NHL Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Written By: Mitch McCombs

Sunday, May 27th, 2018

Vegas, Washington Both Seek to Win First Title In Franchise History

Who would’ve ever thought; a Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup final round. Alexander Ovechkin, after 13 years in the league, finally makes it to the Stanley Cup Finals, while the Marc-André Fleury led Golden knights, make it in their inaugural season.

 It’s going to be a good, hard fought round for both teams. It’s going to come down to if the Capitals can expose the Golden Knights defense, and if the Golden Knights can put enough pressure on the firing Capitals and keep it in the offensive zone. Firing shots on Holtby, forcing him to be near perfect is going to be crucial to keep them in these games. He has been solid this post season with a goal against average of 2.04 and a save percentage of 92.4%

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The Capitals have been amazing while on the road during the playoffs, clinching all three of their series on the road in Columbus, Pittsburgh, and now in Tampa. They will face a new challenge when facing the Golden Knights in the “fortress”, which opposing players have said is one of the loudest places to play. 

The Knights have only lost 1 game at home during the playoffs this year. The Capitals will need to play hard and fast right off the bat and make the Knights force passes. Kuznetsov and Ovechkin need to work their magic against Fleury if they want to have a chance to win this series, playing like they did in games 1, 2 and 7 against the Lightning if they want to intimidate the Knights. They can’t get caught up chasing the Vegas' Golden Boys, or the Knights will punish them for it. Their need to capitalize on the power play, the second highest in the playoffs at 28.8%, is imperative for the Capitals if they want to come away with with the series. They need to play up to that stat and try to punish the Knights penalty kill, which is 4th highest in the playoffs. It’ll be a match up worth keeping an eye on.

If the Knights want to come out on top of this series and win the cup, they need to keep playing like they have  throughout the playoffs. They can’t play like they did in game 2 of both round 1 and 2 and game 1 of the conference final round, or their fairy tale inaugural season will risk an unhappy ending. They just need to play sharp defensively and fast like they are known to be. Fleury has been amazing all postseason long with a .947 save percentage and a 1.68 goals against average, having to bail them out of a lot of games they’ve been slow and sloppy in. The Knights first line needs to keep playing and punishing defenses like they have done throughout these playoffs. Brooks Orpik has the highest plus minus during the playoffs at a +15, therefore, all four of the Knights lines need to keep producing on offense and defense like they have to this point.  Key factors are in stopping Kuznetsov (24 points) and Ovechkin (22 points), who are 1st and 2nd in leading points respectively during this postseason. The defense might have a hard time trying to stop that line but they did a good job holding the Winning Jets’ Blake Wheeler to hardly anything, as well as Patrick Laine, and the Jets forward group at large. The major challenge for the Knights is if they can hold up against the Caps 1st and 2nd offensive lines.

With how these 2 teams have been playing, I see the Golden Knights winning the cup in 6 games. The Knights have been a force to reckon with in the postseason with only 1 loss at home and 2 losses when playing on the road. I feel the Capitals will put up a good fight but it won’t be good enough, and the Golden Knights “Cinderella Story” could come to a happy ending winning the Stanley Cup.

Ball State Cardinals 2018 Football Preview

Ball State Cardinals 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Mike Neu may have bitten off more than he could chew by agreeing to return to his Alma Mater, and it showed with a 2-10 season in 2017 that was as much a disaster as it looked on paper. With more changes coming in 2018, specifically changing personnel on defense to a 3-4 look, Ball State has got to pray to the health Gods that they can keep some bodies on the field, especially QB Riley Neal, who missed all but 3 games last fall. Injuries aside, the staff has to just simply do a better job getting this roster prepared for what could be another long slog this season.

Breakdown Offense: Everything went wrong for the Cardinals on offense in 2017, as they scored just 17.9 points per game on the season. They passed for just 177.2 yards per game, and managed to run for 158.

It all starts and ends for Ball State at QB, where the Cardinals had to play 3 different players, and a 4th saw limited action. Riley Neal's healthy return should make all the difference, but he played in just 3 games last fall, passing for 659 yards, 6 TDs, and 3 INTs. The reality is that Neal has never been great (13 TDs, 12 INTs in 2016), but he represents their best chance to win more than 2 games, which would be tough anyway. Drew Plitt played in 5 games last season, but passed for just 430 yards with 3 TDs and 3 INTs, and he completed just 50% of his passes. Hank Hughes is a transfer from Texas A&M, but may not figure into the bigger picture just yet.

Caleb Huntley had a strong freshman campaign in 2017, rushing for 1003 yards, but his average of 4.78 yards per carry and 3 rushing scores were pedestrian in measure, and need to improve as a sophomore. There is little depth behind him outside of junior Malik Dunner, who rushed for just 440 yards, or 36.67 yards per game. He did manage to score 8 times, however.

Justin Hall leads a receiving corps that returns mostly intact. Hall posted a line of 78-801-3 last fall, and is joined by Riley Miller, who posted 30-300-1. Khalil Newton is the 3rd receiver, but posted just a line of 12-183-1. Antwan Davis finished 4th on in receiving and returns to add some depth. Hassan Littles, who caught just 2 passes, returns as well, as does Devin Reece. Nolan Givan caught 25 passes for mostly short yardage as the starting TE last fall, but does return as well. Kyle Schrank projects to win the backup role, but will have a battle with Keidran Davis in the fall. Dylan Koch is looking for some reps as well.

Malik King (LT), Zac Ricketts (LG), Chris Beech (C), Curtis Blackwell (RG), and Kadin Booker (RT) all project as starters on the line. Grant Williamson and Anthony Todd will provide relief at OG, while Andrew Poentisch is the reserve at C. OT is thin, with just TJ Beltavski solid enough to lend any real support.

Breakdown Defense: The news was far worse on defense for Ball State than on offense, as this side of the ball completely derailed last fall. The Cardinals allowed 40.7 points per game last fall, and overall, was one of the worst defenses in the nation. Teams passed for 233.6 yards per game, while they also ran for 188 yards per game.

With the change to a 3-4 set, several DEs will be switching to OLB this fall, but adding inexperience to an already flammable situation may be more than they wish to take on. Christian Albright and James Jennette II both looked to be in the hunt for a starting DE job, but now, the loser of that battle will either back up, or move to OLB and start over. Albright appears to be an early leader, as he finished with 4 TFLs last season as a freshman. Sean Hammonds, Akeem Hutchinson, and Frank Burton all appear to be in a situation where they will provide depth at DE, move to OLB, or move back and forth. This was also a severely young group last season, so finding a footing for these guys will be imperative in fall camp.

Fred Schroeder will likely take the starting DT job, while Chris Crumb, a junior this fall, projects as the starter at NT. There is very little depth inside, so this could, once again, be a major issue area. They combined for 5.5 TFLs last fall.

Damon Singleton and Brandon Martin looked like the starters at the OLB spots before the change over to the 3-4 set, and that could still be true, as Ball State tries to find someone in the middle to pair with projected starter Jacob White. White led the team in tackles last fall with 72, while Singleton added 49 tackles in just 9 games played. White also missed one game last season. Martin finished with 55 tackles, last fall, so this group does have some potential. Jeremiah Jackson is trying to find some reps, and will be in the equation during the battle of fall camp to settle the 4th starter for this group. He finished with 26 tackles as a reserve last fall. Jaylin Thomas and Michael Robinson add some depth outside, and could be moved in and out of the lineup as well, wither as potential starters, or as rotational reserves.

Josh Miller is the star of the secondary, as he finished with 13 PBUs and 2 INTs at CB last fall. Verenzo Holmes, who got in some time as a freshman last fall, is projected to step up and start at the opposite corner spot. Marc Walton is the primary backup, and could battle with Holmes for the starting RCB spot as a senior. Romero Wade and Bryce Cosby are the starters at the Safety spots. Wade finished with 39 tackles last fall, while Cosby was 2nd on the team as a freshman with 59 tackles. If the battle irons out early in camp for the open CB spot, this could be one of the most improved units in the MAC last season, as long as the young linemen get their job done, and the LB situation eases out with the scheme change. Brett Anderson and Lamar Anderson are the reserves at Safety.

Breakdown Special Teams: Morgan Hagee returns at PK, but struggled badly last season at just 9/16 on FG attempts for a 56.3% success rate. He finished 26/27 on PATs. Nathan Snyder is back as the Punter, but struggled badly as well, averaging just 37.3 yards per punt.

Riley Miller will take over as the Punt Return man this fall after the departure of Cory Lacanaria. He returned just 3 punts last fall for zero yards. Dunner is the KR man this fall, and is fairly dangerous. He averaged 24.45 yards per return last fall, and took one to the house.

Final Analysis: With the uncertainties that anyone on offense can stay healthy, and the scheme change on defense effecting an already exposed D line, the Cardinals are in a situation where they are looking hard to find someone, anyone, to carry them above the debacle of last season, but the problem is, other than some improving parts at LB and S, and a decent RB, the Cardinals are devoid of that kind of talent on the roster right now. Neal coming back at QB helps, but he has never really been a star for this program, and he has much to prove on the field and with his health. With all of the change and the questions coming back this fall, I just do not see much room for improvement in Muncie for the 2018 season.

BYU Cougars 2018 Football Preview

BYU Cougars 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Nobody outside of Utah Utes fans were happy last season with the results in Provo, as the Cougars train wrecked to a final record of 4-9. Say what you will about how likable Kalani Sitake is, and about how much of a BYU guy he is, but these results will not be tolerated at the base of the Wasatch Mountains for very long. The key to finding success once again will be getting the offence back on track, because it was anything but on track last fall. The defense is still fairly sturdy, but winning 4 games per year with this proud program is not getting it done, and something has got to be done about that quickly.

Breakdown Offense: It really could not have gotten much worse for the BYU offense last season, as they averaged just 17.1 points per game. BYU, a historical QB factory, is struggling to find consistency, or even basic competency at the position these days. Tanner Mangum, who was so promising, never got going last season, and really fell backwards after a year of backing up again. He has now fallen to 3rd on the depth chart entering 2018, and is in a battle with Beau Hodge and Joe Critchlow that likely will not be won until the very end of fall camp. Kody Wilstead also will be entering that battle as well, so you have a very messy situation to iron out, not just to find a starter, but to identify the primary backup as well.

BYU did not fair any better running the football, as they averaged just 130.54 yards per gam, as the lagging passing game allowed defenses to key in on and stop the run. Squally Canada needs to be unleashed this fall, as he led the team with 710 yards and 6 scores, while averaging 5.92 yards per carry. The team average was just 4.4 yards per carry. Ula Toluta'u returns as well after rushing for 303 yards. Austin Kafentzis is back as well, but is in a tight battle for the HB job With KJ Hall. Riley Burt will likely back up Canada if healthy in the fall. All in all, the Cougars need better protections from the line, and the QB play needs to improve massively, or this unit has no chance.

