By Pete Rousell
Training camp is right around the corner, so as I normally do, it’s time to formulate my annual list of teams that had the best off-season in college football.
The following Top 10 ranking indicates those programs that took to biggest steps forward since the end of the 2013 season to put themselves in position to have success specifically for this coming season.
Things considered: the impact of the coaching carousel, true freshmen and immediately eligible transfers, spring practice accomplishments including player development, roster attrition, key injuries, off-the-field distractions and suspensions, academic casualties, vibe around the program, and momentum.
Based on the coaching carousel alone, my rankings (released in late February) were as follows: 1. Texas, 2. Georgia, 3. Michigan State, 4. Arizona State, 5. Penn State, 6. LSU, 7. Washington, 8. Wisconsin, 9. Florida, and 10. Ohio State.
After weighing all factors:
1. Clemson: It took the Tigers all the way through the spring game, but they emerged with an unquestioned starting quarterback in Cole Stoudt who played very well in the spring game. I think it’s an advantage for Chad Morris, the overall team, and the group of wide receivers that includes three mid-year enrollees who are expected to contribute right way. The entire coaching staff returns, there were no significant injuries, no off-the-field distractions, and by signing three mid-year enrollee wide receivers the Tigers will be good enough on the perimeter. Yes, this is part of the reason why I picked Clemson to win the national championship.
2. Mississippi State: MSU achieved what I believe had to be their No. 1 goal early in the off-season by retaining defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, who received a contract extension and significant pay raise. As I watched one of the Saturday morning spring scrimmages in Starkville, it’s very evident the Bulldogs are going to be solid on defense and Mullen is now in total control of the offense. In fact, with the departure of Les Koenning to Texas, Mullen handled the offensive installation during the spring by way of NFL-style pre-practice meetings. Mullen will call the plays in 2014 and took a step back from his role in special teams, giving the title and responsibility to veteran assistant Greg Knox. The Bulldogs also escaped the off-season without any significant injuries or transfers. Most importantly, quarterback Dak Prescott looked extremely impressive when throwing the ball compared to 37 other college quarterbacks at the Manning Passing Academy in mid-July. And finally, do not forget that Dan Mullen hired a new strength & conditioning coach in the off-season as Rick Court came over from Ohio State. I’m told that although MSU players worked extremely hard for former head strength coach Matt Balis, the players have really taken to Court’s philosophy and program.
3. LSU: Leonard Fournette, Jeff Grimes, and Bradley Dale Peveto. It’s as simple as that. One of the most respected high school coaches in Louisiana told me last week that Fournette is the best high school player he’s seen in thirty years. Former USC head coach Ed Orgeron stated to Bruce Feldman earlier this off-season that he’d rank Fournette or Adrian Peterson as the best high school players he’s ever seen on film. I think the hiring of Jeff Grimes to coach the offensive line was a huge pick-up for Les Miles. And Bradley Dale Peveto, he’ll add a little extra juice to the Tigers’ special teams units. All of that makes up for a couple of early NFL defections and a boneheaded mistake by one of the Tigers starters in the secondary.
4. UL-Lafayette: The Ragin’ Cajuns came close to losing defensive coordinator James Willis to Florida State, but Willis decided to ride this train with Mark Hudspeth. Did you know that eight of the nine assistants are entering their fourth year with Hudspeth? There weren’t any academic casualties (the team actually tallied its highest ever overall GPA in the spring semester) and there weren’t any transfers. No off-the-field distractions, either. To boot, Hudspeth didn’t bring in any immediately eligible transfer which may actually be a good sign. The Ragin’ Cajuns return 20 starters. The momentum continues to rise and Hudsepth expects overflow sellout crowds at newly expanded Cajun Field for the first two games against Southern and LA Tech.
5. Tennessee: Tennessee coaches are confident that a handful of the fourteen mid-year enrollees are capable of not only playing, but playing well right away in 2014. The Vols will be one of the youngest teams in the country, so it was critical to get the spring experience under the belt for fourteen freshmen. I thought the Vols might be in play for a transfer quarterback during the off-season, but quarterback Justin Worley turned some heads at the Manning Passing Academy last week. At the least, Worley looked much stronger, more confident, and throw the ball with better velocity than a year ago. Tennessee may be another year away, but it’s great to see that Vols fans are totally behind Butch Jones and his staff.
6. UCLA: It seems as though UCLA, the administration and players, are buying into Jim Mora’s plan. All news has been good news coming out of Westwood this off-season. At least some have taken notice already. Kirk Herbstreit and later, myself, have predicted the Bruins to play in the college football playoff. Tim Brando took it one step further by predicting UCLA to win the national championship. Had Noel Mazzone left for another job, it’s likely that Brett Hundley wouldn’t have returned.
7. Michigan State: The Spartans were able to retain defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi and the rest of the coaching staff. Since the end of the 2013 season, the only news coming out of East Lansing has been good news. And I’m told quarterback Connor Cook has really developed well in the off-season.
