by Tabius Bixby
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
The prevailing theme surrounding the Pac 12 for several years has been they have been the second best conference in college football. The biggest issue for the Pac 12 this season is “Who will stand out as the standard bearer in 2016?” The conference was left out of the CFB playoff despite Stanford having a great season in 2015. There is a plethora of question marks surrounding the Pac 12 this season. Will Stanford and Oregon be able to replace successful starting quarterbacks? Will Washington St build upon last season and represent the North in the Pac 12 championship game? Will Washington find an offense to go along with their great defense? Will Josh Rosen Lead UCLA to a berth in the Pac 12 title game? Will USC be able to survive a brutal schedule under a first time head coach and new QB? Will Arizona be able to bounce back from a disappointing 2015? Will Arizona St be able to stop opponents from getting explosive plays on offense against them? Will Utah be able to follow up on a great 2015? Who will stand out and potentially represent the Pac 12 in the CFB Playoff?
Preseason Media Poll
Pac 12 North (First-place votes in parenthesis)
| School | Points |
| Stanford (24) | 186 |
| Washington (8) | 163 |
| Oregon (1) | 132 |
| Washington State | 112 |
| California | 67 |
| Oregon State | 33 |
Pac 12 South
| School | Points |
| UCLA (19) | 180 |
| USC (12) | 173 |
| Utah (2) | 127 |
| Arizona | 87 |
| Arizona State | 85 |
| Colorado | 63 |
Pac 12 Champion
| School | Points |
| Stanford | 20 |
| USC | 5 |
| Washington | 4 |
| UCLA | 3 |
| Utah | 1 |
Stanford
Location: Palo Alto, California
Stadium: Stanford Stadium
Capacity: 50,000
Mascot: Stanford Tree
Schedule:
Head Coach: David Shaw
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Bloomgren
Defensive Coordinator: Lance Anderson
2015 Record: 12-2 (8-1 Pac 12)
Returning Starters:
Offense: 6
Defense: 7
Key Losses:
OFFENSE: Kevin Hogan-QB, Devon Cajuste-WR, Kyle Murphy-OT, Joshua Garnett-OG, Barry Sanders-RB, Graham Shuler-C, Austin Hooper-TE (NFL)
DEFENSE: Brennan Scarlett-DE, Aziz Shittu-DE, Blake Martinez-ILB, Kevin Anderson-OLB, Ronnie Harris-CB, Kodi Whitfield-FS
Offense:
The Stanford Cardinal has been one of the few programs who hit the stability at quarterback lottery with Andrew Luck and Kevin Hogan. For the first time in four years, Stanford will have to choose a new leader under center. Head coach David Shaw is will choose from sophomore Keller Chryst and junior Ryan Burns. No matter who is named the starting WB, he will have the luxury of handing the ball off to Heisman favorite Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is a matchup nightmare for defensive coordinators. Not only can McCaffrey run between the tackles, he is exceptional catching passes out of the backfield, and an excellent kick returner. The question is “How much of the workload will McCaffrey have to shoulder?” They have capable backup backs in Remound Wright and Barry Sanders Jr. Stanford will also be breaking in three new offensive linemen. How long will it take that group to gel with a brand new QB?
Defense:
Possibly the most underrated part of Stanford’s team is their defense. They have lost key players, but they simply reload. New starters like Solomon Thomas, Kevin Palma, and Quenton Meeks are going to become household names before October. The narrative is new starters spell trouble; however, I would bring up one important factor. Talent is talent. It is talent the average fan hasn’t heard of yet. This defense will once again be well coached and be one of the best defenses in the Pac 12.
Special Teams:
Stanford returns both their 1st string punter and place kicker. Junior punter Alex Robinson averaged 42.2 yards per punt last season with 13 punts landing inside the 20-yard line. That is critical for a team breaking in a new defense and a new QB. Sr place kicker Conrad Ukropina converted 92.3% while making 6 out of 7 field goals from beyond 40 yards. A great kicker could be the difference in winning and losing a game. Christian McCaffrey will once again be Stanford’s primary kick and punt returner. McCaffrey is a true weapon in the return game and will only improve on his 2015 numbers.