Beau Tanner is the starting X receiver coming out of spring ball after catching just 12 passes last fall. There is very little experience behind him, so this position is an area of concern and need. Talon Shumway is the Z receiver, or the slot, and caught 25 passes a year ago. Micah Simon could be the 3rd receiver in multiple sets. Nail Pau'u and Aliva Hifo are in reserve coming out of spring ball. Hifo caught 37 passes last season, and could push his way back into a starting spot. TE Matt bushman led the team last fall with 39 catches, and returns. The backup spot is an ongoing battle.

Thomas Shoaf is your starter at LT, and Austin Hoyt will be the starter on the right side at OT, with Chandon Herring and Kiefer Longson expected to provide relief. Herring will also provide backup support at OG, specifically at on the right side. Austin Chambers and Addison Pulsipher are projected at the OG spots, but other than Herring coming in to relieve at OG from his OT spot, this is not a deep group of Guards. James Empey is slotted in as the starter at C, and again, depth is not great.

Breakdown Defense: BYU will have different looks on defense, as they do on offense, but the defensive side of the football is a much clearer picture, as it was in 2017. The Cougars allowed just 24.7 points per game, and teams passed for 225.2 yards per game, while they were rushed on to a total of 147.62 yards per game.

Corbin Kaufusi is back at DE after finishing last season with a solid 6.5 TFLs. Sione Takitaki is back at the OE spot, and led the team last fall with 12.5 TFLs, and 5 sacks. Kaufusi led the team with 6 sacks in 2017. Trajan Pili and Uriah Leiataua provide some depth behind Kaufusi, while Langi Tuifua and Rhett Sandlin backup for Takitaki. Merrill Taliauli will start at NT this fall, and will be one of the new kids on the starting block. Solomone Wolfgramm is projected to start at DT. Khyiris Tonga will push for the job at NT after finishing with 4.5 TFLs as a freshman last fall, while Tevita Mo'unga will be trying to get healthy for fall camp to compete at DT. Lorenzo Fauatea was also banged up in spring ball, and could provide some depth at NT, if healthy.

Fred Warner is gone at LB, leaving a rather large hole in the middle of the defense. Zayne Anderson could be moving into the FLASH spot, but could be in a battle with Morgan Unga in fall camp for that spot. Anderson finished with 61 tackles last season, while Unga had just 16. They were tied up in battle heading into the summer. Butch Pau'u is back at the MIKE spot, and is a leader on this defense. He finished with 74 tackles last fall, good for 3rd on the team. Johnny Tapusoa will likely be his backup after finishing with 14 tackles as a sophomore last fall. Takitaki could move off the line and start at the BO position, with Adam Pulsipher moving into the OE spot on the line, but that is a continuing development as we head into the fall. Pulsipher could also stay back and play the BO himself after a 54 tackle season in 2017. Isaiah Kaufusi and Matt Hadley are battling for the backup job there.

The secondary was rather solid a year ago, and should be once again in 2018. Chris Wilcox and Michael Shelton are battling it out to start at LCB, with Wilcox coming off of a 5 PBU season, and Shelton finishing with 2. Trevion Greene could move into the starting job at the RCB job, where depth is not as pronounced. Dayan Ghanwoloku is also in the fight on the right side. Shelton is projected to slide into the NB role when needed, while Tanner Jacobson provides help in the Dime package. If Anderson does not end up playing the FLASH LB spot, he could slot right back into the FS position. Jacobson, who finished with 28 tackles last season, could end up as the SS, with Austin Lee moving in to support him as the backup at either Safety spot. Ghanwoloku could also slide from CB to the SS spot, providing Anderson wins the FLASH spot.

Breakdown Special Teams: Rhett Almond is back at PK after struggling to hit 13/19 FGs last fall. His accuracy rate of just 68.4% is troubling. Almond may end up handling punting duties as well, as Jonny Linehan has moved on. Andrew Mikkelson is there as the backup PK if Almond needs some pushing.

Michael Shelton averaged 19.92 yards per kick return last fall, and will handle those duties again, as well as returning punts, where he averaged 6.71 yards per return last season.

Final Analysis: BYU still has plenty of questions to answer on offense, and they are moving some pieces around on defense to better array the weapons that they do have on that side of the football. I see some improvement coming this season, and they should be able to push their way back into bowl consideration, but only if the QB job irons itself out and they can find a way to be the Cougars of old again through the air. If that does not develop, BYU could be in a heap of trouble once again, and we will be having a conversation about whether or not Sitake is the right guy to lead this program, BYU guy through and through or not.

Auburn Tigers 2018 Football Preview

Auburn Tigers 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Gus Malzahn has gone from the guy that everyone wanted fired to the guy who now everyone believes in, and it took one short year for that transformation to happen. Auburn won the SEC West last season, but eventually fell to Georgia in the SEC title game before falling to UCF in a shocker during the bowl season. That said, the Tigers are still loaded up for the 2018 campaign, and should be in the field to compete for an SEC and national title once again.

Breakdown Offense: It took Jarrett Stidham some time to warm himself up and shake off the rust last season after sitting out a year after transferring from Baylor, but once he managed to get into the groove, he was basically what most people expected him to be. Stidham passed for 3158 yards and 18 TDs to just 6 INTs last season, and there is no reason to expect the TD totals to increase this fall as a junior. In a weak QB class for the 2019 NFL Draft, some are projecting him as the 2nd QB off the board next April. He managed to complete a solid 66.5% of his passes last fall, and as I said, we should see a more focused and locked in player from the start this fall. Malik Willis figures in as his primary backup, with Joey Gatewood holding on as the 3rd QB.
Kam Martin rushed for 453 yards last fall, but now figures as the starter out of the spring. Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway are both gone now, and Martin is the leader by far. JaTarvious Whitlow is the backup as of now, with Devan Barrett, Malik Miller, and freshman Asa Martin providing depth.
Chandler Cox returns as the H-Back, and will be backed up by Spencer Nigh, John Samuel Shenker, and Jalen Harris.
Speaking of Harris, he projects as the starting TE this season after catching just one pass a year ago. Sal Cannella and Shenker provide some depth there.
Ryan Davis led the team with 84 receptions last season, and will return as the Z receiver. Darius Slayton will return as the X receiver after catching 29 passes last fall, and Will Hastings is the SLOT receiver as he comes off a 26 catch season. Nate Craig-Myers is the Big Slot receiver after catching 16 passes last fall. Shedrick Jackson, a freshman, will back up at the X, Eli Stove and Devan Barrett back up at the Flanker, Griffin King and Noah Igbinoghene back up at the SLOT, and Marquis McCain and Cannella add depth at the Big SLOT.
The line is set and deep coming out of the spring. Prince Tega Wanogho (LT), Marquel Harrell (LG), Kaleb Kim (C), Mike Horton (RG), and Austin Troxell (RT) are your post spring starters. Bailey Sharp, Prince Sammons, and Calvin Ashley provide depth at tackle, while Brodarious Hamm and Tashawn Manning provide depth at OG. Nick Brahms and Tucker Brown are the backups at C.

Breakdown Defense: The Auburn defense really turned a major corner last season, and was one of the best in the nation. Expect that trend to continue this fall.The Tigers allowed just 18.5 points per game, while allowing just 182.4 yards passing and 137 yards rushing per game.
Marlon Davidson moves from a rotational guy to starting DE after finishing with 6 TFLs a year ago. He will be backed up by Nick Coe and Gary Walker. Coe was solid in a rotational role himself last season, finishing with 4.5 TFLs. The hybrid BUCK spot will be manned by sophomore TD Moultry, who finished with 2.5 TFLs as a rotational player last fall. Markaviest "Big Cat" Bryant will be backing him up after a solid freshman campaign last season. Dontavious Russell is the starting NT after providing 6.5 TFLs last season. Tyrone Truesdale and Jaunta'Vius Johnson will provide depth there. Truesdale played in 9 games as a freshman last fall. Derrick Brown returns as a junior this fall to start at DT. He finished 2nd on the team with 9 TFLs in 2017. Andrew Williams and Alec Jackson will provide depth there.
Jeff Holland has moved on from the LB corps, but there is still plenty of talent left over from last season's successful unit. Darrell Williams and Montavious Atkinson will start at the OLB spots. Williams finished with 57 tackles last season, with Atkinson recording 43. Chandler Wooten and Richard McBryde will provide some depth outside. Deshaun Davis is the returning starter in the middle after leading the team with 82 tackles a year ago. KJ Britt is the backup as we head into summer.
The secondary was rock solid last season, but lost a couple of important parts in Carlton Davis and Stephen Davis to go along with key reserve Tra Matthews. Javaris Davis and Jamel Dean are the CBs heading into fall camp. Davis finished with 6 PBUs last fall, while Dean was lock down good with 8. Noah Igbinoghene, Jayvaughn Myers, and Traivon Leonard back up Davis, while John Broussard and Malcolm Askew provide depth behind Dean. Daniel Thomas returns at BS after recording 35 tackles last season, while Jeremiah Dinson is the FS. Dinson recorded 47 tackles last fall and recorded 4 PBUs. The Safety spots are one of the few spots where there is not a ton of depth returning for the Tigers, and Dinson was injured during spring camp, but he is expected to be healthy for the start of the fall camp. Jamien Sherwood, a true freshman, is expected to back him up. Quindarious Monday, another true freshman, could be backing up Thomas.

Breakdown Special Teams: RS freshman Anders Carlson is expected to take over at PK from Daniel Carlson, who has moved on. Anders has not attempted a kick, obviously, so this is all about getting him broken in at this point. Aidan Marshall returns at Punter, but averaged just 39.37 yards per punt last fall. Ian Shannon backs him up, and was given some opportunities last season, but failed to impress in 14 punts of his own.
Igbinoghene will return kicks once again after averaging more than 23 yards per return last fall, while Ryan Davis replaces Stephen Davis as the primary punt return man, He averaged 21 yards per return on just 2 returns last fall.

Final Analysis: Auburn is basically still loaded across the board. If there were any real questions heading into fall camp, it would be dealing with depth at Safety, and breaking in the new kicker, and of course, the punting game could use some work. Other than those issues, the Tigers are load to go out and defend their SEC West championship in 2018, and make another run for the national title. Gus Malzahn should be free of any of the pressures he had a year ago to start the season, even with the letdown loss to UCF in the bowl game still lingering a bit. In short, it should be another exiciting season on the Plains.

