The Most Difficult Players To Replace In 2013: Offensive Edition
By Kyle Kensing
Football’s life cycle is as predictable as death and taxes. College programs welcome new recruits every year with the goal of developing all into productive players. Most become more productive than others.
And there are those rare few who develop at such a pace as to become almost irreplacable. But as football goes, they must be replaced — somehow. Not all of the most difficult players to replace will excel in the National Football League, or even play a down on Sundays. However, their collegiate impacts are undeniable. They walk away, casting long shadows over campus.
Keenan Allen, WR, Cal Golden Bears
Sonny Dykes’ offensive acumen facilitated the production of such noteworthy pass-catchers as Mike Thomas, Rob Gronkowski and Quinton Patton. He brings his air raid spread to Berkeley, but will not have talented Keenan Allen around which to build.
Allen caught 205 passes for 2570 yards and 17 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Golden Bears — and that at a time Cal was known for struggling with lackluster quarterback play. Imagine how special the lengthy, athletic Allen could have been in Dykes’ offense, now dubbed the “Bear Raid.”
Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia Mountaineers
December 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) is tackled by Syracuse Orange cornerback Wayne Morgan (2) during the third quarter of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen loses Geno Smith, who could be the first quarterback selected in this month’s NFL draft. However, the more difficult ingredient to replicate in the Mountaineers’ 39.5 point per game offense is the versatile Tavon Austin.
Austin was the most dangerous weapon in Smith’s arsenal, converting short passes into long gains by exploiting the most narrow of gaps with astounding quickness. His nearly 1300 yards and 12 touchdowns via the pass will not be easily replaced.
But perhaps the statistic most indicative of Austin’s versatility were the 344 yards he rushed for against Oklahoma.
Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigan State Spartans
Le’Veon Bell was the third most productive ball carrier in the FBS with 137.9 yards per game. Bell was also a rare breed, capable of carrying a heavy workload. His 382 rushes were the most in the FBS.
“Obviously, it’s a position of concern for us,” Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said in a teleconference this week.
Indeed. The next most active Spartan ball carrier rushed all of 21 times. There’s no experience among the Michigan State running backs competing for Bell’s job. In fact, some Spartans in contention weren’t even running backs. Dantonio said there are “good candidates” from other positions competing for the starting running back vacancy.
Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State Aztecs
San Diego State won a share of its first Mountain West Conference championship in 2012 with a multifaceted rushing attack and stout defense. The Aztecs were not particularly proficient with the pass — quite the opposite.
SDSU had the No. 103 passing offense at 2287 total yards. Tight end Gavin Escobar accounted for 543 of them. Escobar also hauled in six of the team’s 21 receiving touchdowns. His void leaves a massive hole in the Aztec offense — 6-foot-6, 260 pounds worth.
Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M Aggies
Paving holes for Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel was All-American tackle Luke Joeckel. His departure is an interesting storyline for the 2013 Aggies — the dynamic could be similar to Matt Kalil’s void on the USC offensive line last season, and how it impacted Matt Barkley’s performance.
Joeckel acclimated to blocking the outstanding pass rushers of the SEC immediately. A&M allowed 23 sacks in 2012, 53rd most in the nation. Maybe that isn’t the most awe-inspiring figure on its own, but consider this ranked fifth in a conference known for its defensive talent. That started with Joeckel.
Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State Wildcats
The 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist Collin Klein played with a kind of reckless abandon rarely seen at the quarterback position. His bullish rushing style perfectly captured the essence of the last two K-State teams, winners of a combined 21 games.
Matt Scott, QB, Arizona Wildcats
Oct. 20, 2012; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Matt Scott (10) against the Washington Huskies at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The most anticipated facet of Rich Rodriguez’s debut season as Arizona head coach was how Matt Scott would adapt to the spread option offense. The fifth-year senior Scott exceeded expectations in leading UA to an 8-5 finish.
Scott rushed the ball effectively, as is the hallmark of the Rodriguez offense. But more noteworthy than his 506 rushing yards were the 3620 yards Scott went for via the pass. Rodriguez and his staff showed a wrinkle to their system that allowed Scott to show off his passing ability. It won Arizona games, and it helped land Scott on the NFL radar.
A plethora of candidates are competing for Scott’s former job: 2012 reserve B.J. Denker, Louisiana Tech transfer Nick Isham, USC transfer Jesse Scroggins and redshirt freshman Javelle Allen; top 100 recruit and true freshman Anu Solomon has the skill set most comparable to that of Scott, and arrives in the summer. All have a very high bar to meet.
Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor Bears
Baylor had the fourth most prolific scoring offense in the FBS, despite replacing 2011 Heisman winner Robert Griffin III. A big reason was the emergence of Terrance Williams.
He became the most productive receiver in college football with 1832 yards, and he did so with just 97 receptions. Credit his speed and leaping ability, but perhaps more so his field vision. Williams had a knack for finding the tightest of windows for hauling in balls. That’s not a coachable skill.