8. Georgia: Mark Richt’s hiring of Jeremy Pruitt may be the single best decision of the off-season. And then Richt topped things off by adding Kevin Sherrer, Tracy Rocker, and Mike Ekeler. Just as importantly, Richt seems to have hit the reset button, resetting the team standards when he dismissed a couple of starters in the secondary. I don’t know if the Bulldogs get enough out of the quarterback position, secondary, and interior defensive line to win 10 regular season games, but I do like what Richt has done this off-season. I like it, a lot.
9. Penn State: PSU nailed it by hiring James Franklin. Franklin and his staff then rallied quickly to lure a recruiting class with that includes several players who will contribute nicely as true freshmen. Let’s be honest, the perception of Penn State football is already starting to change. Penn State is another year away, but combining James Franklin, his staff, and a quarterback like Christian Hackenberg calls for all eyes to be on Happy Valley when Ohio State and Michigan State come to town.
10A. Duke: I asked David Cutcliffe in the spring if he thinks we’ll see College GameDay setup outside of Wallace Wade Stadium sometime in the near future. Cutcliffe’s answer: “Pete, I am a realistic and so the answer is yes. We believe so strongly in what we do. I believe so strongly in our people. We have incredible people here. We have the ability to be successful offensively, defensively, and in the kicking game. That’s the football end of it. We have great people in strength & conditioning. We have a great medical staff. We have a great academic support staff. I have an incredible group that administrates our recruiting process. If you look at Duke football, you can travel anywhere you want to in the country, there is nobody operating better than this program is operating. Do we have every resource that some of the other people have, no. But the greatest resource in this business, and you’ve been in the business as a part of our staff at Ole Miss, there is no substitute for the resource of great people. Yes, we’re improving facilities. We’re conscious of that war that occurs. People… none better than what we have… none, nowhere, anywhere in this country. I am a realist and I’m a realist about people. With the people we have in place, so the answer is absolutely yes.”
Duke will surprise yet again this season. I am interested in seeing the difference between Kurt Roper and new offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery, but by in large, I couldn’t leave the Blue Devils off of this list.
10B. Texas: The Longhorns staff is so solid. Texas is going to play much better football in 2014. It’s only the start, but you’ll notice the difference.
Others: Baylor, Auburn, South Carolina, Florida State, Washington, Arizona State, Ohio State, UCF, Missouri, Utah State
Training camp is right around the corner, so as I normally do, it’s time to formulate my annual list of teams that had the best off-season in college football.
The following Top 10 ranking indicates those programs that took to biggest steps forward since the end of the 2013 season to put themselves in position to have success specifically for this coming season.
Things considered: the impact of the coaching carousel, true freshmen and immediately eligible transfers, spring practice accomplishments including player development, roster attrition, key injuries, off-the-field distractions and suspensions, academic casualties, vibe around the program, and momentum.
Based on the coaching carousel alone, my rankings (released in late February) were as follows: 1. Texas, 2. Georgia, 3. Michigan State, 4. Arizona State, 5. Penn State, 6. LSU, 7. Washington, 8. Wisconsin, 9. Florida, and 10. Ohio State.
After weighing all factors:
1. Clemson: It took the Tigers all the way through the spring game, but they emerged with an unquestioned starting quarterback in Cole Stoudt who played very well in the spring game. I think it’s an advantage for Chad Morris, the overall team, and the group of wide receivers that includes three mid-year enrollees who are expected to contribute right way. The entire coaching staff returns, there were no significant injuries, no off-the-field distractions, and by signing three mid-year enrollee wide receivers the Tigers will be good enough on the perimeter. Yes, this is part of the reason why I picked Clemson to win the national championship.
2. Mississippi State: MSU achieved what I believe had to be their No. 1 goal early in the off-season by retaining defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, who received a contract extension and significant pay raise. As I watched one of the Saturday morning spring scrimmages in Starkville, it’s very evident the Bulldogs are going to be solid on defense and Mullen is now in total control of the offense. In fact, with the departure of Les Koenning to Texas, Mullen handled the offensive installation during the spring by way of NFL-style pre-practice meetings. Mullen will call the plays in 2014 and took a step back from his role in special teams, giving the title and responsibility to veteran assistant Greg Knox. The Bulldogs also escaped the off-season without any significant injuries or transfers. Most importantly, quarterback Dak Prescott looked extremely impressive when throwing the ball compared to 37 other college quarterbacks at the Manning Passing Academy in mid-July. And finally, do not forget that Dan Mullen hired a new strength & conditioning coach in the off-season as Rick Court came over from Ohio State. I’m told that although MSU players worked extremely hard for former head strength coach Matt Balis, the players have really taken to Court’s philosophy and program.
