The SportsBoss: August 2012

Here is a current list of every injury/suspension/transfer at every FBS school since the end of last season. These updates should be used in conjunction with any preseason magazines or websites you reference to finalize your thoughts on each team because there are a number of significant changes to starters and depth charts listed below. This information will impact your team power ratings, the returning starters magazines/websites list, and will help you get a leg up on Vegas when deciding on your picks or fantasy selections. They are listed in alphabetical order by team.

I appreciate any fans or alums of any schools that have information either not mentioned below, or an update/correction to something I wrote. Looking over 124 teams is very tough as you can see, I have 23 pages of information below, and it’s impossible for me to be spot on with every move or every issue that has come up, and every player I am projecting will step into a vacated spot – so please remember that when reading, and definitely reach out to me with any changes – this took me about 30 hours to complete and I work fast and efficient, so please take the 5 minutes out of your day if you read this and it added value to your process to send me an email with any updates. It’s always appreciated.

And let’s be honest here – is there another handicapper in the country that has done this much work? Keep in mind too, this is only a piece of what I have done – I have been working since April for this coming season, and everything is in place for a killer year – as you can see by all the information below, there is no stone left unturned – so stop by www.thesportsboss.com or email me boss@thesportsboss.com and grab a package for the 2012 season!

1. OHIO has only suffered one injury loss to a starter in camp thus far, but it is a big one. Starting CB Sr Carrie, who was 2^ND Team All MAC LY, has been sidelined with a shoulder injury and his status remains unknown, especially for the early portion of the season. Currently, HC Solich is using a combination of 5 players to fill-in, while hoping one of them steps up enough to take over this role on their own. Considering their only secondary loss from LY was CB Leftwich, this position now seems like it has a lot of uncertainty surrounding it, in what many believed could be the best secondary in the MAC.

2. OHIO backup PK Yazdani is out for the season with a knee injury.

3. OHIO 3^RD string WR So N’goumou has retired from playing football. His loss is not significant at all since he was injured and out for the season LY.

4. OHIO STATE starting RB Hall suffered a foot surgery over the summer and will miss at least the first two games of the season, possibly more considering CAL & UAB are games 3&4 in the Shoe. The Buckeyes already lost RB Boom Herron from LY, so that leaves Jr Carlos Hyde to step in for Hall, which will not be a big drop off in talent or production especially considering the schedule.

5. OHIO STATE released starting MLB Klein earlier this summer following violations of team rules, but then reinstated him last week. He will at least miss two games, possibly more but figures to at worst be back by the B10 schedule. Look for top rated recruit, So Curtis Grant, to take over in his absence.

6. OHIO STATE starting DE Sr Williams is still working his way back from microfracture surgery that forced him to miss all of LY, and his status remains questionable for Wk1. Also at DE incumbent starter Jr Bellamy has left the team for personal reasons – he was slated to either start if Williams could not, or be the first DE off the bench and a key part of the rotation. With these two injuries there is no doubt from a talent and experience standpoint OSU takes a hit. While there are highly rated players waiting to slide up the depth chart, these two losses will be felt for certain especially if Williams is not able to come back, or at least get close to 100%. Keep an eye on Williams’ status updates as September rolls around.

7. OHIO STATE has also lost a trio of 3^rd team players I will just list here, as they were expected to have minimal, if any, impact this season but did provide depth, which could become an issue with the scholarship losses they will suffer from shortly: So Boubek, a C, has transferred to Minnesota after falling down to #3 on the depth chart; Fr O’Connor, a RT, injured his left knee recently and will sit out the season as a RS; RFr NT Hayes has transferred to Michigan State.

8. OKLAHOMA has been hit very hard with injuries and suspensions so far prior to the season, especially on offense. Here are all the issues offensively:

1. They have lost a pair of Sr starting OL for the season. C Habern has been forced to retire from the game due to lingering neck and shoulder issues. RG Evans tore his ACL in camp and will miss the entire season. Evans was HM AB12 LY, and combined with the loss of Habern makes the OU OL that I had ranked as Top 5 in NCAAF significantly worse. That leaves the OL with only 2 returning starters from LY (also lost LT Stephenson), and their career games started drops from 102 to ~43! Their replacements have yet to be named, but rest assured they will be a significant drop-off – maybe not so much talent wise as it is Oklahoma, and they recruit talented players across the board – but losing ~60 career starts plus Stephenson is a big hit to the chances OU finally makes it back to the BCS Championship game. As a footnote to the OL, the Sooners also lost 3^RD string LT RFr Dismuke due to a knee injury which has forced him to transfer. By itself that is not a huge loss, but depth wise, when considering all the OL is currently going through, it is a loss that must be mentioned.

