College football spring game reactions: What you need to know in 1 sentence
The spring practice schedule in college football is coming to a close around the country as most of the top programs have played their spring games, offering fans their first and only look before the fall as to how their teams are progressing, where important position battles stand, and which players are standing out, especially with conference and playoff contenders having to make very important decisions.
There are plenty of new faces on the field and on the sideline across college football this offseason as schools made momentous changes at the head coach position and they in turn dove deep into the transfer portal to radically re-design their rosters and take advantage of the sport's free agency model.
The big name that sticks out is Colorado, which completely overhauled its program by bringing on Deion Sanders as head coach, and he took a scalpel to his team by bringing in a huge class of transfer players, with many of the school's existing players deciding to start an exodus of their own, out of the program.
Here's what else you need to know about where things stand on the biggest teams as we move out of spring and into the summer preseason.
College football spring game reactions: What you need to know in 1 sentence
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Texas: Quinn Ewers is the Longhorns' starter at quarterback after Arch Manning looked like what he was, a true freshman who has only been on campus a few months, albeit one with potential, but keep an eye on Maalik Murphy, who has been overlooked in the Ewers-Manning convo, and who showed off a big arm with some deep passes in the spring game.
Penn State: Five-star quarterback Drew Allar and a room of very talented running backs got most of the attention this offseason, but the Nittany Lions' dominant pass rush put on a show and looks to have the potential to emerge as the Big Ten's most physical front seven under the guidance of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
USC: Run defense could be a problem again after the Trojans backs averaged nearly 10 yards per carry in the scrimmage, and while the pass rush and coverages looked more aggressive, it was against a makeshift offensive line and a passing attack that was more conservative than what we'll see in the fall.
Tennessee: Joe Milton and his huge arm got rave reviews in the Orange Bowl, leading to speculation he was the easy favorite to start in 2023, but watch out for Nico Iamaleava, the standout five-star prospect who could legitimately challenge Milton for the starting role going into the summer, showing poise and accuracy while on the move, a quality the Vols will need as they replace lost production on offense.
Georgia: The race to replace Stetson Bennett looks to be down to Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff, with Gunner Stockton embracing the No. 3 position, and Beck looking like the favorite in the two-man battle after going over 200 yards with a touchdown in the spring game, showing mature pocket awareness, working through his progressions, and skill moving the ball against a variety of coverages.
Ohio State: No close look at the QB battle with Devin Brown out, but whoever does get the job is working behind a line that has some work to do coming together after struggling against a Buckeyes front seven that won most of its battles and forced Kyle McCord out of the pocket too often.
Clemson: Too early to get a real line on how Garrett Riley is bringing the offense together after a spring scrimmage defined by basic play calls and players not on the field, but there's still a way to go building a receiving corps that can take this team back to the College Football Playoff.
Nebraska: Transfer quarterback Jeff Sims looks like starting material, even if we didn't see much of his famed mobility in this setting, but his emergence could leave the Cornhuskers with a problem, should Casey Thompson elect to transfer out, leaving the school without much depth to speak of behind Sims.
Colorado: It's anyone's guess what Deion Sanders' first team at CU will look like after a transfer portal exodus, but the offense showed some big-play ability against a defense that looked a little too generous.
LSU: Jayden Daniels was the key piece in the Tigers' offensive puzzle a year ago, and so far the early returns on the quarterback look as good if not better as he showed off a diversity of throws, including some impressive deep plays that will help spread out defenses this season, adding to his repertoire as a skilled rusher.
Notre Dame: Sam Hartman does really look like that guy, coming in as one of college football's premier transfers at any position after breaking the ACC's all-time record for TD passes at Wake Forest, and he was very sharp in his Irish debut, especially compared to the other options, going 13 of 16 with two touchdown passes.
Alabama: Quarterback and offensive line remain open questions for the Crimson Tide as neither Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson separated themselves from one another, but the real star of the show was freshman 5-star safety Caleb Downs, a defender of considerable polish already, displaying a combination of instinct, anticipation, fluid movement, closing speed, and tackling ability, a key piece in a secondary that looks like it has some impressive depth.
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