The 50 Biggest Position Battles in 2016 College Football Spring Camp
The term "spring practice" is a relative one in college football, since several schools start (and even finish) these offseason workouts before winter is over. But what every FBS team has in common at this point in their preparations for 2016 is identifying candidates to start at key positions.
Either because they've lost a starter to graduation, injury or the NFL draft, or those who held that spot a year ago didn't meet expectations, there are hundreds of jobs up for grabs this spring. Most won't get decided until preseason practices in August, but the groundwork for that competition begins now.
We've identified the 50 most noteworthy position battles in college football that will get waged this spring. Only players who are currently on the roster—including early enrollees—and are expected to have a legitimate chance to win a starting job are listed.
Alabama Defensive Line
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Contenders: Joshua Frazier, Da'Shawn Hand, Daron Payne, Dalvin Tomlinson
By deciding to return for his senior year, Jonathan Allen ensured Alabama wouldn't have to completely rebuild its defensive line in 2016. However, the Crimson Tide have so many great options at defensive end and nose guard, most of whom would already be starting if they played somewhere else.
Payne appeared in all 15 games last season as a true freshman, recording 13 tackles, along with a half-sack, while Frazier has played in 11 games the last two years. Both weigh in at over 300 pounds, making them a strong fit to plug up the middle at the nose.
Hand and Tomlinson will compete to play end opposite team sack leader Allen. Hand notched three sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore, while Tomlinson showed off his pass-rushing skills by achieving six pass break-ups and four quarterback hurries.
Alabama Quarterback
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Contenders: Blake Barnett, Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell, Jalen Hurts
Another year, another challenge for Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to try to work his magic with a group of untested quarterbacks. This time around the candidate pool is entirely made up of passers recruited to the program, unlike the previous two years when transfer Jake Coker was in the mix.
Bateman is the only QB on the roster with starting experience, albeit of the infamous variety. As a sophomore he started Alabama's home loss to Ole Miss, going 11-of-14 for 87 yards with an interception, before being replaced by Coker. He only threw 13 more passes over the next 12 games.
Cornwell has yet to play in two seasons with the Tide, redshirting in 2014 and sitting fourth on the depth chart last year. Barnett redshirted last fall, while Hurts is a true freshman who enrolled early.
Alabama Running Back
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Contenders: Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough
Their mission, if Harris and Scarbrough choose to accept it, is to replace a running back who set school and SEC rushing records while winning the Heisman Trophy. Which one wants to be the next Derrick Henry?
They're both highly regarded recruits who saw limited action in 2015—they combined for 64 carries, 261 yards and two touchdowns—but that was more by design than a lack of ability. Henry ran 395 times in 15 games, including 146 times in the final four contests.
The 5'11”, 205-pound Harris got the bulk of his work early last season, when the true freshman had 17 carries in Alabama's first two games while also playing on special teams. He scored a TD against Charleston Southern—the same game the 6'2”, 240-pound Scarborough found the end zone while getting 10 of his 18 carries for the year.
Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer referred to Scarborough as "the future of Alabama football" back in January, but he still has to show he can win the job. If not, look for the Tide to go back to more of a committee approach, as it was for many seasons before Henry emerged last year.
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Arizona Linebacker
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Contenders: Jamardre Cobb, Cody Ippolito, John Kenny, Jake Matthews, DeAndre Miller, Kahi Neves, Derrick Turituri
Buoyed by the country's top individual defender, Arizona won the Pac-12 South Division in 2014 and reached the Fiesta Bowl. Without Scooby Wright for much of last year, the Wildcats struggled to win six games and rarely slowed down opponents.
Arizona at least can plan for not having Wright this season, as he turned pro after a junior year in which he was limited to three games, of which he only finished one. His departure was expected, but that still doesn't make filling his spot easy to do.
To make matters worse, Wright wasn't the only starting linebacker who was injured last season. Ippolito missed the entire season, while Turituri was limited to four games and Matthews missed Arizona's last two contests in 2015. To help with depth, Cobb was moved back from offense to add to a rotation that includes an early enrollee (Neves) and a transfer from Iowa (Kenny).
Arizona State Quarterback
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Contenders: Bryce Perkins, Brady White, Manny Wilkins
Mike Bercovici got an audition for his role as Arizona State's starting quarterback when he filled in for an injured Taylor Kelly in 2014. None of his potential successors got such an opportunity last year, when Bercovici threw all but two of the Sun Devils' passes (the other two were on a fake punt and a wide receiver pass).
Wilkins did get to play in four games as Bercovici's backup, however, rushing seven times for 55 yards as a redshirt freshman. Five of those carries came in ASU's last two games, including the Cactus Bowl loss to West Virginia.
Perkins and White were part of ASU's 2015 recruiting class, both sitting out last season. White is the more well-regarded of the two, with his online bio stating he's the "highest-rated quarterback signee for Arizona State in the era of internet-recruiting evaluation service."
Arkansas Quarterback
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Contenders: Austin Allen, Rafe Peavey, Ty Storey, Ricky Town
Brandon Allen went from a liability to a major asset during his three years as Arkansas' starting quarterback, with his senior year among the best in school history. The Razorbacks could try to keep things in the family by tapping his younger brother, Austin, or hoping another candidate is a better fit.
That includes a former Alabama commit and USC signee who is hoping he's found a place to play.
