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. AIR FORCE has suspended 3
starters and 2 backups for the season.
Defensively they have lost a pair of Jr starters in FS Wooding & OLB
Cooks. Offensively they have lost one
starter, Sr WRX Hunter, their deep play threat, along with 3rd
string WRX Hirneise and 4th string TE Durden (his loss will not have
an impact this season). As far as the
WRX position goes, there isn’t much experienced depth there, but there is
backup experience at the other WRZ position so it may be mix and match time to
replace Hunter. His loss will definitely
impact the ability of AF to cash in on the deep pass plays, a staple of their
offense in rare passing situations. In
addition, they have also lost Jr SS Fullham to a shoulder injury – which means
both starting safeties are OUT for the season, and 3 of their starting back 8
will not take the field. Expect Sr
Lindsay to step in at SS and play OK, but not to the level of Vanderbilt
transfer Fullham. Behind the FS there is
little experience to count on, which could turn into a problem.
2. AKRON incumbent QB Moore has
transferred to Jackson State following the news that JUCO Sr Dalton Williams
would be taking over the starting QB role.
Williams comes from Stephen F. Austin where he was a 3yr backup in a
similar offense.
3. ALABAMA starting RB Lacy is
listed as questionable for the opener with knee and ankle injuries. The team is deep at RB with numerous VHT’s
just awaiting their opportunity so although Lacy is the starter, I do not
expect a big drop off in production or any issues with depth should he miss any
time.
4. ARIZONA LT Baucus has been
forced to retire due to recurring injuries.
He started all 12 games LY, and will likely be replaced by a younger, greener
player which will make the change in schemes that much harder for the OL as a
group. Baucus was one of their better
players. Expect So Spurgeon, a backup LY
who saw time in 3 games, to possibly step into the starting LT spot.
5. ARIZONA also loses their MLB, Sr
Wagner who was the nation’s #1 tackler last season with Akron. That leaves the ARIZ LB corps (3-3-5 base
defense) with only one player who has any significant experience at this level,
SLB Fischer, who himself is coming back from a torn ACL that cost him all of
2011.
6. WR/RB
Middlebrooks @ ARIZONA STATE is
still recovering from a dislocated shoulder that was surgically repaired back
in April and his status for opening day is doubtful. He is one of their better weapons with ~500
yards LY, so his health and return to the lineup would be a boost to an ASU
attack that needs all the help it can get after losing QB Osweiler to the
NFL. Also of note with the Sun Devils is
leading rusher RB Marshall has not taken part in contract drills of late after
complaining of fatigue – he is absolutely critical to any offensive success ASU
hopes for this season, so his situation needs to be monitored very closely. If there are any issues with either of these
two expect So Lewis to step into the spotlight and perform well. As a true Fr last season he played in 11
games, and rushed for 540 yards with a 5.9 yards per carry average – he has a
very bright future ahead of him in Tempe.
7. ARIZONA STATE will go with
Taylor Kelly at QB, in a surprise move over RFr Eubank (highest ceiling, most
talented) and So Bercovici (who played the most of all 3 LY). Kelly is more of a dual threat compared to
the others, an aspect the new coaching staff has mentioned they favor.
8. Keep
an eye on ARKANSAS RB Knile
Davis, who is clearly one of the best RBs in the SEC, but is working his way
back from an ankle injury that forced him to miss all of last season. He has not taken part in any contact drills
as of yet (to my knowledge), and although it seems a lock he will be in pads
and playing come the September 1st opener vs. Jacksonville State,
the Razorbacks are much more concerned that he is ready to go at 100% come Wk3,
September 15th vs. Alabama. I
do not foresee any issues with him getting into the lineup, but it’s never a
good thing when a player doesn’t practice full speed in pads.
9. ARKANSAS starting #2 WR Wade and
backup WR Humphrey has been suspended for the season. Combine the status of those two players with
the tragic death of TE Uekman, the loss of LY’s top 3 WRs to the NFL, and the
loss of HC Petrino and the Razorbacks passing game is facing a lot of adversity
before the season even kicks off. Keep
an eye on the effectiveness of the Arkansas WRs early in the season as it could
very well tell us how good and prolific of an offense they will have once the
SEC defenses are opposite them.
10. AUBURN backup QB Moseley is
listed as questionable for Wk1 with a shoulder.
He lost the QB battle this summer to So Frazier, but could very well see
action, possibly significant action this fall if Frazier gets injured or
struggles. Keep an eye on his status on
coming weeks.
11. BALL ST backup TE Mershman has
retired from football due to concussions.
