Takeaways from college football's 'Depth Chart Day'
The Monday before week one of the college football season is better known as “Depth Chart Day.” This is a weird, quasi-holiday among college football media and diehards. It’s when most college programs release a depth chart.
Naturally, this event creates plenty of content and chatter. It cuts through “talking season” and gives us some hard insight into what we could see in week one.
A handful of teams have yet to put out a depth chart – among, them Georgia, USC, Michigan and Penn State – so this isn’t an exhaustive survey. With that in mind, here are a some of my bigger takeaways. Warning: This might get a little nerdy.
How long before Tide freshmen take over?
Alabama signed perhaps the best recruiting class ever in 2021, at least according to the rankings. Nick Saban’s program isn’t one that starts a bunch of freshmen at the beginning of the season. Naturally, I’m interested in seeing how many of these blue-chippers can get on the field.
One freshman – wide receiver JoJo Earle – is currently listed as a co-starter. Oddly enough, Earle was the lone wide receiver signee who did not enroll early. Still, he has a skill set unique to the Alabama receivers. Earle is smaller at 5 feet 10, 170 pounds. He’s a cat-quick space player with dynamic after-catch ability along with strong contact balance. He also should be a weapon in the return game. Earle ranked No. 49 in the 2021 On300.
I’m also interested in the right tackle battle between Kendall Randolph and former five-star JC Latham; Damieon George also is in the mix. Randolph is a senior who has missed some of camp with a sprained ankle. He’s listed as the starter and appears set to play against Miami on Saturday. Will Randolph be able to hold off a top-10 prospect like Latham over the course of the season?
There’s a similar situation at the corner spot opposite Josh Jobe. Jalyn Armour-Davis is listed as the starter with five-star freshman Kool-Aid McKinstry and JUCO transfer Khyree Jackson as the backups.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the Tide defense is stacked.
Tim Smith is a former five-star recruit who had some considerable flashes as a freshman. He’s listed as a backup to DJ Dale at nose tackle. Linebacker Jaylen Moody arguably was the most impressive defender during the spring game and would start for most teams. He’s the third linebacker in Alabama’s base nickel package after the transfer of Henry To’oto’o from Tennessee.
Justyn Ross back for Clemson
Seeing Justyn Ross back on Clemson’s depth chart is a welcome sight. The star receiver missed the 2020 season after having surgery to address a congenital fusion condition in his neck and spine.
Ross is listed as a starter in the slot for Clemson. The Tigers are going with a tall group of pass catchers – similar to the one that started the 2019 season when Amari Rodgers was still rehabbing. Ross and tight end Braden Galloway are 6-4 while outside receivers Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson are 6-3. This group may have more speed than the 2019 group, though.
Walker Parks is starting at right tackle for the Tigers after showing some of his upside as a true freshman last season. Parks was highly athletic as a recruit – running a sub 5.0-second 40-yard dash along with other strong marks. The Tigers have not been a NFL factory when it comes to the offensive line. Still, it’s not be a stretch to say Parks has the highest upside of any Clemson offensive lineman in years. He’s probably at least on par with Jackson Carman in that regard.
Tennessee could surprise on offense
I think Tennessee has the chance to surprise, particularly on offense. Obviously, much of that hinges on how well Michigan transfer Joe Milton plays at quarterback. He has a huge arm and seems to be a natural fit in Josh Heupel’s offense.
For those not familiar, Heupel’s scheme is similar to the offenses at Ole Miss and Arkansas, both of which exceeded expectations with new coaches in 2020. They’re all derived from the Baylor offense of the 2010’s. The scheme places an emphasis on tempo and extreme spacing, which dictates one-on-one coverage. Many of the staple concepts are one-read option routes that are dictated pre-snap. The quarterback needs to be able to drive the ball vertically and move a little.
The Vols also have some skill pieces who look to be strong fits. Second-year receiver Jalin Hyatt immediately jumps out. Hyatt is a pure deep threat who had the fastest 40 time in the nation as a recruit. He was highly productive in high school and showed his speed against Alabama last season.
I’m also bullish on running back Tiyon Evans, who is listed as a starter. I’ve had a bunch of exposure to Evans dating to his days at Hartsville (S.C.) High. He was a little-known recruit because of grades and was forced to go to junior college. But Evans is one of the best running backs to come from South Carolina in some time. Evans is a bowling-ball back with outstanding contact balance and plus receiving ability out of the backfield.
