You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.
- Pablo Neruda, poet
Friends, we’re firing up this series once again. The first iteration includes notes from all spring games that occurred from March up until April 11.
These teams include: Clemson, Nebraska, USC, Rice, Nevada, Mississippi State, Bowling Green, Colorado State, Colorado, Florida, Purdue, South Alabama, WKU, Alabama, Temple, Tennessee, UConn, Pitt, FIU, Marshall and Syracuse.
One thing to note is that the quality of intel coming out of these games highly varies per program. Some places have a lot of coverage, and some don’t. And even when intel is available, some coaches use these games primarily to see what young players are capable of, whereas others prefer to treat it like a pre-season game which is more informative.
Nonetheless, I’ve found that throughout the years there is always at least one interesting nugget that turns out to be useful from these spring game reports.
Also, now that we can embed tweets into Substack articles again these are going to be so much better going forward. Cheers.
CLEMSON
QB:
Vizzina the Guy Heading Into Summer
Chris Vizzina is the clear-cut No. 1 coming out of the spring. The rising redshirt junior went 10-of-18 for 95 yards and a touchdown throw. He wasn’t overly impressive, but he was solid. It was a pretty vanilla game plan of offense. His back-shoulder touchdown pass couldn’t have been thrown much better.
Clear-Cut No. 2?
It appears the Tigers have settled on a backup quarterback. After taking all the second team reps in the media viewing window on Monday, freshman Tait Reynolds was once again clearly QB2 on Saturday. Chris Denson, who was expected to be a factor in the battle for the starting job, was not even seen in the first half.
Reynolds was 6-of-8 passing for 68 yards and he ran one in for a score.
If anyone in that room is going to challenge Vizzina in the summer and fall, it is going to be the true freshman.
WR:
Freshman Wideouts
While Naeem Burroughs and even Connor Salmin got a lot of the 2026 recruiting hype, it was Gordon Sellers who stood out on Saturday. He had three catches, including a back-shoulder touchdown grab from Vizzina that was a thing of beauty.
NEBRASKA
QB/WR:
A major talking point, no surprise here, was the quarterback competition this spring. Though returnee T.J. Lateef started the game, Anthony Colandrea played with the first team, finishing with 12 pass completions on 19 attempts for 80 yards and the game’s first two touchdowns, 6 yards to Jacory Barney Jr. and 8 yards to Quinn Clark. Colandrea threw one interception, to Donovan Jones. Colandrea is a transfer from UNLV who also played at Virginia. He didn’t play during the second half.
RB:
Jamal Rule is a true freshman from Salisbury, N.C. He carried three consecutive times to begin the spring game and finished as the game’s leading rusher, gaining a combined 121 yards on 10 carries, aided, of course, by the 75-yard run. Even though the Huskers appear to have a deep running back room, Rule has worked his way into the mix. “Jamal’s certainly, certainly, certainly preparing to play this year as a freshman,” Coach Matt Rhule said post-game.
OL:
Nebraska has “a lot of good depth” in the offensive line room, according to Rhule. He feels good about the “first five, first eight,” he said. The first five include three transfers: guards Brendan Black (Iowa State) and Paul Mubenga (LSU) and tackle Tree Babalade (South Carolina). They join tackle Elijah Pritchett, an Alabama transfer last year, and center Justin Evans, a team leader. Rhule also mentioned Sam Sledge, Tyler Knaak and Gunnar Gottula, who has been out this spring.
USC
USC opted to skip a formal spring game, instead having a closed practice. These were some notes from USC’s final spring practice:
QB:
There are some concrete areas where USC quarterback Jayden Maiava can improve. We watched Luke Huard emphasize throwing on the move as well as in-pocket footwork all through spring camp drills. We also saw Maiava and the quarterbacks work on red-zone passing, the toughest place on the field to perform for a quarterback.
Statistically, however, Maiava could put up the same gaudy numbers as he did last season, and they might not indicate a move in either direction. He’s in a different situation than he was last season. Headliners Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane are gone. The veteran presence of an old head like Lake McRee is also off the roster.
