CFB DeptHITS: Thursday, August 15

Here is what you need to know and what you may want to know that has happened around college football in the last 24 hours. August 15, 2024.

Indiana ::: The offensive line suffered a big blow with news that starting RG Nick Kidwell would miss the 2024 season. They don't have the best depth on the line and this impacts things dramatically. For now, we'll say backup Vincent Fiacable steps in to fill the void.

Further: Kidwell played an injury-shortened season for James Madison last year and followed head coach Curt Cignetti over from Harrisonburg. For context, our ratings show Kidwell at a 13.7 rating. This is where we note the lack of depth on the offensive line at Indiana. His potential replacement(s) include Fiacable (RS JR, 9.4 rating) who played just 16 snaps at left guard in 2023. We just don’t know a whole lot about him. Highly regarded true freshman Adedamola Ajani (9.4) could be an option later on in the season and we also see potential for Noah Bolticoff (also a 9.4 rating), a transfer-in from TCU, to slide over and get some playing time. Regardless of who fills in, this is a blow to a very important piece of the newly installed offense here in Bloomington. Something to keep an eye on. View full Indiana depth chart page »

Akron :::: Added WR Ahmarian Granger to the depth chart. He will have some catch-up to do, but should be a part of the rotation and could even make a decent impact on the offense.

Further: This has been a fun game of ‘Where in the world is Ahmarian Granger?’ as he signed with James Madison, only to surface on Akron’s roster. He was at Old Dominion last year and was a part of their offense, reeling in 15 passes for 213 yards on 31 targets. He operated both in the slot and outside, showing a versatility that helps get him on the field. There will be a learning curve to join up with Joe Moorhead’s offense, but we foresee him being a part of it. We have him listed 4th on the wide receiver depth chart and project him getting 9% of the targets in 2024. View full Akron depth chart page »

Western Kentucky ::: Added WR Koy Moore to the Hilltoppers WR room as the No. 6 option. He'll have a lot of ramp up to do in a short period of time to make an impact on the high-powered offense, but remains a name to watch.

Further: WKU adds yet another weapon to this passing attack. Moore has spent time at major programs - Auburn (after LSU) - after his recruiting 4-star rank in the class of 2020. He’s yet to really crack the lineup and now heads down to the Group of 5 to make an impact. This has been seen before and if Moore really gets that opportunity, we could see the breakout many have been waiting for. Still, to crack this wide receiver rotation; it’s going to take something. We have five players ahead of him and are giving a modest 5% target share. That could quickly rise as he gets acquainted to things in this Tyson Helton / Will Friend offense.

Missouri ::: DE Darris Smith (a transfer-in from Georgia) suffered a season-ending knee injury in fall camp. We had him on the edge of the rotation to provide a spell from time-to-time. We just don't have a ton of playing experience as he was buried with the Dawgs.

Further: Before you Tigers fans get all bent out of shape, this injury, while impactful to depth, is not going to make or break things on that side of the ball in 2024. Sure, depth is important and on a defense that lost a lot of talent in the off-season and are breaking in a new defensive coordinator, you don’t like to see it. Keep in mind, just because a player comes from a blue blood program like Georgia, it doesn’t mean they are automatically plug-and-play ready for the SEC. Sure, he was a 4-star prospect out of Baxley, GA and all signs point to an outbreak when he sees the field. That was supposed to happen in 2024 with Mizzou, but we’ll have to wait another year for it. View full Mizzou depth chart page »

Wisconsin ::: Tyler Van Dyke officially named the starting quarterback.

Further: This was expected. However, Brayden Locke did not go down without a fight. The fact that the Badgers staff decided to end the speculation this early indicates that it may not have been that much of one. Van Dyke comes in from Miami, where he has shown flashes of brilliance (2023), while struggling through some things (2022) at other times. In this Phil Longo offense, Van Dyke could thrive and bring Wisconsin to the brink of a College Football Playoff appearance. They have the talent. The offense comes in at #14 on our AIR (All-In Rankings) and the offensive line in front of him has a top-10 pass block rating. View full Wisconsin depth chart page »

UCF ::: Moved RB Myles Montgomery (Cincinnati transfer) ahead of Johnny Richardson as the 3rd back on the RB depth chart. He has drawing praise at camp. That room is a bit crowded, but Montgomery should have a role. This comes from this glowing report from Brandon Helwig.

North Carolina State ::: Bumped G Matt McCabe, a former walk-on from the class of '20, in ratings and into a battle for the starting RG position against Anthony Carter Jr., who played extensively at the position in 2023.

Liberty ::: Bumped WR Darius Copeland up the depth chart (and ratings boost) after the hype train out of Liberty camp is picking up steam. He was a '23 recruit (0 stars) but has been showing out and may get in the WR rotation this year. A name to watch/know as we head into 2024.

North Texas ::: Added RB Damashja Harris to the running back depth chart and gave him a small share of carries. Harris comes over from FCS Lamar, where he spent the last three seasons and was mentioned by teammates as looking really good in camp. Source: Report from 247Sports' MeanGreen 247 (Ethan Plinsky).

James Madison ::: Removed WR Ahmarian Granger from the roster (see above) as he committed this off-season but never enrolled. He's now heading to Akron to join the Zips. He was projected for an 11% target share. Those have been dispersed amongst the remaining group there.

Georgia State ::: WR Yusuf Terry, former South Florida (via Baylor) receiver who a committed to the Panthers this off-season, never enrolled and will not be with the team this season. He'll sit it out and return in 2024. He'll likely test the waters in the Portal again next cycle.

South Alabama ::: Removed backup RG John Ward from the depth chart after he was forced to medically retire from the game.

Purdue ::: Added Dillon Thieneman to join Andrew Sowinski as the primary punt return options for the Boilermakers. Via: Tom Dienhart notes (Gold&Black, On3).

Houston ::: Placed third string QB Caleb McMickle on the Injury & Status report after a torn ACL has him out for the 2024 season. That moves Ui Ale a step closer to the job as the new third-stringer behind Donovan Smith and Zeon Chriss. Walk-on RB Steve Polk also added as he will miss the season with an Achilles injury.

That’s it for today!

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