Oregon Ducks - SELL
Last Season: 13-1 (Lost Rose Bowl vs Ohio St.)
WHY TO SELL: This team sits so close on the borderline of making the playoff again, but I personally think the losses they've suffered via the draft could set them back in the bigger games. The Biggest question is replacing Dillon Gabriel with redshirt sophomore Dante Moore at quarterback, who originally committed to Oregon out of high school & then changed it to UCLA. Moore has all the talent to make the Ducks formidable, but his lack of experience in the offense could set the passing game a bit. The biggest hit to the passing attack is losing senior receiver Evan Stewart, who looks like he could become another Devonta Smith. Not to mention losing receiver Tez Johnson & tight end Terrence Ferguson. Without them, this receiving corp suddenly looks very average compared to the rest of the Big Ten & most of the SEC. The offensive line lost left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. And while they are bringing in some transfers that could start right away (senior tackle Isaiah World is the big name), chemistry on the line counts for. a lot, especially against Power 4 defenses.
STOCK ON THE RISE: It's fair to say that defensively, they are stacked. It all starts up front with junior edge rusher Matayo Uiagaleilei (Yes, he is former QB D.J.'s younger brother) who should be considered a lock to be a first round pick as of now. The addition of former USC defensive tackle Bear Alexander give them a decent-to-good replacement inside for Oregon after they lost Derrick Harmon to the draft. Senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher & junior Teitum Tuioti are tackling machines who can pay the run and rush the quarterback. The secondary lost pieces, but may have upgraded with the addition of Northwestern redshirt senior cornerback Theran Johnson & especially Purdue redshirt junior Dillon Thieneman (another potential top pick). While the offense seems to have the biggest concerns, they do have a solid running game with Tulane redshirt junior running back Makhi Hughes & redshirt senior Noah Whittington. And while Oregon lost their best receiving weapons, they still have junior tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who showed potential, & freshman 5-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, who could end up being the best receiver in Oregon history when it's all said and done.
Alabama Crimson Tide - SELL
Last Season: 9-4 (Lost ReliaQuest Bowl vs Michigan)
WHY TO SELL: This was a tough one ot call that I feel is borderline as well. The Crimson Tide host a number of questions on their roster. This makes me sound like a broken record, but quarterback is quite the conundrum. The choice seems to be between redshirt junior Ty Simpson & redshirt sophomore Alex Mack, who transferred from Washington. Simpson looks like he's either Mac Jones or Blake Barnett. Mack has the look of a starting QB, but does he have the game is still a mystery. Thankfully, Alabama has star sophomore wideout Ryan Williams to catch passes. I would feel a lot more comfortable picking "buy" for them if they had another receiver that felt like a good compliment opposite of Williams. The only issue on the defense could come from their defensive line not having more than one standout right now in senior end LT Overton, but that's me nitpicking more than anything.
STOCK ON THE RISE: Their running back room looks loaded again, lead by senior Jam Miller with redshirt sophomore Richard Young & freshman 4-star AK Dear likely to join in the ground game. The addition of redshirt junior Parker Brailsford from Washington added continuity to the o-line last year. Certainly doesn't hurt having, maybe, the top offensive line prospect in next year's NFL Draft in Kadyn Proctor. Of course, like the broken record I am, they have quality players on defense. Redshirt senior Deontae Lawson fits perfect in the Tide's defense. Their defensive backs could be one of the best in the country with senior cornerback Domani Jackson & junior safeties Bray Hubbard & Keon Sabb. The most intriguing one of the group feels like sophomore cornerback Zabien Brown, who came in as a 5-star recruit & has seemed to live up to the hype. Added bonus for them goes to having freshman 5-star quarterback Keelon Russell that, I believe, will be a better college version of Jalen Hurts when he hits the field.