Army Black Knights 2018 Football Preview

Army Black Knights 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Jeff Monken did the unthinkable in 2017, as Army won 10 games and beat Navy for the second consecutive season. Monken, at this point, has taken a long dormant Army football program, and has made them relevant once again in an age where doing so at a place like West Point would seem impossible. As we enter 2018, Army has some holes to fill, but winning does not seem to look like it will end anytime soon, as Monken has Army on a track not seen in decades.

Breakdown Offense: Army averaged 30.7 points per game last season on a crushing 362.31 yards rushing per game in the triple option offense. Army was so proficient running the football, that they only averaged 27.8 yards passing per game, and attempted only 5 passes per game on the season.
Ahmad Bradshaw has moved on at QB, and a new trigger man for the triple option must be found. Luke Langdon appears to be that guy out of the spring, but Kelvin Hopkins could push him in fall camp. Langdon appeared in 6 games last fall, running just 8 times for 24 yards. Hopkins appeared in 7 games, and rushed for 40 yards on 7 carries. Neither has seen more than mop up duty.
Darnell Woolfolk is back at the key FB position in the option offense after rushing for 812 yards and 14 scores last season. He averaged 5.17 yards per carry, and is the motor that will make this offense go in 2018. Andrew Davidson rushed for 627 yards last fall at FB, and Calen Holt, who rushed for 214 yards as a reserve, adds depth. Connor Slomka added 216 yards, so the Knights go 4 deep at FB in 2018.
Kell Walker returns as the A-Back after rushing for 629 yards last season. He added 6 scores and averaged 7.31 yards per carry, and is the most explosive back returning. TJ Wisham backs him up, but touched the ball just 2 times last season as a freshman. Jordan Asberry is the B-Back, but rushed for just 115 yards last fall. Artice Hobbs IV is the backup as a sophomore this fall.
Kjetil Kline caught just one pass last season, while Camden Harrison, who also caught one pass last fall, joins him as a starting WR. Quinten Parker and Zach Saum are the starting TEs.
Rick Kurz and Austin Schuffert are projected to start at the OT spots, while Ethan Palelei is projected to start at LG. The RG is open heading into the summer, with Jaxson Deaton projected to be the leader in the competition. Peyton Reeder is the starting C. Jeff Panara provides depth at Tackle, but depth elsewhere is limited on the line.

Breakdown Defense: Army showed major gains on defense last season, as they allowed just 22 points per game. Teams passed for just 176.8 yards per game on them, while they rushed for 172.92 yards per game.
Army will be inexperienced at the DE spot in their 3-4 set this season. Jacob Covington will move into the starting spot as a junior, but has not had much work or production to date, and there is no real depth behind him. Raymond Wright is back at NG this fall, but is more of a traffic mover than a play maker. Rod Stoddard II is the backup there, but did not do much as a freshman last season. Wunmi Oyetuga is the DT, and is the most experienced of the bunch up front. He finished with 3 TFLs a year ago. Edriece Patterson backs him up.
There is a gaping hole at the SAM position as we head into the summer, and the battle will not play out until fall camp concludes. Kenneth Brinson is the start at the RUSH spot, and finished with 38 tackles last season. Cole Christiansen is the starter at WILL, and finished with 84 tackles last season. He added 5 TFLs to the pot as well. James Nachtigal is the starting MIKE, and led the team with 103 tackles last fall, with 8 TFLs, 5 sacks, 3 QB Hurries, and 3 PBUs. The open spot will be trying to replace Alex Aukerman, who finished with 15.5 TFLs last fall before moving on.
The secondary was strong last fall, and should be once again with CB Mike Reynolds returning. Reynolds finished with 7 PBUs last season. Elijah Riley will be stepping up into the other CB spot this fall. Jaylon McClinton and Cameron Jones will be providing depth there. Gibby Gibson is back at BS this fall after finishing with 5 PBUs and 45 tackles last season. Max Regan returns at FS, and finished with 3 PBUs to go with 33 tackles. Justin Thomas, a sophomore, will add some depth at the Safety spots.

Breakdown Special Teams: Senior Nick Schrage averaged 42.88 yards per punt a year ago, but will be taking over duties as the PK as well as we head into summer. He beat out John Abercrombie in spring camp, as well as Michael Leisle, Landon Salyers, and David Cooper. Blake Wilson, who hit just 3/8 FG attempts last season, has moved on. Zach Potter backs him up at Punter.
Kell Walker averaged 20.88 yards per kick return last season, and retains the job. Jordan Asberry left spring ball as his backup. The punt return job is wide open heading into fall camp.

Final Analysis: As long as Monken is the head coach here, things should be OK. I see the possibility that a slight slippage from 10 wins down to around 8 or 9 maybe possible, but Army does have two late season games against lower FCS opponents, and that should help elevate the win total. Beating Navy for a 3rd straight season will also be a huge chore, but Army has their number recently. All things considered, this could be the beginning of a new golden era of Army football, and expectations should be high.

Arkansas Razorbacks 2018 Football Preview

Arkansas Razorbacks 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: The Bret Bielema era never worked out for Arkansas, and it was apparent that after a 4-8 finish last season, and a complete lack of ability to compete in the SEC West, it was time to move on. Chad Morris was lured away from what was becoming a successful building project at SMU to take over for the Hogs and try to bring this program to a place where competing with the likes of Auburn, Alabama, and even LSU, was no longer a joking matter. With a solid amount of depth in place, and a fan base ready for the next turn in the road ready to explode, Arkansas could be in a position to push beyond the lost Bielema years.

Breakdown Offense: Offense has rarely been a problem for Arkansas, and they managed to pump out 28.8 points per game last season. Even with injuries hampering the passing game, they still managed 205 yards per game through the air, and added 168 yards per game on the ground, but those are numbers that can definitely be improved upon.
With Austin Allen now gone, the QB job falls to Cole Kelley on a full time basis. Kelley played in 9 games as a freshman last season, and passed for 1038 yards. He impressed enough in that he tossed 8 TDs to 4 INTs last fall, showing that he can get it done once he has a full grasp of the offense under Morris. He will have to show more accuracy than he did last fall, as he completed just 57.6% of his passes, but there is no reason to expect that we should not see a marked improvement in that area this fall. If he cannot hold the job, Ty Storey could be there to push him in camp.
David Williams has moved on at RB, and Devwah Whaley is there to replace him after rushing for 559 yards and 7 scores last season. He was a bit pedestrian as he averaged 4.4 yards per carry, so expect a deep group behind him to push him a bit in camp for some reps. That group includes TJ Hammonds, Chase Hayden, and Maleek Williams. Hammonds averaged 8.19 yards per carry in limited action last fall, while Hayden averaged over 5 yards per carry.
There is solid depth at receiver as well, as leading receivers Jonathon Nance, Deon Stewart, and Jordan Jones all return, and that should be fantastic news for Kelley. Nance and Stewart combined for 70 receptions, and Jones added another 21. Jones is a huge threat downfield, after averaging 19.1 yards per grab last fall. La'Michael Pettway, De'Vion Warren, and Gary Cross all add solid depth, making this unit a strength. Jeremy Patton and CJ O'Grady are also back at TE this fall after combining for 32 receptions last season. Austin Cantrell, Will Gragg, and Grayson Gunter all add depth.
The offensive line needs to gel a bit more than they did a year ago, but this should also be a fairly stable and deep unit this season. Colton Jackson (LT), Hjalte Froholdt (LG), Dylan Hays (C), Johnny Gibson (RG), and Brian Wallace (RT) are all projected as starters, with Froholdt, Gibson, and Wallace all being seniors. Shane Clenin and Dalton Wagner, both RS freshmen, will learn behind the starters at OT, while Kirby Adcock and Jalen Merrick provide depth at OG. Ty Clary, a sophomore, is the key reserve at C.

Breakdown Defense: This unit was a disaster in 2017, and was a key reason that the Hogs never got off the ground. Arkansas allowed 36.2 points per game on defense, 30 points or more 8 times, 40 or more 5 times, and 50 or more 2 times. The bleeding has got to stop.
Randy Ramsey will hold onto one DE spot heading into fall camp, but the other spot is open, and Michael Taylor II seems to be the player closest to locking up the job. Considering that Arkansas allowed 196 yards rushing per game last fall, the work up front in camp will be paramount. Ramsey totaled 6.5 TFLs last fall, but needs some help. Jemario Bell backs him up. Austin Capps is the NT, while McTelvin Agim is the DT. Agim is the leader here with 7.5 TFLs last fall. Armon Watts and Briston Guidry provide some depth at NT as Guidry finished with 3.5 TFLs last fall. TJ Smith, who finished with 3 TFLs last season, will work into the rotation at DT.
Arkansas has 2 stars returning at LB this fall in WLB Dre Greenlaw and MLB De'Jon Harris. Greenlaw finished with 103 tackles, while Harris led the team with 115 tackles last fall. Harris led the team with 8.5 TFLs as well, and also led with 3.5 sacks. He also finished with 4 QB hurries. Hayden Henry moved into the starting SLB job in spring, but had just 3 tackles last fall as a freshman. Grant Morgan provides depth at MLB, while Dee Walker backs up Greenlaw at WLB. There is little depth on the strong side behind Henry.
The secondary got burned for 242 yards passing per game last season, so improvements will be needed here as well. Ryan Pulley and Chevin Calloway are the CBs coming out of the spring. Calloway is the more experienced of the two, with 2 PBUs last fall. Brito Tutt and Nate Dalton are projected as the backups there. This could be an area of concern, as experience and production coming in are worrisome. Kamron Curl is the starting SS, while Santos Ramirez is back at FS. Curl broke up 8 passes a season ago, and could be one of the better Safeties in the league. Ramirez broke up 8 passes as well, giving the Hogs one of the better Safety tandems in the nation returning. Ramirez finished with 63 tackles, and Curl had 46. Losing Henre' Toliver, Kevin Richardson II, and Josh Lidell will hurt with depth across the board in the backfield, but there is some talent to lean on. Reid Miller provides some depth at Safety, but there is a void after that to be filled.

Breakdown Special Teams: Connor Limpert is back at PK after hitting 8/9 FGs as a sophomore last season, and should be more active this fall. Blake Johnson is also back as the starter at Punter, but struggled in a big way, averaging just 38.59 yards per punt. Finding someone to push him would be smart in camp.
De'Vion Warren averaged 26.38 yards per kick return on 765 yards total, and took one to the house last season, and will return to the KR job as one of the most dangerous return men in the nation. Deon Stewart is projected to take over in the punt return game after Toliver moved on with his 12.75 yard per return average. That will be a huge hole to fill.