Biggest Concern Heading into 2016:
The biggest concern Stanford faces heading into 2016 is starting three new offensive line, while breaking in a new quarterback. What makes a successful offensive line is not only talent, but continuity. The new offensive line would not be a big an issue if they weren’t breaking in a new QB. Stanford’s September schedule is a gauntlet, which doesn’t lend itself to a new offensive line and QB finding it’s sea legs.
Oregon:
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Stadium: Autzen Stadium
Capacity: 54,000
Mascot: The Oregon Duck
Conference: Pac 12
2016 Schedule:
Head Coach: Mark Helfrich
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Lubick
Defensive Coordinator: Brady Hoke
2015 Record: 9-4 (7-2 Pac-12)
Returning Starters:
Offense: 6
Defense: 5
Key Losses:
Vernon Adams-QB, Tyler Johnstone-OT, Matt Pierson-OG, Matt Hegarty-C, Byron Marshall-WR, Bralon Addison-WR Tui Talia-DE, Alex Balducci-NG, DeForest Buckner-DE, Tyson Coleman-OLB, Rodney Hardrick-ILB, Joe Walker-ILB, Christian French-OLB
Offense:
The Oregon Ducks have averaged a remarkable 43 points per game over the past 5 seasons, but there are some concerns with this year’s offense. Oregon will be breaking in a new OC in Matt Lubick and Montana transfer Dakota Prukop. Oregon struck gold last season when Vernon Adams transferred from Eastern Washington; however, Adams missed time due to injury and the Ducks weren’t the same. The jury is still out on Prukop, because he wasn’t that far ahead of redshirt freshman Tyler Jonsen. As usual, Oregon will have excellent skill players at their disposal. Stud running back Royce Freeman returns along with a sneaky good receiving corps in Devon Allen, Daren Carrington, and Dwayne Stanford. If the QB is remotely as good as a healthy Vernon Adams was in 2015, the Ducks will be averaging 43 points per game for a sixth consecutive season. Oregon will have to replace two offensive linemen, but they will be returning their rock at left tackle in Tyrel Crosby. There is some reshuffling to be done on the line, but the team does like redshirt freshman center Jake Hanson.
Defense:
I’m being kind when I say The Ducks were terrible on defense last season. As a result, former DC Don Pellum was demoted and replaced with former Michigan head coach Brady Hoke. Oregon fans should be patient with Hoke, due to the mess he has to clean up. Not only does Oregon need to replace 1st round pick DeForrest Buckner and whole new linebacker corps. The secondary was a turnstile last season, but it could be a strength with returning players like Tyree Robinson, Malik Lovetter, and Arrion Springs who are sure to improve this season.
Special Teams:
Oregon returns both their starting punter (Ian Wheeler) and place kicker (Aidan Schneider). With a new QB, a strong kicking game would only help the Ducks. Schneider converted all 6 of his attempts from over 40 yards last season. That is a huge factor in potentially tight games vs Stanford and Washington. The return game should be great again with speedsters Charles Nelson, Byron Marshall, and Bralon Addison returning kicks.
Biggest Concern Heading into 2016:
Many people will answer with the defense, but I’m going with QB. I believe Dakota Prukop will get the start and will have a 3 game audition to be the guy. If Prukop is bad at Nebraska in week 3, don’t be surprised if Mark Helfrich gives Tyler Jonsen the reigns and let the redshirt freshman learn on the job. Vernon Adams showed his value when he was injured and the Oregon system only goes as far as the QB takes it.