Tennessee was ravaged by transfers and probably doesn’t have a ton of depth on defense. Still, I think there’s a chance for some fireworks in Knoxville if things go to plan.
Who are Florida’s playmakers?
Florida obviously lost a ton of production on offense with Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney and Kyle Trask heading to the NFL. Who steps up for the Gators?
You’d assume Dan Mullen goes back to the quarterback run-centered offense with Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson as his top two signal-callers. That should help mitigate some of the personnel losses in the passing game. Still, Florida is going to need some skill players to step up.
At wide receiver, Justin Shorter is a former five-star prospect and Penn State transfer whose on-field production has yet to match his considerable size and athleticism. Xzavier Henderson maybe be the most naturally talented receiver on the Gators’ roster, but is currently listed at second string. Former five-star recruit and Clemson transfer Demarkcus Bowman is not listed among the top three running backs on the depth chart.
Texas leaning heavily on young skill
Texas’ roster was built toward the 2020 season, and it shows in looking at their depth chart. Steve Sarkisian will have to rely on some talented yet inexperienced playmakers to buoy the offense.
We know about Bijan Robinson at running back and Hudson Card at quarterback. Of note is that true freshman wide receiver Xavier Worthy is penciled in as a starter. Worthy was a five-star recruit for On3 and among the fastest prospects in the nation in the 2021 cycle. It’s possible we could see Sarkisian look to use Worthy similarly to how he implemented DeVonta Smith at Alabama.
There’s certainly talent within that nucleus and Robinson heads a deep running back group. Even so, Robinson has not had more than 16 carries in a game to date and Card threw three passes as a freshman. The offensive line looks like a work in progress as position coach Kyle Flood looks to improve the group.
The line clearly appears to be the strength of the Longhorns’ defense. Is 2021 finally the breakout year for tackle Moro Ojomo? He finally is in a situation and scheme that fits his skill set. Ojomo, a former four-star prospect, is best-suited to play as an attacking three-technique and will do so beside a big-bodied nose tackle in Keondre Coburn.
I’m also interested in tracking the development of former five-star defensive lineman Alfred Collins. He has considerable physical traits and we saw him flash some in the bowl game last season as a true freshman.
A&M defense ahead of offense
Jimbo Fisher is significantly upgrading the talent on Texas A&M’s roster, and the defense appears to be one cycle ahead of the offense from a depth perspective.
Blue-chip prospects such as DeMarvin Leal, Demani Richardson and Jaylon Jones have established themselves as key cogs in Mike Elko’s defense. Several more talented second-year players are listed on the two-deep, including Antonio Johnson who is listed as a starter at nickel.
Texas A&M returns one of the nation’s best offensive linemen in Kenyon Green, but he’s the lone returning starter on the front. True freshmen Reuben Fatheree and Bryce Foster are listed on the two-deep at left tackle and center, respectively. Fatheree is listed as a co-starter at left tackle with Tennessee transfier Jahmir Johnson. The starting center is Luke Matthews, who has dealt with injuries throughout his three years on campus. I expect at least one if not both of the true freshmen to play for the Aggies at some point this season.
Cristobal’s vision taking shape
Oregon’s front seven should be fun to watch. The Ducks obviously boast potential No. 1 pick Kayvon Thibodaux at end. Behind Thibodaux you have two jumbo linebackers in Noah Sewell (251 pounds) and Mase Funa (265 pounds). A former five-star recruit, Sewell showed some high-end flashes as a freshman in 2020.
Fellow former five-star prospect Justin Flowe is listed as a co-starter at the Will linebacker spot with senior Dru Mathis. I’ve seen little of Flowe in action, even dating to his days as a recruit. He was injured as a freshman and missed two national events as a senior. Suffice to say, I’m eager to see what he looks like once on the field.
Mario Cristobal wants his team to be big and physical. That certainly looks to be the case with his linebackers.
The Ducks also have two true freshman listed as starters on offense. Troy Franklin leads the X receiver position, and Moliki Matavao is the co-starter at Y tight end.
McKee is Stanford’s best chance
At Stanford, Tanner Mckee is listed as the co-starter at quarterback with senior Jack West. No offense to West, but this should be an easy call for David Shaw. McKee was one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2018 recruiting cycle. He went on a mission for the next two years before returning to The Farm before the 2020 season.
