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Which August training camp injury or suspension creates the biggest void?
August 18, 2015Q: Which August injury or suspension creates the biggest void?
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A: 3. QB Jake Coker, Alabama
No one was handing Coker the starting quarterback job, and he wasn’t able to take it last year when he was the favorite to fill in for AJ McCarron, but he’s been around, he knows the offense, and he has a little bit of experience. Alabama has the running backs, the defensive front, and the all-around talent to get to the playoff and have another fantastic season, but it also needs solid quarterback play – Coker was supposed to be the veteran leader who could be what’s needed going into the opener against Wisconsin. He still might be once he returns from a foot injury, but not being around for a few practices – there really isn’t that much time before the season – might be a really, really big deal in terms of the offensive development.
2. DT Jarron Jones, Notre Dame
There’s a reason the defense gave up around 1,300 yards more last season than it did two years ago, and it’s all about the injuries. The Irish never had the same starting 11 two weeks in a row starting 20 players throughout the season. Ten starters were coming back this year before the Jones injury, and while there’s good depth across the board, Jones was supposed to be an anchor on the inside. There’s depth and there are plenty of options everywhere else but tackle – this was literally a huge piece knocked out. Now it’s going to take an untested option to fill in the gap. Fortunately, that’s the only real concern with this D.
1. RB Jamaal Williams, BYU
BYU was able to go on without Williams for a good part of last season after he suffered a knee injury, but he was supposed to be back to combine with QB Taysom Hill to give the offense a devastating 1-2 punch in the backfield. The all-around ability was and is there, but he withdrew from school for personal reasons and now the team is hoping he could be back in 2016. Everything else is terrific for the BYU offense, but now it’s all about Algernon Brown and a slew of okay options who aren’t Williams.
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A: 3. RB Thomas Tyner, Oregon
Yeah, yeah, Royce Freeman will once again shoulder the ground load. And the Ducks birth quality backs the way Amazon cranks out packages. But Tyner’s season-ending shoulder injury, which required surgery, robs Oregon of one of the nation’s best backup runners. He was the Duck with the fresh, powerful legs who could truck sagging defenses in the second half of games. And the Duck who tagged Florida State for two scores and 124 yards on just 13 carries in last year’s Rose Bowl. With Tyner on the shelf, Oregon will either do some juggling, like moving WR Byron Marshall back to his original position, or removing the training wheels from rookies Taj Griffin and Tony Brooks-James. Either way, this attack is less deep and potent without No. 24.
2. DT Jarron Jones, Notre Dame
The Irish have been raving about true freshman Jerry Tillery from the moment he stepped foot on campus. The team, though, didn’t want him forced into the lineup this soon. At 6-5 and 315 pounds, with a full season of starting experience, Jones leaves a big hole in the middle of the line for a D looking to rebound from an awful final two months of 2014. Notre Dame isn’t without talent up front, especially since DT Sheldon Day is back and DE Isaac Rochell has been tossing around blockers this month. But the unit has a lot to prove. And consistently winning at the line of scrimmage became a whole lot tougher after Jones tore his MCL in practice.
1. LB Ed Davis, Michigan State
The Spartans’ run of four straight seasons as a top 10 D was already in serious jeopardy. The loss of Davis to a knee injury was a blow the unit just couldn’t afford. While Michigan State will always be salty as long as Mark Dantonio is in charge, the departures of coordinator Pat Narduzzi and so many key performers meant there was going to be a relative rebuilding period. Davis was supposed to be one of the leaders of the revamped unit, both for his run-stopping ability from strongside and for his leadership skills. Without him on the second level, the Spartans are even more vulnerable, bad news for a team that knows it must stop the Ohio State offense to have a prayer of winning the Big Ten East.