Spring is a provider of hope in college football, regardless if you were a national title contender or also-ran the previous season. One reason for the positivity is the arrival, or pending arrival, of reinforcements.
While some schools are still waiting for theirs -- expected impact players such as new Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Danny O'Brien and Missouri Tigers freshman receiver Dorial Green-Beckham will hit their respective campuses this summer -- others have already welcomed new blood for spring drills.
Some schools have early-enrolling freshmen. Others have junior college and prep school transfers who could make an immediate difference, with the spring aiding their progress toward snaps in the fall.
Here is a look at a few highly considered spring newcomers who could have a major impact on their teams this season.
Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon Ducks
Most who see Armstead, a true freshman, have a tough time getting over his physical attributes: The California native is 6-foot-8 and 280 pounds. And, to think, that's before strength coaches get ahold of him in a college weight program.
To see the full list of impact newcomers, become an ESPN Insider today.
Travis Haney
ESPN Insider• Joined ESPN as Insider's national college football writer in April 2012
• Previously wrote for The Oklahoman and The Post and Courier
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Travis HaneyTravis Haney joined ESPN in April 2012 as Insider's national college football writer. He previously covered the University of Oklahoma Sooners for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman for one season, and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks for The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier for four. Additionally, Haney has contributed since 2003 to ESPN publications and projects, including ESPN The Magazine.
A native of Cleveland, Tenn., Haney's initial introduction to a college football cathedral was Neyland Stadium. He later graduated from the University of Tennessee, in 2003, and has spent time covering the Volunteers, the University of Georgia, Clemson University, and other schools. Safe to say, football, and football in the South, was injected into his bloodstream at a young age.
Haney is the author of three books -- Gamecock Glory and Gamecock Encore, which chronicled the South Carolina baseball team's run to the 2010 and 2011 national championships, and State of Disunion, a historical look at the Clemson-South Carolina football rivalry that he co-wrote with Larry Williams.
Haney resides in Charlotte, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter here.