McKee should be ready to go. He’s a big-framed, big-armed quarterback with good mobility. The talent gap between the two was evident during the spring game.
Looking at Stanford’s depth chart, it’s evident the Cardinal would benefit from a quarterback who can make some individual plays. The offensive line looks good, but the skill talent doesn’t quite compare to the groups from Shaw’s best teams. There are some good players, but there’s no Christian McCaffrey or Bryce Love at running back. I don’t see a Zach Ertz or even an Austin Hooper at tight end, either.
It’s not like West has lit it up either. He’s 29-of-56 passing (51.8 percent) for 5.4 yards per attempt with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions thus far in his career. The upside with McKee is much higher.
BYU has skill pieces to keep it rolling
BYU was a breakout team in 2020 behind the play of No. 2 pick Zach Wilson and a strong offensive line. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and o-line coach Eric Mateos have moved on to Baylor. But even with those losses, I think BYU’s skill-position talent outside of quarterback has a chance to be better in 2021.
The Cougars got a transfer from Washington in former blue-chip wide receiver Puka Nacua. He’s listed as a co-starter at one spot with his brother Samson Nacua (Utah transfer). Tyler Allgeier is back at running back after rushing for 1,130 yards last season. Neil Pau’u and Gunner Romney are back at receiver. Going into last season, some thought tight end Isaac Rex was the program’s best draft prospect. He missed the season with an injury, but is back and listed as the starter.
Jaren Hall is listed as the first team quarterback and he should have a bunch of weapons at his disposal. Hall was a class of 2016 prospect and spent two years on a mission before enrolling at BYU. Hall suffered a concussion in the eighth game of the 2019 season, against Utah State, and hasn’t played since. He’s actually two years older than Zach Wilson.
OL depth chart observations
- The left side of Miami’s offensive line is talented. Left tackle Zion Nelson is entering his third year and has first-round talent. The starting left guard is second-year player Jalen Rivers. Rivers has a lot of the natural traits you look for in offensive linemen with his length and power.
- Arkansas’ top two linemen were untraditional finds. Left tackle Myron Cunningham was a JUCO add. Center Ricky Stromberg initially was committed to Tulsa. We liked Stromberg a lot at 247Sports and made him a four-star while he was committed to the Golden Hurricane. His video and testing data was that good. He ended up being a late take by the Hogs. Chad Morris had a litany of issues in Fayetteville, the least of which was recruiting.
- LSU transfer Dare Rosenthal is listed as the starting left tackle at Kentucky. Rosenthal is a talented jumbo athlete with high end potential. Can he put it together in Lexington? Cornerback Kelvin Joseph transferred from LSU to Kentucky and got drafted in the second round this spring. Rosenthal hopes to replicate that.
- Wisconsin’s offensive line is always fascinating. The Badgers stack talent at the position. Top prospects often don’t start until their third or fourth year in the program. Of note, second-year former five-star Jack Nelson is starting at right guard. Nelson was impressive at All-American Bowl practices in early 2020. Third-year former blue-chipper Joe Tippman is starting at center. Logan Brown, a top-10 prospect in the 2019 cycle, is still not starting and listed as the backup left tackle. Brown is immensely talented but reportedly is inconsistent.
- Boston College could have one of the best lines in the country. Left tackle Tyler Vrabel, left guard Zion Johnson and center Alec Lindstrom are among the best in the ACC.
Two interesting defensive tackles
I’m very interested to see what JJ Pegues does now that he’s playing defensive tackle for Auburn. Pegues was a standout offensive player at Oxford (Miss.) High and always fancied himself as a tight end, despite his considerable upside as a defensive lineman. He worked as a 300-pound tight end for Auburn last season. Pegues now is listed on the two-deep at defensive tackle on Auburn’s depth chart. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take off once he gets acclimated to the position.
Iowa is always good for some developmental prospects who make a leap. This season, that could be second-year defensive lineman Yahya Black, who is listed as a starter on the Hawkeyes’ depth chart. He’s now 6-5, 287 pounds and has added significant mass in his time in the program. Black was an intriguing prospect in the 2020 cycle and one we liked as a four-star. He comes from Marshall, Minn., in a remote area of southwest Minnesota – the same hometown as quarterback Trey Lance, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. If Black hits, we could see Marshall with another high draft pick in a few years.