Final Analysis: Arkansas was one of the worst defensive teams in the nation last season, and will have to find ways to shore that problem up in fall camp, but yet they hired an air raid minded head coach who specializes in offense and high scoring. It does not make a ton of sense, but even if they score 40 points per game, the defense still has to get fixed. The good news is that there is some very good talent returning on the defensive side of the football, and with another year for some of those players, improvement should be completely expected. Offense will rise and fall with the QB position hitting the reboot button, but with Morris calling the shots, and depth being a huge bonus across the board, Arkansas should not worry about finishing with only 4 wins once again in 2018. Bowl consideration should be possible, but don't expect the moon, as the Hogs could still finish 4th or lower in the SEC West.

Arizona State Sun Devils 2018 Football Preview

Arizona State Sun Devils 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Moving on from former head coach Todd Graham was a must for the Sun Devils last fall, but what happened in the search for his successor was a complete mess. They had Kevin Sumlin in the palm of their hands, but then insisted that any new coach would have to retain the coordinators that had been in place under Graham, so Sumlin walked away, and ended up at arch-rival Arizona instead. The administration movd on to hire former NFL head coach Herm Edwards, who had not coached in a college program since 1986 (San Jose State), and had not coached at all in a decade. Edwards immediately came on board and showed how ridiculously ill-informed he was about taking over a college program, and then the coordinators that were a must take  for any new hire walked away themselves a month into the process. It only stands to think that the wreck of a hiring process will likely continue into the season and beyond, because the hiring of an irrelevant Herm Edwards put this program behind by several years.

Breakdown Offense: Offensively, the Sun Devils had some moments last fall, as they averaged 31.8 points per game, as they scored 30 points or more 9 times. They averaged 255.7 yards passing per game, and added an additional 175.46 yards rushing per contest.
The QB position is really in the hands of Manny Wilkins once again, but there is little to no depth behind him, as Blake Barnett, his primary backup a year ago, transferred for the second time, landing at USF. Wilkins passed for 3270 yards last fall, with 20 TDs and 8 INTs. He completed just over 63% of his passes. He has to stay on his feet this season, because after him, there is a massive void.
The run game is essentially in the same boat as the passing game, as depth and experience does not exist. Demario Richard and Kallen Ballage are both gone now, and the job falls to Eno Benjamin, who carried the ball just 23 times last season as a freshman. Trelon Smith, a sophomore, is the next most experienced back available, and he carried just once last season.
Wilkins will have the joy of having WR N'Keal Harry back once again for his junior season. Harry posted a line of 82-1142-8, and averaged over 13 yards per catch a year ago. Harry may just be the best returning receiver in the PAC-12. Kyle Williams, who posted 66-763-7, returns as the Z receiver. Tommy Hudson holds the Y Receiver spot, but caught just 2 balls last season.
Jalen Harvey and Ceejhay French-Love are the H receivers. Harvey caught 33 passes last season, while French-Love caught just 3 passes as a TE.
The line has some issues, as the Center job is a wide open competition right now. Cohl Cabral and Zach Robertson are the tackles as we head into the summer, and Cade Cote and Steve Miller are holding onto the OG jobs. Tyson Rising and Quinn Bailey are the reserves at OT, while Alex Losoya is holding on as a key reserve at OG.

Breakdown Defense: It was the defense that indeed broke down last fall, as the Sun Devils allowed 32.8 points per game while allowing 30 points or more on 10 occasions. Teams passed against ASU to a total of 274.9 yards per game, and ran for 174.77 yards per game against this defense.
Jay Jay Wilson will be lining up at DE instead of LB this season, and finished with 4 TFLs last fall. Dougladson Subtyl is holding the opposite DE spot after spring ball, as the JUCO transfer gets his shot. Renell Wren and Shannon Forman will step in at NT and DT. Wren finished with 3 TFls last season. This group will be battle tested, and needs to step up well above levels of production from a year ago. There is no real depth at the DE spots, and George Lea is the lone reserve up the middle with any real sort of experience.
There is an open competition at the WILL spot at LB as we head into fall, with nobody grabbing the edge for the job out of spring ball. Khaylan Thomas is the projected starter at MIKE, but finished with just 17 tackles a year ago. Tyler Whiley has the job at SAM, but had just 3 tackles a year ago. This group needs some help and some experience, and could get battered early on. Malik Lawal is the only real reserve that has anything locked down so far, and that is as the backup to the MIKE spot.
The good news on defense is that the Devils have a solid corner tandem returning in the secondary in Chase Lucas and Kobe Williams, as they combined for 13 total PBUs last fall. Lucas finished tied for the team lead in INTs with just 2, and finished with 59 tackles. Williams finished with 36 tackles. Dasmond Tautalatasi is back at Safety, and finished with 3 TFLs last fall, but finished with just 22 tackles. Demonte King is the other starting Safety, but had just 37 tackles a season ago.

Breakdown Special Teams: Brandon Ruiz was a busy guy last fall at PK, having hit 19/27 FG attempts, and he is back as the kicker once again in 2018. He needs to work on his accuracy and tighten up his game a bit. Michael Sleep-Dalton is the Punter, but he struggled quite a bit last fall, averaging 39.9 yards per punt.
Benjamin and Smith, the two returning RBs, are slated to return kicks this season with Ballage moving on. Neither one blew the doors off the job in limited action last season. Harry will be returning punts, after a host of players failed to lock down the job last fall.

Final Analysis: If you are a Sun Devil fan, here is your fair warning. Be worried. This team has lacking amounts of experience in key areas, little depth across the board, and a coach who is almost insanely out of touch with how the college game works. This could be one of the longest seasons in recent memory coming up for this program, and the recent history has not been overly wonderful. If any one key player gets hurt on offense, the entire roof could cave in, and the same could be said on defense, where even finding a key player to rely on right now is hard enough. I just do not see this team being favored to win more than 2 total games this season.

Arizona Wildcats 2018 Football Preview

Arizona Wildcats 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: The Wildcats made a change that was 2 years in coming by firing Rich Rodriguez, not because of on-field issues, but because of various off-field misdeeds by Rodriguez that put the school in position to be sued. Rodriguez may very well be done as a head coach in the business, and good riddance at this point. In comes Kevin Sumlin, who fits the profile of what Arizona likes to do on offense, and who really upgrades their look, despite having been fired by Texas A&M. Sumlin should take Arizona to a higher level in every way, because, at the end of the day, he is set up for success at Arizona, unlike what he faced with the Aggies. It may take some time, but things are about to get energized in Tucson.

Breakdown Offense: Sumlin has a serious weapon at QB in Khalil Tate to work with in 2018. Tate may not be the most pressing passer in the PAC-12, but he is someone who keeps defenses aware of his explosive nature. He passed for 1591 yards and 14 TDs with 9 INTs, numbers that can all improve. He completed 62% of his passes. Where he gets you is on the run, as he rushed for 1411 yards with 12 more scores in just 11 games. He averaged 9.22 yards per carry and 128.27 yards rushing per game. Rhett Rodriguez is the likely backup, but that should hardly matter if Tate stays healthy.
JJ Taylor rushed for 847 yards last fall, and scored 5 times. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry. There is little depth behind him at the position, so that is something that must be found in the fall.
Tony Ellison is back for the Wildcats after leading the team in receiving last fall with a posted line of 37-598-5, and he averaged 16.16 yards per catch. Shun Brown will also start at the opposite Slot position after posting a line of 43-573-6, with an average of 13.33 yards per catch. Cedric Peterson and Tristan Cooper will try to replace the departed Tyrell Johnson and Shawn Poindexter at WR. Brian Casteel and Gary Brightwell will provide some depth.
Bryce Wolma caught 28 passes as a freshman at TE, and returns to start, with Jamie Nunley working behind him.
The starters on the line appear set, even if depth is a major issue right now. Josh McCauley and Cody Creason are the starters at OT, while Michael Eletise and Alex Kosinski appear set at OG. Nathan Eldridge appears to be set at C as well.

Breakdown Defense: Defense was an issue for the Cats in 2017, as they allowed 34.4 points per game on the season. They got ripped for 286 yards passing per game, and also allowed 185.08 yards rushing per game.
Improvement will have to start up front, as Justin Belknap appears set at DE, while Dereck Boles has the edge at NT, and Kurtis Brown is set at the DT spot. Kylan Wilborn will be back at the Hybrid STUD position. He is clearly the leader up front after finishing with 9.5 TFLs last season as a freshman. Flinton Connolly will get plenty of reps in the middle as well after finishing last season with 4.5 TFLs.
The LB corps has one of the better young defenders in the conference back at LB in Colin Schooler at the MIKE spot. He led the team last season with 13.5 TFLs and 95 total tackles. He also finished with 4 sacks, and a pair of picks, one of which went for a pick 6. Tony fields II, also a sophomore this fall, returns to start at WILL after leading the Wildcats with 104 tackles last fall to go with 7.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, and an INT. Tristan Cooper will attempt to replace Brandon Rutt in the lineup, and is projected to start at the SPUR position. Anthony Pandy brings a bit of depth, but depth is an issue otherwise at LB.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles will be back to lead the secondary at the BANDIT position this fall after finishing with 81 tackles last season. Lorenzo Burns should also be one of the better CBs in the country this fall after finishing with 81 tackles as well. Burns led the Cats with 5 INTs, and had 7 total PBUs. Scottie Young returns at FS after collecting 53 tackles as a freshman, and Jace Whittaker returns at CB as well. Whittaker finished with 3 INTs last fall. Troy Young is the backup at the BANDIT spot, while Samuel Morrison, Tony Wallace, and Malcolm Holland bring backup help at the CB position. Jarrius Wallace is the reserve at FS.

Breakdown Special Teams: Josh Pollack hit 11/15 FG attempts last season, and returns as the starter at PK in 2018. Lucas Havrisik returns as the backup, and hit 3/4 FG attempts as well.
Jake Glatting really struggled at Punter last fall, averaging just 35.9 yards per punt, and competition is being sought in the fall.
Cedric Peterson is expected to be the primary kick return man replacing Tyrell Johnson, while Shun Brown returns at PR after returning two punts for scores last season on an average of 10.65 yards per return. Tony Ellison backs him up.

Final Analysis: In short, if you are looking for a dark horse in the PAC-12 South to come out of nowhere, pay attention to Arizona, as the Wildcats look to be a pretty tough out this fall. The defense, which was severely young last fall, should show some real signs of life, and the offense, led by the dynamic Tate at QB, should really fire up, especially if he can improve on his passing abilities. Kevin Sumlin was a rock solid hire for this program, and I expect bigger things for this program over the next couple of seasons.