His loss will be minimal to the team and production from the position.
12. BAYLOR DE Tevin Elliot has
transferred after garnering HM AB12 accolades LY. He was projected first DE off the bench after
starting 5 games LY. Jr McCallister
figures to step into the #3 DE role as he has the most experience amongst the
backups, but he is a definite drop-off in talent.
13. BOISE STATE starting #3 WR
Boldweijn has been suspended for the first 3 games of 2012, eligible to return
to action Oct. 3 vs. Southern Mississippi.
Although he hasn’t produced much since arriving, he has all the
measurables and is perceived as a potential break-out candidate in 2012. There is similar statistical production
amongst the backup WRs compared to Boldweijn, but none possess the raw tools he
does to potentially turn into a legitimate #1.
As far as the WR corps as a whole goes, the more experience BSU can
boast outside the easier it will be to break-in new QB Joe Southwick.
14. BOISE STATE lost 6th
year Sr and starting C Yriarte for the season because of a knee injury. Look for Jr Paradis, who started 1 game as C
LY, to step into the open role – which will be a talent drop-off for sure, and will
not be of great assistance to breaking in the new QB.
15. BOISE STATE DL Jungblut has
transferred, which is a serious blow to the depth of a DL that already lost all
4 starters, and 1 other player who had 6 starts himself LY. Included in the players lost before Jungblut
was a pair of 1T AMW, and one 2T AMW. Starting
talent and depth are major concerns at DL this season for the Broncos.
16. BOSTON COLLEGE lost starting TE
Pantale for at least the first half of the season with a broken bone in his foot. That is a big blow to the BC passing game
that needs all the help it can get, and it only leaves TEs that have caught a
grand total of 1 pass at this level on the 2 deep.
17. BOSTON COLLEGE starting RB Finch
injured his foot in camp and is expected to miss the entire season. The Eagles still have RB Williams, who was #2
LY with 517/4.2 despite missing 2 full games and parts of others. Also out is #3 RB Kimble. Depth takes a serious hit with the loss of
Finch & Kimble, which comes on top of the loss of Harris, who was kicked
off team and has since transferred to Temple.
On a positive note, Williams does have 1,000 yard potential if he can
stay in one piece.
18. Al
Louis-Jean, a So starting CB for BOSTON
COLLEGE, will miss at least 2 months and possibly be redshirted for the
season following a foot injury suffered in camp. The loss may not be devastating as in his
place will be another So who started the first two games LY but was injured and
OFY.
19. BYU has lost RB Quezada, last
season’s #3 rusher, to a transfer.
Heading into this year BYU has now lost 3 of their top 4 rushers from
2011, with only #2 Alisa back. There are
now very big concerns about depth and overall productivity with many unknown
quantities about to get significant playing time.
20. CALIFORNIA’S top backup CB
McClure will be out for the season following serious knee surgery. His absence could prove costly as he is their
top rated CB despite not being a starter.
So Kameron Jackson will now likely be the NB, and top backup CB.
21. Cecil
Whiteside, a starting OLB for CALIFORNIA,
has been dismissed from the team for violating team rules. Although he was a projected starter he didn’t
put up big numbers LY, and LB happens to be one of the strongest areas for Cal,
including the addition of PSU transfer Fortt.
22. CLEMSON WR Sammy Watkins, the
ACC OPOY and 1ST Team AA, is suspended for the first two games of
the season, including the huge opener vs. Auburn. This is a critical loss for Clemson in their
hopes to start the season fast against an SEC team following last year’s
debacle in the Orange Bowl where they lost to WVU 70-33. What Tiger fans can take some solice in is
the fact they return all their key producers and backups from LY sans Mackey
winning TE Allen. His loss will be big
in the opener (still a game they can definitely win), but will not have an
impact Wk2 vs. Ball State.
23. CLEMSON RB Bellamy, their #2
behind 2nd Team ACC RB Andre Ellington, is out for the year due to
academics. DJ Howard will step into the
#2 role, and some decline in production can be expected (but not a huge drop)
as Bellamy was a top rated RB out of HS, and LY averaged 6.0 yards per carry.
24. COLORADO TE/WR Thornton is
suspended indefinitely; a blow to the depth of the Buffaloes WR/TE corps
considering it had already lost their top 5 pass catchers from LY including top
returning WR Richardson, whom was lost earlier in the offseason to an ACL
injury. Thornton was projected to be the
first WR off the bench or the starting TE – in his Colorado career he has
started 3 and played in 23 games, but has under 100 receiving yards. Also lost for 2 games at WR is Fr
Thomas. Colorado has issues at WR from
both a talent & big play angle, along with a depth perspective, only made
worse by these two suspensions.
