OFFENSE

New head coach Mark Helfrich’s transition will be eased by the presence of two potential Heisman Trophy candidates in sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota and junior running back De’Anthony Thomas.

Mariota, who combines laid-back Hawaiian cool with textbook dual-threat abilities, set school records for completion percentage (68.5) and total touchdowns (38) in his first season as the starter.

Used as a complement to LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner the last two years, Thomas will get a shot as the primary back in 2013, though the Ducks will limit his carries to protect the 176-pound jitterbug. Sophomore Byron Marshall and 5-star recruit Thomas Tyner will also be involved in the running game.

There are enough veteran targets on hand in receivers Josh Huff, Keanon Lowe and Bralon Addison, plus tight end Colt Lyerla, that speculation around Eugene is that the Ducks will throw more often this fall, after being predominantly a running team under Chip Kelly.

The offensive line features a trio of all-conference candidates in center Hroniss Grasu, left tackle Tyler Johnstone and right tackle Jake Fisher, but the guards will be relatively new faces. Senior Mana Greig started two games last fall before a knee injury ended his season, and junior Hamani Stevens is a big body who could provide the physical presence the Ducks need to prove they’re not just a finesse offense.

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DEFENSE

The Ducks return six of their top seven defensive linemen and their entire two-deep in the defensive backfield, including All-America candidate Ifo Ekpre-Olomu at cornerback.

The question mark is at inside linebacker, where Michael Clay and Kiko Alonso have graduated, and juniors Derrick Malone and Rodney Hardrick sat out spring practices. Junior college transfer Joe Walker and converted outside linebacker Tyson Coleman could be factors there.

Oregon also needs to replace top NFL Draft pick Dion Jordan, but his shoulder injury late in 2012 provided a chance for backup Tony Washington to earn the confidence of his coaches and teammates. On the other side, the Ducks are waiting for senior Boseko Lokombo to blossom into a consistent impact player, after flashes of greatness the last three seasons.

SPECIALISTS

The Ducks could have two new kickers, with heralded freshman Matt Wogan set to challenge inconsistent placekicker Alejandro Maldonado, and Dylan Ausherman replacing punter Jackson Rice. Ausherman is a junior college transfer who redshirted last fall. Thomas is a threat in the return game — he scored a touchdown on the opening kickoff of the Fiesta Bowl — but he struggled with his decision-making as a punt returner last fall. Addison is a more sure-handed option on punt returns.

FINAL ANALYSIS

The Ducks enter their most intriguing season since Kelly took over in 2009, with the Helfrich era kicking off and the Ducks looking to regain their throne after failing to win a fourth consecutive conference championship in 2012. They “settled” for their second straight BCS bowl victory, over Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl, but the departure of Kelly to the NFL a few weeks later made 2013 a potentially historic transition year for the program.

The promotion of Helfrich was intended to maintain momentum, and he managed to keep the bulk of the coaching staff and the recruiting class together. But in six years with the Ducks, Kelly grew to become one of the most respected football minds in the country, and a hiccup or two in his absence wouldn’t be surprising, particularly against Stanford, the only team to beat Kelly twice in his four years as head coach.

 

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OFFENSE

At Florida in the 1990s, Steve Spurrier won while playing two quarterbacks at times. He might do it again this season. Connor Shaw’s injuries gave Dylan Thompson opportunities last season, which ended by Thompson throwing the game-winning touchdown pass at the finish of the Outback Bowl. Thompson also played all of the previous game, a win over rival Clemson.

So what now? Thompson, a junior, says Spurrier told him to expect to play this season. Shaw, a senior, missed all of spring practices while undergoing foot surgery, but that didn’t concern quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus.

Marcus Lattimore was the heart and soul of the Gamecocks’ program for the past three seasons. But he turned pro early, after a devastating knee injury, and now Spurrier will try to replace him with another high-profile recruit, Mike Davis, who had 52 carries last season as a true freshman. Davis improved his pass-blocking this spring, which enabled him to beat out the slower Brandon Wilds for the job. 

Bruce Ellington will step into the role of No. 1 receiver after Ace Sanders left early for the NFL Draft. Junior Nick Jones and sophomore Shaq Roland will also be major factors in the passing game.

Every offensive line starter returns except center T.J. Johnson, and that’s a big loss because he started every game for the past three seasons. His replacement, redshirt freshman Cody Waldrop, struggled with snapping at times in the spring.

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DEFENSE

Quite simply, no player in college football left a more indelible final impression in 2012 than defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, whose helmet-popping hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl continued to wow everybody for months after it happened. Clowney now has 21 career sacks and 35.5 tackles for a loss. If offensive lines slide their protections toward Clowney, senior Chaz Sutton can take advantage.

