QB Spencer Rattler – South Carolina
The skinny: Rattler’s transfer to South Carolina was a big recruiting win for the Gamecocks, but after the first three quarters of the season there was more disappointment than excitement. Yes, there were a few flashes of the brilliance that South Carolina fans had hoped for, but it wasn’t until the November victory against Tennessee, when he passed for 438 yards and six touchdowns, that everyone saw the full potential. It also helped that he followed up the Tennessee game with another big showing the following week against rival Clemson. So was his late-season showing a sign of things to come? South Carolina fans have been waiting nine months to find out.
QB Brennan Armstrong – NC State
The skinny: After Devin Leary entered the transfer portal, NC State had to respond and did so by adding a veteran quarterback. But what edition of Armstrong are they getting? The best-case scenario is the 2021 version, when he passed for 4,449 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while the worst-case scenario happened last season with 2,210 yards, seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The hope in Raleigh is that his reunion with offensive coordinator Robert Anae, who coached Armstrong at Virginia during his fantastic 2021 season, will rekindle his former self. The Wolfpack’s success this season will greatly depend on the version of Armstrong that they see.
QB Shadeur Sanders – Colorado
The skinny: All eyes will be on Colorado this season, but as the quarterback and obviously the coach’s son, most will be focused on Sanders. His performance at Jackson State was impressive, with 6,693 yards, 70 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions in his two seasons, but will that translate to the Power 5 level? Instead of finding open receivers against Prairie View A&M, Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State, he will be trying to do the same against Utah, USC and Oregon. There are more questions than answers at this point, but they should all be answered in September with games against TCU, Nebraska, Colorado State, Oregon and USC.
QB Quinn Ewers
The skinny: Ewers began to intrigue in high school, and that has continued through his time at Ohio State and now Texas. His first season with the Longhorns showed potential, but also left some lingering doubts. On top of that, there has been consistent buzz about quarterback Maalik Murphy, which included an eye-opening performance at this year’s spring game, and then the addition of much hyped true freshman quarterback Arch Manning. Ewers has managed to maintain the starting job, but now everyone will want to see if he will rise to the occasion or still show the same inconsistencies that plagued him in 2022.
DL Maason Smith – LSU
The skinny: The former five-star flashed his brilliance during his true freshman season in 2021 with 19 tackles, five tackles for a loss and four sacks. Ready to become the next dominant LSU defensive lineman in 2022, he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the season opener against Florida State. Now fully healthy, Smith joins a defensive line that was replenished through the transfer portal and could become a strength of the team. Early reports are that he looks and more importantly moves like his pre-injury version, which should make the 6-foot-6, 310-pound defensive tackle a nightmare to deal with for opposing offensive lines this season.
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