Every College Football Playoff Contender's Most Important Fall Camp Battle
If teams indeed win championships in the offseason, finding the right winner of the biggest position battle for each 2016 College Football Playoff contender is critical.
All over the country, quarterback competitions have dominated the headlines—and rightfully so. Not every top-tier program is unsettled behind center, though. Others need to fill out the receiving corps, offensive line, linebacking unit or the secondary.
But which teams qualify as contenders?
In addition to a starting point of Odds Shark's 10 teams with the best championship odds, we also included a few offseason favorites and the five likeliest party-crashers.
Alabama: Quarterback
1 of 18
Alabama waffled between Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman in 2015 before settling on the former and winning a national championship. The 2016 campaign will likely be similar, at least initially.
Bateman—who attempted 52 passes last season—is battling with redshirt sophomore David Cornwell, redshirt freshman Blake Barnett and true freshman Jalen Hurts.
If Nick Saban's trend of starting the veteran quarterback continues, Bateman will open the season against USC.
What happens after the first drive, however, is anyone's guess.
Baylor: Offensive Line
2 of 18
Baylor's No. 1 objective in 2016 is keeping Seth Russell healthy. He was flat-out spectacular—amassing 35 total touchdowns in seven games—before a season-ending neck injury last year.
But only Kyle Fuller returns up front.
Patrick Lawrence, Dom Desouza, Rami Hammad and Blake Blackmar are among the leading candidates to flank the All-Big 12 center. Only Blackmar has recorded a start with the program.
After a spring game that included double-digit sacks allowed, it was brutally clear the offensive line was far from finished. Fortunately for the Bears, a soft opening schedule will allow the four new starters to get comfortable before conference action begins.
Clemson: Middle Linebacker
3 of 18B.J. Goodson led the Clemson defense with 108 total stops last season. He registered 14 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, too.
The Tigers need to identify the next man up. Right now, it appears that battle is between redshirt sophomore Kendall Joseph and true freshman Tre Lamar—a 5-star recruit who enrolled early.
By the end of spring practice, Joseph emerged as the favorite. Should he struggle, though, there's no doubt the 6'4", 240-pound Lamar is physically ready to contribute immediately.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Florida State: Quarterback
4 of 18
Florida State has all the pieces for a championship run. The question is which quarterback will attempt to lead that charge.
Sean Maguire ended the 2015 season as the starter. While he's particularly not dynamic, Maguire protects the ball. Considering Dalvin Cook is one of the nation's best running backs, the 'Noles don't need a quarterback who does much else.
Deondre Francois, on the other hand, could provide a flashy element behind center with his dual-threat ability.
Whichever quarterbacks win the competition will be thrown into the gauntlet, since FSU opens the season against Ole Miss.
Houston: Cornerback
5 of 18
Both safeties—Trevon Stewart and Adrian McDonald—used up their eligibility and leave a glaring void. However, Khalil Williams and Garrett Davis are poised to fill those vacancies.
More importantly, though, Houston also needs a successor to a first-round draft pick in cornerback William Jackson III.
Brandon Wilson returns but might spend a majority of his snaps at nickelback. Howard Wilson, Jeremy Winchester and J.J. Dallas are vying for the starting roles on the outside.
The front seven—and offense, for that matter—can help offset a weaker secondary, but the unit will be tested immediately when the Cougars open the campaign against Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma.
Iowa: Outside Linebacker
6 of 18
Last season, Cole Fisher climbed the depth chart and provided a massive impact. Someone has to replace his 116 tackles.
Bo Bower is the first option. He held the starting role in 2014 and managed 38 tackles along with two interceptions. Behind him is Ben Niemann, who missed spring practice due to injury.
Sophomore Aaron Mends appeared to secure the opposite outside linebacker spot during the spring, so fall camp will determine whether Bower or Niemann grabs the final opening in the unit.
LSU: Inside Linebacker
7 of 18
Barring injury, Kendall Beckwith will start. He ranked second on the team with 84 tackles last season. But who will line up next to Beckwith in Dave Aranda's 3-4 defense?
LSU has no shortage of options. Duke Riley, Donnie Alexander, Devin Voorhies and M.J. Patterson are returning players, while 4-star prospect Devin White impressed in the spring after switching from running back.
"He stepped up big time," Beckwith said of White, per Jim Kleinpeter of NOLA.com. "He's going to be really good. He's fast. He just needs to learn how everything operates."
Still, Riley and Alexander seem to be leading the competition. The winner will complete an immensely deep and dangerous defense.
Michigan: Quarterback
8 of 18
Head coach Jim Harbaugh will divulge as little pertinent information as possible about the quarterback battle, but it's pretty obvious Wilton Speight and John O'Korn are the top contenders.
Speight led a game-winning drive at Minnesota last season, and O'Korn notched 16 starts with Houston before transferring. They need to hold off Shane Morris and 2016 4-star recruit Brandon Peters.
Michigan's offense may encounter some struggles while adapting to its new signal-caller, but the schedule sets up perfectly to allow growing pains. The Wolverines don't leave Ann Arbor until Oct. 8.
Michigan State: Quarterback
9 of 18
One of these guys won't be as happy after fall camp.
Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry combined to help Michigan State shock Ohio State near the end of 2015, and they're currently competing for the full-time starting role.
If the spring was any indication, though, O'Connor will guide the Spartans offense this season. The strong-armed fifth-year senior entered and exited the workouts as the leader.
