CFB Spring Stock Up Report
Get dressed… I'll show you my charts.
- Gordon Gekko, Wallstreet (1987)
STOCK UP
QB Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)
The new Indiana Hoosier pivot man has already drawn praise from QB guru Curt Cignetti, and looks to have locked the QB1 position down early. Now the question becomes: how effective is the IU offence in year one of the Cignetti-Shanahan regime? Only time will tell, but this is a staff that has worked wonders at the QB position in the past (hello Todd Centeio and Jordan McCloud), so I’m not putting it past them to repeat that feat in 2024.
The primary question I had going into this offseason was whether Rourke would show enough form to lock the spot down early, and it appears he has. While it’s been lean years since, I’m old enough to remember the days when Rourke was an absolute MAC Daddy in 2022.
QB Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
With similar reasoning to Rourke, I’ve been apprehensive this offseason regarding Milroe due to the concern that he might not even retain and/or win the starting role for 2024. The comments from OC Nick Sheridan have alleviated that concern, and after seeing Milroe’s apparent improvement as a passer in the spring game, I think I’m back in on the Tide signal caller.
The upside has always been here, I was just looking for a safer floor. Milroe will likely be one of the steepest risers in my Q2 rankings report.
RB Quali Conley (Arizona)
Jacorey Merritt never arriving in Arizona is the biggest factor here for Conley. I don’t know that the new staff are really a big plus. The head coach, Brent Brennan, had Conley last year, and both he and Kairee Robinson were a productive duo at SJSU, but Brennan’s history suggests that was more of an anomaly than anything. Either way, Conley now sits atop the depth chart for the RB position at AU.
RB Jambres Dubar (Boise State)
Ashton Jeanty leaving the spring game with an apparent hamstring injury certainly doesn’t hurt, but Dubar was already trending up for me even prior to the injury, According to the G5 Hive, sources inside the program have said that the plan for Dubar was 12-14 touches per game (again, this was pre Jeanty injury).
That split wouldn’t be outside the norm of what we’ve come to expect at BSU, with George Holani and Jeanty splitting work each of the last two years when both were healthy. I still fully expect Jeanty to be a downright disgustingly fat pig in this offence, but Dubar might cut into it just a bit more than originally thought.
WR Omari Hayes (FAU)
Despite head coach Tom Herman suggesting that FAU will be replacing LaJohntay Wester by committee, Hayes popped in the spring game with a team-high eight receptions according to 247 sports. We’ve been wondering who the heir apparent in that slot role would be, and it would appear that either he or App State transfer Milan Tucker will be occupying that role.
Hayes’ ADP is NA, but that’s probably going to change as we head into summer. He’s a bit risky as both he and Tucker had big showings in the spring game, and Herman’s quotes suggest that they’ll be trying to replace Wester with a moneyball approach.
WR Omari Kelly (MTSU)
Kelly led all MTSU WRs in the spring game with six receptions for 93 yards. With Vattiato entering his second year as the starting QB, Kelly could present huge value to the CFF player as a later round selection.
Both the new head coach and offensive coordinator have had a WR average over 9 targets per game at least once in the last five years. In fact, there are only three seasons of play calling experience in that time frame between the two coaches, and the WR1 target averages were 7.45, 9.42, and 9.38.
Who knows if Kelly ends up being WR1 in-season, but he appeared to be in the spring game. His current ADP is NA according to Campus2Canton. I think there’s value here as a late round pick even in a 16-round, 12-team standard league.
WR Deion Burks (Oklahoma)
Burks had a massive spring game, as evidenced by the fact that the beat writers essentially referred to it as the “Deion Burks Game”. Burks finished with five catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
Jackson Arnold remains a question mark at QB, but there seems to be little doubt about who’s the top dog in the henhouse for the OU WRs. The OLine play is another question mark, casting some doubt about the efficacy of this offence in 2024. But, if Arnold can play up to expectations, and the OLine can at least be average in the SEC, Burks is a guy who is going to have some big games. His ADP currently is 145.5, up from 154 in March. I expect his ADP to climb to under 100 by the summertime.
TE Justin Joly (North Carolina State)
Perhaps no TE has had a better spring than UConn transfer Joly. In one half of play in the spring game, Joly caught three passes for 58 yards, and appeared to be a favourite target of QB Grayson McCall.
Joly is expected to occupy the FLEXY role in Robert Anae’s offence this season, which is a position that has been occupied by players like Orande Gadsden and Keytaon Thompson, and has proved productive in the past. His current ADP is 175.5.