2. A pair of WRs will also miss time. Starter Jr Jaz Reynolds will miss multiple games due to a suspension, while the #1 backup Jr Trey Franks is also suspended for multiple games. It has not been announced how many games or which games these players will miss, but it will definitely be a big hit to their passing game when they are out. Considering they open @ UTEP then host Florida A&M before a bye week followed by their B12 opener vs. Kansas State, I expect both players to be in the lineup vs. KST, possibly for the first time all season. As a footnote to the WR corps, Fresno St transfer Jalen Saunders still has not been given the OK by the NCAA to participate in games this season. Saunders is attempting to get the mandatory 1 year sit out period waived due to personal issues, so keep an eye on this. In addition, WR Jackson has been dismissed from the team following off the field issues. He caught 12 passes LY and was expected to see a slight increase in PT this season. While neither of those guys was expected to make a huge splash in a deep and talented WR corps, they would certainly provide depth.

9. Defensively OKLAHOMA has two issues of note. Backup Sr DT McGee has been suspended, just like the WRs mentioned above, and his status is unknown but he will be in the lineup after at worst missing a few games. He is projected as the #3 DT in the rotation for 2 spots. Backup So SS Hayes has also been suspended like McGee. He is the only backup S that has extensive experience, which will leave the secondary a little thin to start the season.

10. OKLAHOMA STATE has dismissed starting Sr LT Bowie for violation of team rules. Considering the State OL already lost 3 starters from LY, this is a big blow as he was to be the anchor of the unit – allowing ZERO sacks and limited QBHs LY – protecting the blindside of Fr QB Lunt. We will either see Jr RT Graham slide into the vacated LT spot, or backup T So Koenig take over at LT. It has not been announced yet who is officially taking over, but this is a big blow to an already shaky unit, especially considering they are a pass happy team and are breaking in a brand new Fr QB.

11. 3^rd string DT Mustafa has left the OKLAHOMA STATE team for personal reasons. He did not appear in any games LY, and as a RFr was considered to potentially be a part of the DT rotation. Not a huge loss here for 2012.

12. OREGON backup WR Sr Hoffman has retired from football and will join the coaching staff for this season. This is not a huge blow for a deep and talented WR corps as he was slated on the 3^rd team.

13. OREGON STATE has the biggest losses in terms of #s in the entire FBS. They have lost 16 players for the season since the end of LY. There is a huge cause for concern for anyone who supports Oregon State as Mike Riley’s job appears on the line, and they have lost so much depth it will be a big time struggle to secure a bowl bid in an improving Pac 12. Here is a look at each one of them:

1. Offensively, the Beavers have lost a pair of starters for the year. Sr WR Bishop has retired from football due to recurring ankle injuries – he was slotted to be one of 3 starters this year coming off a 31/384 season which had him #3 on the team. Jr Cummings will likely step into his role, who only has 10 receptions in his career. Also, JUCO transfer LG Hasiak has issues with his transcript and will miss the entire season. He was to step right in and be a starter on a line that returned 3 starters and 50 career starts from LY. The big issue with this loss is not so much its Hasiak, but State also lost their top 2 backup G’s in So Beaton and RFr Vieru. They have now lost 3 G’s including 1 starter from that rotation, and it will certainly be an area of concern and require additional follow-up to see how the depth chart shakes out. Also along the OL they have lost a pair of T’s in backup LT RFr Jackson and 2^nd string T Weinreich. In total, of the 10 OL that were part of the original 2 deep, 4 of them are out for the season – and they also lost 3 starters from LY, though do add Phillips who was a starter in 2010. The OL originally appeared to be the strength of the offense, but now is full of question marks as the season draws closer – the more help they can provide their 1^st team All American Sophomore QB, the better he will play.

2. Providing depth offensively as part of the backup units OSU has lost multiple players. 3^rd string QB Lomax has transferred in search of more PT – but this move should not have a great impact on the Beavers as their #1 and #2 are both experienced signal callers. 3 backup WRs were lost in 2^nd string RFr Trosin, 3^rd string Sr Munoz, and deep backup RFr Ferrell. None of those three were expected to have a big role in this year’s offense, but losing 3 bodies from the depth chart is never a good thing, especially considering one starter was also lost.

3. Backup PK Mikkelsen has left for a 2yr mission and will likely return to the team for the 2014 season. So Trevor Romaine remains the starter, and Fr Owens is now in the mix as well.