Appalachian State Mountaineers 2018 Football Preview

Appalachian State Mountaineers 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: The Mountaineers finished 9-4, and were one point away from a 0th win over Wake Forest after losing to the rising Demon Deacons 21-20. More of the same should be on tap for App State in 2018, as a run against Arkansas State should be fun to watch in the Sun Belt. Finding a new QB, some standouts from a young receiver corps, and stabilizing the line will be priorities on offense, and replacing Eric Boggs at LB will be a major priority on defense, but there is talent returning, for certain, and enough of it to make another magical run.

Breakdown Offense: App State scored 33.5 points per game last fall, and passed for 216.2 yards per game, while rushing for 223.62 yards per game.
A big issue for the Mountaineers will be finding a replacement for Taylor Lamb at QB. It seems like forever since they have had to have a QB battle, but that is the reality heading into fall camp. Sophomore Zac Thomas has the edge out of spring ball, with Jacob Huesman battling it out with him. That battle will carry over into the fall, and won't likely culminate until the week before the opener, if then.
Jalin Moore will carry the load in the run game after rushing for 1037 yards and 12 scores last fall. He averaged 5.67 yards per carry last season and averaged over 94 yards per game. He did miss two games to injury, however, so he will have to remain healthy. Marcus Williams rushed for 500 yards as the backup, and returns in that role after averaging 5.15 yards per carry. Deatrich Harrington will likely shore up the RB3 role, with Demarcus Harper and DeVonta Smith looking for carries as well.
Leading receiver Ike Lewis is gone, leaving a hole at the top of the receiving corps for 2018. Thomas Hennigan and Malik Williams are slated in as starters. Hennigan posted a line of 45-585-7, while Williams caught 19 passes as a reserve last fall. The Z receiver spot is open for battle in camp, and depth is not what it is in the run game. Jalen Virgil should be the leader for the Z position, but there is a void of production beyond him.
Collin Reed is back at TE, but caught just 8 passes last fall. Devin Papenheim is slated to step in at the TE2 spot after the departure of Levi Duffield.
The line has 3 starters returning. Victor Johnson is slated to return at LT, but the RT job is wide open as we head into the summer. Nate Haskins is slated to backup at LT,but could swing into the starting job at RT as well. Ryan Neuzil and Cole Garrison are the starters at OG, while Noah Hannon is the starting C. There is little depth, however, which could create some issues.

Breakdown Defense: App State had a solid year defensively, allowing just 20.2 points per game. Teams passed for 205.1 yards per game against them, and the Mountaineers allowed just 137.46 yards rushing per game.
Okon Godwin and Chris Willis have the DE spots locked up heading into the summer. The two combined had 8 TFLs last fall, so more will be expected out of them. Myquon Stout is the starter at NT, and finished with 3 TFLs. Demetrius Taylor should provide some depth at DE, and could push for a starting spot at either end, while Markell Clark is the backup at NT, and will get plenty of time on the field.
Tim Frizell and Akeem Davis will be the starters at OLB in the 3-4 set. Neither did much last fall, and will be expected to carry a huge load with the departures of Boggs and Rashaad Towns. Anthony Flory and Jordan Fehr are the starters inside. Flory finished 2nd on the team with 87 tackles last fall, while Fehr is another former reserve trying to step into a starting job. Edward Davis backs up inside, but depth is an issue right now at the OLB spots. Edward Davis finished with 19 tackles a year ago.
Clifton Duck is one of the best corners in the nation, and finished with 6 INTs last season, and will return to man one CB spot, with Tae Hayes set to start opposite Duck. Hayes picked off 4 passes last fall, good for 2nd on the team. Hayes led the team with 12 total PBUs. Shaun Jolly and Jean-Charles Shemar will back them up. Austin Exford is projected to start at SS, while Desmond Franklin is projected to win the FS job. Exford finished with 33 tackles last season, while Franklin finished with 49 tackles.

Breakdown Special Teams: Chandler Staton is the returning starter at PK after hitting 8/9 FG attempts last season. Michael Rubino hit just 9/15 tries, and returns as well. Xavier Subotsch is back at Punter, but had his struggles as a freshman, averaging 39.87 yards per punt. App State ranked 118th nationally in punting a year ago, so this is an area of concern.
Clifton Duck is projected to take the PR job away from Thomas Hennigan this season. Duck averaged 9.44 yards per return, with Hennigan averaging 6.8 yards per return.
Hennigan will also be battling Malik Williams for the KR job.

Final Analysis: If App State can find a QB who can manage the game and not make mistakes, and allow the ground game to dominate, as it can, the Mountaineers should be just fine. There are decent receivers returning that can make the transition easy for the new QB. Depth also must be found on the line for the offense to thrive once again. Defensively, there are decent, but not great options on the line, but the LB group will be trying to find their footing, and must do so early on. Look for the secondary to be one of the better units in the nation. All in all, there is enough going on here to make me believe that the Mountaineers should be able to make another great run through the Sun Belt if all of things come together. There is no reason to believe that they cannot go through another 10 win campaign this fall, one win better than last season.

Akron Zips 2018 Football Preview

Akron Zips 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Teams that average 22.1 points per game on offense usually do not finish with 7 wins, but that is what Akron did a year ago by winning a series of tight games before completely blowing out in the MAC title game and the Boca Raton Bowl. That kind of luck that Akron had a year ago is not likely to repeat in 2018, and Akron seems destined for a fall, especially if they cannot figure out their offensive issues, and do so in a hurry. In short, repeating a 7 win season seems like a pipe dream this fall, as Akron looks to slip back into the pack.

Breakdown Offense: As a team, the Zips passed for 210 yards per game, and rushed for just 105.36 yards per game. The news gets worse when you consider that they lose 2 of their top 3 RBs and 7 of their top 8 receivers from last season.
Kato Nelson now has the QB job all to himself as a sophomore, but he needs to find consistency. He had great games in the middle of the season, but when everything was on the line in the final three games of the season, he fell off a cliff. He completed just 50% of his passes, but did manage to toss a 4:1 TD to INT ratio (8 and 2). That has some promise, but again, there are some serious holes in his game that must be plugged as a sophomore. Robbie Kelly and Nick Johns are the backups heading into fall camp.
Van Edwards is slated to be the starter at RB, but he had a season in 2017 that can hardly be categorized as successful. He finished the year with 343 yards and just 2 scores on 94 carries, and averaged just 3.65 yards per carry and 24.5 yards per game, and that was good for 2nd on the team. Deltron Sands is the backup heading out of spring ball and has some big burst potential, as he averaged just under 7 yards per carry in limited action, and could push for the starting job. There is no real depth behind Sands.
The WR corps was decimated by departures after last fall, and the position basically has to be built from scratch. Kwadarrius Smith left spring with the WRX spot, and led the team with 34 receptions for 726 yards and 7 scores last fall. That is where the good news ends. Andre Williams is the WRH, but caught just 4 passes last fall. Nate Stewart is the WRZ, and caught 3 passes as a freshman last fall. The WRY spot is wide open to competition. Sophomore Dustin Burkhart is the lone depth provider, and he caught a single pass last fall.
Kobie Booker returns as the TE/H-Back, and caught 8 passes last season. Brandon Junk and Dylan Meeks are the backups there.
The line maybe the strength of the offense this season, which may not be saying much, as this unit allowed 6.64 TFLs last season. Trevor Brown and Nick Fazio are the tackles out of spring, with Undrea Bullard and Rich Kallay bringing some depth. Brandon Council and Kyle Ritz are slated in to start at the OG spots, with Jonathon Neeley and Austin Sample as the reserves, while Hunter Corne has locked up a spot on the 3rd unit inside. Andrew Siegman should start at C.

Breakdown Defense: Akron allowed 28 points per game last season, and allowed 30 points or more 6 times. They gave up 237.4 yards passing per game, and 205.43 yards rushing per game.
Jamal Davis II is the star up front at DE, as he finished last season with 15.5 TFLs, and will be one of the leaders in the MAC this season. He finished with 69 tackles, but had just 2 sacks at the end of  it all. Brian Reinke starts at the DE spot opposite Davis, and finished with 7.5 TFLs last fall, including 3.5 sacks. He finished with 48 tackles on the year. Josh Ward is the backup at DE. Brock Boxen starts at DT, but is more of a mop up guy than a play maker. Brennan Williams will push him for time in fall camp. The NT job is wide open currently, and is a battle that will not play out until the fall.
Ulysees Gilbert III is another verified star on the defensive side, as he finished with 140 tackles last season, with 9.5 TFLs. He finished with 4 PBUs and 5 QB hurries as well, and led the team with 5 sacks. John Lako returns at the MIKE spot, playing next to Gilbert at WILL, and Brian Bell is back at SAM after a 56 tackle season.
The secondary has some pieces to work with this fall, as their top 3 INT guys return in Jordan George, Shawn Featherstone, and Kyron Brown. Brown and George return at CB, with George fending off a challenge from Darian Daiely at the FC spot. Denzel Butler backs up Brown at the BC position. Featherstone returns at ROV, while Alvin Davis steps in as the starter at FS. Jamal Bagett and Tyler Gilchrist will back up Featherstone, while Vince Lockett backs up Davis.

Breakdown Special Teams: The PK spot was a mess last season, like so many other areas. Tom O'Leary returns as the starter after hitting just 3/7 FG attempts last season, and Nick Gasser returns as well after hitting just 3/6.
Gasser will handle the Punter job as well after averaging over 42 yards per punt last fall. Jerry Fitschen and James Fonseca provide depth behind Gasser.
Featherstone handled the PR duties last fall, but averaged just 3.5 yards per return, and now there is a wide open battle for the spot heading into camp. Van Edwards averaged just over 19 yards per kick return, but still holds the job heading out of spring ball. Deltron Sands could push him there.

Final Analysis: The Zips are fairly bare in the talent department on offense, and although there is some solid talent coming back on defense, there are still some major concerns in the middle of the line and in the secondary. There is limited offensive depth, at best, and considering how lucky the Zips were in several games last season, it's hard to project them being that lucky once again. Still if the ball bounces right, you never know. Consistency and depth are two major factors here, and Terry Bowden has a huge job to undertake once this team gets into fall camp. If he can get them back to 6 wins, that would be huge.

Air Force Falcons 2018 Football Preview

Air Force Falcons 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Air Force fell short of a winning record in 2017, and their defense was a major culprit, allowing 32 points per game. The Falcons would like to move closer to having a more Pro Set offense, but if they are to go in that direction, their QB play has got to improve in a big way, and that has not yet happened. With a porous defense, and a limited passing game, can the Falcons do what must be done to get back over the hump and become the king of the academies once again?