Town flipped from 'Bama to USC in January 2014, enrolling with the Trojans in January 2015 but then opting to transfer during fall camp. He'll be a redshirt freshman this year, as will Storey. Peavey has yet to play in two seasons with the program.
Austin Allen was his brother's primary backup in 2014-15, attempting 16 passes as a freshman and three last year.
Auburn Quarterback
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Contenders: John Franklin III, Jeremy Johnson, Tyler Queen, Sean White
To describe Auburn's quarterback play in 2015 as poor would be far too generous. Considering the amount of hype Johnson garnered leading up to his first year as starter, the performance he (and, eventually, White) put forth was so bad it nearly kept the Tigers from being bowl-eligible.
That position will again make or break Auburn's season and could also determine coach Gus Malzahn's future on the Plains.
"That all-important quarterback job is the one position at which the Tigers need the hard reset the most," Bleacher Report's Justin Ferguson wrote.
Johnson was intercepted six times in Auburn's first three games. He and White combined for 11 picks and only 11 touchdowns. Now a senior and sophomore, respectively, they enter this competition with a better perspective but also with major competition in the form of Franklin.
A junior-college transfer who began his career at Florida State, Franklin could follow the path 2013-14 Auburn starter Nick Marshall took to stardom.
Baylor Wide Receiver
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Contenders: Tren'Davian Dickson, Davion Hall, Chris Johnson, Quan Jones, Blake Lynch, Chris Platt, Pooh Stricklin, Ishmael Zamora
For as explosive a passing offense as Baylor had last year, it only had three receivers catch more than 30 balls. Two of those have moved on, leaving KD Cannon as the top target for the Bears in his junior year.
Baylor needs more than one go-to receiver, preferably at least three, with the start of a pecking order behind Cannon established this spring.
Of the Bears' returning wideouts, Platt and Zamora got the most action in 2015. As freshmen they combined for 20 receptions, with Zamora catching two TD passes and Platt one. Each has something unique going for him, with the 6'4", 220-pound Zamora able to outmuscle cornerbacks while the 5'11", 170-pound Platt has top-notch speed.
Baylor has several freshmen who should be in the mix, too, with Dickson standing out from the rest. The early enrollee set the national prep record for TD catches in a season as a high school junior in 2014.
BYU Quarterback
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Contenders: Taysom Hill, Tanner Mangum
This spring, BYU is going to be addressing the age-old sports adage of whether a player should lose his starting spot to injury. Hill has been involved in this process before, having gone down with season-ending injuries three times in the previous four seasons, only to get his job back the following year every time.
That might not be as easy in 2016, since after Hill hurt his foot in the first game of the season his replacement had a monster performance that was full of dazzling plays.
Mangum threw a Hail Mary touchdown pass to win that opener at Nebraska, leading BYU to other comeback wins later on in the year. He finished with 3,377 yards and 23 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman.
Hill is still coming back from the Lisfranc sprain, and thus won't likely go full speed all spring. Still, his return sets the stage for new coach Kalani Sitake and his staff to decide if the grizzled veteran or the rising youngster should get the nod.
Clemson Defensive End
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Contenders: Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell, Albert Huggins, Sterling Johnson, Chris Register, Richard Yeargin
Clemson has to basically start over on its defensive line for the second year in a row, and it can only hope the 2016 process will go as smoothly as last season did. For that to happen, it means bit players who earned valuable time during the Tigers' run to the national title game can parlay that into a breakthrough.
The defensive end spots are the most troublesome, where Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson had 24.5 of Clemson's 48 sacks. Bryant's 1.5 sacks during his true freshman season are the most of any returning edge contender, while Yeargin had one sack in his freshman campaign.
Register has appeared in one game in two seasons, while Ferrell and Johnson redshirted in 2015. Johnson would need to be converted from tackle, the same with Huggins, who appeared in five games as a true freshman.
Florida Quarterback
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Contenders: Austin Appleby, Luke Del Rio, Feleipe Franks, Kyle Trask
Jim McElwain's first season at Florida far exceeded expectations, including an SEC East title that didn't seem possible with the talent he had at his disposal. Getting the most out of quarterback Will Grier made a big difference, as did his absence after being hit with a year-long suspension for a failed drug test.
Florida needs to get that quarterback spot figured out once again, and the competition will be between a pair of transfers and a pair of new recruits. And in each case, one is more high-profile than the other.
On the transfer side, Del Rio comes to Gainesville from Oregon State, where he played briefly in 2014 after starting his career at Alabama. The son of Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio sat out last season but was able to learn Florida's system in practice.
"Del Rio should know what the Gators are looking for at quarterback and will have an advantage that the newcomers on campus don't have," Bleacher Report's Justin Ferguson wrote.
Appleby, who started several games for Purdue in 2014-15 and is eligible immediately as a graduate student, is the other transfer.
On the recruit side, Franks and Trask are both early enrollees, but Franks is the one with the better pedigree. Originally an LSU commit, he flipped to Florida late last year.
Florida Running Back
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Contenders: Jordan Cronkrite, Jordan Scarlett, Mark Thompson
Identifying a capable passer is only part of Florida's offseason wish list. It needs someone who can keep the offense balanced and the defenses honest.