4. Defensively the Beavers only have one issue with a starter. SS Watkins, who led the team with 85 tackles in 11 games LY as a Jr, missed the spring and has still not taken the field in camp as of yet. He is questionable to start the season. So Zimmerman has taken over that role, but has limited experience and would be a significant drop-off from possibly the defense’s best player.

5. There are 3 players suspended for the opener, all on defense: 3^rd string DE Barnett, deep on the depth chart DE Gonzales, and backup CB Martin. Of the trio Martin is the only one expected to make a significant contribution this season as the Jr is working his way back from an injury that cost him the last 9 games of 2011.

6. There are also 5 defensive players that were listed as part of the original backup unit who are out for the year. Backup DT So Tuivailala has left the program for personal reasons, but his loss will not be of great impact as there are other experienced backup DTs to step up; 2^nd string LBs RFr Storey, Jr JUCO transfer Cowdin and 3^RD stringer Jr Sanders have all left the program seeking more PT – those losses are huge for the LB corps as that only leaves 2 backup LBs on the entire roster with experience – this situation warrants close attention, especially as the season wears on and depth becomes more of a critical factor; lastly, backup CB Parker, a Sr who has played in 10 games over the last 2 seasons, has decided to bring his talents to the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL – outside Sean Martin, mentioned above, the Beavers have no other experienced backup CBs.

14. We all know PENN STATE has lost a lot of players to transfer following the NCAA sanctions. Here are the key ones whom they lost, where they went, and who are likely to have an impact for their new team: RB Redd to USC, he will combine with McNeal to form one of the better 1-2 punches in the country; LC Fortt who was unlikely to crack the lineup at PSU since they are stacked with one of best LB corps in the country moves on to CAL where he will at least be a part of the rotation, possibly picking up a starting gig especially following the injury to one of the Golden Bears projected starting OLBs Whiteside; QB Bolden moves on (finally) to LSU, where he will likely be the #2 behind starter Zach Mettenberger; PK/P Fera goes to TEXAS where he will likely be the starter at PK, and possibly at P – he is above average in both areas, but is listed as out for the opener with a groin injury that definitely requires weekly monitoring; WR Brown, likely to be PSU’s #1 this year transferred to OKLAHOMA where he will definitely get some playing time as part of the rotation.

15. On top of all the transfers listed above, PENN STATE has also lost 3 additional guys due to a variety of non-football issues. Starting WR Smith, the Sr who had 402 yards LY, is gone and will be replaced by a variety of guys who will be a small drop-off from what Smith brought to the table. Starting CB Jr Drake is also off the team along with #1 backup CB Thomas. Those two issues dwindle down the talent at CB, a spot that already lost both of LY’s starters due to graduation in May. All 4 starters were being replaced in the secondary, and with the loss of these two players it makes it that much tougher to be talented enough on the back end to have a consistent pass defense. Huge area of concern for the Nittany Lions.

16. Stud PITTSBURGH RB Ray Graham still is not 100% following an ACL injury LY and is listed as questionable for their opener vs. Youngstown State on 9/1. Graham has returned to practice which is a good sign, and Pitt may just be extra careful with him in the opener with @ Cincinnati coming up in Wk2 off a short week in what could turn out to be a critical conference clash (Thursday night game).

17. 2 of PITTSBURGHS 3 starting WRs are listed as questionable for the opener. Street (knee) and Shanahan (hamstring). I wouldn’t be shocked if neither played in the opener, but there is practically zero production amongst all the backups as one played defense LY, one sat out due to a transfer, and 2 others were primarily kick returners since stepping foot on campus.

18. PITTSBURGH has lost a pair of keys to their passing game for the entire season. Backup QB Myers has moved on in search of more playing time, which will leave the backup duties to a duo that has zero experience (Myers only had 4 career attempts himself to be fair). But the bigger loss is LT Hollins – the Jr started 7 games LY, 6 at LT, played in 12, and was scheduled to protect Sunseri’s blind side. His replacement is a big area of concern as none of the current backup T’s has any experience. This will be an area to watch very closely.

19. PURDUE RB Bolden is still recovering from an ACL he tore LY, and will definitely miss the opener. He is a legit 1,000 yard All Big Ten type back if 100%, but with 3 ACL tears since arriving in West Lafayette, it appears most of the ground game will fall on the shoulders of Shavers who has a history of his own injury wise, but rushed for 519/4.7 LY including missing a lot of time. Purdue has a chance to be a sleeper Big Ten team in ’12, but they need to find consistency in the running game to provide the balance needed to potentially sneak up on the conference.