Maiava has to do more than just deal the cards as he did last season. The real crucible for him is going to be leading the Trojans through the tough moments as the player the whole team expects to set the tone. Riley left pleased with where Maiava broke camp in this regard.
“He’s just had a fantastic spring,” Riley said. “He’s just been much, much better than he has been in any practice period that we’ve had. His comfort level, combined with he’s having to do it with a lot of new skill guys. Pretty much everybody but King [Miller], he hasn’t played with. To be able to come out and produce and be consistent like he’s been the entire spring. Hasn’t had bad days. He’s taken care of the ball, he’s commanded.
“His confidence in leading. Knowing that some of these other guys that were leaders are gone, and the team and offense are looking at him to be a leader and to have that presence. He’s growing right in sync with his game. It’s just more confidence and more personality, more swagger, more attitude. And our team, our guys feed off that.”
Pass catchers:
This position group was never really a major concern despite the losses of Lemon and Lane to the NFL. We even called it a “fake problem” early in spring. Still, the new USC wide receivers had work to do onboarding Riley’s offense and establishing chemistry with Maiava. The odds were very good simply based on all the talent we observed this spring. From veteran transfer Terrell Anderson to freshmen Trent Mosley, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Luc Weaver and Tron Baker, it was clear this room didn’t lack for playmaking potential.
Riley felt the same. He went right to Dennis Simmons and Chad Savage‘s guys as the group giving him the most encouragement heading into summer.
“I would put receiver in that category, just because there was so many new bodies,” Riley said. “And then not having Tanook [Hines] able to go this spring. Interested to see what that would look like. The whole room, really other than Corey Simms and a little bit of Romero Ison. The whole rest of the room was completely new. So that group has performed, and we’ve got some playmakers in there.”
The pass-catching flowers didn’t stop with the wide receivers. USC’s tight end group has a presumed headliner in freshman Mark Bowman, but nearly all of last year’s production was gone from that room as well. Taniela Tupou was really the only player in the room to make even a modest appearance in last year’s stats. Riley was uncertain what he had collectively in Savage’s other room, but he felt much better about the group by the end.
“I would probably put tight end in that very similar category for similar reasons,” Riley added. “Obviously, losing Lake, who performed so well, so consistent for us over the last few years. Interested to see how that room would step up, and definitely been encouraged there.”
RICE
The only notes I could find were paywalled, but it sounds like QB Jacurri Brown was a notable headliner in the game (“Welcome to town, Jacurri Brown”)
NEVADA
QB/RB
The Silver team dominated the padded scrimmage, intercepting blue-team quarterback and UCLA transfer Luke Duncan three times and getting the night's only two touchdowns on the ground with running back and Feather River transfer Janerious Jackson scoring twice.
AJ Bianco led Silver's offense and accounted for the night's longest play - a huge throw down the left sideline for Southeast Missouri State transfer Donnie Cheers.
Quarterback Carter Jones did not play after suffering a minor elbow injury during practice.
KENNESAW STATE
No notes.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
QB:
Kamario Taylor threw two touchdown passes, a 38-yarder to Anthony Evans III and a 9-yard pass in a tight window to Sanfrisco Magee.
Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby after the Spring Game on Kamario Taylor:
"He has continued to get better. He works hard. There are two he wants back from today. We can’t have them and he knows that, immediately. I love his urgency, his chase to get better every day. This was not a setting conducive what he is from a four quarter, every down standpoint."
"This guy when he turns live is different. It’s good for him to be in situations that are controlled where he has to continue to develop in the pocket and do some things that weren’t natural at the beginning. Proud of where he’s at"The offense scored two other touchdowns while Taylor was at quarterback, including running back Fluff Bothwell throwing a 75-yard touchdown to Magee on a trick play.
OL:
Lebby said he was pleased with the starting offensive line unit, which consisted of Miles McVay, DJ Chester, Cannon Boone, LJ Prudhomme and Jakheem Shumpert-Perkins. Blake Steen rotated in at guard, too. Lebby particularly lauded Shumpert-Perkins as a spring breakout who has solidified one of the starting tackle spots.
BOWLING GREEN
No notes from game. Found this from final scrimmage:
The final practice was open to the public and featured individual and positional drills, as well as an 11-on-11 scrimmage session.