Washington Huskies:
Location: Seattle, Washington
Stadium: Huskie Stadium
Capacity: 70,168
Mascot: Harry the Husky
Conference: Pac 12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Chris Petersen
Offensive Coordinator: Jonathan Smith
Defensive Coordinator: Pete Kwiatkowski
2015 Record 7-6 (4-5 Pac 12)
Returning Starters
Offense: 9
Defense: 7
Key Losses:
Jaydon Mickens-WR, Joshua Perkins-TE, Siosifa Tufunga-C, Dwayne Washington-TB Taniela Tupou-DT, Travis Feeney-BUCK, Cory Littleton-LB, Brian Clay-SS, Korey Durkee-P
Offense:
There is a lot of excitement in Seattle over their young Huskies. The Huskies were extremely young on offense, so being inconsistent on offense was a given. Washington averaged 18.5 points per game in their six losses, but 47 in their final three games. Was that a sign of this young team maturing or is it simply a flash in the pan. This season will provide those answers. The Huskies return rising sophomore QB Jake Browning. He was thrown into the fire on day one and had a fine showing. Now Browning must take that next step in his development for Washington to make a run in the Pac 12 North. The backfield is also very young, but exciting with Myles Gaskin and Dwayne Washington handling the rushing duties. John Ross III returning from injury last season is key in giving this receiving corps some much needed pop after their top 2 receivers graduated. If Ross III can regain his pre-injury form, look out. Although the Huskies return their entire offensive line, that same offensive line wasn’t very good in pass protection. Washington is counting on Kaleb McGary and Trey Adams to improve and provide Browning the protection he needs from the tackle positions.
Defense:
Pete Kwiatowski did an outstanding job rebuilding the Huskies’ defense after losing a slew of talent. Think about this. He had to replace 7 starters on defense, including 4 who went in the top 44 picks in the 2015 NFL Draft. Now this defense returns 7 starters from a defense that les the Pac 12 in scoring and total defense. This defense is primed to dominate the Pac 12 again this season. Their strength is their secondary with soon to be household names in CB Sidney Jones and S Budda Baker. The defensive line is also a brick wall anchored by Elijah Qualls. Washington’s defense has the potential to make life very difficult for Stanford and Oregon.
Special Teams:
Washington will be returning veteran place kicker Cameron Van Winkle who hit 6 of 6 field goals being 40 yards, but will be breaking in a new punter in Korey Durkee. With a young offense and a monster of a defense, Coach Petersen may lean on his kicking game. The kick return game should be in good shape with Chico McClatcher and Dante Pettis returning kicks. Pettis returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns last season and will be a huge weapon in the return game this season.
Washington State
Location: Pullman, Washington
Stadium: Martin Stadium
Capacity: 33,522
Mascot: Butch T. Cougar
Conference: Pac 12
Schedule:
Returning Starters
Offense: 8
Defense: 6
Key Losses: Dom Williams-WR, Joe Dahl-OT, Gunnar Eklund-OG Darryl Paulo-DE, Destiny Vaeao-DT, Ivan McLennan-RUSH, Kache Palacio-RUSH, Jeremiah Allison-WLB, Taylor Taliulu-SS
Head Coach: Mike Leach
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Leach
Defensive Coordinator: Alex Grinch
Offense:
2015 gave us a glimpse at what Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense can do with returning Jr QB Luke Falk. Not was expected from Falk, but he surprised the Pac 12 by passing for 38 touchdown passes and won road games at Oregon, UCLA, Rutgers, and Arizona. Wazzu is returning a nice stable of receivers in Tavares Martin Jr., River Cracraft, and Gabe Marks. Keep your eye on stud freshman WR Isaiah Johnson. With any Mike Leach offense, the running game is like a redheaded stepchild, but James Williams could make this offense even more dangerous if he gets a bigger role. The Cougars do have to replace the left side of their line with a new LT in Andre Dillard and LG Cody O’Connell.
Defense:
DC Alex Grinch did a great job in his first season as DC for the Cougars. He was formerly at Missouri who continuously produced great defensive linemen in Aldon Smith, Kony Ealy, and Michael Sam. Their defense isn’t the biggest, but they are very fast and only gave up 13 TD passes last season. In the spread era, that is an impressive feat. There is an Achilles’ heel with this defense and that is the run D. Wazzu gave up 5 yards per carry last season, but the majority of that front line graduated. The Cougars have good building block on D in DT Daniel Ekuale, DE Hercules Mata’afa, and MLB Peyton Pelluer.
