CFB DeptHITS: Monday, November 25
Get caught up on the big news in player movement and availability coming off of a busy week 13 and gear up for the final full slate of regular season action.
We make hundreds of tweaks and adjustments to our 134 live depth charts at CFBDepth.com — this feature is designed to pull out the most impactful personnel adjustments to get you up on what you need to know. Today, we’ll get you the biggest ones from each position group and provide a little context on what to expect as we gear up for the final week of the regular season. Enjoy!
|||||| QUARTERBACK
Kentucky ::: QB Brock Vandagriff struggled out of the gate against the Longhorns (3/7 for 51 yards, a TD and an interception. True freshman Cutter Boley replaced him and played the remainder, going 10/18 for 160 yards, 0 TD and 1 interception. It's likely the Wildcats want to see more of Boley in a season that has been a roller coaster ride.
Iowa ::: The Hawkeyes got two big pieces of their offense back in TEs Luke Lachey and Addison Ostrenga. Even with the questions at quarterback, this offense was able to move it effectively against the Terps and these two are a big reason why.
Pittsburgh ::: QB Eli Holstein was cleared to play earlier this week but it was still unknown who would start the game for the Panthers. He ended up getting the call over Nate Yarnell. He then suffered an ankle injury in the game and left on a cart and was replaced by Yarnell. They never got much going with Yarnell either and we also saw David Lynch. All three threw interceptions in the 37-9 loss to Louisville.
Virginia Tech ::: QB Kyron Drones, as expected, was not able to get it going enough to play in week 13. Collin Schlee got the start and was injured on the first play of the second quarter and was forced to leave the game and did not return.
Oregon State ::: QB Ben Gulbranson made his return to action for the Beavers and led the Beavers to the win over Washington State, going 22/34 for 294 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He added a rushing score to clinch the Pac-12 title for the for Oregon State (see what I did there?).
Oklahoma State ::: QB Maealiuaki Smith gets the start for the Cowboys in week 13 against Texas Tech. After a slow start, he really picked it up and ignited this offense, going 26/36 for 326 yards, two touchdowns, one pick and scored a touchdown on the ground. Smith is a true freshman and is showing signs of becoming the starting quarterback of the future in Stillwater.
Southern Miss ::: QB Tate Rodemaker gets the call over Ethan Crawford in week 13. These two have been battling in-season all along and now Rodemaker gets the call against South Alabama. He struggled to the tune of 15/27 passing for 108 yards and eventually gave way to John White, who went 5/8 for 29 yards and an interception in the 35-14 loss. The Eagles are playing out the string and will get a re-start with a new coaching staff in 2025.
Utah State ::: QB Spencer Petras was injured in week 13 and did not return. Bryson Barnes took over and led the Aggies to a come-from-behind, semi-blowout victory over San Diego State. He went 13/15 for 139 yards, 3 TD and no picks passing, adding 15 carries for 195 yards (!) and another score. This is one of those cases that an injury led to the right player in the game. Expect Barnes to stay out there regardless of Petras' injury status.
South Florida ::: QB Byrum Brown was seen warming up prior to the USF game but was with the third stringers and will not play. Bryce Archie gets another start for the Bulls and he was really good, going 21/31 for 305 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. We also got a look at Isreal Carter in the second half who performed well against a hapless Tulsa defense.
Texas ::: QB Quinn Ewers suffered an ankle injury in the week 13 win. His status for the week 14 showdown with Texas A&M is in question. One would like to think he'll be available, with the help of some modern medicine. We'll be tracking this one closely. Obviously, he has a solid backup in place (Arch Manning) if he is unable to go.
Ball State ::: QB/WR/DB Kiael Kelly is heading to the portal. He made a name for himself in a small sample a year ago when forced into action at quarterback. While his passing numbers didn't jump off the page, his athleticism did, running it 125 times for 772 yards and seven touchdowns. He was said to be moving to defensive back but didn't seem to work out there and played very limited snaps this year.
|||||| RUNNING BACK
Louisville ::: RB Maurice Turner had been out since week two but made his return to the field for week 13. It was on a limited basis as freshman Isaac Brown has clearly taken over the lead back role for the Cardinals, and was able to play through an injury himself in week 13 against Pitt. Another true freshman Duke Watson is featured in the backfield and Turner is now a depth option.
Virginia ::: RB Kobe Pace was banged up in the week 13 loss to SMU. After the game he was said to be day-to-day, so he has a chance to be available for the finale in week 14.