Breakdown Offense: Arion Worthman returns at QB, but that does little for the passing side of the offense. Worthman completed just 49.5% of his passes last season, and averaged just 110 yards passing per game, with 10 TD passes to 4 INTs. He did, however, lead the team in rushing with 821 yards and 13 scores, but averaged a pedestrian 3.78 yards per carry. As far as big play Air Force QBs go historically, he does not make the cut as being a great one. Isaiah Sanders is back as the backup, but was completely ineffective as a passer, completing just 4/15 passes in limited action. He rushed for 218 yards and 3 scores. Mike Schmidt, a junior, is holding onto the 3rd string role as we head into the summer.
The Falcons rushed for 307 yards per game as a team, but did not boast a 1000 yard rusher last fall. 23 different Falcons carried the football last season, leading to an area of massive success, even as the rest f the team floundered and failed at times. Tim McVey is gone, leaving a solid hole to fill after rushing for 741 yards and 7 scores last fall. Taven Birdow and Cole Fagan are slated in as the FBs this fall. Birdow rushed for 384 yards in a reserve role last fall, while Fagan carried just 5 times. Nolan Erickson, who ran for 228 yards, is slated in at RB, but there are plenty of other roles yet to be filled. Parker Wilson and Malik Miller both will be looking to push for time.
Ronald Cleveland and Marcus Bennett are both back at WR this season, which is a plus. They combined for 30 receptions last fall, and both averaged over 20 yards per catch. Cleveland also managed to rush for 418 yards, and averaged 9.5 yards per carry as a slot back. Garrett Amy and Geraud Sanders also return to provide depth.
Kade Waguespack is back to start at TE this fall after catching just 2 passes last season, and there is very little depth behind him.
The line has some issues, as the RT job is still wide open as we head into fall camp. Scott Hattock is slated to start at LT. Wolfgang Rehbock and Griffin Landrum are projected to start at the OG spots, while Christopher Mitchell is slated to start at C. There is virtually no developed depth at this time, so the backup jobs will have some competitions brewing in the fall.

Breakdown Defense: The Falcons allowed 32.4 points per game last season, and also allowed 171 yards passing, and 222.83 yards rushing per game. If they are to turn a corner and get back on track, they front seven has to be a place of developed improvement.
Micah Capra starts at DE, but finished with just 2 TFLs last fall. Danny Highland and Ben Harris will be there to push him in camp. Cody Gessler is the NT, but again, was not incredibly impactful last fall. Mosese Fifita will provide some push there, as will Kyler Ehm. Ryan Darby is the starting DT in the 3 man front, and played in just 6 games last season. Jordan Jackson will push him in camp.
Grant Ross and Jack Flor are both gone at LB, and so replacements must be found. Abraham Nuno and Lakota Willis are pegged to start at OLB, while Blake Dailey and Brody Bagnall are slated to start at ILB. Ross and Flor combined for 190 tackles last season, so this area is critical. Willis was the leading tackler among the returnees with 47. Kyle Johnson and Christopher Musselman are the key reserves inside coming out of the spring, while RJ Jackson and Jake Ksiazek will back up outside.
The secondary was fairly solid a year ago, but there are losses there as well. Marquis Griffin, who finished third in tackles, has moved on. Jeremy Fejedelem and Zane Lewis are the corners after spring ball. Fejedelem broke up four passes, while Lewis is just getting his feet wet. Robert Bullard and Dailon Sutton provide some depth at the CB position. Kyle Floyd is your starting SS, while James Jones starts at FS. Floyd led the team with 7 PBUs, while Jones finished with 1. Floyd added 60 tackles, good for 4th on the team. Ross Conors and Ben Waters are the reserves behind Floyd, while Bryce Von Zurmuehlen and Malik Dawkins are pushing Jones at FS.

Breakdown Special Teams: Luke Strebel is gone at PK after hitting 9/12 FG attempts. Matthew Philichi is the replacement, and connected on his lone attempt last fall. Charlie Scott averaged 42.15 yards per punt, and returns.
Ronal Celeveland will once again return punts after an uninspiring 5.78 yards per return last fall. Malik Miller, Garrett Amy, and Nolan Eriksen will all compete to return kicks.

Final Analysis: The Falcons just have too many questions all over the roster for me to take them seriously in the Mountain West's Mountain Division race in 2018. QB play is not great, running back depth and experience is thin, and the line has holes to fill and depth to figure out. On defense, the Swiss cheese front still has issues to work out, as production was not solid last fall, and many of the play makers remain, except at LB, where they lost a wealth of talent. With so many questions, and so few answers, it makes projecting a winning season for the Falcons difficult. It could be a tough go in 2018 for Air Force.

Arkansas State Red Wolves 2018 Football Preview

Arkansas State Red Wolves 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: If there is a team in the Sun Belt that is primed for a massive upswing in 2018, it may just be the Red Wolves, who fumbled away several opportunities in 2017, while still managing to win 7 games. If not for the turnovers, the Red Wolves may have won as many as 9 or 10 games last fall. Other major areas of concern were W/L in non con games (1-3), and road/neutral site games (3-4). If the Red Wolves are going to get this thing in gear and make a solid run for a conference title, they have to be able to win out of conference, and losses to inferior teams in conference play (looking at that South Alabama loss) need to stop happening. ASU turned the ball over in range of scoring an infuriating amount of times last season, and if they can control those opportunities instead of throwing them away, this could be a special season.

Breakdown Offense: The Red Wolves scored 37.8 points per game a year ago, while passing for 342 yards per game, and rushing for 152.58 yards per game. With a decent amount of weaponry returning, there is no reason to believe that those numbers should fall this season.
It all starts and ends with the arm of QB Justice Hanson, who passed for 3967 yards and 37 TDs last season. Where he has an opportunity this fall is in reducing the turnovers, as he tossed 16 INTs, a number that is virtually unacceptable if this team is to move to the next level. He also has to increase his accuracy from 62.6% as well. It's not a terrible number, but it's not elite either. He attempted 40.6 passes per game last fall, so he is the center of the offensive flow, and as he rises and falls, so will the team go with him. Hanson can run the ball a bit as well, as he rushed for 7 TDs last season on 423 yards rushing, which makes him dangerous. Logan Bonner will back him up once again, but was not very effective when given time last fall, completing just 9/21 passes.
Warren Wand is back as a senior at RB, but the unit as a while is not very deep. Wand rushed for 715 yards and 6 scores, while averaging a solid 5.18 yards per carry. Primary backup Johnston White is gone, leaving a battle in that spot as we head into fall camp. Jamal Jones and Chauncey Mason, who combined for 70 carries as sophomores, figure to be the leaders in that mix. Depth is a huge issue after that.
The receiving corps lost some punch with the graduations of WR Chris Murray and TE Blake Mack, but there is some talent returning. Justin McInnis, the leader last fall, returns after posting a line of 49-800-4. He averaged 16.33 yards per catch last fall, and was second on the team with 4.1 touches per game. Omar Bayless and Kendrick Edwards, who both had impact last season, are expected to be the other receivers in formation as starters in the offense when the Wolves go to a 3 receiver look. They combined for 70 receptions last fall.
The TE job is wide open as we head into fall camp, so that is an area to stay tuned on to see who replaces Mack there.
The top seven linemen seem fairly set as we head into the summer, which is a huge benefit. Cameron Davis and Lanard Bonner are penciled in at the Tackle spots, while Dalton Ford and Troy Elliot are slated in as the Guards. Jacob Still is your Center as we head into camp as well. Marvis Brown is the primary reserve inside, while Jacob Atnip is the key reserve at Tackle.

Breakdown Defense: Arkansas State lost one of the best players in school history with the graduation of Javon Rolland-Jones, who finished last season with 19 TFLs. Caleb Caston, who finished with 10 TFLs is also gone from the line, creating two huge voids. The Red Wolves allowed 25.8 points per game last fall, and allowed 241 yards passing per game, and 136.08 yards rushing.
The good news is that the front line looks relatively stable heading into the summer, with Ronheen Bingham locking up the DE spot post spring. He was rock solid last fall with 8 TFLs. Hunter Moreton is the starting NT heading into the fall and had a solid campaign as a freshman last season. Christian Howard is the starting DT and finished with 6 TFLs himself last fall. Finding depth at DT and DE will be key, but there is some depth at NT, with Donovan Ransom slated to step up as the key reserve there. William Bradley-King will step up at the hybrid BANDIT position after finishing with just 7 tackles as a freshman.
Tackles leader Kyle Wilson is gone as well, but again, there is some talent coming back at LB, even if that group has untapped potential. Caleb Bonner showed some potential as a freshman last season, and will step up into the starting WLB spot, while Kirk Louis finally works his way into a starting job after playing as a reserve for 2 seasons. Again, finding depth in camp will be key.
The secondary gets SS BJ Edmonds back, who finished second on the team with 80 tackles last season. He led the team with 3 INTs, and had 4 total PBUs on the season. Kyle Martin and Blaise Taylor must be replaced, however. Jeremy Smith steps into one CB spot as a junior to start, but the other CB job is wide open at this point. Michael Johnson, a transfer, steps in as the starting FS, but Jefferie Gibson, another transfer and senior, could give a push there.

Breakdown Special Teams: Sawyer Williams hit 16/22 FGs as a sophomore last fall, and returns to handle the PK duties in 2018. He had some struggles on PATs, as he missed 5 on the season.
Cody Grace, who averaged 41.1 yards per punt last fall, returns in that role as well.
With Murray gone, Jonathon Adams, Jr. will step up and handle the primary kick return duties, after averaging 20.55 yards per return last season. The Punt Return spot is open as we head into the summer, with Blaise Taylor and his 13.75 yard per return average headed out the door.

Final Analysis: Arkansas State has several holes to fill, and a lot of production to be replaced, but still, there is talent on hand returning, especially on both lines, at QB, and at receiver. If the Red Wolves can find answers for depth at RB, TE, LB, and in the secondary, this team could be primed for a big run this fall, especially if the offense cuts down on mistakes, especially in the red zone. Blake Anderson could be coach of the year in the Sun Belt if all of the chips fall into place, and we could see the best version of this team yet, but it all has to come together, and there are plenty of concerns to be dealt with before they take the field.

2018 College Football Team Previews: Wisconsin Badgers

2018 Wisconsin Badgers Football Preview

Opening Statement: If there was going to be a season in which Wisconsin not only won the Big 10 West, but won the conference title game away from Ohio State, this would be the season to do it. Wisconsin has one of the most talented rosters in the nation returning, and has a schedule that could easily be managed into a Big 10 title with a seat at the playoff table having their name on it. Wisconsin is loaded up on both sides of the football, and now is the time to make their mark, and make a run at a national title.

