74. SMU Mustangs |
#7 in American |
SMU fans had to pump the brakes on what had all the makings of a potential special season when not just Courtland Sutton went pro early, as expected, but Trey Quinn also. Sutton, at 6’4”, is a likely first round pick, while Quinn, who had the better numbers of the two last year, is more of a fourth to sixth round guy. Not many programs can lose a receiving duo who combined for 182 catches, 2,321 yards and 25 touchdowns, let alone a year early. It would have been fun to watch them in Sonny Dykes system this year, not that Chad Morris was three yards and a cloud of dust. Dykes’ offense may be undergoing some tweaks though, and not be the full air raid he’s known for. The Mustangs threw the ball 37.5 times per game last year. Only East Carolina threw more. But for his offensive coordinator hire, Dykes went with UConn offensive coordinator, and Gus Malzahn disciple, Rhett Lashlee. Lashlee helped the UConn offense make major strides last year, but he certainly is not an air raid guy. That may work well considering the turnover at the receiver spot. SMU does return Xavier Jones, the 1,000 yard back you’ve never heard of, so this change may cater to the strengths of this roster. But it’s not just Jones, the Mustangs have a full stable of running backs, if not quite the Pony Express. Braeden West is the home run threat, with 568 yards on nearly 8 ypc, and Ke’Mon Freeman got himself 10 carries per game as only the #3 back. Expect a lot more looks with two of those guys on the field together. Quarterback Ben Hicks returns after a strong 2017, but may not be the starter in 2018. Lashlee likes designed quarterback runs, and that is not what Hicks brings. Backup D.J. Gillins might be the best option. He lacks accuracy, but has a strong arm, and is far more athletic. Remember he transfered from Wisconsin to SMU (stopping at a JUCO in between) after Chryst wanted to move him from quarterback to receiver. While his skill set didn’t match what Chryst wanted to run, it’s nearly perfect for what Lashlee does.
Key PlayersQB | | Ben Hicks, Junior |
RB | | Xavier Jones, Junior |
T | | Chad Pursley, Senior |
| . | |
LB | | Kyran Mitchell, Senior |
CB | | Jordan Wyatt, Senior |
S | | Mikial Onu, Junior |
73. Tennessee Volunteers |
#13 in SEC |
While all of the helmets (except Ohio State) have had their rough years in the last two decades at some point, perhaps none have had times as troubling as Tennessee. While the Vols had been stuck in a quagmire of mediocrity for a decade, it may have finally bottomed out last year with a 4-8 season, that included going winless in SEC play. It was the first 8 loss season in school history, and the first time they had gone winless in conference play since an 0-4 campaign in the SoCon in 1924. If that wasn’t enough, the offseason was marred by perhaps the most bunked up coaching search in college football history. Oddly, at the end of it, I think they got a good coach. They got a coach that would not have caused anyone to bat an eye had he simply been hired in the first place. Now it’s roster building time, and he more or less gets a fresh start. The biggest stars from the problematic 2017 campaign are mostly gone, including three early NFL Draft departures. The diamond they did discover was Trey Smith, who earned all-SEC honors as a true freshman at guard, before moving over to left tackle in November. He’s only going to get better, and he’s still less than a year removed from being on a high school campus. His ceiling is scary high, but a medical condition holding him out of spring practice has to be concerning. The Vols went to freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano late, with an eye to the future. He didn’t exactly dazzle, but it’s unclear who could potentially unseat him. Quinten Dormady transferred, and Stanford transfer Keller Chryst will arrive for fall practice and put himself in the mix, but he’s coming being benched in favor of a freshman himself last season. While overall Tennessee put together a shockingly good recruiting class, considering they went from November 12 until December 7 without a coach, pulling in the #20 class nationally, there isn’t a quarterback who looks capable of coming in and playing this year. It’s on Pruitt to sell the program now, and the way the coaching search went, unfairly to him, it may take a minute, with the fair or unfair perception that the guy leading them was no better than their 27th choice.
QB | | Jarrett Guarantano, Sophomore |
WR | | Brandon Johnson, Junior |
T | | Trey Smith, Sophomore |
| . | |
DE | | Darrell Taylor, Junior |
LB | | Daniel Bituli, Junior |
S | | Nigel Warrior, Junior |