“We did our best to get things on the right track, and I think we did just that,” BGSU head coach Eddie George said. “We’ve had a full offseason to install an offense, a defense, special teams, make tweaks within the staff, get a class — our first full [recruiting] class. That was huge for us to build the foundation.”
Position battles still remain a key topic as the offseason continues. The most notable of those is at quarterback, where George has liked the unit’s growth in offensive coordinator Greg Nosal’s system.
QB:
Austin Novosad, a junior transfer out of Oregon, mentioned all four signal callers are focused on competing each day, seeking improvement in the film room and on the field.
“I think the biggest takeaway is just, everyone’s got to work,” Novosad said. “So find that thing that you need to get better from spring ball and just continue to come out here with player-led stuff and get better on your own.”
No matter which quarterback emerges, new offensive weapons will have to step up. The Falcons will be without their top six receiving yard leaders from a year ago and are looking to replace the production.
WR:
Standout names over the spring included freshmen Pauly Sadler and Joseph Saffold (WR). Fifth-year Falcon Trey Johnson (WR) is also expected to make an impact.
Both Sadler and Saffold are out of Glenville High School in Cleveland. George has been impressed with their catching and route running abilities, although the duo still lacks collegiate experience.
TE:
For tight ends, Carsen Melvin and Jeremiah Scoby were named as players to watch. Melvin converted to the position after previously playing quarterback, and Scoby is entering his sophomore season with improved pass catching and blocking, according to George.
Both are expected to get expanded opportunities.
RB:
The running game features Austyn Dendy, Nakai Amachree, and Ke’Marion Baldwin. Two returners, Dendy and Amachree, are among those welcoming new players to the team after an offseason with substantial roster overhaul.
“We make sure, outside of the football field, to have hangouts with all the new guys. We welcome them in,” Amachree said. “It’s bigger than football at the end of the day. It’s all about relationships. If you have relationships off the field, everything clicks better, and you can get the job done.”
COLORADO STATE
Not from spring game but from a good quote from early spring practice hinting about the philosophy Mora and co. may have regarding volume distribution on offence this upcoming season:
“What we need to come out of spring with is an identification of who our playmakers are, who we can count on, who we can trust, who is dependable to us as a staff and who is dependable to their teammates”
Spring Game—
QB:
Hauss Hejny and K’saan Farrar, quarterbacks
OK, made you wait until the end, but it’s very clear that the QB battle is one of the most fascinating plots heading into the fall.
Hejny is the Oklahoma State transfer and former four-star prospect. Farrar followed Mora from UConn. It is truly a battle and CSU’s first legitimate QB competition since Todd Centeio and Patrick O’Brien battled ahead of the 2020 season.
Hejny is shorter (listed at 6-foot at Oklahoma State) but an electric athlete with blazing speed and quick cutting ability who could be a lethal running threat. He has a strong arm, and the ball comes out with force.
Farrar is taller (listed at 6-foot-3 at UConn) with a strong, smooth passing motion. He’s also a good athlete who can run well.
Whoever wins the job, the QB mobility will be part of the offense.
“I grew up a defensive coach and there was nothing more menacing than a quarterback who could extend plays with his legs but still remain a passer,” Mora said. “They have an ability to get out of the pocket and remain passers so they’re still a dual threat even when they get out of the pocket. As a defensive coordinator, you pull your hair out.”
While both have big talent and potential, they’re also young and inexperienced. Farrar played in two games as a true freshman last season at UConn. Hejny was hurt in the first half of his first college start last season at Oklahoma State.
There could be some of the up-and-down play of young quarterbacks, but both have high ceilings. It’s a very real and intriguing QB competition.
RB:
Mel Brown, running back
Brown may be the front-runner from spring to be CSU’s No. 1 back. He’s not a big back (listed at 5-foot-9 at UConn) but quick, strong and versatile.
He looks like a quick and powerful runner but also an able kick returner. Brown should be a fun player for CSU.
Brown had a couple big plays in the spring game that showed his potential.
“That’s who Mel is and that’s why I’m happy he’s here with us,” Mora said.
WR:
Terrence Smith Jr., receiver