Unless the Gators decided to shift Treon Harris—their second-leading rusher from a year ago who has been converted from quarterback to receiver—into the backfield then it's going to either turn to one of a pair of sophomores who had mixed results in 2015 or go with a bruising junior-college prospect. Thompson, listed at 6'2" and 225 pounds, was a second-team JUCO All-American last season at Dodge City Community College in Kansas.
Cronkrite and Scarlett combined for 338 yards and three touchdowns in 2015 while backing up Kelvin Taylor, who had 1,035 yards but turned pro early. Scarlett had 96 yards on nine carries in Florida's win over rival Georgia, while Cronkrite's best effort came when he caught a TD pass and ran for a score against South Carolina.
Florida State Quarterback
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Contenders: J.J. Cosentino, Deondre Francois, Malik Henry, Sean Maguire
An uncertain quarterback situation prompted Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher to welcome in a graduate transfer for 2015. Everett Golson didn't work out as well as hoped, with Maguire eventually taking over the starting job for him, though his performance wasn't particularly great either.
Don't expect the Seminoles to seek out another quick fix, not with Maguire having earned starts the last two seasons—his first was in place of a suspended Jameis Winston in the 2014 overtime win against Clemson—and Francois spending 2015 learning the offense as a redshirt. There's also a longtime commit in Henry who, after bouncing around various high schools in multiple states, is on campus and ready to compete.
There's also Cosentino, who appeared in three games last year as a redshirt freshman.
Maguire should be the favorite to win the job, but since he should miss all of spring while recovering from ankle surgery, it's going to allow the rest of the field to gain on him.
Georgia Quarterback
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Contenders: Jacob Eason, Greyson Lambert, Brice Ramsey
Kirby Smart is hoping to be able to match the success Tom Herman had in going from being a coordinator on a national champion to winning big in charge of his own program. The difference is that Herman had a proven commodity at quarterback in Greg Ward Jr., while Smart has to decide between a veteran on his second team or a top-tier prospect.
And if things get really bad, he can just move the Bulldogs' punter back to his old job.
Lambert started 12 games last season, his first with Georgia after transferring from Virginia. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes—including an NCAA-record 22 in a row—and was only picked off twice, but he averaged only 163.3 yards per game. Ramsey threw for 249 yards and a TD in 2015 while also averaging 41.9 yards on 25 punts.
Eason, the nation's No. 2 pro-style passer in the 2016 class, per 247Sports, signed early and will be given every chance to win the starting job.
LSU Offensive Tackle
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Contenders: George Brown, Jevonte Domond, K.J. Malone, Toby Weathersby
Jerald Hawkins was LSU's only early NFL entry from the 2015 team, but his departure was a big one. Combined with Vadal Alexander's graduation, it means the Tigers will be replacing both starting tackles for 2016.
It's looking like a four-man competition for those spots, at least for the spring. Only Weathersby has started in his career, getting in at right tackle against Ole Miss last year as a true freshman. Malone filled in for Hawkins on the left side when he was injured during the Arkansas game, faring well despite having been previously groomed as a guard.
Brown and Domond played sparingly in 2015 as a freshman and junior, respectively.
LSU Quarterback
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Contenders: Danny Etling, Brandon Harris, Anthony Jennings
Even while Leonard Fournette was running around, over and through defenders during LSU's 7-0 start to 2015, the lack of consistent play from the quarterback position left many wondering if the Tigers were for real. And once opponents managed to slow down Fournette and force LSU to throw the ball, we got our answer.
Harris started all 12 games last year, throwing for 2,158 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he completed only 53.4 percent of his passes. A 6-of-19 performance in LSU's first loss of the season, to eventual national champion Alabama, highlighted the Tigers' need for better QB play, but Harris only managed this in a few games.
Thus, LSU will again have a spring competition involving Harris and Jennings who started most of 2013. But there's also a third entry in the form of Etling—a transfer from Purdue who has 12 career starts.
Michigan Linebacker
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Contenders: Devin Bush Jr., Noah Furbush, Ben Gedeon, Reuben Jones, Mike McCray, Jabrill Peppers
With all three of Michigan's starting linebackers having graduated, it's going to be a free-for-all this spring to see who emerges from a crowded competition. And more candidates keep getting added to the pool, with the latest being converted defensive back Peppers.
"He was blitzing, supporting the run and covering tight ends and running backs underneath," MLive.com's Nick Baumgardner wrote after the Wolverines' first spring practice, held Monday in Florida.
By adding last year's starting safety to the mix, Michigan has a variety of options to consider in the middle. That includes how much it will want to use Bush—a true-freshman early enrollee.
Of the returning linebackers from 2015, Gedeon was the leading tackler with 34.
Michigan Quarterback
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Contenders: Alex Malzone, Shane Morris, John O'Korn, Brandon Peters, Wilton Speight
Jake Rudock did more than anyone could have hoped for in his lone season as Michigan's quarterback, throwing for 3,017 yards and 20 touchdowns. The Wolverines would love to get similar production from its 2016 passer, but first they have to figure out who that will be.
A five-way race this spring features three players with past college experience, including one at another school, along with two newcomers looking for their first shot at playing time.
O'Korn sat out 2015 after transferring from Houston, where he started 13 games in two seasons and had 3,117 yards with 28 touchdowns in 2013. Morris started one game in both 2013 and 2014 but was redshirted last season, while Speight served as Rudock's backup in 2015.
