman
4 of 10
Despite Bryce Petty’s graduation, Baylor hasn’t missed a beat with new starting quarterback Seth Russell. The Bears average 64 points per game, best nationally, and have one of the nation’s most exciting offenses.
Russell’s transition has been helped by a strong receiving corps led by Corey Coleman. The wideout has become one of the nation’s best deep threats. Following Saturday’s seven-catch, 110-yard, three-touchdown effort in a 63-35 win over Texas Tech, he has 24 catches for 570 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Coleman averages 23.8 yards per reception, and 45.8 percent of his receptions have gone for scores, an amazing ratio.
Baylor will be a strong contender for the Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth, and as long as Coleman is on the lineup, secondaries across the league will live in fear.
LSU RB Leonard Fournette
5 of 10
We always knew Leonard Fournette was talented. LSU’s sophomore running back was the top overall recruit of the class of 2014, per 247Sports, and he rushed for 1,034 yards as a freshman. But this fall, he’s gone from good to great.
LSU is 4-0 and a top-10 team, and Fournette is a huge reason why. Running with power and speed, he has 864 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 8.7 yards per carry. He has three consecutive 200-yard rushing games, including a 26-carry, 233-yard, three-touchdown effort in a 44-22 win over upset-minded Eastern Michigan.
How good has Fournette been? He has inspired debate over whether he should sit out his junior season and wait for the 2017 NFL draft rather than risk injury. LSU coach Les Miles was forced to debunk the talk on his weekly radio show, per Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times:
"To me, there’s a lot of people out there stirring the pot. I can’t possibly imagine that Leonard would be sitting anywhere inactive for a fall. What if he’s got goals to be one of the greatest backs in college football history? What if he’s got goals to graduate? What if he really enjoys his teammates? What if he is serious about getting his degree? What if somebody talks about those things enough to make a big mess.
"
It won’t happen, but that’s how talented Fournette is. He’s a huge piece in LSU’s run for an SEC title and a College Football Playoff berth.
Cal QB Jared Goff
6 of 10
Cal is on the right track under Sonny Dykes’ watch. After going 1-11 in his first season, the Bears improved to 5-7 last year and have already matched that win total in five weeks. They’re 5-0 and ranked No. 23 entering this week’s visit to No. 5 Utah.
The biggest piece of their success? Junior quarterback Jared Goff. A talented pocket passer, Goff has thrown for 1,630 yards with 15 touchdowns against four interceptions this season, completing an exceptional 70.2 percent of his passes. Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com says Goff is the projected No. 2 overall pick in next spring's NFL draft.
Cal averages 358.4 passing yards per game, No. 9 nationally, and can score with almost anyone in the nation, averaging 43 points per game, No. 18 nationally. Goff is the guy that makes it all go, and is a legit Heisman Trophy candidate. He has passed for 300-plus yards in four of five games, including 390 in Saturday’s 34-28 win over Washington State.
Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson
7 of 10
Jeremy Johnson entered 2015 as one of the most intriguing players in college football. Following a strong spring effort that earned him Auburn’s starting quarterback role, he drew comparisons to Auburn alum and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Boy, were those wrong.
Auburn has fallen from the preseason No. 6 ranking to out of the Top 25 entirely with a 3-2 record, and Johnson is a symbol of its problems. He threw for 473 yards with five touchdowns against six interceptions in three games, completing 59.7 percent of his passes, before losing the starting role to Sean White.
And it’s not as if White has been anything special (296 yards passing, no touchdowns, one interception with two starts). That Johnson hasn’t earned his job back is telling, indeed.
Ohio State QB Cardale Jones
8 of 10
Last fall, Cardale Jones experienced a meteoric rise from third-string to leading Ohio State’s charge to its first national title since 2002. Jones eschewed the NFL draft in favor of returning for his redshirt junior season and won the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback job over J.T. Barrett. But perhaps he should have struck while the iron was hot.
While Ohio State remains undefeated (despite challenges from Northern Illinois and Indiana), Jones simply hasn’t been the dynamic player he was in the College Football Playoff. He has 867 yards passing with five touchdowns against five interceptions and is completing 59.3 percent of his passes, while adding 127 yards and a rushing score on the ground.
He does not have a 300-yard passing game yet this season and was pulled from the Northern Illinois win after throwing a pair of first-half interceptions. Jones has time to improve, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype yet.
Maryland QB Caleb Rowe
9 of 10
Entering Saturday’s game at No. 1 Ohio State, Maryland is 2-3 and has been outscored 73-6 in its last two games, losses to West Virginia and Michigan. The Terrapins are struggling offensively, and it’s clear that quarterback Caleb Rowe isn’t the answer.
Rowe has completed just 42 percent of his passes this season, throwing for 428 yards with four touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Saturday, he completed just eight of 27 passes for 47 yards with three interceptions against Michigan before being yanked in favor of Daxx Garman.
Maryland coach Randy Edsall told reporters including Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post that "everyone is in play" at quarterback this week, which is probably wise. Don’t expect Rowe to see meaningful playing time anytime soon.
Georgia Tech QB Justin Thomas
10 of 10
Georgia Tech was one of the 2014 season’s biggest surprises with an 11-2 record, ACC Coastal Division title and an Orange Bowl win over Mississippi State. The Yellow Jackets lost four of their top five rushers and their top two receivers from a year ago, but Paul Johnson’s team was still a preseason Top-20 selection due to the return of junior quarterback Justin Thomas.
Thomas was the Yellow Jackets’ leading rusher, but it appears the weight of Tech’s offense is slowing him down a bit. After Saturday’s surprising home loss to North Carolina, the Jackets are 2-3, and Thomas has 214 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 66 carries, averaging a paltry 3.2 yards per attempt.
A year ago, he had 1,086 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per attempt. Assuming Tech goes to a bowl, Thomas is on pace to rush for 556 yards, or roughly half of his 2014 total.
Tech’s flexbone offense needs an effective running quarterback to work best. Thomas doesn’t have the talent around him like he did a year ago, but he isn’t doing his share, either.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