3. LSU: Leonard Fournette, Jeff Grimes, and Bradley Dale Peveto. It’s as simple as that. One of the most respected high school coaches in Louisiana told me last week that Fournette is the best high school player he’s seen in thirty years. Former USC head coach Ed Orgeron stated to Bruce Feldman earlier this off-season that he’d rank Fournette or Adrian Peterson as the best high school players he’s ever seen on film. I think the hiring of Jeff Grimes to coach the offensive line was a huge pick-up for Les Miles. And Bradley Dale Peveto, he’ll add a little extra juice to the Tigers’ special teams units. All of that makes up for a couple of early NFL defections and a boneheaded mistake by one of the Tigers starters in the secondary.
4. UL-Lafayette: The Ragin’ Cajuns came close to losing defensive coordinator James Willis to Florida State, but Willis decided to ride this train with Mark Hudspeth. Did you know that eight of the nine assistants are entering their fourth year with Hudspeth? There weren’t any academic casualties (the team actually tallied its highest ever overall GPA in the spring semester) and there weren’t any transfers. No off-the-field distractions, either. To boot, Hudspeth didn’t bring in any immediately eligible transfer which may actually be a good sign. The Ragin’ Cajuns return 20 starters. The momentum continues to rise and Hudsepth expects overflow sellout crowds at newly expanded Cajun Field for the first two games against Southern and LA Tech.
5. Tennessee: Tennessee coaches are confident that a handful of the fourteen mid-year enrollees are capable of not only playing, but playing well right away in 2014. The Vols will be one of the youngest teams in the country, so it was critical to get the spring experience under the belt for fourteen freshmen. I thought the Vols might be in play for a transfer quarterback during the off-season, but quarterback Justin Worley turned some heads at the Manning Passing Academy last week. At the least, Worley looked much stronger, more confident, and throw the ball with better velocity than a year ago. Tennessee may be another year away, but it’s great to see that Vols fans are totally behind Butch Jones and his staff.
6. UCLA: It seems as though UCLA, the administration and players, are buying into Jim Mora’s plan. All news has been good news coming out of Westwood this off-season. At least some have taken notice already. Kirk Herbstreit and later, myself, have predicted the Bruins to play in the college football playoff. Tim Brando took it one step further by predicting UCLA to win the national championship. Had Noel Mazzone left for another job, it’s likely that Brett Hundley wouldn’t have returned.
7. Michigan State: The Spartans were able to retain defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi and the rest of the coaching staff. Since the end of the 2013 season, the only news coming out of East Lansing has been good news. And I’m told quarterback Connor Cook has really developed well in the off-season.
8. Georgia: Mark Richt’s hiring of Jeremy Pruitt may be the single best decision of the off-season. And then Richt topped things off by adding Kevin Sherrer, Tracy Rocker, and Mike Ekeler. Just as importantly, Richt seems to have hit the reset button, resetting the team standards when he dismissed a couple of starters in the secondary. I don’t know if the Bulldogs get enough out of the quarterback position, secondary, and interior defensive line to win 10 regular season games, but I do like what Richt has done this off-season. I like it, a lot.
9. Penn State: PSU nailed it by hiring James Franklin. Franklin and his staff then rallied quickly to lure a recruiting class with that includes several players who will contribute nicely as true freshmen. Let’s be honest, the perception of Penn State football is already starting to change. Penn State is another year away, but combining James Franklin, his staff, and a quarterback like Christian Hackenberg calls for all eyes to be on Happy Valley when Ohio State and Michigan State come to town.
10A. Duke: I asked David Cutcliffe in the spring if he thinks we’ll see College GameDay setup outside of Wallace Wade Stadium sometime in the near future. Cutcliffe’s answer: “Pete, I am a realistic and so the answer is yes. We believe so strongly in what we do. I believe so strongly in our people. We have incredible people here. We have the ability to be successful offensively, defensively, and in the kicking game. That’s the football end of it. We have great people in strength & conditioning. We have a great medical staff. We have a great academic support staff. I have an incredible group that administrates our recruiting process. If you look at Duke football, you can travel anywhere you want to in the country, there is nobody operating better than this program is operating. Do we have every resource that some of the other people have, no. But the greatest resource in this business, and you’ve been in the business as a part of our staff at Ole Miss, there is no substitute for the resource of great people. Yes, we’re improving facilities. We’re conscious of that war that occurs. People… none better than what we have… none, nowhere, anywhere in this country. I am a realist and I’m a realist about people. With the people we have in place, so the answer is absolutely yes.”
Duke will surprise yet again this season. I am interested in seeing the difference between Kurt Roper and new offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery, but by in large, I couldn’t leave the Blue Devils off of this list.
10B. Texas: The Longhorns staff is so solid. Texas is going to play much better football in 2014. It’s only the start, but you’ll notice the difference.
Others: Baylor, Auburn, South Carolina, Florida State, Washington, Arizona State, Ohio State, UCF, Missouri, Utah State
