The 2015 college football season is only one week old and already teams have suffered some devastating losses that will be hard to overcome. A number of these injuries will have long-term effects and the depth of teams is what really separates the big boys from the small players. Teams like USC and Alabama can handle a big blow while Pittsburgh and BYU will have a tough time overcoming their losses from this past week.
James Conner, Pittsburgh Panthers
Running Back
Conner was projected to be one of the top running backs in the country this season as he entered the season on all sorts of preseason watch lists. Now he won’t even play after he suffered a torn MCL in a close win over Youngstown State in Week 1. The 2014 ACC Player of the Year was obviously a vital piece in the Pittsburgh attack. Last season, he became the program’s single-season record holder for touchdowns.
The Panthers offense was mostly based around him and star receiver Tyler Boyd; it’s not as if this team is deep with playmakers. Now that Conner is out, this is a team that’s going to have a really tough time putting up points. They scored 45 in their win over Youngstown State but the narrow eight-point margin foreshadows the concerns.
Taysom Hill, BYU Cougars
Quarterback
Hill’s injury history has been well documented and now for the third time in four seasons, he will be forced to the sideline because of a season-ending foot injury. The presence of a capable backup in Tanner Magnum should help ease some of the blow as evidenced in Week 1. It was Magnum who connected on the game-winning Hail Mary pass that gave BYU the win over Nebraska. However, Hill was considered a potential Heisman candidate and a cut above athletically. It will be impossible to completely replace what he brought to the table as the starting quarterback at BYU.
Tarean Folston, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Running Back
The Fighting Irish looked incredibly dominant in their blowout win over the Texas Longhorns in Week 1 but in the process, they lost a key piece to their offense. Starting running back Folston suffered a torn ACL in the first quarter of the win over the Longhorns and that hurts a position that was already weak for Notre Dame. Remember that a preseason academic suspension took Greg Bryant out of the equation.
That leaves a huge hole on offense and there are major concerns about what they will do without him the rest of the way. He was the team’s leading rusher last season. The Fighting Irish will lean heavily on their depth moving forward, which includes C.J. Prosise, who got the majority of the carries after Folston went down. Freshman Josh Adams will also be in the mix.
Eddie Vanderdoes, UCLA Bruins
Defensive End
True freshman quarterback Josh Rosen was the star for UCLA in their Week 1 win as he passed the opening test with flying colors. The other area that people were watching closely was the defense as it has to be one of the team’s major strengths if they’re to make their way to the top through the tough Pac-12 competition. That job became a bit harder after defensive end Vanderdoes was lost for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. It’s a big hit to the defensive line and the Bruins have to dip into their depth right off the bat.
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Jesse Ertz, Kansas State Wildcats
Quarterback
Hopes were high for Ertz after he won the Wildcats starting job this preseason but it didn’t last long after he suffered a serious knee injury on the first play of the season. Kansas State is fortunate to have a capable backup in junior Joe Hubener ready to step in and take over as the starter but it is still a tough blow for a Wildcats side that had high expectations for Ertz this season.