Linebacker is the biggest question mark for the Gamecocks, who lost all three of their starters. They likely will start sophomore Kaiwan Lewis at the Mike spot — the linebacker responsible for aligning the defensive front before the snap. They will enter August practices with battles at the two outside linebacker spots — Will and Spur. T.J. Holloman and Cedrick Cooper are even at Will, while Sharrod Golightly is slightly ahead of Jordan Diggs at Spur.

Cornerback Victor Hampton is one of South Carolina’s most talented players. And if he has a big 2013 season as a junior, he could cash in for NFL money, just as Stephon Gilmore did after the 2011 season. Hampton knows this, and he also knows he has to continue to demonstrate maturity, after off-field disciplinary issues pockmarked the early part of his career.

SPECIALISTS

Sanders was a very good receiver, but an even better punt returner. He ranked fourth nationally last season with 15.3 yards per return and brought two back for touchdowns. So who takes his place? Hampton seems like the leading candidate, but the coaches want to cast a wide net in this search. Ellington is one of the country’s most experienced kickoff returners. He returned 18 last season and 20 in 2011. 

FINAL ANALYSIS

With a game-changing player like Clowney, South Carolina has a chance for a special season. If Spurrier can manage the Shaw-Thompson rotation and get positive results from Davis, who certainly doesn’t have to be the next Lattimore in his first year as a starter, then the Gamecocks’ offense has a chance to be better than it was the past two seasons, when they leaned on their defense and the offense ranked No. 82 and 74 nationally in yards per game.

 

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OFFENSE

The best offense in Georgia history, at least statistically speaking, returns eight starters, including a fourth-year quarterback. It’s hard to see how the Bulldogs could get better. But they could.

Aaron Murray’s ability to put up big numbers isn’t in question, and he played well enough against Alabama’s stout defense in the SEC Championship Game to answer critics who claim he doesn’t perform in big games. But Murray still needs to eliminate those brief stretches where he struggles, such as the three-interception first half that almost cost Georgia its win against Florida last year.

Tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall (who combined for 2,144 rushing yards and 26 total touchdowns last year) need to avoid sophomore slumps, and they’ll get increased attention from defenses. And the offensive line, which was average last year, needs to be good from the outset this year, with Georgia’s front-loaded schedule. The Bulldogs may need their offense to carry them this year — and it’s capable of doing just that. 

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DEFENSE

There’s a lot of optimism around the Bulldogs about their young defense, but the fact is they still have so many playmakers to replace: Two-time first-team All-American Jarvis Jones, leading tackler Alec Ogletree, three-fourths of the starting secondary and almost the entire defensive line.

Four players who finished last year as starters return. One of them, sophomore outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, could emerge as a star this year. Junior inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera and junior cornerback Damian Swann are also All-SEC caliber.

But the performance of the defense will hinge on the players who fill in the other roles. Josh Harvey-Clemons, a sophomore who rarely played last year, will see a lot of snaps at a hybrid Star safety/linebacker position. The nose tackle spot, so key to a 3-4 defense, will be filled by a committee. Safety Tray Matthews could become the first true freshman to start Georgia’s opener since defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was hired in 2010.

It’s not a defense without talent: Several years of good recruiting took care of that. The question is whether Grantham can mold this unit into a successful one soon enough for the team to survive Clemson, South Carolina and LSU — or whether Georgia will need to win a bunch of high-scoring games. 

SPECIALISTS

Erratic hardly begins to describe Marshall Morgan’s first season as Georgia’s placekicker. He eventually settled down, but early in the season he missed three extra points, had another blocked and had several more ding off the uprights. But he also booted two field goals from over 50 yards out. Punter Collin Barber, also a freshman last year, was the direct opposite of Morgan, with hardly any shanks but also few memorable bombs, and less than a third were downed inside the 20. While the two kicking spots are set, the return specialist roles remains in flux. Malcolm Mitchell provides the most breakaway ability, but he also made some ill-advised decisions. Gurley had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the opener, then hardly returned any kicks after that. 

FINAL ANALYSIS

There’s enough talent on this team for Mark Richt to take the program to the next level and win a national championship. But Georgia’s schedule is much harder than it was last year, and with three potential top-10 teams in the first month, the season may be decided on two things: Whether the defense can start the season off at least being serviceable and whether the offense can be as good as last year. If the answer to both questions is yes, then the Bulldogs should be back in Atlanta in December, hoping the third time is a charm for winning the SEC title.

 

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