Malzone, the first quarterback Jim Harbaugh signed in 2015, and 2016 early enrollee Peters wrap up the list of contenders.
Michigan State Quarterback
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Contenders: Brian Lewerke, Tyler O'Connor, Damion Terry
Connor Cook held Michigan State's starting job for three seasons, finishing as the school's career passing leader while piloting teams that won a combined 36 games. However, there were numerous times during that run when Cook made way for either O'Connor or Terry to get snaps, and that duo teamed up to lead the Spartans to one of their biggest wins in 2015 when Cook was hurt.
Now O'Connor and Terry get to battle it out to be Cook's successor, bringing with them a combined 29 appearances. O'Connor, a senior, and Terry, a junior, also have to hold off redshirt freshman Lewerke this spring and into the summer.
"They are guys who know the offense, who aren't going to go in and be unsure of themselves," Cook told MSUSpartans.com (h/t Mike Griffith of Mlive.com). "They've proven themselves on one of the biggest stages they could have played on, so you know they are going to have confidence going in."
O'Connor threw for 89 yards and a touchdown and ran for 25 more, while Terry had 27 yards of total offense in MSU's upset win at defending champ Ohio State in November.
Michigan State Wide Receiver
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Contenders: Cameron Chambers, Donnie Corley, Felton Davis, Monty Madaris, Darrell Stewart
Michigan State feels confident that whoever it goes with at quarterback will be able to serve as an admirable follow-up to the great Connor Cook. It would help if he can have a strong wide receiver corps to work with, and that position will be among the most addressed this offseason.
R.J. Shelton is a known entity, coming off a junior season in which he had 43 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns, but no other returning wideout caught more than two passes in 2015. That was Davis who, as a freshman, had receptions of 22 and 28 yards in MSU's final two games.
Much will depend on the play of a large crop of receivers the Spartans signed this year, including early enrollees Chambers and Corley. They're part of a quartet of 4-star pass-catchers, per 247Sports, joining the program for 2016.
Mississippi State Quarterback
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Contenders: Nick Fitzgerald, Elijah Staley, Damian Williams
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen isn't foolish enough to think he's going to seamlessly replace the greatest quarterback in program history. Instead, he wants to find someone who can take what Dak Prescott did the last few seasons and carry it on in his own way.
Fitzgerald would figure to be the best option to do this, since he served as Prescott's backup in 2015 as a redshirt freshman. He saw significant action in a win over Troy, going 6-of-7 for 141 yards and two touchdowns along with a rushing score.
Staley got into two games last year as a redshirt freshman, while Williams was redshirted after playing in 13 games from 2013-14. All three candidates are similar to Prescott in their ability to make plays with their legs and arm.
Notre Dame Linebacker
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Contenders: Josh Barajas, Asmar Bilal, Te'Von Coney, Daelin Hayes, Greer Martini, Nyles Morgan, James Onwualu
The loss of Notre Dame's two leading tackles, Jaylon Smith and Joe Schmidt, has created a massive hole in the middle of its defense for 2016. Replacing that production will require getting part-time starters to become full-time standouts and find new contributors from a talented crop of prospects.
Martini, Morgan and Onwualu are the most experienced of the group, having combined for 90 tackles last season. At least one of them—if not two—should end up starting, while Coney should be right up there as well, assuming he can come back from a shoulder injury suffered in the Fiesta Bowl.
Barajas and Bilal redshirted last season; they'll join early enrollee Daelin Hayes in the spring competition.
"This defense badly needs playmakers, and both guys were recruited because of their ability to make an impact," NBC Sports' Keith Arnold wrote of Barajas and Bilal.
Notre Dame Quarterback
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Contenders: DeShone Kizer, Malik Zaire
The quarterback position has seemingly been in a state of flux for the last several years at Notre Dame, though rarely because of performance. Everett Golson's academic absence restarted the clock on his career in 2014. Then after he struggled late in that season, it opened the door for Zaire, and Zaire's play last spring prompted Golson to leave the program.
Then an ankle injury knocked Zaire out for the season midway through the Fighting Irish's second game in 2015, thus thrusting Kizer into the spotlight as an untested true freshman. He excelled for the most part, keeping Notre Dame in the hunt for the playoffs.
Now Kizer and Zaire tangle again in what figures to be a high-profile competition but one that coach Brian Kelly will want to handle as gently as possible.
Ohio State Running Back
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Contenders: Bri'onte Dunn, Curtis Samuel, Mike Weber, Antonio Williams
Ezekiel Elliott ran for 3,699 yards and 41 touchdowns the last two seasons. With his declaring for the NFL draft, it leaves a gaping hole in Ohio State's backfield for 2016. Adding to the issue was the departure of one of the most likely candidates to replace him, Jalin Marshall, who opted to turn pro as a redshirt sophomore.
Dunn and Samuel saw action last year, but not much. They combined for 31 carries and a touchdown apiece, though Samuel also had 22 receptions and two TD catches. Either of them have the skills to move into a featured role, though they'll have to fend off a highly regarded prospect who might have taken touches from them in 2015 had he not been injured.
Weber tore a knee ligament last fall, forcing him to redshirt, but this spring he's expected to be at full speed and able to compete. There's also Williams—an early enrollee who was the seventh-best rushing prospect in the 2016 class, per 247Sports.
