Category archive: NCF
Ah, spring practice. That time of year when, while athletes pound pads, we pound the pavement looking for headlines … even if there aren't many actual headlines to report.
The biggest programs always draw the most national attention, from televised spring games to "SportsCenter" live shots done from the first day of practice (as Tom Rinaldi did at South Carolina. Sorry, Coach Spurrier).
But sometimes the most interesting storylines are off the beaten path. And the use of the word interesting here is strictly relative. The reasons that make a spring practice interesting to you and me are quarterback battles, coaching changes and BCS title chances.
However, the eyes of the people inside the game are drawn to keep tabs on other programs for entirely different reasons. With that mindset in mind, here are the "Top 5 Spring Practices You Probably Aren't Watching But Should Be."
Kansas Jayhawks
2012 record: 1-11
Reason to care: Juco transfers
To call the Jayhawks' 2012 campaign ugly would be an insult to ugly people. Charlie Weis, entering his second spring in Lawrence, is always going to draw attention because he's, well, Charlie Weis. But this April, KU's extreme makeover of a roster doesn't have the attention of college football folks because of the arrival of former BYU quarterback Jake Heaps. They're monitoring all of the other new faces.
In an effort to "fill all the holes we discovered last year," Weis has taken a page from the "Fred Hoiberg Iowa State basketball complete oil change playbook." In February, Weis inked 18 junior college transfers.
Eighteen!
"Signing juco transfers is nothing new. And when it works, it really works," says an SEC coordinator, pointing to Auburn's Cam Newton/Nick Fairley-led influx that won a BCS title. "You see Gus [Malzahn] returning to that again this year. I think Auburn brought in six. But this is three times that! These kids can be very high risk. They're like hired guns. So the chance of this blowing up in Charlie's face is pretty good. But if it works, this is a monkey-see, monkey-do business and there are a lot of coaches who will try to copy the plan. A lot of us don't have a great feeling about that long term."
To read Ryan McGee's full blog on the top off-the-radar spring practices, sign up for ESPN Insider.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Ryan McGee
Ryan McGee is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. While you may know him for his extensive and very popular NASCAR coverage on this site and television, he's also been a constant in the Mag's coverage of college football. Why? Well, to wit:
• He started working in college athletic departments at 16 (Furman, Tennessee). Got his first sideline pass (UNC @ Virginia) when he was 12 and was totally run over by Tar Heels LB Micah Moon.
• His father was a college football official for 36 years (FBS 1981-2009), working 20 bowl games and two national championships.
• Ryan's a member of the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America).
• He's covered college football for ESPN The Magazine for the last five years.
• He's all over college sports -- Ryan authored "The Road To Omaha: Hits, Hopes and History at the College World Series."
Follow Ryan on Twitter: @ESPNMcGee
