CFB DeptHITS: Wednesday, August 4
We are nearing week two around college football and there are plenty of moving parts to get you all caught up one. We have impact injury updates and some observations as we roll through the charts.
Let’s jump right in!
Air Force ::: Fullback Dylan Carson was hurt in the first quarter of the Falcons' week one game; he'll miss week two.
North Texas ::: WR Landon Sides is a game-time call for week two and the three defensive backs who were thought to be suspended for just one game are now "suspended indefinitely" and the secondary is searching for answers.
Ole Miss ::: Starting RG Jordan James will miss time into the season after a hand injury suffered in week one; Julius Buelow will take over the spot until he returns.
Further: This is a bit of a blow. Ole Miss has plenty of talent and depth on the offensive line; but looking at our data, we’re showing a decent drop off between James (13.7 rating) to Buelow (11.1). Buelow is a Washington transfer and was not highly regarded as a recruit. He’s shown enough to offensive line coach John Garrison to trust him there…we’ll keep an eye on how he performs.
SMU ::: Injury updates: RB Jaylan Knighton will be back; while RB LJ Johnson is questionable with a minor issue. WR Moochie Dixon has had back spasms hold him out unti now but is also "good to go" for week two.
Further: We were just wondering about this and now we have some clarity, thanks to Lia A. Knighton is going to be back this week and Dixon was surprisingly not included in the offense in weeks 0 and 1. Now we know why. The trade-off between Knighton and Johnson at running back is negligible.
Oklahoma ::: WR Jaquaize Pettaway has been slowed by a hamstring injury (played only 11 snaps) but word is that he's getting healthy and could be a big part of the offense going forward.
Further: This is a generally crowded wide receiver room, but with some injuries lingering around outside of Pettaway himself, this could be the window he needs to make an impact. The Sooners have Houston this weekend and this is an opportunity for the entire offense that may feature the four-star recruit from a year ago.
Virginia Tech ::: S Jalen Stroman will miss a couple of weeks after suffering an injury in their week one game against Vanderbilt.
Further: One of our purposes is to provide context around injury news. You see a name. We want to show you the impact. Stroman (13.8 rating / out of 20) is a loss that will be tough to replace. Between Keonta Jenkins (12.3) and Caleb Woodson (11.1) shifting between the traditional safety spot and the STAR slot; there may be a slight decrease here. Nothing that is going bring the defense down.
Vanderbilt ::: DE Khordae Snyder is "week-to-week" with an ankle injury. S Kolbey Taylor will not play week two due to an "internal matter" per Aria Gerson's reporting.
Further: This is another impactful loss as Snyder is a starter and 3/4 snap count player on the EDGE at a 13.0 rating. They will fill this with Miles Capers (11.8) and Linus Zunk (12.9). Again, impactful loss - but not earth shattering for the ‘Dores.
Iowa State ::: The injury to LB Caleb Bacon is a big one. It does not appear "season-ending" at this point and the prognosis is that he will be out "a while." Definitely missing the showdown with Iowa this coming week two.
Further: Okay, now we are going to see one that may be a bit more of the “panic button” variety. Bacon is a legitimate star (17.7) and losing him can’t be replaced at a key position at outside linebacker. His PLD says he is even better against the run than as a pass rusher. Kooper Ebel (11.1) and Jacob Ellis (12.9) will try to combine to fill the void. This can be a difference making injury for the Cyclones heading to Iowa City for a week two showdown with the Hawkeyes.
California ::: Good news on the injury front as RB Jadyn Ott is "probable" to play Saturday against Auburn. They are also hopeful to get WR Kyion Grayes on the field on the Plains.
Further: Finally, some good news. We need to see this guy play, because he is that good. The Bears will need him against Auburn and it appears they will have him. Crisis averted.
Connecticut ::: QB Nick Evers will be a game-time decision for week two against FCS Merrimack. He left week one as a "precaution" and now he is working his way back. Joe Fagnano would get the start if Evers is unable to go.
Further: Evers and Fagnano battled out this spring and summer with Evers winning out. However, the drop off isn’t going to be too significant if Fagnano is called upon. He has experience and we don’t see a line shifting event if news comes out that Evers is not cleared.
Cincinnati ::: Big news for the Bearcats as DL Dontay Corleone has been cleared to play in games and will join the team on the field in week two; much ahead of the original prognosis.
Further: More good news! Another super star on defense will return to the field after a scary diagnosis earlier in summer camp. Corleone will likely have to work his way back into full game shape, but he’ll be a difference maker for the Bearcats.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS ||||||
Wisconsin: The starting offensive line - Jack Nelson - Joe Brunner - Jake Renfro - Joe Huber and Riley Mahlman - started and played all 83 snaps at their positions in week one against Western Michigan.
Ohio joins them in this realm with their starting five, Carson Heidecker, Davion Weatherspoon, Parker Titsworth, Christophe Atkinson and Jacob Dennison, all playing 72 snaps without getting a break.
Boston College: Kye Robichaux and Treshaun Ward dominated the workload in week one as expected. They both performed admirably against FSU. The story may be that freshman Turbo Richard got the 3rd string carries (4 of them - and averaged 7.0 yards per tote). The buzz around him at camp is coming to fruition here early in 2024.
Louisville: This backfield looks a lot different than we anticipated. Donald Chaney Jr. played just ten snaps and did not record a carry. Maurice Turner did get the start and he was not needed much past the first couple of drives. He gave way to Keyjuan Brown, who ended up leading the team in carries (9).
Jacksonville State: The quarterback battle between Logan Smothers and Tyler Huff may just continue into week two at Louisville. Huff was the most dynamic (173 yards, 1 TD), but also made two key mistakes. Smothers just didn't do a whole lot with his opportunities. We’ll have to see how this plays out going forward but we’ll keep them as “co-starters” for the time being.
Vanderbilt: On the offensive line, there was discussion about there not being “set” positions and that tracked in the snap counts from week one. Take a look at the shares:
Gunnar Hansen: 35 (LT); 29 (RT)
Kevo Wesley: 31 (LG); 25 (RG)
Delfin Xavier Castillo: 17 (LG); 17 (RG)
Steven Hubbard: 16 (LG); 22 (RG)
Chase Mitchell: 29 (LT); 35 (RT)
The only one who stayed put, for good reason, is C Steven Losoya who logged all 56 of his snaps at center.
READY FOR WEEK TWO ||||||
We make detailed updates to each of the 134 depth charts we own. We do not make automated updates. We go in order of the next weeks (week two) schedule in an attempt to get the first games “ready” first and to provide a look at the opponent for each school. Here is where we are at in the progress. Check out yesterday’s DeptHITS for links to the schools already moved to “ready”…
Saturday 3:30 PM (con’t) - 5:30 PM
South Dakota at Wisconsin
Duquesne at Boston College
Idaho at Wyoming
UTSA at Texas State
Florida A&M at Miami (FL)
Albany at West Virginia
Gardner Webb at James Madison
That's our show. Be back with more tomorrow. Thanks for following along and please subscribe, like and share — it’s keeps us going!
