College Football Players with Most Pressure Riding on Their Shoulders
By its very nature, college football is defined by pressure. To succeed at the highest levels, the margin for error is incredibly thin. One loss, if suffered at the wrong time or to the wrong team, can derail any hopes of a national title. The four-team College Football Playoff is an exclusive club, and running the table against a quality schedule is the only way to ensure yourself a seat.
Escalating salaries and facility costs, fueled by increasing TV money, only increase the pressure. The level of tolerance for mistakes is lower, both from coaches and boosters writing checks and sitting in luxury suites.
In short, plenty of players will feel the pressure in 2016. Here are 10 players who’ll feel it particularly acutely. They are players who will be stepping into new roles, playing for new coaches or perhaps carrying more responsibility than they did a year ago. Either way, they’ll be under pressure. When you watch these guys this fall, you’ll hear the Queen and David Bowie classic in your head.
Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett
1 of 10
This spring, the NFL draft hit Ohio State hard. Nine Buckeyes left early for the NFL, one shy of the record set by LSU in 2013. That reflects well on Urban Meyer and his staff but leaves the Buckeyes as a work in progress on the field in 2016.
Ohio State will return just three offensive starters, but it is fortunate that one is junior quarterback J.T. Barrett. He proved himself during Ohio State’s national title season two years ago, spending the regular season as the starting quarterback and throwing for 2,834 yards with 34 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and rushing for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns before suffering a fractured ankle in the regular-season finale.
He lost a high-profile quarterback battle to Cardale Jones before the 2015 season but reclaimed the role and started five of the final six games, finishing with 992 yards passing and 11 touchdowns against four interceptions while running for 682 yards and 11 scores.
Barrett is an elusive running threat with a strong arm, and he’ll be a key force for the Ohio State offense. But with young and unproven starters around him, he’ll carry a heavy burden in 2016.
LSU QB Brandon Harris
2 of 10
2016 is a pivotal season for LSU and coach Les Miles. Following a stormy 2015 campaign, Miles received a reprieve from LSU boosters and officials, but with 18 starters returning, there’s reason to believe the Tigers can challenge for the SEC West title and a College Football Playoff berth.
To do so, they’ll need a stronger effort from quarterback Brandon Harris. LSU has a Heisman Trophy candidate in junior tailback Leonard Fournette but needs a more balanced offense. Last fall, the Tigers averaged 173.1 passing yards per game, No. 111 nationally. Harris was efficient but not spectacular; he threw for 2,165 yards with 13 touchdowns against six interceptions.
This spring, Harris feels he's ready to lead the Tigers, per NOLA.com's Jim Kleinpeter:
"You don't want to be in a situation where every day is a learning day, but I have nowhere near reached my upside. Every day I try to go out there and find something to get better on, whether it's a flat route better, where I can throw it more on the uphill shoulder, learning different guys. I don't feel like every day is a new day. I just try to figure out one thing to get better on.
"
He must better utilize talented receivers Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural and take some pressure off Fournette in the backfield. Following Anthony Jennings’ transfer, Harris is the unquestioned man under center, but he needs to show that Miles can count on him to move the ball through the air.
TCU QB Kenny Hill
3 of 10
This spring, TCU is facing a difficult but inevitable reality: life without Trevone Boykin. He was excellent in the Horned Frogs’ Air Raid system, leading TCU to a 22-2 record as a starter in 2014 to 2015. Last fall, he threw for 3,575 yards with 31 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and added 612 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground.
Replacing him won’t be easy, but TCU has a promising candidate in Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill. As a sophomore in 2014, Hill burst onto the national scene, torching South Carolina for 511 yards and three touchdowns and beginning his college career with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions.
But by November, he’d lost his starting role to Kyle Allen, and he transferred to TCU following the season. Hill is well versed in the Air Raid offense and has pass-catching options in the explosive Kavontae Turpin and junior college transfer Taj Williams, among others.
But it’s no certainty that he’ll keep the starting role long term, with Foster Sawyer pushing him. Hill will have to adapt quickly to keep TCU’s high-powered offense humming and remain in the starting role.
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Texas A&M QB Trevor Knight
4 of 10
Johnny Manziel has suffered a spectacular, public fall since leaving Texas A&M, but the Aggies haven’t fared so well minus Johnny Football, either. Under Manziel, A&M went 20-6 with a pair of bowl wins. Without him, Kevin Sumlin’s bunch is 16-10. The coach is feeling some heat as he enters his fifth season in College Station. Following an 8-5 season, a pair of talented quarterbacks (Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray) transferred, and Sumlin parted ways with offensive coordinator Jake Spavital.
2016 is a big season for Sumlin, which is why this week’s news that Trevor Knight was named as starting quarterback was no surprise. Knight arrived as a transfer following an up-and-down career at Oklahoma that included a Sugar Bowl MVP performance against Alabama in 2013 but finished with him losing his starting job to Baker Mayfield.
Knight is talented but must prove to new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone that he can be consistent against SEC defenses. Throwing to the likes of Christian Kirk, Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones should help.
Ole Miss OT Greg Little
5 of 10In Chad Kelly, Ole Miss has the SEC’s best returning quarterback. Kelly had an outstanding junior season, passing for 4,042 yards with 31 touchdowns against 13 interceptions and rushing for 500 yards and 10 scores. His presence gives the Rebels a good chance to repeat or build on 2015’s 10-3 record, but first he has to stay upright.