Marshall ::: RB A.J. Turner made his return for the Herd, splitting carries with Jordan Houston. He took 10 carries for 53 yards. Houston managed 56 with his nine carries and did find the end zone. They both played second-fiddle in the running game to quarterback Braylon Braxton, who tucked it 18 times for 140 yards. The Herd put up 42 in a win over Old Dominion as the offense begins to find its legs late in the season.
Florida State ::: RB Kam Davis was announced as active prior to the week 13 game against Charleston Southern. Lawrance Toafili got the start, but Davis was next up and ended up leading the team in carries with nine. He is clearly healthy and should see a solid workload in week 14.
Colorado State ::: RBs Justin Marshall and Avery Morrow were both dealing with ailments, both warmed up for week 13 and it was Marshall who played a full load and Morrow managed just five snaps.
Kansas StateRB Dylan Edwards was not able to ramp up enough to get back for week 13, but his position to play in the final regular season game is looking better with another week of rest. WR Keagan Johnson did play despite looking more doubtful heading in. He played limited snaps (13) and was more of a decoy as he didn't garner a target.
North Texas ::: RB Ikaika Ragsdale was seen in uniform week 13, a good step towards returning to game action. He didn't end up playing, but may be inching closer to playing in the finale for the Mean Green.
Kansas ::: RB Daniel Hishaw Jr. is sitting out week 13 with a new injury after returning from a previous one for weeks 11 and 12.
|||||| WIDE RECEIVER
Syracuse ::: WR Trebor Pena was hurt in the second quarter of the week 13 game against UConn. He managed two catches, one of wihich was a five-yard touchdown grab before leaving and not returning. Pena is a major part of the Orange offense and will be missed if forced out of the last game against Miami.
Texas State ::: WR Joey Hobart was dressed and warmed up for week 13 but was not able to get it going. Fellow WR Drew Donley was in street clothes and did not play as more of a surprise. The Bobcats offense didn't seem to struggle too much, scoring 44 points and seven different receivers catching multiple passes. If only somebody could impact on the defensive side of the ball where Georgia State put up 52.
Ole Miss ::: WR Tre Harris re-aggravates his injury and was forced to leave the week 13 game. His injury woes continue and should not be counted on to play for the Rebels and that's a shame because he is a super talented player.
South Carolina ::: WR Jared Brown is announced as unavailable for week 13 after coming into the game as doubtful to play. His injuries continue to linger and keep him off the field.
East Carolina ::: WRs Chase Sowell and Winston Wright were both questionable heading into week 13 and were seen warming up but not able to play. This indicates both are close and may be ready to roll for the regular season finale against Navy.
Virginia ::: WR Trell Harris was seen warming up prior to the Cavs week 13 game but ultimately did not play. He remains close to a comeback and it likely happens in the finale at Virginia Tech.
Mississippi State ::: WR Mario Craver is serving a suspension and will miss the week 13 game. This comes after returning to the field week 11 after missing two weeks. The Bulldogs had a bye in week 12.
Liberty ::: WR Reese Smith was active for week 13 after last playing week seven. He managed just 13 snaps in the game so they are likely working him back in slowly. He had two targets and one catch for 16 yards.
Kansas ::: WR Lawrence Arnold was seen warming up for the Jayhawks leading into week 13. He was questionable heading into the week and ended up playing, though his impact on the game was minimal with just two targets and one catch for 10 yards - the same output as the week prior. He has become less involved in the passing game as the year rolls on, but the Jayhawks as a whole are flying on offense.
Georgia ::: WR Dillon Bell was not able to suit up for the Bulldogs in week 13 against UMass. He was injured a week ago (ankle) and was not able to ramp up enough to play.
Texas ::: Slot receiver DeAndre Moore was announced as 'available' for the week 13 contest after showing up as questionable leading up to the week. He ended up playing nearly a full load (39 snaps) but had just one target and no catches. Getting back on the field is the first step. We'll see if he impacts the offensive game plan a bit more in the showdown with A&M in week 14.
Colorado ::: No Jimmy Horn Jr. for the Buffaloes as he'll miss a second straight week with an injury. The Buffaloes are well equipped to handle this loss with a stable of talented pass catchers.