Special Teams:
The Cougars return punter Zach Charme and place kicker Erik Powell. Powell only coverted 5 of 10 field goal attempts outside of 40 yards. He must improve on that number or Wazzu will lose a winnable game like they did at home to Stanford last season (Which cost them a trip to the Pac 12 title game). Their return game should be solid with Tavares Martin Jr., Kyrin Priester, and Gabe Marks sharing return duties.
Biggest Concern Going into 2016:
It has to be the run D. If Washington St doesn’t improve their run D, this season will not be as magical as last season. There are some new defensive lineman arriving like JUCO transfers Garrett McBroom, Chima Onyeukwu, and Suliasi Tamaivena who should help imrove the run defense. If the run defense improves, on top of a talented secondary, the Cougars will have a lot to say who wins the Pac 12 North.
California Golden Bears
Location: Berkley, California
Stadium: California Memorial Stadium
Capacity: 63,000
Mascot: Oski
Conference: Pac 12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Sonny Dykes
Offensive Coordinator: Jake Spavital
Defensive Coordinator: Art Kaufman
2015 Record: 8-5 (4-5 Pac 12)
Returning Starters:
Offense: 8
Defense: 9
Key Losses: Jared Goff-QB, Wide Receivers Bryce Treggs, Trevor Davis, Kenny Lawley, Darius Powe, Maurice Harris, Stephen Anderson. Daniel Lasco-RB, Jordan Rigsbee-RG, Brian Farley-OL, Darius White-CB, Stefan McClure-S, Jalen Jefferson-LB, Kyle Kragen-DL, Mustafa Jalil-DL,
Offense:
Cal faces the unenviable task of replacing the #1 overall draft pick in QB Jared Goff. The Bears will not replace Goff’s talent, but Sr QB Davis Webb will try. Head Coach Sonny Dykes is a disciple of Mike Leach and runs he air raid offense as well. The QB doesn’t need to be as talented as Goof, but he must be able to move the chains. Honestly, no one knows if Webb can get this team to the 6-win mark. However, the silver lining will be a good batch of receivers to throw the ball to. We will see if Webb will be able to find those receivers.
Defense:
Davis Webb has to be special, because the Bears’ defense is terrible. They finished 109th in total defense, 106th in rushing defense, 92nd in pass D, 122nd in red zone D, and 97th in third down D. As you can see, the defense can only get better. Cal will end up in a lot of shootouts due to the porous D. There is a lot of turnover up front and the secondary will not be able to pull the slack. A secondary is only as good as the defensive line.
Special Teams:
Cal returns veteran place kicker Matt Anderson and will be breaking in a new punter in Cole Leininger. Matt Anderson didn’t kick many field goals last season, but made 3 out of 5 kicks from over 40 yards. The Bears will also need some more pop from the return game where Trevor Davis and Kanawai Noa will be sharing return duties.
Biggest Issue Heading into 2016:
Many will say the defense, but I will go back to Davis Webb. Will he be able to win shootouts in the Pac 12 this season? Will he be in the same stratosphere as Jared Goff in terms of production? The coaching staff already knew the defense was going to be bad in 2016, but Davis Webb must be big time for the Bears to go bowling.
Oregon State
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Stadium: Reser Stadium
Capacity: 45,674
Mascot: Benny Beaver
Conference: Pac 12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Gary Andersen
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin McGiven and T.J. Woods
Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Clune
2015 Record: 2-10 (0-8 Pac 12)
Returning Starters:
Offense: 6
Defense: 6
Key Departures: Josh Mithcell-C, Isaac Seumalo-RG, Storm Woods-RB, Kyle Peko-DE, Jalen Grimble-NT, Rommel Mageo-ILB, Justin Strong-FS
Offense:
Oregon State was flat out awful last season, but Coach Gary Andersen needs to be given time to rebuild this team. The Beavers were in decline under Mike Riley for a couple of seasons before he replaced Andersen at Nebraska. Believe it or not Oregon St is on the way up, although it might not show on their final record this season. It looks like Darell Garretson will be the starting QB and Ryan Nall will be the bell cow at RB. The receiving corps boast a plethora of untapped potential in Jordan Villamin and Victor Bolden. The key is Garretson being able to get the ball to his playmakers. A big boost to this offense will be the return of four starters on the offensive line. Another year of cohesion is key if Oregon St is to improve this season.