Junior left tackle Laremy Tunsil made that job tougher when he declared for the NFL draft (an understandable choice, as he could be the draft’s top overall pick). But now coach Hugh Freeze must find a way to protect Kelly’s blind side.
The Rebels do have a ready-made replacement in freshman Greg Little. The nation’s top offensive line recruit, per 247Sports, stands 6’5”, 305 pounds and picked the Rebels over Alabama and Texas A&M. He is a great pass-blocker with excellent feet and is also a solid run-blocker.
Little is a likely Game 1 starter at left tackle, but his learning curve will be quick and steep. He’ll learn on the job. While Kelly is a mobile passer capable of eluding defenders, keeping them away from him as much as possible will be priority No. 1 for Little.
Alabama RB Bo Scarbrough
6 of 10
Mark Ingram. Trent Richardson. T.J. Yeldon. Derrick Henry. Under Nick Saban’s watch, Alabama has cultivated a strong lineage of talented, productive tailbacks. Henry, who rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns last fall while winning the Heisman Trophy, is only the latest star Crimson Tide rusher. But with Henry gone to the NFL and Kenyan Drake graduated, there’s a big hole in the backfield.
Bo Scarbrough is poised to fill it. He saw limited action as a freshman, carrying 18 times for 104 yards and a touchdown, but he is powerfully built at 6’2”, 240 pounds.
He has impressed during spring practice with runs that mix power and speed, and AL.com's John Talty says the hype is warranted following an 18-carry, 132-yard, one-touchdown effort in a recent scrimmage.
He looks to be the clear No. 1 in Alabama’s backfield. However, it’s important to note that Alabama is also replacing Jake Coker at quarterback with three candidates competing for the starting role. With an unproven QB, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin could lean on Scarbrough, especially early on.
Arizona QB Anu Solomon
7 of 10
Two years ago, Anu Solomon was the toast of Tucson. Arizona and Rich Rodriguez made a surprising run to the Fiesta Bowl in a 10-3 season, and the freshman quarterback played a huge role. Solomon excelled in multiple ways. He threw for 3,793 yards with 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions while also flashing mobility.
Last fall, however, Solomon failed to build on the strong season. He missed two games with concussions, and his stats regressed. He threw for 2,667 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions, and the Wildcats fell to 7-6.
This spring, Solomon missed four practices with a hamstring injury. He has been pushed by backup Brandon Dawkins, who is also a strong, mobile passer. While Solomon hasn’t lost his starting role yet, if he isn’t sharp early on, it wouldn’t be surprising if RichRod turned to Dawkins to spark Arizona’s offense.
Texas QB Tyrone Swoopes
8 of 10
One last chance. That’s the reality for Tyrone Swoopes. The Texas senior quarterback has a golden opportunity to turn mixed memories into positives in 2016 with new offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert and the Air Raid system.
Swoopes wasn’t expected to start as a sophomore but was pushed into action when concussions ended David Ash’s career. He threw 13 touchdowns against 11 interceptions for a 6-7 team and then lost his starting role to Jerrod Heard last fall. He was effective as a change-of-pace player, throwing for 537 yards and four touchdowns with one interception, adding 451 yards and 12 scores on the ground.
Heard will miss the rest of spring with a shoulder sprain, but he and freshman Shane Buechele could still push Swoopes, who appears to lead the pack entering summer, per Mike Finger of the Houston Chronicle.
Texas has a tough opening slate (Notre Dame, UTEP, Cal, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry), and given Charlie Strong’s shaky job status entering this season, if Swoopes doesn’t produce, Strong and Gilbert could be quick to pull the trigger on his job.
Clemson CB Cordrea Tankersley
9 of 10
If Clemson had any sort of Achilles' heel last fall, it was big passing plays against its secondary. Alabama exposed that flaw in the national title game, with tight end O.J. Howard burning the Tigers for touchdowns of 51 and 53 yards. The NFL draft made addressing those problems even tougher. Lockdown cornerback Mackensie Alexander departed, as did starting safeties Jayron Kearse and T.J. Green.
Experience will be at a premium in Clemson’s secondary, which makes Cordrea Tankersley even more important. The senior is the only returning starter, and with Alexander gone, he’ll be going against the opponent’s top receiver on a weekly basis.
This spring, a pair of contributors fell by the wayside, with Adrian Baker suffering a torn ACL and Kaleb Chalmers being dismissed following a drug-related arrest. Ryan Carter and Mark Fields will both be expected to step into more prominent roles across from Tankersley.
But if Clemson is to compete for a national title, defensive coordinator Brent Venables needs solid leadership and unflappable play from Tankersley in a much bigger spotlight.
North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky
10 of 10
Last fall, North Carolina was one of the season’s most pleasant surprises. The Tar Heels shook off a season-opening loss to South Carolina to reel off 11 consecutive wins and make the ACC title game before falling to Clemson. While an improved defense under Gene Chizik’s watch made a difference, the offense made UNC go.
North Carolina averaged 40.7 points per game, No. 9 nationally. The Heels were keyed by quarterback Marquise Williams, who threw for 3,072 yards with 24 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and rushed for 948 yards and 13 touchdowns. Leading rusher Elijah Hood (1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns) and top receivers Mack Hollins and Ryan Switzer are back, but Williams has graduated.
That leaves the starting role to backup Mitch Trubisky. He excelled in a reserve role last fall, completing 40 of 47 passes (85.1 percent) with six touchdowns and no interceptions. While it’s impossible for him to keep up those ratios as the starter, Trubisky must prove that he can be trusted on a consistent basis for the Heels to keep up their quick, potent pace.
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