Ohio State Wide Receiver
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Contenders: Noah Brown, Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon, Austin Mack, Corey Smith, Dontre Wilson
Curtis Samuel is the only Ohio State player on the 2016 roster who had more than seven receptions a year ago, but the H-back figures to be more in the mix for playing time as a running back than a pass-catcher. That leaves the battle for the starting wideout jobs as wide-open as any in the country this spring.
The Buckeyes aren't in dire straits, though, since there's a ton of talent to work with. It will be a matter of hoping players who have spent more time in the trainer's office than on the football field can contribute as well as stay healthy.
"The bad news here is that Ohio State’s most experienced receivers are all coming off of injuries," wrote Scout.com's James Grega Jr., referring to Brown, Smith and Wilson. "The good news is, the door is open for many young wide receivers to make an impact in spring practice."
Smith only appeared in four games a year ago, while Brown was hurt in the preseason. Wilson has dealt with injuries his entire career.
Campbell, Dixon and Mack will all be looking to make their debuts this season, with Mack coming in as an early enrollee.
Oklahoma Linebacker
26 of 50
Contenders: Emmanuel Beal, Curtis Bolton, Ricky DeBerry, Kapri Doucet, Tay Evans, Arthur McGinnis, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
With Jordan Evans sitting out most of spring ball to allow a shoulder injury to heal, Oklahoma is starting over at linebacker this spring. Evans is the only player coming back with starting experience, as the Sooners lost Dominique Alexander and Eric Striker, along with several key reserves.
Of the players who will get a look during spring ball, only two actually saw the field a year ago. Evans had eight tackles in 10 games, while Okoronkwo had eight tackles in nine games, including a sack against Kansas State.
Everyone else is either a player who has already redshirted (DeBerry and McGinnis sat out 2015, while Bolton appeared in four games last year) or is a junior-college transfer (Beal, Doucet).
The competition won't get settled until the summer, though, because of Evans' injury and the impending arrival of 5-star signee Caleb Kelly.
Oklahoma State Defensive Line
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Contenders: Jordan Brailford, Trey Carter, Vili Leveni, Jarrell Owens
Gone are Jimmy Bean and Emmanuel Ogbah—two stalwarts up front who combined for 18.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss last season. What remains are three promising young players and one coming back from an injury that kept him out the entire year.
Brailford, Carter and Owens played as redshirt freshmen, combining for 35 tackles, four sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. Most of that was done by the 6'3", 240-pound Brailford, who appeared in 10 games. Leveni had a sack and 4.5 TFL as a freshman in 2014 but missed last season after having leg surgery.
Oklahoma State's defense wore down as 2015 progressed, allowing 30.5 points per game, including 151 points during a season-ending three-game losing streak.
Oregon Defensive Line
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Contenders: Drayton Carlberg, Gus Cumberlander, T.J. Daniel, Jalen Jelks, Canton Kaumatule, Austin Maloata, Rex Manu, Henry Mondeaux
New coordinator Brady Hoke will want to put his own stamp on Oregon's defense and not just because the Ducks lost All-American DeForest Buckner and several other starters from that unit, including linemen Alex Balducci and Tui Talia. The area he'll have to work the hardest at to get something going will be up front, where the Ducks will now have four down linemen instead of the three-man line Don Pellum employed.
That means more opportunities for a solid-but-inexperienced group of candidates.
"Oregon's commitment to developing depth on the fly pays off annually with a host of players ready to raise their game in order to replace departed stars," CSNNW.com's Aaron Fentress wrote. "Maloata and Manu rotated with Balducci. Jelks and Daniels saw time behind Buckner, Mondeaux and Talia."
Of that group, Kaumatule is the one with the most upside. He was Oregon's top defensive signee in 2015 but managed only two tackles in eight games.
Oregon Quarterback
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Contenders: Taylor Alie, Travis Jonsen, Jeff Lockie, Dakota Prukop
Another year and another graduate transfer's in the running to start at quarterback for Oregon. Prukop starred at Montana State, where he produced more than 7,300 yards of total offense and 70 total touchdowns in three seasons, and he's hoping to follow ex-Eastern Washington QB Vernon Adams from the FCS ranks to the Ducks' starting job.
Prukop is already enrolled, unlike Adams who didn't arrive until the summer, but he still has to beat out a trio of players who have prior experience with Oregon's offensive system. Lockie has spent his career as a backup, first to Heisman winner Marcus Mariota and then to Adams last year. He subbed in for Adams when he was injured at various times, though the results were not positive.
Lockie averaged 116 passing yards in five appearances, with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
Alie played in 11 games last year, scoring three rushing TDs, though he only threw 14 passes. And Jonsen sat out 2015 with a redshirt.
Penn State Defensive Line
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Contenders: Parker Cothren, Ryan Monk, Antoine White, Robert Windsor
Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel dominated from the interior of Penn State's defensive line in 2015, with 10.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss between them. Combined with the departure of end Carl Nassib, the Nittany Lions will look very different in the trenches this season.
It's the tackle spots that are most uncertain, since returning starter Garrett Sickels at least brings some experience to the outside. Inside, though, it's basically a group of unproven players.
Cothren and White saw a few snaps, but not many that were meaningful, while Monk and Windsor were redshirted. That group will want to stand out before the summer, when four more signees (including two from junior college) show up.