20. RICE 3^rd string WR So Hull is out for the season after tearing his pectoral muscle. He had 181 yards LY, but will not be a big loss especially considering the Owls have moved former Michigan RB McGuffie to WR this season in an attempt to keep him on the field and get him into open space more often.

21. RUTGERS will go with Gary Nova at QB over Chas Dodd. Both played LY, Dodd is generally viewed as having the higher ceiling, but Nova is a better game manager which the new coaching staff wants.

22. RUTGERS starting SS So Waters is listed as questionable for Wk1 with an undisclosed injury. He played in 11 games LY, but there is experience behind him such as Sr Warren.

23. RUTGERS starting WR Sr Wright is listed as questionable for Wk1 with a dislocated finger. He appeared in 12 games LY but did limited damage on the field; look for Jr Pratt to step into his open spot if he is unable to go and produce about the same.

24. RUTGERS 3^rd string TE Jr Bush has transferred. He was expected to have limited opportunities this season, hence the transfer in search of more playing time.

25. SAN DIEGO STATE has named Oregon State transfer Ryan Katz it’s starting QB. He will be backed up by So Dingwell.

26. SAN DIEGO STATE backup DT Galea’i is listed as doubtful for the opener as he recovers from a broken foot. That could be a big loss as the players behind him on the depth chart do not have much size for the 3-4 DT position. The rotation without him may be weak, especially with a So starting that only made 4 tackles LY.

27. SMU starting CB Richardson has been lost for the season due to a torn ACL. He had climbed all the way to a starting role in the secondary after being projected a 3^rd teamer when spring camp commenced. There is similar talent on the roster to replace his production, so this loss should not be huge.

28. SOUTH CAROLINA RB Lattimore looks very good little lingering issues from his ACL last season. I think he will be fine and have a monster season.

29. At SOUTH CAROLINA RB continues to be an area surrounded by question marks. Lattimore has looked fine in camp with only a little lingering issues showing up from his torn ACL, but keep in mind he is still coming back from a serious knee injury that was suffered less than a year ago. In addition, RB Wilds, LY’s #2 rusher among RBs, is listed as doubtful for their opener at VANDERBILT with an ankle injury. What’s still more, 4^th string RB Carson is out with a wrist injury that recently required surgery. Lastly, as far as RBs go, two incoming Fr will also not be available this year. That leaves SCAR with a non 100% Lattimore, and Sr Kenny Miles for the tough road opener at conference foe and possibly sleeper Vandy. This position is definitely something to keep an eye on as the Gamecocks rely on their rushing attack offensively – they finished #95^th in the country in passing yards, and lost their better passing QB Garcia, along with NFL draft pick Alshon Jeffery.

30. SOUTH CAROLINA lost CB Auguste, a projected starter, for at least 4-5 weeks, probably longer. Big loss as that comes on the heels of losing 3 CBs who started at least 6 games LY, including NFL draftee Gilmore. LY SC had the #2 passing defense in the entire country – this year, CB appears to be somewhat of a concern, at least early in the season.

31. SOUTH CAROLINA 4^th string QB McEvoy has transferred in search of more playing time. The loss is not significant obviously.

32. SOUTH CAROLINA backup SPUR Golightly, who appeared in 12 games LY, has been suspended for the first three games this year. The Gamecocks would like to get him back on the field as soon as possible so he can soak in all he can from starting Sr Holloman. In the meantime, the backup role will be taken over by RFr Roberts, which is a big time drop-off, especially if anything was to happen to Holloman.

33. SOUTH FLORIDA 3^rd string FS Boyd has transferred, which does not have much of an impact on their secondary.

34. SOUTHERN MISS backup DE Thomas will miss the entire season due to academics. He is the most experienced of the Golden Eagle DE’s, having appeared in 23 games over the last 2 years. His loss will have an impact on their DL, especially generating pocket pressure.

35. SOUTHERN MISS backup QB Favor is still trying to recover from knee surgery. He was expected to challenge for the starting QB role, but will now possibly take a RS and get healthy to challenge for next year’s starting gig. None of the SM backups have experience, so from that perspective, this isn’t that big a loss. But it only leaves 2 backups on the active roster, 1 of which is a true Fr – on a team that has a new coaching staff, and lost one of their better all time QBs.

36. STANFORD backup RB Gaffney has decided to pursue a baseball career. This is a big loss for the Cardinal from a depth perspective – Sr Taylor returns and is a stud, no doubt one of the best RBs in the entire country. But if he was to get injured, there now isn’t that one highly talented player behind him. It will be RBC as a backup to Taylor now, and with the loss of top draft pick QB Luck, Stanford must keep its fingers and toes cross Taylor stays healthy, or they will struggle mightily offensively.