Defense:
While the Beavers’ offense was near the bottom of the Power Five conferences, the defense was worse. New D coordinator Kevin Clune faces an uphill battle in rebuilding this defense when DL Kyle Pek graduated and LB Rommel Mageo and FS Justin Strong transferring. The Beavers don’t have any household names on defense, but CB Treston Decoud and S Devin Chappell both have the potential to become pretty good players.
Special Teams:
The Beavers return a good punter in Nick Porebski and place kicker Garrett Owens. With a struggling offense, a good punter is key to winning the field position battle. Owens converted only 5 out of 8 field goals from 40 plus yards. With a pedestrian offense, he will be called upon to make those kicks. Victor Bolden and Rahmel Dockery will be returning kicks this season. Bolden averaged 25.2 yards per return with on TD.
Biggest Concern Heading into 2016:
Will the Beaver find playmakers on the defensive line? Oregon St finished dead last in the Pac 12 with 1 sacks. DC Klune has emphasized speed off the edge and will most likely implement more blitzes out of his 3-4 defense. A positive sign in the right direction is the Beavers getting 7 sacks in their spring game.
Colorado
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Stadium: Folsom Field
Capacity: 56,613
Mascot: Ralphie
Conference: Pac 12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre
Offensive Coordinator: Brian Lindgren and Darren Chiaverini
Defensive Coordinator: Jim Leavitt
2015 Record: 4-9 (1-8 Pac 12)
Returning Starters:
Offense: 8
Defense: 9
Key Losses: Christian Powell-HB, Nelson Spruce-WR, Stephane Nembot-OL, Justin Solis-DL, Jared Bell-FS, Ken Crawley-CB
Offense:
In 2015, Colorado implemented a modified version of the Pistol offense. But the offense tailed off after a promising start. QB Sefo Liufau is slated to be the starter, but how will he fare after suffering a nasty foot injury last November? A factor in the Buffaloes offense tailing off is their lack of explosive players and that was with all conference WR Nelson Spruce. They are an undersized group at the skill positions with receivers Shay Fields and Devin Ross, and running backs Patrick Carr and Phillip Lindsay. Will thse undersized players hold up during a rigorous 9 game Pac 12 slate? The offensive line is another concern where the team finished 11th in the Pac 12 in yards per carry and sacks allowed. They must improve that unit if Colorado had any chance of improving.
Defense:
Former South Florida coach Jim Leavitt did a nice job with the Buffaloes’ defense last season. They averaged giving up the fewest amount of points per game in 9 years. This was despite implementing a new 3-4 defense in the spring of 2015. With a full season under Leavitt’s system under their belts, the Buffaloes’ D should improve on a bad rush D that averaged 5 yards a carry in 2015.
Special Teams:
Colorado returns their entire kicking team led by punter Alex Kinney and place kickers Diego Gonzalez and Chris Graham. Graham handles kickoffs, but he must get more touchbacks. Graham kicked the ball off 64 times, but only 18 touchbacks. That means the ball isn’t going into the end zone, thus giving the opposition a chance to get good field position. Donovan Lee and Phillip Lindsay will be the kick returners and those two will be vital in giving a struggling offense good field position.
Biggest Concern Heading into 2016:
Health, health, and heath. Head Coach Mike MacIntyre has been snake bitten in his bid to turn around the Buffaloes with injuries. Last season, Colorado lost their starting QB Sefo Liufau to an injury with just 3 games remaining in the season, starting LT Jeromy Irvin, and 2nd leading rusher Michael Adkins. The secondary and linebacking corps suffered a myriad of injures as well. Colorado is devoid of depth, so a rash of injuries in 2016 will be just as devastating as 2015.