But head coach Mark Dantonio hasn't yet anointed the new starter. Terry—as well as Brian Lewerke and Messiah deWeaver, to a lesser extent—have a chance to upend O'Connor in August.
Notre Dame: Quarterback
10 of 18
When Malik Zaire went down with a season-ending ankle injury, Notre Dame had a receiving corps ready to carry his replacement. Now that the Fighting Irish have just one receiver back with more than one career catch, the opposite needs to be true.
And thankfully for them, it is.
DeShone Kizer racked up 3,400 total yards and 31 touchdowns last year. Zaire returned and shook off the proverbial rust during spring practice; the competition will be heated this fall.
Both players will be ready for the spotlight on Sep. 4 at Texas, but someone needs to demand center stage.
Ohio State: Safety
11 of 18
Now that Urban Meyer has said he expects Mike Weber to succeed Ezekiel Elliott (h/t Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors), the focus shifts from the offensive backfield to the defensive side.
Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell elected to chase NFL aspirations, leaving Ohio State with a young but promising pool of returning safeties.
While Malik Hooker leads the bunch, Damon Webb—if he doesn't get moved to cornerback—and Eric Glover-Williams aren't far behind. Erick Smith and Cam Burrows are both recovering from injuries.
Safety is simply one of several important battles for the Buckeyes, but like every other vacancy, the replacements are stepping in for NFL-caliber talent. That's no easy task.
Oklahoma: Outside Linebacker
12 of 18Oklahoma has notable losses all over the defense, but every position has at least one returning starter, except outside linebacker.
Eric Striker and Devante Bond combined to tally 110 tackles and 10.5 sacks, and P.L. Lindley notched 14 stops and a few starts. The Sooners will rely on new faces to replace that production.
Heading into August, Obo Okoronkwo and Ricky DeBerry are in line for the starting jobs. Kapri Doucet and Emmanuel Beal are the key challengers ahead of 5-star prospect Caleb Kelly and 4-star recruit Mark Jackson Jr.
Oklahoma State: Running Back
13 of 18
Although improvement on the offensive line will help immensely, Oklahoma State has a running back dilemma.
Chris Carson recorded a team-high 517 yards last season but fell just shy of four yards per carry. Rennie Childs is a power back, and Jeff Carr is more a return specialist than an every-down runner.
Oh, and Barry Sanders Jr. is eligible immediately as a grad transfer.
The Mason Rudolph-led offense will be explosive, but the Pokes surely would appreciate a little balance in the attack.
Ole Miss: Left Tackle
14 of 18
Three years ago, Ole Miss signed a 5-star offensive tackle named Laremy Tunsil. It didn't take long for him to claim a starting spot. Perhaps Greg Little will accomplish the same thing.
But what's most interesting is the potential corresponding moves.
Rod Taylor, Robert Conyers and Sean Rawlings have no set position. Depending on Little's readiness, Ole Miss will adjust the line accordingly to best protect Chad Kelly.
If the coaching staff chooses Little as the left tackle, Javon Patterson and Jordan Sims will attempt to keep their spots at guard, while Taylor, Conyers and Rawlings fight over two starting positions.
Oregon: Quarterback
15 of 18Many fans and analysts expected Montana State transfer Dakota Prukop to seal the starting job soon after arriving at Oregon. Not so fast, said Travis Jonsen this spring.
"There is no set-in-stone quarterback, I don't think," wide receiver Darren Carrington said in April, according to Tyson Alger of the Oregonian. "I think they're neck and neck. Being the receiver that they throw to, I think they're tied right now."
Jonsen—a redshirt freshman—will continue his push in camp. Even if he falls short, however, Oregon supporters must be relieved Jonsen has shaken the trend of slow-developing quarterbacks since Marcus Mariota took over.
Stanford: Quarterback
16 of 18
Gone is Kevin Hogan, a three-plus-year starter who guided Stanford to three Pac-12 championships and set numerous school records.
No pressure, new guy.
Keller Chryst and Ryan Burns are competing for that title. Chryst looked like the heir apparent before Burns put together a strong spring. Head coach David Shaw said the battle may continue into the regular season, per Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Gate.
Whoever receives the starting nod won't have much time to celebrate. Stanford opens the campaign against Kansas State, USC, at UCLA, at Washington, Washington State and at Notre Dame.
No pressure, new guy.
TCU: Quarterback
17 of 18
As long as injuries don't deplete the roster again, a stout defense should keep TCU average at worst. Depending on the quarterback situation, the Horned Frogs could win the Big 12.
But that's an admittedly large expectation for a competition that didn't inspire much hope in March. Carlos Mendez of the Star-Telegram recapped the forgettable spring game.
"Hill got the first chance with the ball. He got six possessions; Sawyer got five. They resulted in three points. Total."
Either someone will emerge in fall camp or TCU will waver between Hill and Sawyer throughout September.
Tennessee: Wide Receiver
18 of 18
The good news? A strong majority of Tennessee's pass-catching production returns in 2016. The bad news? It wasn't great last year.
Josh Malone had 31 receptions for 405 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Smith tallied 23 catches, 307 yards and two scores. Preston Williams and Jauan Jennings added a combined 21/307/2 line.
JUCO transfer Jeff George highlights the reinforcements for the position, which needs to become more consistently impactful for quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
Otherwise, the offseason hype won't amount to much in Knoxville.
All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
