The pressure is building for new Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei after underwhelming in his debut against Georgia Tech. The Seminoles now have a razor thin margin of error for the rest of the season and it will be up to Uiagalelei to get Florida State on track.
Uiagalelei, who starred at Oregon State last season, is one of many 2024 transfers under immense pressure this season.
Bond is tasked with replacing Xavier Worthy, one of last season’s most explosive players. The former Alabama receiver may not be quite as fast as Worthy but he can still take the top off of defenses. Bond has big shoes to fill, and there will surely be plenty of big plays to be had in the Texas offense.
*****
Gabriel is back for what feels like his 100th season of college football. Age jokes aside, the experience that the 23-year-old brings to Oregon for his sixth and final season should really help him in what is going to be a one of a kind season for the Ducks. Dan Lanning’s team begins Big Ten play this year and has national title aspirations, which seem realistic given the talent on that roster. It will be up to Gabriel to keep Oregon on track and achieve their goals.
*****
Ohio State enters the season as the favorite to win the national title and it’s due in large part to the highly-rated transfers they added this offseason. Howard – not Caleb Downs or Quinshon Judkins – is the key player as the Buckeyes embark on their hunt for a title. As we saw last season, Ohio State will only go as far as their quarterback takes them.
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Jackson was one of the most highly-regarded high school cornerback prospects in recent memory but his career at USC did not pan out the way most expected. After two years with the Trojans, Jackson transferred to Alabama hoping a fresh start would get his career back on track. The Alabama cornerback depth chart is crowded and Jackson has limited time to lock in a starting spot, let alone live up to the five-star hype.
*****
Jones has big shoes to fill at Florida State with the Seminoles having lost their best pass rushers from last season to the NFL Draft. He has immense potential but that potential has been unrealized thus far. With a forgettable stint at Georgia behind him, Jones is now trying to live up to the hype at his father’s alma mater. After making just two tackles in the season opening loss to Georgia Tech, there is work to be done for the former five-star high school prospect.
*****
Fair or not, McCord received a lot of the blame last season when Ohio State did not beat Michigan and reach the College Football Playoff. After not being guaranteed the starting spot this season, McCord entered the transfer portal and ended up at Syracuse where he’s looking to prove his doubters wrong. The expectations for Syracuse aren’t nearly as high as they were for Ohio State but McCord is still looking for his redemption after last season.
*****
One of the most talked about backups from last season, Murphy filled in for Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers in a couple key games and now finds himself as the starting quarterback at Duke. Murphy went viral on social media thanks to his impressive 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame but now he’ll need to show there is more to his game than just a powerful arm.
*****
Nolen arrives at Ole Miss from Texas A&M with a lot to prove if he hopes to be a high pick in the next NFL Draft. The former five-star high school prospect and transfer prospect got better each season in College Station and NFL scouts hope he continues to improve. Last year Nolen was given a pass rushing productivity rating of 5.8 from PFF. As a frame of reference, all of the defensive linemen who were selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft were given a much higher grade.
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Overton was a big part of Alabama’s effort to reload on defense. The Texas A&M transfer was a five-star high school prospect but his production at the college level has lagged behind his potential. With just one sack in two years, we’ll see if Overton will be able to live up to the hype.
*****
Proctor’s 2023 season did not get off to a great start but by the end of the year had found his groove. The five-star offensive tackle isn’t under pressure because of his performance on the field but because of everything that happened in the offseason. Proctor’s transfer out of Alabama to Iowa and then back to Alabama drew a lot of attention. That soap opera will get talked about throughout the season but all will be forgotten if the sophomore continues to improve.
*****
Uiagalelei’s performance against Georgia Tech was forgettable and many of the same issues that plagued him at Clemson surfaced again. He was able to find success last season at Oregon State but this year at Florida State Uiagalelei needs to find his footing quickly or lose his last chance to prove he is worthy of a high pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
*****
Ward very nearly entered this year’s NFL Draft but decided to play another year of college football at Miami. The Hurricanes brought in a number of important transfers as they make a run at the College Football Playoff but they’re only going to go as far as Ward will take them. That’s a lot of pressure for a quarterback hoping to boost his stock and become a first-round pick.