Penn State Quarterback
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Contenders: Trace McSorley, Tommy Stevens, Jake Zembiec
The competition to replace three-year starter Christian Hackenberg actually began in January, when McSorley came off the bench to replace an injured Hackenberg in the TaxSlayer Bowl against Georgia. With him under center, Penn State went from down 24-3 to trailing by a touchdown thanks to a pair of fourth-quarter TD passes.
McSorely will try to use that experience as a springboard toward winning the job outright, competing this spring against a redshirt (Stevens) and an early enrollee (Zembiec).
"These three options are dual threats who are athletic and able to run," Tom Dienhart of BTN.com wrote.
Unlike with Hackenberg, whoever wins the job will be asked to throw and run. New coordinator Joe Moorhead ran a dynamic offense at FCS Fordham before joining the Nittany Lions.
San Diego State Quarterback
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Contenders: Ryan Agnew, Christian Chapman, Mason Hall, Jake Rodrigues, Jimmy Walker
Other than defending national champion Alabama, no team enters 2016 with a longer win streak than San Diego State. The Aztecs finished with 10 straight victories, dominating the Mountain West Conference and then blowing out Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl.
And they did it without particularly stellar quarterback play, though it wasn't necessary with a run game Donnel Pumphrey highlighted. The Aztecs don't need a star at that position this season, either, but they'll want someone who can at least provide some balance.
Chapman played in nine games last year as a freshman, starting the final two after Maxwell Smith tore knee ligaments. He was 17-of-25 for 316 yards and two touchdowns in those games, giving him an edge over a very inexperienced group.
South Carolina Quarterback
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Contenders: Brandon McIlwain, Connor Mitch, Lorenzo Nunez, Perry Orth, Michael Scarnecchia
Among the many things that didn't go well for Will Muschamp during his previous head coaching stint, at Florida, was the inability to find a quarterback he could count on. Then he spent a season at Auburn as its defensive coordinator and saw how much the Tigers struggled without a capable passer.
Now in charge of South Carolina, finding someone to run the offense is the primary goal before his first game on the sideline. That will start this spring, when a highly touted freshman challenges a group of players who have already had a shot at the job.
Mitch, Nunez and Orth combined to complete less than 55 percent of their throws for 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2015.
McIlwain is a dual-threat passer who enrolled early and is "having a positive impact on those around him” even before practice starts up," Muschamp told 247Sports' JC Shurburtt.
Stanford Defensive End
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Contenders: Eric Cotton, Luke Kaumatule, Harrison Phillips
Solomon Thomas is a rising star and sure to solidify his hold on one of Stanford's defensive end positions this spring. As a redshirt freshman last year, he had 3.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and a fumble return for a touchdown in the Pac-12 title game against USC.
After that, it gets iffy for the Cardinal on the edge. The options include a pair of converted offensive players who began their careers on the defensive side.
Cotton spent the last two seasons playing tight end, though in 2015 he didn't have a catch. Kaumatule was at that position as well but sat out last season in anticipation of moving him back to defense.
Stanford Quarterback
35 of 50
Contenders: Ryan Burns, Keller Chryst
Kevin Hogan departs as the winningest quarterback in school history, taking Stanford to three Rose Bowls in four years. But before he reached those heights, he had to replace a star in Andrew Luck, doing so after battling Josh Nunes for the starting job in 2012.
The Cardinal expect a similarly fierce competition this offseason between Burns and Chryst, who have spent the past two years backing up (and learning from) Hogan while getting occasional chances to play.
"Both guys can go out there and operate the game plan,"' Stanford coach David Shaw said told Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News. "To what extent, we're going to find out."
Chryst appeared in four games and threw a touchdown pass last year, while Burns has made six appearances the last two seasons.
TCU Cornerback
36 of 50
Contenders: Jeff Gladney, Tony James, Torrance Mosley, Nick Orr, Markell Simmons
Injuries were a constant issue for TCU in 2015, particularly on defense where it seemed like every projected starter missed significant time with an ailment. That problem has carried over into the spring, with its cornerback position once again in disarray.
Ranthony Texada, limited to three games last year, is missing spring practice while recovering from an injury, and in early February Julius Lewis was hurt in a workout and won't be involved in spring ball.
To combat this, TCU coach Gary Patterson has shifted James from wide receiver to provide for competition. James had three catches for 39 yards and also threw a 20-yard pass last season as a freshman.
"We've had a lot of great DBs who are wide receivers," Patterson said, per Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News.
TCU Quarterback
37 of 50
Contenders: Kenny Hill, Grayson Muehlstein, Foster Sawyer, Brennen Wooten
Trevone Boykin helped lift TCU from a struggling offensive unit to one of the country's most explosive over the previous two seasons, and now the Horned Frogs have to find someone who can carry that on. The choices have varying levels of experience but will all be treated as equals this spring.
Hill is the big name in the group. He's the Texas A&M transfer who was an early Heisman contender in 2014 while leading the Aggies to a 5-0 start. Once he started losing, though, he fell out of favor with the program and left after that season, sitting out 2015 with TCU.
Sawyer appeared in six games for the Frogs last year, most notably against Kansas and Oklahoma when Boykin was injured, but it didn't go well. He was a combined 9-of-25 for 149 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in those outings.
Muehlstein ran three times for 12 yards against Stephen F. Austin in 2015, while Wooten is an early enrollee.