USC:
Location: Los Angeles, California
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Capacity: 93,607
Conference: Pac 12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Clay Helton
Offensive Coordinator: Tee Martin
Defensive Coordinator: Clancy Pendergast
2015 Record: 8-4 (6-3 Pac-12)
Returning Starters:
Offense: 9
Defense: 6
Key Losses: Cody Kessler-QB, Jahleel Pinner-FB, Tre Madden-TB, Max Tuerk-C , Greg Townsend-DE, Delvon Simmons-DT, Antwaun Woods-NT, Anthony Sarao-WLB, Lamar Dawson-MLB, Kevon Seymour-CB, Kris Albarado-P, Su’a Cravens-OLB
Offense:
The USC Trojans might be breaking in a new head coach in Clay Helton, but he was their offensive coordinator last season. USC has lost 3 year starting QB Cody Kessler to graduation, Max Browne or Sam Darnold is waiting for his chance to run the offense. Whomever is named the starting QB will leading a philosophical change on offense. Clay Helton and Tee Martin want to control the tempo with a power rushing attack with running backs Justin Davis and Ronald Johnson II. Although JuJu Smith-Schuster is back to catch passes from the coaching staff is searching for a 32 wideout to take pressure off him. USC will be searching for some stability from their offensive line. 10 players had at least one start on the offensive line and 7 of those 10 players were either freshmen or sophomores. All Pac-12 tackle Zach Banner returns, but the challenge is finding a cohesive unit upfront.
Defense:
USC is loaded at linebacker and DB starring future 1st round pick in Adoree Jackson. Jackson is one of the best corners in the nation and plays some receiver as well. Jackson will be joined by fellow CB Iman Marshall and S Chris Hawkins. The linebacker corps has a chance to be special with players like Cameron Smith and Porter Gustin. The defensive line is still suffering depth issues from being on probation, but there is talent along the line.
Special Teams:
The Trojans will be breaking in a new punter in Kris Albarado and Matt Boermeester will become the full time place kicker this season. The Trojans’ return game will be exciting with Adoree Jackson being their primary returner. Jackson is so much of a threat to break a return, that opponents might play keep away whenever they kickoff or punt.
Biggest Concern Heading into 2016:
The offensive line is the biggest issue heading into the season. There is only player you can pencil in as a starter, plus the rest of the projected starters are very young. What makes matters worse is the Trojans open with Alabama at Jerry World on Labor Day Weekend. Will they be able to solidify the line before the opener?
UCLA:
Location: Los Angeles, California
Stadium: Rose Bowl
Capacity: 92,542
Mascot: Joe and Josephine Bruin
Conference: Pac-12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Jim Mora Jr.
Offensive Coordinator: Kennedy Polamalu
Defensive Coordinator: Tom Bradley
2015 Record: 8-5 (5-4 Pac-12)
Returning Starters
Offense: 4
Defense: 7
Key Losses: Jordan Payton-WR, Devin Fuller-WR, Jake Brendel-C, Ka’imi Fairbairn-K, Paul Perkins-TB, Alex Redmond-OG, Caleb Benenoch-OT, Thomas Duarte-TE, Aaron Wallace-OLB, Matt Mengel-P, Kenny Clark-NT, Myles Jack-ILB
Offense:
Former 5 Star recruit Josh Rosen more than lived up to the hype last season, as he set a school record for most consecutive passes without an interception. The 2018 #1 overall pick will build on his strong freshman campaign. 2016 will be the first under new OC Kennedy Polamalu. The new scheme is more of a pro-style offense. That will only help Rosen with his development. Although Rosen is a big time talent, UCLA will pound the ball with a trio of running backs in Soso Jamabo, Nate Starks and Bolu Olorunfunmi. The Bruins will compliment Rosen with receivers the likes of senior Kenny Walker, junior Alex Van Dyke and even true freshman Theo Howard. Who will break out and become that #1 target? The offensive line is solid at the tackle positions, bit turnover left the interior of the line with uncertainty.
Defense:
DC Tom Bradley is back and he must find a way to improve the Bruins’ run D. The group had a tough time stopping the run when teams run North-South. Part of their issues against the run is the linebacker corps is average at best. Star DL Eddie Vanderdoes returns and he will have to team with fellow DL in Eli Ankou, Matt Dickerson, and Takkarist McKinley to stop the run. The Bruins secondary has talent, but staying healthy has been an issue. If the front four and the secondary can come together, the Bruins may end up fielding one of the best defenses in the Pac 12.
