National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance ranking the Pac-12 top-tier TEs for next season, potential true freshmen breakout players in the Big 12, and the coaching debate — Josh Heupel vs. Shane Beamer.
Top Pac-12 Tight Ends
— We round out the Power Five top-tier TEs with the Pac-12.
1. Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford
— He was second to Dalton Kincaid in receptions by tight ends last season and should extend his yards-per-catch to double digits next season.
2. Jalin Conyers, Arizona State
— Conyers found the end zone five times last season for a struggling offense, so a better year could be ahead.
3. Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
— Ferguson has the highest ceiling of this group for the long haul and could have a breakout season after 32 catches and five scores last year.
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4. Tanner McLachlan, Arizona
— You may not have heard of the Canadian TE, but he had the most catches as a tight end for the Wildcats since a guy named Rob Gronkowski.
5. Josh Cuevas, Washington
— The Cal Poly transfer can play inline or split out wide and caught 58 passes last season.
Impact Big XII True Freshmen
— Which true freshmen will have an impact in the Big 12?
1. WR Johntay Cook, Texas
The silky-smooth receiver from in-state power DeSoto showed why he was such a coveted recruit during spring ball, flashing outstanding route running skills. Despite having Xavier Worthy, AD Mitchell, and other veteran receivers on the roster, Cook will see plenty of snaps this fall.
2. DT John Walker, UCF
Being in the state of Florida, the Knights are bound to get some solid recruits every year, but Gus Malzahn did a phenomenal job with the 2024 class, headlined by Walker. The in-state four-star defensive tackle has a chance to be a day-one starter as he is equally comfortable against the run as he is at disrupting the pocket from the interior.
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3. DB Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma
The Sooners’ defense struggled a lot in 2022, especially in the secondary, so landing the five-star from Denton, TX, was a huge win for Brent Venables on signing day. He’s a hugely versatile piece on the back end.
4. DB Brenden Jordan, Texas Tech
Another versatile defender, Jordan is going to push for playing time immediately in Tim DeReuter‘s defense. His football IQ is off the charts, and he has the requisite athleticism to play a ton of different roles.
5. WR Jordyn Bailey, TCU
An absolute jitterbug, Bailey is incredibly shifty and explosive with the ball in his hands. Sonny Dykes will find creative ways to get the ball in the diminutive receiver’s hands in space.
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The Coach Debate: Josh Heupel vs. Shane Beamer
— And we continue the national coaching debates with Josh Heupel at Tennessee vs. Shane Beamer at South Carolina.
The case for Heupel:
He’s proven that he’s as good an offensive mind as anyone in college football over the past few seasons with the way that he’s transformed the Volunteers. Since coming to Knoxville from UCF, he’s turned Hendon Hooker into one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, beat Alabama for the first time in nearly two decades, and turned the Vols into one of the top teams on the trail.
The case against Heupel:
While Joe Milton looked good in the Vols’ Orange Bowl victory over Clemson, it will be a very different task for Heupel to get him to continue to have the accuracy he’ll need to succeed as the full-time starter in 2023. Additionally, his defenses have yet to establish themselves in any meaningful way at either UCF or Tennessee yet.
The case for Beamer:
The Gamecocks were among the teams with the most momentum in the country heading into the spring, coming off of two huge wins to finish their 2022 season in upsets over Tennessee and Clemson. That momentum continued to the trail, where, somewhat shockingly, Beamer was able to land five-star ATH Nyckoles Harbor and finish with a top-20 class nationally. The Gamecocks are off to a hot start in the 2024 class as well, currently ranked in the top 10.
The case against Beamer:
Up until those final two games of 2022, things were not exactly going great in Columbia, most notably the struggles of former five-star quarterback Spencer Rattler. And while it’s not something necessarily within his control, there has never been a consistent run of success at any coach at South Carolina
The verdict:
Although the offense might be a little gimmicky, it doesn’t matter as long as it works, and it certainly does for Heupel. So even though Beamer may have the edge on the trail right now, Heupel isn’t far behind in that category and holds a slight lead in most of the others.