37. SYRACUSE starting WR Foster is out Wk1 with a lower body injury. This injury will not be of great impact to the Orange as they have many interchangeable pieces in their WR corps.

38. SYRACUSE will be without starting LT Pugh in at least their opener vs. Northwestern with a shoulder injury. Pugh is being touted as the best OL to ever wear the Orange, so obviously his loss will be significant for Cuse. They have not yet announced who will slide into his spot, but whoever it is will be a big time drop-off as there isn’t much outside depth to the Orange OL. At least Syracuse returns QB Nassib, who is entering his 3^rd and final year as starter.

39. SYRACUSE starting Sr WR Lemon is listed as questionable for Wk1 with a leg injury. He figures to be one of the leaders of the WR corps coming off a 2^nd Team All Big East season in 2011. Syracuse really lacks depth on the outside, which takes another hit with Jr Fleming being listed as questionable for Wk1 with an ankle injury. If either or both of these guys cannot go, combined with the LT issues, Syracuse could have trouble moving the ball via the air in their home opener vs. Northwestern, although the Wildcats lose 3 of 4 starters from a secondary that ranked #71 in the country LY.

40. SYRACUSE starting DT Bromley is listed as questionable for the opener with a sprained foot. He has been seen around campus wearing an air-cast, which really puts his status in doubt for a game some 10 days away. The Orange do have some depth on the interior of their DL, so while his loss would hurt from a rotational perspective, it appears talent wise there are more than enough bodies to throw in there and produce at a similar level.

41. TENNESSEE starting Jr WR Da’Rick Rogers is likely to miss the entire season due to issues with team policy and the coaching staff. LY he posted the 5^th best #’s ever for a WR @ Tennessee, leading to 1^ST team All SEC. No matter who steps in the loss of Rogers is immense for the Vols, who many (including myself) fancied as a sleeper SEC East team this season. WR Hunter and TE Rivera still form a solid pass catching duo, but the passing game takes a big hit with this loss.

42. TENNESSEE backup TE Clear has been dismissed from the team and will transfer. He played in 12 games LY as a true Fr, and will be supplanted on the depth chart by either So Summers or So Plumlee. Both of those So’s are a drop off in talent from Clear, and if starting TE Rivera – one of the best in the SEC – happens to miss a significant amount of time, the production will noticeably drop off.

43. TENNESSEE backup CB Lanier is out for the season due to academics. Although he was the incumbent starter at one CB position after starting 9 LY, he was overtaken by Sr Waggner and So Coleman and was resigned to being the top backup off the bench, and NB. He played well LY, but there is a lot of depth for the Vols at CB and overall in the secondary, so while you don’t lose a player of his talent and experience and get better, there is more than enough to cover up his loss.

44. Although it initially was announced TEXAS would start QB Ash and he would be their QB this season with no worries of being yanked mid-game for poor performance, it has now been announced that once again he will rotate with McCoy – at least initially – when they open the season against Wyoming.

45. TEXAS top backup WR Miles Onyegbule could miss the beginning of the season with a chest injury. Although the Horns are set with their 3 starters, Onyegbule will have a significant role in the passing game this fall.

46. TEXAS A&M has lost backup TE Prioleau, who decided to leave the program due to personal reasons. The Aggies have 3 solid TE’s who, for the most part, are interchangeable, so while this loss affects the #’s at the position, the production shouldn’t fall, and the two deep remains at the same level w/o Prioleau.

47. TEXAS STATE starting SLB RFr Robinson is listed as questionable for Wk1 with an ankle injury. Jr David Mayo is expected to reprise his role if he is unable to go @ Houston in their opener. I must admit I am not overly familiar with the 2 deep @ Texas State, but from what I read, it doesn’t seem this will be a huge drop off – and if anything, it at least adds some experience putting a Jr in there for a RFr.

48. TEXAS TECH explosive starting Sr RB Stephens is listed as questionable for the start of the season with a knee injury. He is the Tech ground game, so if he was to miss any significant time, the pressure will really be on the unproven backups, and Sr QB Doege to move the ball and score the points needed to succeed in the high powered B12.

49. TEXAS TECH Sr FL Moore is listed as questionable for Wk1 due to personal reasons. It sounds like he is likely to play; but nevertheless, it warrants note and following leading up to game time. He is certainly one of the better if not the best TT WR this season.