LSU Fighting Tigers - BUY
Last Season: 9-4 (Won Texas Bowl vs Baylor)
WHY TO BUY: Elephant in the room: I'm an LSU fan. I promise I selling Alabama & buying LSU is coming from a strictly unbiased place (You can believe it or not. That's up to you.) The conversation starts with redshirt senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Honestly, it could also end with him as well. Full disclosure too, I was not his biggest fan going into last season, but he's made more of a believer. He has NFL talent in his skill set. The receiving corp is as stacked as ever. Returning starters senior Chris Hilton Jr. & junior Aaron Anderson lead a corp that has transfers senior Barion Brown from Kentucky & Nic Anderson from Oklahoma. The biggest (literally) of the group is sophomore tight end Trey'Dez Green. He has a chance to become a major impact player. Defense will definitely be the biggest "buyer beware" for LSU, but they've added some exciting pieces this year. Redshirt senior edge rushers Jack Pyburn (Florida) & Patrick Payton (Florida St.) add length & speed to the pass rush. Junior linebacker Whit Weeks captains this defense with older brother West staying for another year. And let's not forget, they'll be joined by redshirt junior Harold Perkins Jr., who sat out all last year with an injury & almost transferred out. Feels like new life has come into the team this year.
BUYER BEWARE: Sophomore running back Caden Durham has a little bit of that "Clyde Edwards-Helaire" feel to his game. The depth at the position is thin though with junior Kaleb Jackson & 5-star recruits Harlem Berry & JT Lindsay (we'll see what happens after his arrest) likely to help carry the load with Durham. Defense is all but the biggest issue that stands between LSU winning & losing in the SEC this year. The biggest question mark comes from defensive back. They lured transfers in like cornerbacks senior Mansoor Delane (Virginia tech) & redshirt sophomore Ja'Keem Jackson. They also added safeties redshirt sophomore Tamarcus Cooley (NC State) & senior A.J. Haulcy (Houston) as well. Their numbers from the previous season look good, but they'll need to repeat similar or perform better against the SEC. The biggest question of the DBs will be in freshman 5-star corner D.J. Pickett. He's turning heads in practice with his playmaking & size (6'5"), but it's hard to find another Derrick Stingley Jr. to step in as a true freshman & shut down SEC wideouts. And don't even get me started on head coach Brian Kelly. His pedigree in college has always been there, but sometimes, he really can leave me baffled.
Miami Hurricanes - SELL
Last Season: 10-3 (Lost Pop-Tarts Bowl vs Iowa St.)
WHY TO SELL: Secretly, I do love when the Miami Hurricanes are good. It just make college football better when they are good for some reason. That being said, I don't know if it'll happen this year. The easy target is to go after the quarterback in senior Carson Beck from Georgia. Truth be told, he isn't the main reason I think you need to "sell" Miami (though he is apart of it). Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, & Isaiah Horton are all gone from the wideouts room. Tight end Elijah Arroyo is also gone too. Miami adds some transfers in redshirt seniors CJ Daniels (LSU) & Tony Johnson (Cincinnati), but it doesn't feel the same at all. They have future hope in sophomore Joshisa Trader & freshman Joshua Moore, but they still need some work. On defense, they brought in six transfers at defensive back that all look good on paper, but still have a big question on them after last season's struggles. In fact, it's fair to say that the defense could have another tough season outside of a few names. Wrap it all up with questions around head coach Mario Cristobal & whether he has the ability to get his alma mater into the playoffs finally.
STOCK ON THE RISE: It's tough to find the spots to buy into this team, but there are a few. The revamped defensive backs could revive their pass defense. All that is compounded with the talent of junior edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., a young man who could end up being a top 10 pick in the draft next year. They also have some solid depth on their defensive line as well outside of Bain Jr. Offensively, their offensive line looks good. Junior tackle Francisco Mauigoa anchors the crew as the possible first round pick of the group so far. While senior guard Anez Cooper is the only other returning starter with Mauigoa, they added redshirt senior center James Brockermeyer from TCU to help strengthen the protection. The only other positive I can find is in the running backs with the return of junior Mark Fletcher Jr. & sophomore Jordan Lyle. These two could be the next dynamic duo from Ft. Lauderdale for the Hurricanes. Plus, we can't forget freshman Girard Pringle Jr. could also emerge and make a name for himself as well.
