Spring practice isn’t nearly as exciting as fall practice, but it represents an important bridge between the offseason and the real action. There always seems to be at least a handful of intriguing storylines that emerge from spring practice with the arrival of underclassmen and a first look at key position battles. Here is a breakdown of five bold predictions for this year’s spring practices.
Tennessee Volunteers’ Breakthrough Season Begins…?
There is plenty of hype surrounding the Tennessee football program heading in to this season and it is certainly justified when you consider the talent that head coach Butch Jones has assembled. The Vols are absolutely loaded with talent led by quarterback Joshua Dobbs and a strong spring practice will represent the start of a breakthrough season. Tennessee is already being talked about as a legitimate contender in the SEC East so look for the hype to continue with a strong spring session.
Jim Harbaugh Will Make Headline Again
Perhaps this is more of a reasonable expectation than a bold prediction at this point, but the bottom line is Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh will likely make headlines at spring practice. Harbaugh made a tremendous splash in his first year leading the Wolverines and he always seems to go big with everything he has done since his arrival. Remember, this is a guy who spend an insane amount of money on the recruiting trail, has taken shots at other head college football head coaches and has had harsh criticism for the NCAA. There’s also just the football side of things where Harbaugh has brought in a strong recruiting class and hired defensive coordinator Don Brown to manage the defense. That will continue at spring practice as Harbaugh finds another way to make the headlines.
Houston Is Talked About As A Legitimate National Title Contender
There are some that continue to argue that a team from the “Group of Five” has no business being talked about as a College Football Playoff contender, but don’t expect that to keep Houston from that conversation. The Cougars are viewed as a team with a legitimate shot at competing for a national title and there will be a ton of hype surrounding Tom Herman’s team at spring practice. Houston opens next season with a home game against the defending Big 12 champions Oklahoma and that matchup will be hyped as a quality measuring stick for whether or not they belong in the same conversation as the top teams in the country.
Deondre Francois Emerges As Starting Quarterback At Florida State
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher made Jameis Winston fight for the starting quarterback job well in to the fall so there is a good chance he won’t name his No. 1 at any point during spring practice. However, it won’t be a surprise if the media in Tallahassee anoint Francois as the starter with a good chance that he sets himself ahead of Sean Maguire. Francois is an extremely talented quarterback whose confidence sometimes borders on cockiness, but it’s clear that he has the skill set to thrive in Fisher’s offense. Maguire will have the opportunity to fight for the starting job in to the fall, but Francois will start to separate himself in that role at spring practice.
Nick Saban Smiles At Alabama’ Spring Practice
This might seem like a reach given Nick Saban’s nearly robotic personality, but there is reason to believe he might actually break out a smile at this year’s spring practices. Alabama is coming off another national championship and Saban followed that up by securing the top recruiting class in the entire country for the sixth straight season. Saban will also enter spring practice with two of the highest-rated quarterbacks he has ever had competing for the starting job with David Cornwell and Blake Barnett looking to beat out Cooper Batemen. There is certainly plenty of reason for Saban to smile so perhaps he finally cracks at spring practice.
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