50. TEXAS TECH has suffered numerous losses on their OL heading into 2012. In particular, the G position is an absolute mess. With the injuries listed below the line falls to only 1 returning starter Sr C Gallington, and about 50 returning career starts. Here are the issues:

1. Starting RG McDaniel (Sr) is out indefinitely due to lingering concussion symptoms. Starting LG Carpenter (So) is also out indefinitely due to the same problem, too many concussions. As if that wasn’t enough of an issue at G, top backup Sr Thomas has decided to transfer. There are only 3 remaining G’s listed on the depth chart, and they have a combined 4 starts between them. This is a massive issue for the Red Raiders this season. The status of McDaniel and Carpenter need to be monitored on a weekly basis as until they come back, the front wall will be extremely leaky, especially on the interior.

2. Backup RT Wilson has a torn ACL and is out for the year. Since he was just a RFr the drop off in experience is null to the next backup, Fr Keenan, but the size and talent drop off is measurable.

51. TEXAS TECH 3^RD string FS Johnson has decided to take his talents to Southern Miss. His loss will be minimal.

52. TOLEDO starting RB Fluellen is listed as questionable for Wk1 with a foot injury. He hasn’t practiced recently, but the Rockets are hoping their leading returning rusher can get back to practice soon in time for their opener at Arizona.

53. TROY top backup WR Johnson was booted from the team because of poor grades. The Trojans start 4 WRs, and he was their top guy off the bench so it is a relatively significant loss since the team relies so much on WR production to move the ball and score points. However, on a positive note, he did not play at all LY as he went the JUCO route to work on his grades ironically enough, and in 2010 he only had 258 yards receiving. The team will fill in for his absence without missing a beat, but the lost body could be of concern at some point during the season.

54. TULANE starting RB Darkwa has been upgraded to probable for Wk1 vs. Rutgers. He is coming off back to back 1^st Team CUSA years. His backup Dante Butler is also listed on injury report as probable with a hamstring issue.

55. TULANE suffered a HUGE blow to their defense when preseason CUSA DPOY Sr MLB Mackey was suspended indefinitely after being arrested for an armed robbery plot. His return is absolutely critical to the Green Wave, who yielded 37.5 ppg LY – which was an improvement over recent seasons! Looking at who will replace him is a useless exercise as he is that much better than anyone else Tulane could possibly put on the field to replace him.

56. TULANE starting DE Pierce has been ruled ineligible because of poor grades. He played in all 13 games LY, and made the CUSA Freshmen Team. There is little DE depth, but it looks like Jr Bechwith will slide into the starting role as he is the only backup DE with any playing experience for the Green Wave.

57. TULANE starting Sr C Morgan will miss the entire season due to a shoulder injury. He was one of 3 new starters on the Tulane OL. Keep an eye on Jr Henry, who may be his replacement and would not be that great a drop in production as he is experienced after serving as a backup interior linemen the L2Y’s.

58. UCLA starting RG Baca is questionable for Wk1 @ Rice with a concussion. The Sr figures to be one of the leaders of a solid OL this year in Westwood, but there are experienced backups the Bruins can lean such as Jr Ward and Jr Cid. There will not be a significant drop in production with either of those two, but there will be some leadership loss w/o Baca.

59. Defensively, UCLA has a lot more concerns. It all starts with team captain, defensive MVP, and possibly best player on the team Sr MLB Patrick Larimore, who has given up football due to repeated concussions. Obviously that is a killer loss for the Bruins defense. SS Riley, a likely starter, is also out for the season with neck issues. Sr Andrew Abbott is likely to take his spot and fill in at a level similar to Riley, so not a big loss there but it hurts depth, especially when combined with the loss of a deep depth chart guy, SS Mascarenas. In addition, a pair of backup DEs has been lost for the season in Tai and Tepa, while another, very highly regarded true Fr McCarthy, is listed as questionable for Wk1 with a knee injury. Those losses come to a deeper position on the UCLA defense, but losing 2 bodies for the season and another for the early part of the year really will test the depth of the unit.

60. UCONN QB Cochran, a true Fr, broke his wrist and is out indefinitely. He was unlikely to get the starting gig as that seems to be incumbent Johnny McEntee, and/or possibly transfer Chandler Whitmer.

61. UMASS starting QB Pagel is suffering from post concussion syndrome and his status is out for the early part of the season, and unknown moving forward. Although he was the projected starter there isn’t much difference between him and his competition, so the drop-off in production should not be significant.

62. UNLV has lost a pair of backup WRs who are no longer with the team. Jr Davis and RFr Thompson provided some depth as they were both listed as 2s on the depth chart, so those losses will no question impact the depth and rotation at WR. On top of those 2 losses, the unit already lost the top 4 receivers from LY, so the corps is a massive question mark going into 2012.