Arizona State Sun Devils - BUY
Last Season: 11-3 (Lost Peach Bowl vs Texas)
WHY TO BUY: Well, they aren't exactly the prettiest one at the dance, but outside of Clemson, Arizona State feels like they have one of the easiest routes to making the playoffs. But away from the conference, this team still looks pretty good. Kenny Dillingham & his passion adds a layer to this team that helps push them in some tough games. At the core of the roster is redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt & redshirt junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. They could be best QB-WR duo in college football this season. Both could, in fact, end up being first round picks depending on the outcome. They've added veteran transfers like redshirt junior Jalen Moss from Fresno State to help flush out the passing game. They return three starters on their offensive line, two of them at the tackle spots. And by my account, they have ten of their eleven starters returning on defense that showed a lot of grit and grind. The Sun Devils seem to be building on the foundation of consistency, chemistry, & culture. Feels like things might be more of the same in Tempe this year.
BUYER BEWARE: A few things came up that could hurt their shot at making the playoffs. Biggest one for me is replacing the man, the myth, the legendary running back Cam Skateboo. He was phenomenal last year. I mean honestly, he was a majority of the offense for Arizona State last season. I will say that the Sun Devils may have found a strong replacement in Army junior transfer Kanye Udoh. However, it still remains to be seen if you can replicate the output of Skateboo with Udoh as the feature back or with a backfield-by-committee. And despite returning almost their entire starting defense, there is a question if they can hang with some of the top Power 4 offenses. Even within the Big 12, they could have some trouble. It's a good defense, sure. But is it good enough? I would hope so for the Sun Devils sake.
Illinois Fighting Illini - BUY
Last Season: 10-3 (Won Citrus Bowl vs S. Carolina)
WHY TO BUY: Shocking for some, but yes, I do see Illinois being a team who could make a run to getting into the playoffs. They could even make the Big Ten conference championship, if things go sideways for others of course. Kick this one off with the offense, where they return nine starters from last season. Senior Luke Altmyer may be the best quarterback the Illini have had since Juice Williams quite frankly. A former SEC QB from Ole Miss, he's found a home in Bret Bielema's offense that showcases his ability to throw the football. Last year, Josh McCray showed his talent at running back while splitting time with current redshirt junior Aiden Laughery. Though Laughery's numbers (589 Yds, 4 TD, 6.1 AVG) may not pop off the board for some, he has shown the ability to step up and be a compliment to the 6'3" 250 lbs. junior Kaden Feagin, who's my pick to emerge this year in the offense. And then there's the o-line, we returns all five of it's starters. Four of the five starters are seniors with left tackle J.C. Davis & guard Brandon Henderson looking like NFL talent. Of course, it doesn't hurt having former Bears center Olin Kreutz's son, Josh, manning the middle & being a leader amongst the group. Defensively, their strength is once again in the secondary. The depth is unreal. Senior corners Xavier Scott & Torrie Cox Jr. with junior Kaleb Patterson shut down the outside threats. Meanwhile, senior Miles Scott & junior Matthew Bailey at the safety positions, punished both pass catchers & quarterbacks who dared to throw in their zones. Quick draw passes, ground-and-pound, and takeaways is the Illinois game.
BUYER BEWARE: With all that praise & me being from Illinois myself, you may think I'm fanboy-ing or biased in some way. I promise I am not. As previously stated, I root for LSU. The Illini were fun to watch back in the 2000s for me when I was growing up. This is not that team by any means & they have a long way to go to prove they can make it. For starters, the Big Ten has a lot of talent at the top. That doesn't mean the Fighting Illini don't, but in comparison (at least on paper), those teams just read and feel better in some way, shape, or form. The biggest hurdles roster-wise will be the loses at receiver. Pat Bryant & Zakhari Franklin were maybe the most dynamic duo at wideout for the school ever. They do have some transfers like junior Hudson Clement from West Virginia coming in to help, but the receiving corp still feels lighter than last year. What also could hurt them is the defensive line. They lost some very consistent starters last year that help pressure opposing QBs & stuff the run. Again, they too will have some transfers coming in like senior end James Thompson Jr. & junior tackle Curt Neal (both from Wisconsin) to come help potentially fill the void. It's really going to be a matter of acclimating to their new settings in the defense or if anyone else from the roster could can break out.
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