Update: Offensive Devy Players Opting Out

Dwight Peebles

The college football landscape is evolving daily and many teams are going to be unrecognizable when they take the field this fall. Superstars have opted out, two of the top conferences aren’t playing at all, and the postseason could look drastically different than past years – if we have a postseason at all!

Some big names have potential superstars waiting in the wings behind them but some will leave their teams with big questions. Below I will outline some of the players entering the 2021 Draft who could have a fantasy impact on offense. Also, we will look at some of the players who could step in and make a name for themselves in 2020.

OFFENSE

Jamie Newman, QB Georgia

Newman is the latest name to declare for the draft and opt out of the 2020 season. It came as a huge surprise to many. He was seen last weekend at practice for the Bulldogs and was presumed to be the starter. This year would have been critical for his draft stock, making the decision puzzling.

As a starter in the SEC, he would have a chance to elevate his standing. Newman has good mobility and a solid arm but really struggled with inconsistency at Wake Forest. He had good receivers who bailed him out at times and made him look much better. Quarterbacks are always in demand and with what we do have on film, I have Newman projected as a late second day or early day three pick. There are tools there but another season, specifically in the SEC could have helped – or hurt.

The Bulldogs roll out another talented quarterback in the absence of Newman, former USC quarterback JT Daniels. He was a five-star recruit and the second-ranked quarterback in the class of 2018 per 247Sports. His 2019 was cut short due to a torn ACL and freshman phenom Kedon Slovis took over the Trojan team. Daniels will now be the starter when he is fully cleared and has a chance to get his career back on track.

Kenneth Gainwell, RB Memphis

Gainwell’s opting out leaves the Tigers searching for a running back but was a little less surprising. Memphis was in line to be competitive and challenge for the American Athletic Conference title. 2019 was a huge season for the sophomore back, as he rushed for 1,459 yards and 13 scores while also catching 51 passes.

There is enough in his one big season to secure his NFL Draft stock. I have him projected to go on the second day with what we have seen. He is a phenomenal pass-catching back, is good at running routes out of the backfield and dangerous after the catch. As a runner, he is patient and has good vision with acceleration when he gets a hole. The knock on Gainwell is size, at 5’11” and 190 pounds, he would need to add weight to be three-down back at the next level. He doesn’t have a lot of moves in the open field and contact balance is not a strength of his.

Memphis does have an interesting option stepping in who could make a name for himself in 2020. Asa Martin is a former four-star back who originally committed to Auburn but transferred to Memphis. He has good size and fits the mold of a three-down back. Junior Kylan Watkins will also get a shot and looked electric in relief of Gainwell last season. He is another smaller back but has some wheels and great moves in the open field.

Kennedy Brooks, RB Oklahoma

Brooks’ departure leaves the Sooner offense with a giant hole at the running back position. He is a physical runner who gets up to top speed quickly. There is not any messing around and he doesn’t display much patience. He is a one-cut and go type of runner and absorbs hits well. Pass catching is an area Brooks could really use more development in. One more season at Oklahoma would have helped his draft stock a lot. He has been productive but we needed to see more refinement in areas of his game. I have him projected as an early day three pick.

The running back reps will most go to junior TJ Pledger, a four-star recruit from Florida with only 40 career touches. He is a bit small at 5’9” and 195 pounds and is electric when he has the ball. Redshirt freshman Marcus Major, a highly sought four-star recruit, and freshman Seth McGowan, also a four-star running back, could end up stealing touches this season. Major is a good receiving back and has moves in the open field with good change of direction. McGowan fits the mold of Brooks more, a powerful one-cut runner who runs through tackles more than breaks them. Either of the young backs could become a feature back if Pledger doesn’t get the job done.

Ja’Marr Chase, WR LSU

Anticipating a down year for the Tigers – anything would be down from last year – Chase opting out wasn’t much of a shock but still leaves the defending champs in a tough spot. With a new quarterback, running back, top receiver, and half of the defense – it will be a tough year in Death Valley.