25. Kansas
transfer Sr Jordan Webb has beat out Texas transfer So Connor Wood to be the
starting QB for COLORADO in
2012. That result was a mini-surprise
for sure, but Webb has had pockets of success as KUs QB, while Wood has no
experience although he is rated higher.
I definitely expect both players will get significant action during the
season whether it’s due to injuries or poor performance, and the leash on Webb
will be pretty short with such a talented backup waiting for his shot. One thing is certain: Wood did not transfer
to CU to sit on the bench.
26. COLORADO lost backup RFr SS
Harlos for the season due to concussions.
Harlos has retired from the game.
His loss will not be felt much as he only took part in 3 games making 2
tackles.
27. COLORADO STATE starting WR/KR
Coffman is out Wk1 vs. interstate rival Colorado. The Rams still have upperclassmen ready to
step in, but he is their big play guy averaging a robust 26.2 yards per catch
LY. He also is their starting KR.
28. FB
Levin of COLORADO STATE is
considered questionable for the opener with concussion issues. He is essentially their only FB so keep an
eye on his status as the interstate matchup with the Buffs draws closer.
29. Backup
RB Riddick is out indefinitely for COLORADO
STATE as he recovers from a wrist injury. The RFr has played so well in the spring he
jumped a couple guys to #2, earning a few touches per game when he gets
back. The depth and rotation at RB is
still strong and his loss will not have a significant impact, especially
including the addition of Texas A&M transfer Mister Jones.
30. COLORADO STATE SS Reilly, either
the starter or the #2, has decided to transfer to BYU and will sit out
2012. Annually, pass defense is a weak
link for the Rams, and although some increase in performance is expected in
2012, it will not be great and this loss will hurt some.
31. COLORADO STATE Sr DE CJ James
has left the team and transferred to Akron, after tying for 2nd on
the team LY with 5 sacks. Even with this
loss CSU enjoys the return of 6 of their top 8 DL, although the absence of
James will certainly be felt when the Rams are seeking to pressure the pocket.
32. UCONN QB Nebrich has
transferred. He was competing for the #2
role this season after playing in 8 games LY as a true Fr. Not a big impact loss as UConn is deep with
QBs although none are a lock to be solid.
33. UCONN starting DT Stephen is
listed as doubtful for Wk1 Thursday night hosting UMass with a sprained
knee. The Jr started 8 games LY and
played in all 12 for the 2nd straight season, and is the biggest and
best run stopping DT on the roster.
There is some experienced depth behind Stephen, but all the backups lack
the size he brought to the interior of the OL.
34. DUKE starting #2/#3 WR Holliday
& TE Deaver are both out for the season.
Holliday has issues with lingering concussion symptoms, while Deaver has
a fractured knee. The Blue Devils are
quickly losing pass catchers, as these two losses comes on top of losing the
all time career receptions leader who graduated last year (WR Varner), along
with 3T ACC TE Helfet. This is a big
year for Cutcliffe at Duke, and he needs all his weapons healthy to improve
enough so he can keep his job.
35. DUKE So NG Bruce is out
indefinitely with a foot injury. He is
not a huge loss as there is sufficient backup experience, production and size
behind him.
36. DUKE starting WLB Brown is out
for the season with an ACL. This is a
big blow to the Duke defense as the Jr was coming off a 63 tackle season, which
followed up a Fr AA year. Prior to this
injury their LB corps was expected to be their best in quite some time, but
this injury definitely knocks the unit down a couple of notches. Look for So Helton, who played in 9 games LY,
starting 2 (25 tackles) to take over this opening.
37. FLORIDA CB Brown continues to
work his way back from an ACL injury that cost him all of 2011. In 2010 he started 10 games, and this year
was being counted on to most likely be a nickel or dime defender. Keep an eye on his status as its unlikely he
plays in the opener or possibly the first few weeks, but should be back in time
to add depth once the SEC schedule gets rolling.
38. FLORIDA incoming Fr LT Humphries
is OUT for 2-4 weeks following a knee injury.
He was the #1 rated OL of the 2012 class, slated to be the Gators #2 LT
behind incumbent Sr Nixon. Humphries has
a very bright future ahead of him in Gainesville, so monitor his status closely
as the calendar turns to October.
39. FLORIDA DE/BUCK Powell continues
working his way back from an ACL injury suffered in the spring. HC Muschamp expects the top flight DE to
return to action for the SEC portion of the schedule, and he will be a huge addition
along a defensive front that has the potential to be one of the top 5 or so in
the country once he gets back into the lineup.