Breakdown Offense: The Badgers scored 33.8 points per game last fall, while passing for 192.1 yards per game, and rushing for 222.93 yards per game. The Badgers are never going to blow you away with the pass, as that is not who they are, but they will pound the football and beat you to death in the trenches, and things should be no different this fall.
Alex Hornibrook is back at QB, and that comes with mixed emotions. He is not a game winner, but is a game manager. If you depend on him too much, he will let you down. If you let him manage the game, and make smart, cohesive (if not conservative) decisions, he will work out just fine. He passed for a respectable 2644 yards with 25 TDs last season, but still managed to toss 15 INTs. That has to drop. Jack Coan is back as the primary backup, but hardly saw the field a year ago.
Jonathon Taylor had one of the all-time great freshman seasons in college football history last season, as he rushed for 1977 yards and 13 scores, while averaging 6.61 yards per carry. He averaged 141 yards rushing per game, and could be even better in 2018. Chris James took over as the RB2 in the spring, but Bradrick Shaw is still available as the RB3 as well. Alec INgold returns as the starting FB.
Quentez Cephus should  be back in time for the season opener at WR, but that has not been entirely confirmed as of yet. AJ Taylor will return and start, and the two combined for 61 receptions last fall. Danny Davis, Kendrick Pryor, and Adam Crumholz will be looking for work as well at WR.
Troy Fumagalli is gone at TE, and that is a big spot to fill this fall. Kyle Penniston, who caught one TD pass last fall, should move up into the starting job this season. Zander Neuville could find some reps as well.
David Edwards is slated to start at RT, while Patrick Kasi should be his primary understudy there. Beau Benzachawel is slated to be back at RG, with Micah Kapoi backing him up. Tyler Biadasz is back at C, with Brett Connors backing up. John Dietzen should be playing on Sundays sometime soon, and is at LG, while Jason Erdmann backs him up. Michael Deiter rounds things off at LT, with Cole Van Lanen back at reserve for what should be the best line in the nation.

Breakdown Defense: Wisconsin dominated on defense in 2017, allowing just 13.9 points per game. They allowed 163 yards passing and and just 98 yards rushing per game.
They do have some issues to work out up front this season, as they lose five members of the front seven. Alec James and Connor Sheehy are gone from the line. Isaiah Lowedermilk is back at DE as a sophomore after a learning curve season as a freshman, and big things are expected from him. Aaron Vopal should be the primary backup behind him. Garrett Rand is slated in as the other starter at DE, with Billy Hirschfield set up as his backup. Olive Sagapolu could be one of the best NTs in the nation, and will anchor the young line. Rand and Hirschfield could also back him up inside, while Bryson Williams also looks for work there as well.
Losses were heavy at LB as well, with Leon Jacobs, Garrett Dooley, and Jack Cichy all leaving. Depth from last season should come into play this fall, but Ryan Connelly does return after recording 11 TFLs last season. He will be backed up by Griffin Grady inside. TJ Edwards will continue his battle with Chris Orr at the other ILB spot as we head to fall camp, although Edwards should be the clear starter after recording 11 TFLs. Orr was active as a reserve as a sophomore last fall, and should get more time on the field. Arrington Farrar projects as a backup there as well. Andrew Van Ginkel lines up at OLB once again after recording 10 TFLs last fall. Zach Baun is in a battle at the other OLB spot with Christian Bell, and that battle should carry over well into fall camp. Tyler Johnson provides depth.
Nick Nelson is gone at CB, as is Natrell Jamerson at S, but the Badgers have talent returning. Dontye Carriere-Williams is slated in to start at one CB spot, while Eric Burrell will start at FS. The SS and CB2 spots are wide open as we head into fall camp, with several players coveting those jobs, so stay tuned there.

Breakdown Special Teams: Rafael Gaglianone returns at PK after being one of the most accurate kickers in the nation last fall, after connecting on 16/18 attempts. Zach Hintze returns to back him up.
Anthony Lotti also returns at Punter after averaging 40.02 yards per punt. Connor Allen returns as his primary backup.
AJ Taylor averaged 23.5 yards per KR last season, and will be the primary kick return man once again. Jack Dunn is slated to return punts, replacing Nick Nelson from a year ago.

Final Analysis: Despite some turnover on defense, Wisconsin has the tools and leadership once again to dominate on defense, even if they slide just a bit. This unit should once again be one of the best in the Big 10 and the nation as new players slide into key roles. On offense, the tools are all in place with enormous benefits of having so much big time talent returning. The line may be the best in the nation, and Taylor could be the nation's best back this season, and should be in the Heisman talks. As long as nobody tries to reinvent the wheel with this football team, and health holds, this team could be playing for a national title come January.

2018 College Football team Previews: Tennessee Volunteers

2018 Tennessee Volunteers Football Preview

Opening Statement: The Vols did what had to be done after the 2017 season and moved on from Butch Jones, which was smart. What was not smart is the way that their coaching search turned into the debacle from hell before landing on Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt as their next head man. Greg Schiano had been hired, only to be released hours later after Tennessee fan stormed the gates in disapproval. Rather than sticking with the hire, John Currie made the horrific mistake of giving up on it, and ended up being bounced in a coup perpetrated by none other than former coach Phillip Fulmer. Now the blood is squarely on Fulmer,because if this hire does not work out, he holds the bag. Tennessee is a program squarely in flux, as lacking on-field talent, a bad public relations look, and a total lack of on-field success, has all brewed into this moment. It'w win or go home now for this program moving forward, and there is no time to waste.

Breakdown Offense: The 2017 offense, in a word, was putrid. Tennessee averaged just over 19 points per game, 173 yards passing per game, and a paltry 117 yards rushing per game. That was not getting it done.
Jarrett Guarantano is back at QB, but he will have major competition in fall camp when Stanford transfer Keller Chryst shows up on campus to take the job from him. Will McBride is still in the hunt for the job as well coming out of spring. In short, this race is wide open, but Guarantano winning it outright is not a bet I would want to place right now, even as he returns after starting last season. Quentin Dormandy, who also played last fall, has transferred to Houston.
Finding some answers in the run game will be a priority as well. John Kelly departed for the NFL draft, but averaged just over 70 yards per game last fall. Ty Chandler is expected to step up and into the job in the fall, but Carlin Fils-aime willbe pushing him as well. Fils-aime is the better bet when it comes to breaking plays, but still has to win the job. Trey Coleman and Tim Jordan could play into the race as well,  and freshman Jeremy Banks has some people excited as well.
The QB has some good news coming into the season, as the top two receivers from last season are back in Brandon Johnson and Marquez Callaway. They combined for 61 receptions last season in a bad offense. Josh Palmer is looking like the third receiver. Jordan Murphy, Latrell Williams, and Tyler Boyd are all looking for work as well. Jauan Jennings has re-enrolled at the school after leaving, but not much else will be known about his status until the fall. Jacquez Jones and Alontae Taylor could be in the mix as well.
Dominick Wood-Anderson is coming in as the top ranked JUCO TE in the nation, and could start from day one. Eli Wolf is in the mix, as are Austin Pope and LaTrell Bumphus. Jacob Warren has not been seen much, but he is in the ring as well at another wide open race.
Trey Smith and Chance Hall are back at the OG spots, but Smith could move to LT. He is looked at as a potential first round draft pick. Drew Richmond and Marcus Tatum could start at the OT spots as well if Smith stays inside at OG. Joey Cave is competing at LG as well, and Ryan Johnson, Riley Locklear, and Matthew Butler are also in the mix inside. Devonte Brooks and Joe keeler made things interesting at OT during spring ball as well. There are virtually no answers at C as of now, which will have to be a priority in the fall.

Breakdown Defense: The defense allowed 29 points per game last season, and the run defense got destroyed to a total of 251 yards allowed per game. The Vols were tight against the pass, allowing just 161 yards passing per game.
Improvement begins with the return of DEs Kyle Phillips and Darrell Taylor, who combined for just 8.5 TFLs last fall. If improvement is to come, they have to lead the way up front. Jonathon Kongbo, DeAndre Johnson, and Quay Picou will add some depth at the DE spots. Picou could find his way inside to DT as well to join Shy Tuttles. Alexis Johnson, Kingston Harris, and Eric Crosby could all be looking for time inside as well.
Quart'e Sapp is slated in at WLB, Colton Jumper at MLB, and Daniel Bituli is heading into fall as the starter at SAM. Darrin Kirkland is pushing for time as well in 4 LB sets. Look for Will Ignont, Shanon Reid, Austin Smith, and Dillon Bates to work their way into the competition as well. Princeton Fant adds some depth as a sophomore.
The secondary was strong last fall, but loses CB Emmanuel Moseley at CB, and Rashaan Gaulden at S. Shawn Shamburger and Tyler Byrd should line up at CB heading into the fall, while Micah Abernathy and Todd Kelley look to get work in at S, with Nigel Warrior looking for time as well. Maleik Gray and Theo Jackson will be heading into camp as key reserves, but could look to push their way into bigger roles in camp. Marquill Osborn could push at CB for a starting job, while Baylen Buchannon could get work in at NB.

Breakdown Special Teams: Brent Cimaglia heads into the fall as the starter at PK with the departure of Aaron Medley. Cimaglia struggled when given time last season, hitting just 8/13 FG attempts. The Punter job is wide open heading into fall camp, with the departure of Trevor Daniel, who was one of the best punters in the nation last year, averaging over 47 yards per punt.
Marquez Callaway is back to return punts after averaging 8.38 yards per return last fall, and Ty Chandler will be the leading kick returner after averaging 24.47 yards per return last fall.

Final Analysis: There is a ton of work to be done with this team heading into fall camp. The QB situation is mixed up, the run game has little depth, and the line is a boiling pot right now with a lot of pieces,but no clear designations. Defensively, the front seven needs a ton of work to learn how to stop the run, and a scheme needs to be ironed out as per how to best place the pieces that they have, and help them succeed, which is something that the staff under Jones never properly learned how to do on either side of the ball. It will take time to sort all of this out, so expecting too much out of Pruitt and the new staff in year one would be an enormous mistake. If Tennessee manages to find 6 wins in 2018, be happy and take it.

Alabama Crimson Tide 2018 Football Preview

Alabama Crimson Tide 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Can we just put all charades aside and agree that Alabama is a shoe in for the so-called playoff every single season until otherwise noted? Alabama slipped into the 4 team "playoff" by way of hard lobbying by Nick Saban last fall, and then the Tide went on to win the thing. It's the most obvious pick every year, and this year is no different.

