CFB DeptHITS: Saturday, August 31
We had more games. We have more news. Things are heating up around college football as we have arrived at the first full Saturday. Get caught up on what you need to know.
We have been making tons of small edits to get these in shape for the first week of the season; here are some of the biggest changes and impactful news affecting the charts over the last 24 hours:
Georgia ::: As suspected, RB Trevor Etienne will sit Saturday’s tilt with Clemson. Dawgs247 reports had that the feeling around the program is that he will face a one-game suspension for off-season driving charges.
Further: We originally cited this article from Dawgs247 for a reason. They are really tapped in. When they say “consensus around the program is…” we tend to believe them. With Roderick Robinson II also doubtful to play with injury, it leaves Branson Robinson (who was also banged up in camp) and two true freshman, Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier, as the backs asked to carry the load against Clemson. If this comes down, we may see a lot of Carson Beck in this key week one matchup.
Oklahoma ::: The Sooners lost two key members of the offense early in the week one game. WR Jalil Farooq (broken ankle; 6-8 weeks) and OL Branson Hickman (sprained ankle) were lost. The offense didn't look in sync much of the game.
Further: It’s not quite time for panic for this OU offense that certainly looked sluggish at times against an inferior opponent (Temple) at home in week one. Losing Farooq certainly didn’t help things as he joined fellow WRs Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson on the shelf from that room. Deion Burks, as expected, shined in week one but he couldn’t do it all himself. Heck, Burks himself had to be checked out by trainers after sustaining a big hit in the game. Nothing serious expected to come from that.
Potentially the more impactful loss was Hickman, who forced a major shift in the offensive line and it caused some issues. They were noticeably out of sorts for much of the game. The diagnosis for Hickman is a “sprained ankle” so the hope is that it is not anything that keeps him out multiple weeks. The Sooners were also without Jake Taylor, another starter at right tackle. He warmed up but couldn’t go. Brent Venables said after the game, he would be back for Houston next week.
TCU ::: A couple of wide receivers were announced as "banged up" late in camp -- both Dylan Wright and JoJo Earle -- which led the way to Jack Bech getting the start on Friday night in Palo Alto.
Further: The Frogs were down a couple of wide receivers in this one. Bech stepped up big-time and it was clear he has a solid rapport with QB Josh Hoover. Bech took six catches for 139 yards and a score in the win. Noticeably missing from the box score is Boise State transfer Eric McAllister. He logged just three snaps and does not appear to be in the offensive plans at this point.
Western Michigan ::: WR Kenneth Womack has a broken hand and will miss week one and likely more into the season.
Further: This is a big loss. Womack is their top receiver and it affected their offense in this one. Sure, going up against Wisconsin is no small task and they managed just 14 points. He could have opened things up a bit more and the result may have been different. It’s worth mentioning that he was just listed out for this game. You’d have to think a broken hand would linger a bit longer; but we don’t have any news of the severity of the break. We’ll keep an eye on it.
Looking quickly at the box score, nobody had more than two grabs in this one, so we didn’t see an obvious No. 2 arise (at least against the stout Badgers D).
Tulane ::: WR Shazz Preston was curiously not included in the week on depth chart and then didn't play against SELA. We now know why. Thanks to The Uptown Update, he's dealing with a hamstring injury and the staff said they won't rush him back but is expected back early in the season.
Further: This tracks. Preston should be a big part of the Tulane offense when healthy and it’s smart to take it slowly to ensure he is 100% before he takes the field. They sure could use him against Kansas State next week.
Louisiana-Monroe ::: An interesting situation in the ULM backfield as both Hunter Smith and Bennett Galloway sat atop the released two-deep and neither played week one against Jackson State. Instead, freshman Ahmad Hardy took 19 carries for 103 yards and a score in his first collegiate contest.
Further: Radio silence on the update front on this interesting situation. When that happens, it’s most likely something they want to keep under wraps - like a suspension or some sort of discipline. The likelihood that Hardy, a true freshman, jumped both of those veterans (who were listed as 1-2 on the official released depth chart), is just not reasonable. So, we’ll keep Smith and Galloway as the top two in this room and bump Hardy, who performed well, into a solid third-string role and track this.
North Carolina ::: QB Max Johnson is officially out for the season after undergoing success surgery after breaking his right leg in the opener against Minnesota.
Further: Bummer. Another injury for Johnson. For the Heels, they are going to need to see more from Conner Harrell, who struggled for the most part, albeit against a good Minnesota defense, in Johnson’s stead. For Johnson, he is a class of 2020 guy (seems like he’s been around longer) and retains likely two years of eligibility.
Pittsburgh ::: RB Rodney Hammond Jr. is deemed ineligible for the 2024 season. This news comes on the eve of the opener. Desmond Reid will have an ever larger role and we'll see more of Derrick Davis Jr. as well.
Further: This explains the lack of hype around Hammond, an ultra-talented player, this pre-season leading up. Most of the talk has been about the rise of Reid and the depth in the room. Not we know why. In most cases like this, the staff knows of the issues that could leave a player ineligible when camp opens. They will try to see if they can get it worked out; and it doesn’t do much good to announce it too early. That said, while Hammond works things out on that end, Reid and former LSU Tiger Derrick Davis Jr. will become the combo backs in what appears to be a fun, new, fast-paced offense in Pittsburgh.
QUICK HITS ::::::
Purdue: LB Yanni Karlaftis must sit the first half of week one against Indiana State.
Utah: CB Kenan Johnson was banged up and had to leave the game. No word on the severity of the injury; but we’re tracking it.
That’s our show. We will be releasing our next set of (CFBDm) model picks later this morning for a full slate of Saturday action! Please consider subscribing to this here Substack, if you have not already:
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