He had 6 sacks LY. Sr McCray, a
very talented defender himself, will start in Powell’s absence.
40. FLORIDA STATE Fr RB Pender, a 5*
recruit, has a serious groin injury that will force him to redshirt in
‘12. The Noles still have starter
Freeman and backup Wilder active, so although early in the season this injury
may not have much of an impact, as the season goes on and the RB corps gets
banged up, his absence will impact the depth of the unit. Sr Chris Thompson will slide up the depth
chart into the #3 spot, and will likely see carries this year.
41. FLORIDA STATE RFr DT Mitchell has
a lower back disc injury and is out about 8 weeks. Although the youngster is talented, he would
not be leaned on much this season as FSU already boasts one of the best DLs in
the country.
42. Greg
Reid, the All Star CB/PR from FLORIDA
STATE has been dismissed from the team for violating team rules. This is a big blow to the special teams unit
of the Noles, along with impacting a pass defense that severely underachieved LY
considering all the individual talent it possesses. Taking into consideration FSU lost a CB who
had 6 starts LY to graduation, and the CB spot opposite Jr Rhodes is a question
mark right now. FSU has a ton of talent
amongst the backups in the secondary, but experience will be an issue – look
for So Waisome to take over the vacated gig. As mentioned Reid was an AS KR/PR, which will
be sorely missed – the staff is still deciding on who will take over those
roles.
43. FRESNO STATE backup DE Hunt will
begin the season unavailable. Although
Hunt was not expected to start for the Bulldogs, he did appear in all 13 games LY,
and was to provide depth to a unit that is replacing two starters, and does not
have much experience amongst the 2s. This loss will not have a huge impact on the
Fresno DL.
44. GEORGIA will not have starting
OLB Vasser & starting CB Commings for the first two games due to
suspension. The Sr CB Commings started
all 14 games LY and is the bigger loss of the two, while Jr Vasser only started
3 but played in 12. There is plenty of
returning experience to fill the LB hole, but concerns are rampant in the
secondary especially with a road trip to new SEC member Missouri on the docket
for Wk2.
45. GEORGIA starting RT Houston
still has issues with the NCAA in his attempt to return from taking a banned
substance that cost him all of 2011. The
So’s status is unknown and warrants continued attention; there is little to no
experience amongst the backup OT’s, so any extended absence, especially if it
continues through September 8 when the Dawgs travel to Mizzou, will have a huge
impact on the OL.
46. So
CB Harrow and So RB Crowell have both been dismissed from GEORGIA for violating team policy. The loss of Crowell is massive, as he is one
of the most skilled RBs in the country; there is experience however to replace
him, but they will not be as dynamic.
Harrow’s loss will not be that impactful, however, early in the season
when there are a few players out of the lineup due to suspensions, his absence
will be felt some from a depth perspective.
47. A
pair of incoming Fr DL for GEORGIA has
failed to qualify academically and will attend prep school for a year to get
their grades in order. Although the pair
is talented, UGA already features one of the best DLs in the country, so their
delayed joining of the team will not be felt at all.
48. GEORGIA TECH Jr ILB Drummond
will miss the key ACC opener at Virginia Tech, along with the first half of the
following game vs. Presbyterian due to an off the field incident. He started 6 games and appeared in 11 LY, and
had 44 tackles. GT has depth at LB with
five returning who have started, and 3 who started 6+ games LY, so while he is
a projected starter and his absence will be felt in the opener in Blacksburg,
there is experience and talent that will fill in admirably.
49. HAWAII has named Jr Duke
transfer Sean Schroeder their starting QB for 2012. This was a surprise for certain as heading
into spring the starter figured to be either incumbent Jr Graves or So Utah
State transfer Higgins. This situation
warrants close attention as these three players are very close to each other in
skills and performance, and the position could be a merry go round all
season. Remember, HAW has a new HC Norm
Chow, who will attempt to bring more of a pro style, balanced attack to the
team – HAW has historically always been almost exclusively a passing team – so
he may have made this decision based on Schroeder being the better game manager
vs. being able to pass the ball all over the yard.
50. HAWAII Jr WR Sampson will miss
2012 due to a knee injury he suffered in Wk5 of 2011. His loss will be most felt with the deep pass
as he was one of the Warrior’s fastest players.
However, this is not a huge loss, especially also considering the new
offense will use more of a balance, along with targeting the TE on pass plays.
51. IDAHO as expected has named Jr
Blackman their starting QB for 2012.