Tennessee Wide Receiver
38 of 50
Contenders: Jeff George, Jauan Jennings, Josh Malone, Vincent Perry, Josh Smith, Preston Williams
With everything Tennessee has managed to accomplish the last two seasons, one area where it remains behind the curve is at wide receiver. No wideout has had more than 618 yards or 54 receptions in Butch Jones' three years in charge of the program, and the most productive member of the 2015 group (Von Pearson) has graduated.
Malone and Smith had decent seasons a year ago, catching 31 and 23 passes, respectively, but neither did anything to stand out. Same goes for Jennings and Williams, freshmen who combined for 21 catches with Williams hauling in two touchdowns among his seven grabs in eight games.
Perry redshirted in 2015 and will be eager to show what he can do in competition, as will junior-college transfer George. According to Bleacher Report's Brad Shepard, George had 95 catches and 1,375 yards in two seasons at Dodge City Community College.
Texas Linebacker
39 of 50
Contenders: Timothy Cole, Edwin Freeman, Breckyn Hager, Naashon Hughes, Dalton Santos, Anthony Wheeler
Yes, Texas has Malik Jefferson—one of the country's most promising young defensive players. But he can't do it alone at the linebacker position, not if the Longhorns are going to make that jump in coach Charlie Strong's third season.
Two starters have moved on, leaving six players in the running this spring (with more coming in the summer) for those two open spots. Santos, who missed all of 2015 and much of the year before with an ankle injury, but who has played in 34 games over his career and logged 72 tackles as a sophomore in 2013, is among those players.
Freeman, Hager and Wheeler all played last year as freshmen, with Wheeler making for a nice first-year complement alongside Jefferson with 36 tackles.
Texas Quarterback
40 of 50
Contenders: Shane Buechele, Jerrod Heard, Kai Locksley, Matthew Merrick, Tyrone Swoopes
Texas is overhauling its offensive system once again with another change at coordinator. Former Tulsa assistant Sterlin Gilbert is now making the calls as to how to handle a unit that has massively underperformed the last two years. It starts and ends at quarterback, where two former starters compete against three prospects for the job this spring.
Heard took over the job in the second game of 2015 and went off for 527 yards of total offense in a loss to Cal a week later, but beyond that he was all over the place. Swoopes, who has started games since his freshman season in 2013, became a speciality player who came in on running plays, but he also led the Longhorns to a win over Baylor after Heard was hurt.
Of the untested players, Buechele has the best pedigree. He was rated as the fourth-best dual-threat passer in the 2016 class, per 247Sports. Locksley and Merrick signed in 2015 but redshirted.
Texas A&M Quarterback
41 of 50
Contenders: Jake Hubenak, Trevor Knight
Two of the three quarterbacks who started for Texas A&M last season are now on the rosters of other programs, with Kyle Allen sitting out the year at Houston and Kyler Murray doing the same at Oklahoma. The Murray departure ended up being part of an unofficial trade of passers, as the Aggies landed Knight from the Sooners as a graduate transfer.
Knight started 15 games for Oklahoma in 2013-14, most notably beating Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, but Baker Mayfield took his job last spring and relegated him to an occasional reserve.
He'll be challenging Hubenak, a junior-college transfer who emerged as A&M's only viable QB option late last season and started the Music City Bowl loss to Louisville. He was 28-of-48 for 307 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in that game.
Though Knight has more experience overall and Hubenak is more familiar with the program, new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone's arrival essentially resets everything.
Texas A&M Running Back
42 of 50
Contenders: Jay Bradford, Kwame Etwi, Keith Ford, James White, Trayveon Williams
Tra Carson's 1,145 yards and seven touchdowns represented more than half of Texas A&M's rushing production from a year ago. Combined with the yardage quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray gained, the Aggies return a measly 411 yards and one TD for 2016.
White had 196 of those and the lone touchdown, amassed in nine games as a sophomore. An early-season injury held him out of four of A&M's first six games, after which he only got minimal carries with Carson handling most of the work.
The competition for the starting job will include two notable newcomers, one via transfer and another the 2016 recruiting class. Ford ran for 392 yards and five TDs in 2014 with Oklahoma, while Williams is a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports, that enrolled early.
Texas Tech Offensive Tackle
43 of 50
Contenders: Madison Akamnonu, Baylen Brown, Justin Murphy, Poet Thomas
Le'Raven Clark spent the last three seasons protecting Texas Tech quarterbacks' blind side at left tackle, finishing his career as a four-year starter overall. Finding the right person to fill that spot stands out above all the Red Raiders' position battles, including running back and wide receiver.
The first look is likely to go to Murphy, who started four games at right tackle as a redshirt freshman before an injury ended his season. At 6'6" and 297 pounds, he has the size needed to handle the left side.
"Offensive line coach Lee Hays often praised Murphy's intensity and tenacity early in the season, even going as far as to suggest Murphy would have been an All-Big 12 candidate had he finished the season," wrote Mike DuPont of the Dallas Morning News.
Thomas was Clark's primary backup in 2015, while Brown has prior starting experience but as a guard.
UCLA Wide Receiver
44 of 50
Contenders: Darren Andrews, Theo Howard, Stephen Johnson, Jordan Lasley, Eldridge Massington, Austin Roberts, Kenneth Walker
Josh Rosen's freshman year at quarterback was a great one, throwing for more than 3,000 yards and starting every game. It was aided by a veteran receiving corps, but one that has since seen four of the top five targets (including adept pass-catching running back Paul Perkins) either graduate or turn pro.