Chase will be one of the top two or three receivers drafted in April and there aren’t many holes in his game. His football intelligence pops out when watching his film, he works zones and finds open spots well. Working the sidelines and tracking the ball are two of his strongest assets. His hands are soft and strong, he is a natural pass-catcher. If there is a knock it would be downfield blocking and he isn’t particularly strong at creating separation – often making a catch much tougher than it needed to be.

So how does the LSU offense look now? Junior Terrace Marshall caught 46 balls and scored 13 times in 2019, he will get a chance to step in and be the man. He is a bigger receiver at 6’3” and 200 pounds who has great long speed, accelerates quickly, and now gets the chance to prove he can be more of a complete receiver. Senior Racy McMath will start on the opposite side of the field and is the same height but at 230 pounds. He is more of a complete receiver but hasn’t seen the field much.

The intriguing names are both freshman – Arik Gilbert and Kayshon Boutte. Gilbert is the highest-rated tight end in 247Sports history and could be an instant impact player. He has great hands, elite athleticism, and will wreak havoc from the tight end spot. Boutte was the second highest-rated wideout in the 2020 class and will push the veterans out of the way if one slips a little. He has great hands, elite acceleration, good moves in the open field, and the slot receiver spot would optimize what he can bring to the Tigers offense.

Rondale Moore, WR Purdue

Also in discussion for the top receiver spot, Moore unsurprisingly opted out and with the Big Ten not playing this season – we won’t spend a lot of time analyzing his situation. Moore is a phenomenal athlete and his freshman season was one of the best in college history.

At 5’9” and 180 pounds, some question his size and it is valid but at the same time ridiculous. Moore is built like a rock and has even squatted 600 pounds. He doesn’t take many direct hits due to his quick cuts and elusiveness. There is a possibility he may never be a true fantasy football WR1 and more of a weapon who just does everything for an NFL team. Moore could end up being a better NFL asset than fantasy but I wouldn’t bank on it.

Rashod Bateman, WR Minnesota

The first of the immensely talented trio to opt out, Bateman is possibly the most complete and NFL-ready of all these wide receivers. He is not an elite athlete but does almost everything really well. Bateman has phenomenal hands, great release off the line, and is sound technically. He uses his eyes to set up defensive backs and uses a good array of moves to create separation throughout his routes.

As far as weaknesses, he does struggle a little against physical corners. He doesn’t have many plays where he broke free from defenders and created runs after the catch, his big plays were when he had an open field ahead of him at the time of the catch. Regardless, he will be a really good receiver at the next level. All three of these guys – Chase, Moore, and Bateman – should all be first-round picks in April and playing in 2020 would not have changed much.

Sage Surratt, WR Wake Forest

One of the players who could have benefitted from another season of tape, Surratt opted out and will prepare for the draft. He caught 66 passes for 1,001 yards and reached the end zone 11 times in 2019. He is a strong receiver who wins at the catch point every time, outmuscling defenders for the ball. He has a great feel for defensive soft spots and boxes defenders out, creating separation with his body and eyes as well. Surratt isn’t an elite athlete and won’t win with speed and finesse. Creating separation will solely come down to his physicality. Currently, I have him projected as a late second day or early third-day pick.

While another season may have helped his draft stock, the overall situation at Wake Forest is bleak. Newman was his quarterback in 2019 and the quarterback is now redshirt sophomore Sam Hartman. He is a decent quarterback but lost his starting job to Newman. The whole offense aside from running back Kenneth Walker III is fairly ordinary and defenses could have focused on shutting Surratt out – hurting his draft stock in the end.

Warren Jackson, WR Colorado State

The exact could be said for Jackson but the Mountain West Conference is not playing in 2020. Another season of development would have been nice to see. I have Jackson projected to be drafted on day three at the 2021 Draft. There is a lot to like – he is a big receiver and dangerous deep threat. He works sidelines well, separates with speed well, and has really solid hands. The biggest knock is route running and route tree – he is very limited and a season focusing on route running could have been huge.

dwight peebles
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