Blackman was an original Washington commit, who then RS for a year at
Old Dominion. He will now lead the
Vandals offense – and he should be an upgrade over LYs QB.
52. IDAHO #4 WR McRoyal passed away
in the offseason. He caught 35 passes
LY, but only averaged 8.5 per reception.
His loss will not be that impactful, but could have an emotional impact
on the team as a whole.
53. ILLINOIS starting SS Hull is
still recovering from a shoulder injury and has not been involved in any contact
drills during camp to this point. The Jr
started 12 games LY and figures to be one of the leaders for an underrated
Illini secondary that ranked #22 LY and returns 7 of their top 8 for a second
straight season. There however is no
depth at SS, but look for possibly FS backup Sr Nixon-Youman to step in if Hull
cannot go.
54. ILLINOIS backup LT Lewis is
still attempting to come back from a knee injury that cost him both of the last
two seasons. He is unlikely to be a
starter even if he returned 100%, but could add some depth and leadership. He has not participated in any contact drills
this camp, and his status remains questionable and really unknown.
55. RFr
Fuller, the backup STAR (hybrid DB/LB) for ILLINOIS,
remains out with a broken hand. The STAR
starter is in excellent hands with Sr Williams, but Illinois would like to get
Fuller back in the lineup as soon as possible to soak in all the knowledge he
can from Williams as he will take the spot over next season.
56. INDIANA has dismissed the
following players: WR McCants (So) – played in 12 but only 6 receptions, was
slated as a backup; WR Young (So) – played in only 2, was slated on 3RD
team; S Jefferson (So) – 3RD team SS. None of these players were expected to have a
significant impact this season.
57. INDIANA has suspended the
following players: Jr WR Hughes, who was the team’s best WR last season, will
miss one game that has yet to be announced for violating team rules – although
he likely misses a rare game that Indiana is favored in, when he isn’t on the field
the IU passing attack takes a definite hit; Jr Barnett, who was the incumbent
at one CB position but appears to have been passed by Jr Marshall, will miss
one game the team has yet to announce for violating team rules; So S Hardin
will miss one unannounced game – he appeared in 10 games LY, starting 2, and
appears to be the 3RD team SS currently. Of this list only Hughes is a true big time
impact player.
58. INDIANA 3RD team RB
Perez has an undisclosed injury that has kept him out of camp and his status is
unknown. The So was not slated to have a
big role this year with a pair of RBs clearly ahead of him on the depth chart,
even though he did play in 12 games LY.
59. INDIANA backup WLB Thomas, who
was named Co-DPOY for the Scout Team LY, has missed camp with an injury and his
status is unknown. The So was currently
listed behind the leader of the defense, Jr ILB Alexander.
60. INDIANA also has injuries to
their two backup TEs, RFr Jackson and So Phillips. Neither did much from a pass catching
perspective LY, and Jr Bolser is firmly entrenched as the starting TE for
2012. However, the two can provide depth,
and Jackson may also see some time at WR, especially with the two transfers of
McCants and Young mentioned above.
61. INDIANA apprentice DT Singer,
the Sr that backs up the best player on the Hoosiers defense Adam Repogle, has
a knee injury that is leaving his status unknown for Wk1. This injury could cost him 1-3 weeks, or it
may even force him to miss the entire season.
He is definitely expected to contribute along the DL rotation this
season, and if he misses any extended time it will have an impact on the
Hoosiers DL, specifically at DT.
62. IOWA has big concerns at RB
after losing 5 RBs from last season’s team!
Coker is the biggest loss as he was the Hawkeye’s #1 RB LY (281 attempts
#11 in FBS, 1,384 yards for a 4.9 average per carry); McCall also transferred
after playing in just one game LY before breaking his ankle and missing the
season; Jr Canzeri tore his ACL in the spring and is out for the season; So Johnson
has been dismissed from the team due to off the field incidents; and So Binns
was also released from the team although he did not have any appearances in
2011. That leaves Iowa with Greg Garmon
and Barkley Hill, a pair of incoming Fr, who appear will get the ball early and
often this year. The Iowa running game
and RB situation warrant attention week to week to check the status of who will
be playing, and who will be the featured back.
I will be back tomorrow with the next group of teams - this analysis is broken into 4 parts.
I will be back tomorrow with the next group of teams - this analysis is broken into 4 parts.
Thanks again for reading, please feel free to:
Email me directly: boss@thesportsboss.com
Visit my website: www.thesportsboss.com
Follow me on Twitter: @SportsBoss
Follow me on Facebook: The SportsBoss
Leave comments here on the blog
No comments:
Post a Comment