When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest.
- Ernest Hemingway, writer
This iteration of the spring game recap series includes notes from spring games that occurred on April 17 and 18.
These teams include: Georgia State, Louisville, Army, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Texas Tech, Tulane, Miami FL, Houston, Kentucky, UAB, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Ohio State, Toledo, UTEP, and West Virginia.
You can find the previous version here:
One thing to note is that the quality of intel coming out of these games highly varies per program. Some plamaces 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.
FYI—I AM CURRENTLY RUNNING A DISCOUNT ON ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS (until end of April):
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GEORGIA STATE
QB/WR:
Cameran Brown was the sole quarterback for Blue, coming up with the highlight play of the day with a long touchdown run to open the scoring with 9:51 left in the 1st quarter.
Redshirt freshman TJ Stanley and Merrimack transfer Ayden Pereira split the QB duties for White and it was under Pereira's leadership in the second half that they mounted their comeback.
Skill players:
Kyle Washington won a one-on-one down the sideline for a big gainer and Brown hit Grant Hollier in the corner of the end zone shortly after to double Blue’s advantage with 10:35 to go in the first half. Johnson Jr’s interception also led to points for Blue right before the break, when Washington scored on a touchdown reception of his own.
Shorter transfer running back Lanear McCrary Jr had a pair of long runs to move them into business past midfield and then Owen Dupree, a new wide receiver from West Georgia, got White on the board with a nice snag of a 50-50 ball in the end zone.
DJ Riles got a receiving touchdown with three seconds left in the third quarter.
LOUISVILLE
QB:
As Louisville began spring practice in mid-March, head coach Jeff Brohm expressed confidence with his group of quarterbacks and each individual’s ability to help the program in 2026.
Highlighted by Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz, who was brought in to “take the reins” of the offense, the group also includes West Georgia transfer Davin Wydner, Elite 11 true freshman Briggs Cherry and former walk-on Ryan Zimmerman.
Kienholz displayed an ability to run, while going 10 of 16 for 91 yards in his debut, but had little opportunity to work the ball deep.
Wydner led all passers with 194 yards and two big-play touchdowns. His first touchdown throw was a 77-yard connection with Gavin Waddell. Later, Wydner found Florida State transfer Lawayne McCoy for a 40-yard touchdown along the sideline.
“We’ve got some good arms,” Brohm said during the team’s first day of work. “We have a good mix of guys that I think can help us win.”
“I don’t think Lincoln was given a whole lot of opportunities to make some plays up the field, so we can game plan better for that,” Brohm said after the final scrimmage. “I think we know what he does well. He can throw on the move. He can throw on the run. He can scramble and make plays. He can run the ball. Yes, we got to polish up the end of pocket stuff, but we also got to do what he does best as well once he gets to game time.”
While Kienholz didn’t have a highlight-reel outing in the spring game, his ability and effort throughout spring has Brohm pleased.
“I feel comfortable because he works really hard,” Brohm said. “He’s got a great attitude.”
“Davin, has done a good job. He’s a big, strong quarterback. He’s more athletic than you think with his size. He can throw it vertically. Did a good job today. He’s had really good practices, so I think he’s done a solid job.”
Briggs Cherry threw for 142 yards and connected with freshman DJ Williams for a late score. Ryan Zimmerman contributed 123 yards and a touchdown pass to DeVaun Jones.
RB:
Louisville rushed 26 times for 99 yards with the leading running back being Braxton Jenningswith six carries for 18 yards. Isaac Brown played but didn't have a carry.
WR/TE:
Freshman wide receiver Gavin Waddell made a nice impression with five catches for 118 yards and one touchdown. He caught passes from all three U of L quarterbacks, including a 77-yard TD catch from Davin Wydner for the first TD of the game.
Another freshman target had a nice night - Julius Miles. The freshman tight end lined up as a tight end and also on the outside, catching four passes for 40 yards.
ARMY
Outlook for 2026:
While the “young Black Knights” may be more talented and athletic than some of their predecessors, experience matters and we believe the defense will struggle, especially early in the 2026 season.
In order for the Black Knights to succeed the offense will need to carry the defense until they get enough live reps to become more competent. Expect the defense to play tough but they will probably make mental errors common for inexperienced players. The offense will need to chew clock, put up points, and maximize possessions until the defense gets enough game experience.
QB:
The QB position looks solid. As opposed to 2025 when Army had to replace Captain America, Bryson Daily, with an inexperienced Cale Hellums and De’Wayne Coleman, the 2026 QB room is stacked and Coach Monken hinted at a QB competition in Fall Camp.
While the experienced “leader in the clubhouse” Cale Hellums is the odds-on favorite to win the starting job, especially with his improvements in footwork, fundamentals, and reads in the off-season, Bryson Luter and Ethan Washington will apply pressure for the starting job.
If Hellums isn’t at his best, expect Luter to take the reins. Coach Monken spoke glowingly about Luter’s athleticism, speed, running ability and arm. He ran the scout team offense in 2025 and gave Army’s experienced defense fits.
"I was pleased with how we played for the Black team,'' Hellums said, praising his offensive line. Hellums had six carries for 4 yards and completed five of six throws for 71 yards. His most-heralded completion came on a recently designed play that found rising sophomore Kofi Eduful for a 47-yard gain
Luter was 4-for-9 passing for 17 yards and had 13 carries for 52 yards. Rising junior Nehemiah Vann completed two throws, including a 20-yard gain on the final snap of the game
RB:
Among the running backs, Godspower Nwawuihe led the way with eight carries for 28 yards, a pair of first downs and a slicing 4-yard run through a large hole on the left side for the lone touchdown of the full, timed scrimmage - that came on Hellums’ second series of the contest, a nine-play, 78-yard drive.
“I thought that was a well put-together drive,’‘ Hellums said. “I thought GP (Godspower) played amazing.’‘
“I feel like I made steps in the right direction,’‘ said Nwawuihe, who converted from quarterback to running back last season. “I still have a long ways to go in the fine details of being a back at this level, but this spring definitely helped me get more comfortable in the position, get more comfortable in the offense and just gain some trust in my team and my coaches.’‘
OL:
The offensive line will be solid. I asked Brady Small if he thought the offensive line had the chance to be as special as the 2024 O-line and while he didn’t give me a definite yes, you can tell he’s “Bullish” about the strength of the 2026 “MOB.”