63. UNLV has also lost a pair of backup OL that were listed as 2s on the depth chart. RFr RG White & Sr Carroll are both no longer with the team. This area is actually one of the strongest units on the Rebels team, and the loss of these guys will not have a profound impact on the team considering neither has played a down for UNLV in their career.

64. UNLV has lost two starters on defense. Jr DT Holloway & Jr CB Spigner have both left the team for unknown reasons. Look for Jr Korman to fill in for Holloway – while he will be giving away nearly 100lbs, the talent and experience difference will be marginal; the replacement CB is a little dodgier as there isn’t much experience in the backups, and Spigner played in 11 games LY. Figure the CB loss to weigh more on the team.

65. USC has lost a pair of DL for basically the season, a position they could ill afford to lose both a starter and a Fr who was expected to provide quality depth. Starting DE Kennard tore his pectoral muscle and is listed out until at least November. The Sr has been playing a ton since coming to LA, and his absence will be huge since there is limited experience behind him. In addition, the Trojans also lost Fr Wilson, who was expected to provide quality depth and be a nice part of the rotation.

66. UTAH backup RT Sai has left the program and gone to Hawaii to play for his former OC Chow, now the HC at Hawaii. He was either 2^nd or 3^rd string, and is not considered a key piece of the OL puzzle.

67. UTAH backup RB So Langi has gone on his 2yr mission and will now miss the next 2 seasons. Langi was a decently rated recruit out of HS but contributed minimally in his Fr campaign. He was slotted as the 3^rd string RB behind starter Sr White and Jr York. There will not be much of an impact this season because of his decision, but next year there could be depth concerns.

68. UTAH STATE starting WR Jordan Jenkins is listed as questionable for the Aggies opener vs. Southern Utah with a shoulder injury. He is a JUCO transfer that was expected to start his first game with the team; there is experienced depth behind him in case he cannot go led by Jr Travis Reynolds.

69. UTAH STATE has a pair of 2^nd string OL that are likely out for the season. So Walker, a RG, broke his leg and is out indefinitely. Likely to step up to the 2^nd team is Joe Summers, a JUCO transfer who played in 10 games LY at that level. In addition to Walker, LG Vavau, another JUCO transfer, is having issues with his transcript and it appears more and more likely he will miss at least the beginning of the season, and quite possibly the entire year. Behind him is Jr Whimpey, who transferred into USU from Idaho St. Since neither of the injured players are starters, their impact will be limited as it doesn’t appear there is a massive drop off from the 2s to the 3s in this case. What’s more, Utah State has either the best or the 2^nd best OL in the WAC, so as long as the starters stay healthy, this will definitely not be even a small issue.

70. UTSA backup ROVER Adekeye has been dismissed from the team and will be replaced by PENN ST transfer Sean Luchnick. It doesn’t seem like that injury will have much of an impact at all.

71. UTSA starting LT Phillips has left the program after starting 10 games LY. There is no depth behind him whatsoever as all the backup T’s have no experience at this level, so his loss will definitely be felt, especially as a LT. On the plus side for UTSA, he only weighed 265lbs, and many of the backups that could potentially step in weigh closer to 300. Phillips is the only starter from LY’s UTSA offense that is not back starting this season.

72. UTSA backup TE Morgan, who played in 10 games as a Fr LY and had 215 yards, suffered a leg injury and is out for the season. He had better #’s than the starting TE, which is odd in itself, so it appears this loss will also impact the UTSA passing game for certain.

73. WASHINGTON WR corps has a couple injuries of note. Two of the three listed starters will not be ready for opening day. WR Smith is still recovering from an ACL tear LY, and has not participated in contact drills yet. WR Johnson, the veteran leader of the group, broke his wrist in camp and is out 4-6 weeks. They still have one of the most talented WRs in the Pac Ten sans USC in Williams, but the talent level drops severely after him. On a good note, TE Sefarian-Jenkins is ready to go and could see more work due to these injuries – he is one of best TEs in the country. And on the plus side, Washington had 7 players LY with 200+ yards receiving, and only lost two of them (3 with Johnson) so there remains ample depth in the corps.