Special Teams:
UCLA hasn’t returned a punt for a TD in nearly a decade. Having explosive returners who can not only return kicks for TDs, but flip field position will make life easier for Josh Rosen. The Bruins lost a great place kicker in Ka’imi Fairburn who was excellent in kickoffs. Out of 84 kickoffs, 59 were touchbacks. It is tough constantly going 80 yards over and over again, and that weapon will be missed. Adam Searl will be replacing a very solid punter in Matt Mengel.
Biggest Issue Heading into 2016: The Burins interior offensive linemen.
The Bruins want to employ more power running into their offense, but they must find stability at the guard and center positions. 2015’s OL was the most veteran group under Jim Mora, but they will have to replace the entire interior of the OL. There are valid concerns coming out of Bruin Nation that the line might be the sieve it was in 2013. The new OL will not have time to get their feet wet, because they will open at Texas A&M and will have to contend with Myles Garett and company.
Utah
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium
Capacity: 45,807
Mascot: Swoop
Conference: Pac-12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham
Offensive Coordinator: Aaron Roderick and Jim Harding
Defensive Coordinator: Morgan Scalley
Returning Starters:
Offense: 7
Defense: 7
Key Losses: Travis Wilson-QB, Kendal Thompson-QB, Devontae Booker-RB, Kenneth Scott-WR, Bubba Poole-WR, Siaosi Aiono-C, Viliseni Fauonuku-DT, Jason Fanaika-DE, Jason Whittingham-SLB, Jared Norris-MLB, Gionni Paul-RLB, Tevin Carter-SS, Tom Hackett-P
Offense:
Utah lost key players from last season’s 10-win team. They have to replace QB Travis Wilson and RB Devontae Booker. Utah should be fine in the run game with Joe Williams and Troy McCormick. Coach Whittingham will choose from JUCO transfer Troy Williams, veteran Brandon Cox, and freshman Tyler Huntley to be Wilson’s successor at QB. Whomever is named the starting QB will be throwing to an all new receiving corps since the Utes lost their top 3 pass catchers. Although C Hiva Lutui suffered a knee injury in the spring, the O-Line will be a strength of the team.
Defense:
The Utes will have some new names on defense, but they will still be their usual tough and physical selves. The staple of the Utes program is being physical on both lines. They are one of the most fundamentally sound defenses in the nation and will not lose the effort battle. The Utes will boast a nice set of DE in Hunter Dimick, Kyle Fitts, and Pita Taumoepenu. The ends will compliment tackles Lowell Lotulelei and Filip Mokofisi. The secondary led by Chase Hansen will be a bear to deal with for opposing QBs.
Special Teams:
The Utes will be returning Sr. placekicker Andy Phillips who converted 8-12 field goals from beyond 40 yards. Punter Tom Hackett and his 48 yards per punt will surely be missed, but JUCO transfer Mitch Wishnowsky will be first man up to fill Hackett’s shoes. Cory Butler-Boyd and Boobie Hobbs will be sharing kick return duties.
Biggest Concern Heading into 2016:
How fast will the new backfield gel together? Replacing two seniors is never easy, but the coaching staff has confidence in their stable of backs. I wouldn’t worry too much about the new QB, because Tyler Wilson was more of a game manager himself. If the new QB can manage the game like Wilson, the Utes should contend in the Pac-12 South.