That includes Jordan Payton—the school's all-time receiving leader. All that's left of any substance from 2015 is Andrews, who had 42 catches but just one touchdown a year ago.
Several other players saw action a year ago, making for a wide-open competition that will also include one of UCLA's top signees from the 2016 class. Howard, rated No. 102 overall in the class by 247Sports, enrolled early.
USC Defensive Line
45 of 50
Contenders: Oluwole Betiku, Kenny Bigelow, Jacob Daniel, Malik Dorton, Rasheem Green, Noah Jefferson, Liam Jimmons, Christian Rector, Kevin Scott, Jordan Simmons
USC isn't lacking for options when it comes to replacing every starter on the defensive line, though that doesn't make new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast's job in his second go-around with the program any easier.
Green and Jefferson were both freshmen in 2015 and saw significant playing time, combining for 42 tackles while appearing in all 14 games. Bigelow had the best production of any returner, with three sacks as a sophomore.
Simmons is the most veteran of the group, a fifth-year senior who has also spent time as an offensive lineman, while Betiku was the Trojans' highest-rated 2016 signee who began school in January.
USC Quarterback
46 of 50
Contenders: Max Browne, Sam Darnold, Matt Fink, Jalen Greene
Though four people are technically in contention to replace longtime starter Cody Kessler, in reality it's going to be a two-man race unless something weird happens this spring.
Browne was Kessler's backup for the past two years, appearing in nine games almost exclusively in mop-up duty, and this will be his fourth year in the program including a redshirt season in 2013. That entire time has been with Clay Helton, USC's new head coach, working with the offense.
Darnold didn't play in 2015 but “looked impressive in his limited reps during fall camp last season,” per Lindsey Thiry of the Los Angeles Times.
Greene, who was recruited to USC as a quarterback but was moved to receiver, could be a wild card in the competition. However, he also threw four passes on trick plays in 2015, completing three passes for 127 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown to JuJu Smith-Schuster against Notre Dame.
Utah Quarterback
47 of 50
Contenders: Brandon Cox, Tyler Huntley, Troy Williams
It seemed like Travis Wilson had been Utah's quarterback forever, though in reality it had only been four years. Though he was often injured, thus leaving room for others to get reps, any past experience will get tossed aside as the Utes search for Wilson's successor.
That's both good and bad for Williams, who began his career at Washington (appearing in five games in 2014 as a freshman) before playing last season at Santa Monica Junior College. Williams' time with Washington didn't go well, so he's not going to be judged by that.
"He's been there, done that," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told ESPN.com's Kevin Gemmell. "None of this is new to him. Experience is always a great thing to have in a quarterback. He knows the ins and outs of Division I football."
Cox is fourth year with Utah but has played in just one game, in 2014. Huntley is a true freshman who enrolled early.
Virginia Tech Quarterback
48 of 50
Contenders: Jack Click, Chris Durkin, Jerod Evans, Dwayne Lawson, Brenden Motley
Justin Fuente was able to turn around Memphis once he found the right quarterback to handle his offense, and the rest was history. If he can do the same in his first season at Virginia Tech, it will make taking over for legendary coach Frank Beamer that much easier.
Motley started six games in 2015, filling in for the injured (and now graduated) Michael Brewer, appearing in 10 games overall. He was hot and cold, completing 56.4 percent of his passing with 11 touchdowns (along with three rushing scores) but seven interceptions on just 163 attempts.
Durkin and Lawson played sparingly last year as freshmen, while Click was redshirted.
Lawson, a junior-college transfer who was a prime target for Fuente after getting hired, is the newcomer to the race.
Western Kentucky Quarterback
49 of 50
Contenders: Steven Duncan, Drew Eckels, Tyler Ferguson, Nelson Fishback, Reese Ryan, Mike White
Brandon Doughty led the nation in passing yards and touchdowns last season, helping Western Kentucky win 12 games and the Conference USA title. The Hilltoppers are the presumptive favorites to win the league again, assuming they can find someone to play the position half as well as Doughty did.
The candidates are a varied sort, including two who come to the program from other FBS schools. White played in 17 games for South Florida from 2013-14, and Ferguson has spent time with both Louisville and Penn State but hasn't appeared in an FBS game since 2013.
Fishback was Doughty's backup in 2015, though that only resulted in eight pass attempts, and the rest have yet to play.
Wisconsin Running Back
50 of 50
Contenders: Corey Clement, Taiwan Deal, Leon Jacobs, Dare Ogunbowale, Bradrick Shaw
Coming off the least-productive rushing season in a decade, Wisconsin will want to establish a clear pecking order with its running backs this spring. It thought one existed going into 2015, but an early injury to projected starter Clement scrapped the entire plan.
Clement only appeared in four games, a year after he nearly topped 1,000 yards as a backup to Melvin Gordon. With him on the shelf much of the year, Deal and Ogunbowale took turns as the lead back but combined to average only 4.26 yards per carry.
Shaw redshirted last season, and at least during the spring he's going to get a shot to move up the depth chart. Same goes for Jacobs, a converted linebacker making the switch to offense this spring.
Recruiting information and players' measurements provided by 247Sports. Stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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