Oklahoma ::: Add yet another name to the list of walking wounded for the Sooners wide receiver corps as Brenen Thompson suffered a leg injury in week 13 and had to be helped off the field. This is the most banged up positiona room in the country and it just got worse.
|||||| TIGHT END
Wyoming ::: TE John Michael Gyllenborg made his return to the field after missing last week with an injury. He played limited snaps (25) and didn't impact the passing game too much with three catches for 12 yards. The Cowboys look to get him back to full speed for the Washington State finale. In other Cowboys news, RB Sam Scott was announced 'out' prior to kickoff against Boise State, leaving Harrison Waylee (16 carries) and Jamari Ferrell to handle the tough task against the Broncos.
Michigan ::: TE Colston Loveland was banged up in the first half and did not return to the game for Michigan. This would be an impactful injury to track as Loveland accounts for nearly 35% of the targets in the passing game. The Wolverines had no problem without him against Northwestern, but that won't be the case in the finale against those Buckeyes.
Texas Tech ::: TE Jalin Conyers was listed 'questionable' after getting nicked up in the week 12 game. He was announced as 'available' for week 13 and played his best game of the season: 73 snaps, seven catches (on seven targets) for 74 yards and a touchdown. Safe to say he is healthy and impacting the Red Raiders offense.
Bowling Green ::: TE Harold Fannin Jr. was injured and considered doubtful to return. He is not just a big part of the Falcons offense, he is the Falcons offense on most days. We'll track this one for severity as we near the end of the season.
Clemson ::: TE Jake Briningstool was not announced as the starter, was in uniform but is likely being held out for precautionary reasons and should be fine going forward. Coach Swinney confirmed that after the game calling him 'hour to hour'.
|||||| OFFENSIVE LINE
South Carolina ::: Starting LT Josiah Thompson was questionable to play in week 13 but was able to return to the field. This is one we are a little conflicted on as 'good news' considering his player rating is well below average but the true freshman continues to start when healthy.
Georgia Southern ::: Starting LT Dom Boyd missed week 12 with an injury but was able to return to the field for week 13. This is another one that is not very impactful due to the backup (Caelen Williams) having a higher player rating (13.9) than Boyd (12.2).
UTSA ::: Good news for UTSA's offensive line as both RT Jaylen Garth and LT Kamar Missouri were able to play in full on Friday night in week 13. Both were injured and left the previous weeks game and they were needed and impactful in another route over Temple.
LSU ::: Getting RG Miles Frazier back to full health in week 13 was a big improvement for this offensive line. LG Garrett Dellinger remains out so they are still one piece away from being whole. No word on Dellinger's availablity potential for the final regular season game and into the post-season.
California ::: RG Bastian Swinney returned to action for the Bears, allowing T.J. Session to move back to his normal RT spot and getting this offensive line back to its normal rotation.
|||||| DEFENSE
Alabama ::: LB Deontae Lawson was hurt in week 13 and forced to the locker room for observation. He did not return to the game and it was being called a 'lower-extremity' injury. Lawson is a full-time player on the Tide defense and is a big loss.
Washington State ::: LB Taariq Al-Uqdah and DL Quinn Rof were both questionable heading into week 13. They both are key players on defense and both played. The result was not impacted as the Cougars struggled mightily on defense against Oregon State.
Purdue ::: DL Mo Omonode was hopeful to play week 13 for the Boilers and did, in fact, make it on the field for a full 44 snaps output. He was a presence on the line and helped the Boilers keep it close against Michigan State.
Kentucky ::: Top LBs J.J. Weaver and Jamon Dumas-Johnson made their returns to the field and were impactful for the Wildcats defense against Texas. Having them back for the finale and post-season will be important to this defense.
Texas Tech ::: A pair of DTs for the Red Raiders were hurt in the first half -- De'Braylon Carroll and Quincy Ledet -- both were not able to return to the game and we'll be tracking going forward.
Florida Atlantic ::: DB CJ Heard burst on the scene as a true freshman for the Owls and announced he will enter the transfer portal this off-season. He will be heavily sought after. No word on if he will play in the Owls final game, but our thought is that he will sit it out.
Michigan State ::: Top DL Ben Roberts returned to the Spartans line for week 13 after missing last week due to injury. This was a solid addition Meanwhile, fellow DL D'Quan Douse sat it out. He was not listed on the injury report and is a high performer, so it seems likely something popped up during pre-game warm-ups for Douse.
That’s our high-volume show for today! Hope you feel a little more educated as we roll into the more detailed updates to each chart and prep for week 14! More to come this week leading up. Thanks for following along. Please consider subscribing and sharing this with your inner circles…