74. WASHINGTON has four injuries to their LB corps, impacting the 2s and 3s but no starters. A pair of backup ILBs are out at least 4-6 weeks: Sr Fellner broke his foot recently and will miss at least 4 weeks – he has switched positions for this season from S to ILB, and has a lot of experience with the Huskies including 20 starts and 130 tackles. His loss obviously impacts the LB rotation pretty significantly. Also at ILB Jr Gilliland has retired from football – he has significantly less experience than Fellner, but was still listed as a backup and his loss will be missed modestly. At OLB, So Kearse, who is listed as a 3^rd stringer, had surgery on his shin and will be out 4-6 weeks; while 4^th string RFr Lyons has decided to transfer and his loss will not be of great impact at all. The Huskies do return 5 of their top 6 LBs from LY, so there is obvious depth at this position, however, the loss of Fellner specifically, and to a lesser extent Gilliland will impact the position early in the OOC portion of their schedule.

75. WASHINGTON has 2 additional starters and one additional 2^nd teamer listed as questionable for their opener hosting San Diego State on September 1^st. Starting RG Kohler dislocated his knee the first day of camp and his status is unknown, although HC Sarkisian believes he will be in the opening day lineup. The Jr started 13 games LY, and if he is unable to go, there is little to no experience amongst the interior backup OL. Defensively, starting DE Jamora tore his ACL in game four LY and is still attempting to come back. Although he is listed as questionable, I have another source who advised me he will be out at least 3 weeks. In his place if he cannot go will be Sr Crichton, who has started 13 games in his Washington career so can bring ample experience, albeit a drop off in talent to the starting lineup. Also along the DL, backup DT Tokolahi, the incumbent starter from LY who was passed on the depth chart in camp by Shelton, is listed as questionable with a foot injury. He is the only experienced backup among the interior DL, so his loss will have an impact if he is unable to go.

76. WASHINGTON 3^RD string RB Cooper has torn his ACL for the third time and will miss the season, and his career could be over. The RB corps suffered a huge loss from LY with Polk moving on, so although Cooper was only 3^rd string, the position is very much open to competition and his injury will impact the depth.

77. WASHINGTON STATE has a pair of injuries at their NT position. Starter Laurenzi, the Sr, was dismissed from the team earlier this summer due to an off the field incident. He had started 21 games during his career and was considered the anchor on a very thin DL, which is now especially thin at the all important NT position in their 3-4. Also impacting the same position is 3^rd string RFr Barber, who has a leg injury and was unable to practice this week. His status for the opener is unknown, but it’s safe to say even though he had no experience, he did have nice size and was definitely going to be a part of the rotation even before Laurenzi went down. These injuries will have a big impact on the WSU defense in 2012, and additional follow-up on the status of the position and who takes over is necessary week to week.

78. WISCONSIN will start QB O’Brien, their transfer from Maryland this season. In addition to that announcement at QB, the Badgers have suffered 3 season ending injuries/transfers to backups. #2 Brennan has decided to leave the program in search of more playing time following the staff anointing O’Brien the starter. 3^rd string Jr Budmayr has hip issues and will miss the entire season. Also, incoming Fr Houston had shoulder surgery and will RS the 2012 season. That leaves the Badgers with 3 QBs – O’Brien the starter, and backups RFr Stave and Jr Phillips. It will be a massive issue if O’Brien gets injured this season.

79. WISCONSIN depth providing backup So WR Willis has decided to leave the team. His absence will not have a great impact on the WR corps as a whole this season.

80. WISCONSIN has lost a pair of backup defensive players for the season due to injury. Jr DT Kohout has retired from football as an MRI revealed he has had a few minor strokes in his life – he had 40+ tackles in his career at Wisconsin as a backup. Backup SS Singleton, a Fr, has not been cleared academically and will miss the entire season. He was one of the top recruits of the 2012 class for the Badgers, and his loss will lead to a medium talent drop-off to the next player ready to step in, but nothing significant, and he remains a key piece of the Badger secondary going forward.

81. WYOMING starting DE Durbin has transferred to Iowa St for his Sr season. This is not a huge loss for the Cowboys as this transfer comes at a unit, the DL, which returns 7 of their top 9 from LY. Expect Jr Puletasi to step into the vacated role, with not too much of a drop in production.

82. WYOMING top backup WR Stratton will miss the entire season due to an undisclosed injury. The So played some QB LY, and was to be the top backup WR for the Cowboys that start three. His loss, although he didn’t play WR LY, will have an impact as there are no other backup Wyoming WR’s who have any experience playing offense at this level.

There is the last part, all 124 teams have been covered in one of three posts. Please, check your team out and comment on any updates I have incorrect, or am missing.

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

2012 Final Preseason College Football Power Poll & Other Predictions

Sunday, August 26, 2012

NCAA Football 2012: Injuries, Suspensions, Transfers since Spring Camp - Teams O to W