Arizona
Location: Tucson, AZ
Stadium: Lowell-Stevens Football Facility
Capacity: 56,029
Mascot: Wilbur the Wildcat”
Conference: Pac-12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Rich Rodriquez
Offensive Coordinator: Calvin McGee and Rod Smith
Defensive Coordinator: Marcel Yates
Returning Starters
Offense: 7
Defense: 9
Key Losses: Jerrard Randall-QB, Jared Baker-RB, David Richards-WR, Johnny Jackson-WR, Cayman Bundage-C, Lene Maiava-OT, Casey Skowron-K, Cayleb Jones-WR (NFL) Reggie Gilbert-DE, Jeff Worthy-DT, Sir Thomas Jackson-MLB, Will Parks-SPUR, Anthony Lopez-BAN, Jamar Allah-FS, Drew Riggleman-P, Scooby Wright-LB (NFL)
Offense:
As long as Rich Rodriguez is the head coach, Arizona’s offense will be just fine. During Rodriguez’s 4 years in Tucson, Arizona averaged no less than 33.5 points per game. The Wildcats return Jr QB Anu Solomon and RB Nick Wilson. Arizona has a slew of slot receivers, but if 6’3” Trey Griffey lives up to his potential, this offense could be really special. The offensive line must block better and this team needs to remain healthy.
Defense:
Rich Rodriguez wanted his D to become more physical, so he fired the entire defensive staff and brought in Marcel Yates to run the defense. Yates and the other defensive coaches have a tall task ahead of them. Arizona gave up at least 49 points in half of their final 10 games. It doesn’t matter how good your offense is if a defense is giving up that many points all too often. The Wildcats lost Scooby Wright, but they will have some nice athletes to plug in. Linebackers Paul Magloire and DeAndre Miller should make a nice impact this season.
Special Teams:
Sophomore Josh Pollack will be taking over kicking duties, but the real concern is the return game Tyrell Johnson and Nate Phillips need to become more consistent in the return game. Both returners have broken long returns, but there were too many returns that gained little yardage. Will they become more consistent returners and not feast or famine?
Biggest Concern Heading into 2016:
Staying healthy is the top priority for the Wildcats. QB Anu Solomon is not being pushed at camp by Brandon Dawkins because of talent. It has everything to do with durability. A QB being able to stay healthy provides a measure of stability. Rich Rod would know he can depend on his guy being there all regular season.
Arizona State
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Stadium: Sun Devil Stadium
Capacity: 65,870
Mascot: Sparky
Conference: Pac-12
Schedule:
Head Coach: Todd Grantham
Offensive Coordinator: Chip Lindsay
Defensive Coordinator: Keith Patterson
Returning Starters
Offense: 4
Defense: 6
Key Losses: Mike Bercovici-QB, D.J. Foster-RB, Devin Lucien-WR, Gary Chambers-WR, Christian Westerman-OL, Vi Teofilo-OL, William McGehee-OL, Demetrius Cherry-NT, Antonio Longino-LB, Ismael Murphy-Richardson-LB, Lloyd Carrington-CB, Kweishi Brown-CB
Offense:
For the second straight season, Arizona State must find a new starting QB, but this time there is no veteran to plug in this time. Todd Grantham will choose between 3 youngsters in Manny Wilkins, Bryce Perkins, and Brady White. None of the three have ever attempted a college pass and to make matters worse, ASU lost their two top receivers and four starting offensive linemen to graduation. Will the new QB be able to be productive behind a new offensive line? Will the new look offensive line be able to provide the new QB enough time to make plays?
Defense:
The Sun Devil D has done a great job at pressuring the QB, but they have issues defending the pass. ASU gave up the most passing yards out of any team in the country and they have to replace three members of that secondary. Whomever lines up in the secondary will be helped greatly by a good front seven. The coaching staff is very high on linebackers like Christian Sam, Salamo Fiso, and DJ Calhoun.
Special Teams:
The Sun Devils return senior punter Matt Haack and senior placekicker Zane Gonzalez. Although Gonzalez is a senior, he only converted 4-10 field goals beyond 40 yards. With a young QB and a new O-Line, Gonzalez must improve from distance. The explosive Tim White will share kick return duties with De’Chavon Hayes.
Biggest Issue Heading into 2016
The defensive backfield is an albatross on the D. ASU must replace 3 starters in the same secondary who gave up the most passing yards in the country last season. The coaching staff is committed to putting the best four in the secondary. Offensive players like Tim White, De’Chavon Hayes, and Eric Lauderdale have worked out at corner. Grantham employs a heavy blitz package, so it will be vital the secondary must improve.
Tabius Bixby, for War Room Sports
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