Breakdown Offense: Saban has an interesting problem to work out in fall camp. With the emergence of Tua Tagovailoa in the second half of the title game, he found a QB who could make all the throws that Jalen Hurts could not make. Jalen Hurts, on the other hand, has an incredible winning resume, and works the offense like a consummate game manager, and does not make a ton of mistakes, which has always been the hallmark of Alabama QBs under Saban. Does Alabama go with the glitz and glamour of Tagovailoa, or do they go with the proven and even keeled Hurts? Either way, Alabama wins, so it is a problem well worth having.
Damien Harris led a deep and talented bunch of RBs last fall with 1000 yards rushing and 11 TDs, as he averaged 7.41 yards per carry. He returns as the lead back this fall, and even though there were some losses at the position, it is no less talented than last fall. Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris should get plenty of opportunities as the RB2 and RB3 on the depth chart as we came out of spring ball. Brian Robinson, a sophomore, will also have some touches, but is working behind a deep group at the position to get carries.
Receiver is a position that was, again, very deep last season, but has suffered a sizable loss. Calvin Ridley is gone, along with his 63 catches, and the next best returning receiver had just 14 receptions. That was Jerry Jeudy, who returns this fall, and he will have the first crack at becoming the new WR1. Henry Ruggs, Jr. and Devonta Smith are both leading for starting jobs at WR, but are just sophomores, and have to prove themselves on the field. Derek Kief and and Xavian Marks are both back as seniors to fill backup roles for now, and RS freshman Tyrell Shavers will start working his way into the rotation as well.
Irv Smith, Jr. and Hale Hentges will both be back at TE, but will likely serve as extra blockers in the run game. Major Tennison, Kedrick James, and Miller Forristall are all there to provide depth.
Alabama will have to find a replacement for Bradley Bozeman at C, but the line is stocked with talent, especially upperclassmen talent. Jonah Williams, a junior, is expected to replace Bozeman at C coming out of spring ball. Senior Lester Cotton is expected to start at RG, while Matt Womack is slated in at RT, and will be a junior in 2018. Ross Pierschbacher is slated in at LG as a senior, while RS sophomore Alex Leatherwood is the youngster of the group. Josh Casher (senior) and Deonte Brown (sophomore) will provide depth inside, while Jedrick Wills and Scott Lashley will try to make themselves heard at OT as reserves. Both are sophomores.

Breakdown Defense: 10 players were drafted from this unit in April, and now depth is coming into play that Saban has built up. Even with so many faces moved on, Alabama still has plenty of weapons to build on.
RS sophomore Quinnen Williams is projected to move up and into the starting NT spot, while Isaiah Buggs and Raekwon Davis are slotted in at DE. Davis has star potential moving forward, and could be the breakout star of the unit. LaBrayan Ray is slotted in as a reserve at DE for now.
Terrell Lewis will be stepping up to start at the JACK position after picking up 16 tackles last season. Dylan Moses will slot into the SLB spot after collecting 30 tackles as a freshman last fall. Mack Wilson will finally get his crack as a junior at MLB, while James Mosley is penciled in at WLB. He finished with just 12 tackles last season. Christian Miller, Joshua McMillon, and Keith Holcombe fill in for depth, while Markail Benton and VanDarius Cowan are third teamers looking for time.
The secondary took huge losses in the draft, and will be looking to rebuild from a talented pool as well. Trevon Diggs will get a shot at one CB spot after finishing with 3 PBUs a year ago, and Saivion Smith is penciled in at the other corner, and will be looking to make a name for himself after being off the grid a year ago. Shyheim Carter and Jared Mayden will be looking to push them in fall camp, with Nigel Knott adding some depth there. Deionte Thompson slots in at SS, while Xavier McKinney left spring with the FS job. Daniel Wright and Keaton Anderson will push at the SS spot in fall camp, while Kyriq McDonald, a RS freshman, will fight for time at FS as well. When employing the STAR position, Carter will be filling that slot.

Breakdown Special Teams: Both PK Andy Pappanastos and Punter JK Scott are gone, and those are big shoes to fill. RS freshman Joseph Bulovas has the edge at PK, while freshman Skyer Delong has the lead at Punter heading into fall camp.
Jared Mayden has the lead to take over PR duties, while Trevon Diggs, who handled PR duties last year, takes over at KR for 2018.

Final Assessment: Alabama will have a fight on their hands with Auburn once again in the SEC West, but there is no doubt that the Tide will push toward 10 wins or more once again in 2018. Although there are some concern areas, such as the entire defense looking for new starters, Alabama and Nick Saban always find ways to reload rather than rebuild, and that should be the case once again. On offense, finding a key replacement for Ridley at WR will be key, but with the talent they have coming back, there is no doubt that the production will be there once again. Look for Alabama to contend once again to play on a key date in January.

2018 College Football Team Previews: UCLA Bruins

UCLA Bruins 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: UCLA did the thing most uncharacteristic of this program that they have ever done after last season. Not only did they fire Jim Mora, which was not that amazing, but they did not hesitate to hire a coach that everyone knows could change the profile of this program forever when they did the unthinkable and hired Chip Kelly. The Bruins finally got their second attempt to hire outside the Bruins family right, but to expect too much too soon would be a major mistake. Kelly was a grand slam hire, but the mistakes of the Mora era will need time to correct, and this season may just be a year about building a foundation rather than gunning for anything bigger. Time is needed here.

Breakdown Offense: Josh Rosen, love him or otherwise, has moved on to the NFL. That leaves a major opening at QB, but there are several options here, only a few of which make actual sense. Devon Modster started in place of Rosen last season when Rosen was injured (again). He showed flashes at times of being able to handle the offense, but what plays into his strengths is that he really fits a Chip Kelly offense much better than a Jedd Fisch offense. He passed for 671 yardswith 4 TDs and no INTs last season in 5 games, and completed 64.6% of his passes. With some specialized work, he could be even better in 2018. Wilton Speight is a grad transfer from Michigan, but he fits better in a Fisch offense than a Kelly offense. Kelly's offense is adaptable to the QB who starts in the system, but Speight may just be a fish out of water here. Still, he had some solid success in the W/L column at Michigan before getting hurt, so he could be a spot filler for the time being if needed. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is an incoming freshman who will not be on campus until August, and was a huge get for the program. He stayed on after Mora was fired, because he is perfectly suited for what Kelly does at the QB spot. Still, he will be a true freshman, and will need to blow someone away in fall camp to secure the job, but for now, he is projected as the QB of the future. Matt Lynch and Austin Burton are really career backups, and if either were to win the job, it would be a major shock.
The Bruins have been a disaster on the ground, and Kelly spent a ton of time in the spring trying to find ways to improve the RB unit. Bolu Olorunfunmi and Soso Jamabo returnas the two primary backs, but there will be some youth coming into fall camp that could push them, along with returning back Brandon Stephens. Martell Irby and Kazmeir Allen will be coming to town in the fall, and should push for some major playing time, as nobody on the current roster has done anything to lock down any jobs at this point.
The Bruins lost some serious talent at WR after last season, but talent still remains. Theo Howard has not been able to break free just yet, but showed in Kelly's offense that he has immense potential to explode this season. He caught 56 passes last season, and could well eclipse that mark as the new leader at the position heading into 2018. Christian Pabico came out of nowhere last fall, and slowly became a favorite, and should expand on his experience last season as a walk-on. Demetric Felton has immense potential, and Audie Otomosho will come on board to push for some time this fall as well. Dymond Lee should start in the third slot, and freshman Chase Cota will push him for time.
Once healthy, Caleb Wilson should be one of the better TEs in the nation for the Bruins, but is still recovering from a foot injury. Devin Asiasi and Jordan Wilson provide excellent depth at the position.
The line could be the undoing of everything if they cannot find a mix that works, which has been a problem ongoing for 2 years now. Andre James and Jake Burton are slotted in at the OT spots for now, with Josh Wariboko-Alali and Michael Alves at the OG spots. Boss Tagiloa moved over from the D line to work out at C in the spring, and he could end up starting there through fall camp. Alec Anderson is a key OT reserve, while Chris Murray brings some help as a reserve at OG. Some talented freshman come in for fall camp, but again, they are freshmen.

Breakdown Defense: The Bruins were anemic on defense last fall, allowing 36.6 points per game, and will be an area that Kelly will have to have his staff focus hard on in fall camp. The defense got progressively worse over the last 3 years before bottoming out last season, and holes need filling.
On the line, the Bruins will switch to a 3-4 look this fall. Rick Wade comes in at DE, and is the most experienced starter coming back up front. Chigozie Nnoruka leads the way at the other DE spot. Ose Odighizuwa will be back, and will start at NT heading into fall. Marcus Moore could push for a starting job at DE, while Martin Andrus will try to bring some depth outside as well. Moses Robinson-Carr will try to work his way into the rotation inside.
Jaelan Phillips will switch from straight up DE to EDGE, and that could play right into his untapped athleticism. He had some injury issues last fall, but could explode to become the next Anthony Barr in 2018. Keisean Lucier-South will start outside at LB, while Josh Woods and Krys Barnes project as post spring starters inside. Mique Juarez and Rahyme Johnson left spring as the primary reserves at EDGE and OLB, while Brandon Burton and Tyree Thompson look to push for time inside. Several of the LBs had injury issues in the spring and will hope to be up to par in the fall. Thompson is a JC transfer who made a huge impact during the spring, and may push his way into a starting spot.
The Bruins have a secondary, that if it finds its footing, could be one of the best in the conference. Darnay Holmes and Nate Meadors both return to start at CB, and Adarius Pickett could be one of the best Safeties in the nation this fall. Quentin Lake is the quiet player of the bunch as he does not get the attention the others do, but he is a quality piece at Safety. Elijah Gates and Mo Osling bring in quality depth at CB, while Jaylen Shaw and Will Lockett are potential long term starters at Safety if needed.

Breakdown Special Teams: JJ Molson is back at PK after showing some improvements last season for the Bruins. His career has largely been inconsistent, but he showed signs in spring that he is ready to be the clutch kicker they need. Stefan Flintoft could be one of the most dangerous punters in the PAC-12 in 2018 after taking over as the starter during the 2017 season.

Final Analysis: The Bruins are a work in progress for Chip Kelly and his staff, but the work is happening, and improvement will come, even if it may be tough to see in ways this season. Do not expect too much of this football team in 2018, but enjoy the ride as you continue to see the blocks that Kelly will put in place as this team moves in his direction. A bowl game is not out of the question this season, but with so many pieces to move, and so much to build, a division title would be a pipe dream. Take what you get in year one, and just enjoy the ride.