We’ve reached spring game season, our last taste of something approximating real college football for several more months. It’s best not to think about that. At its spring game, which was held Saturday, Texas saw a newcomer at quarterback emerge as a potential contender for playing time this fall. BYU also held its spring game over the weekend, though the news was not so positive; the Cougars had another quarterback go down with a knee injury.
College football spring practice 2013: Tyrone Swoopes the talk of Texas
Freshman quarterback Tyrone Swoopes played well in Texas’ spring game, while incumbent David Ash was inconsistent. Mack Brown may have found himself another option at QB.
USA TODAY Sports
Those items and more from around the country:
Texas
While incumbent quarterback David Ash's performance in the Longhorns' spring game Saturday was uneven, true freshman Tyrone Swoopes impressed onlookers, even earning a Vince Young comparison.
On 3rd down from the 6, Swoopes used his size, strength, and balance in a [Vince Young-esque] move to elude the tackles of Jordan Hicks and Peter Jinkens, who both seemed to hit him at the same time, then get to the corner and come close to the endzone, but then failed to put down his shoulder and drive the defender back into the endzone, getting stopped at the 2 yardline. An impressive play, nonetheless.
Head coach Mack Brown says Swoopes has a chance to see the field this fall.
Oregon
The Ducks tend not to kick field goals often, but the program could still use more stability at the placekicking position. That’s one of the question marks for Oregon as it prepares to open spring practice this week.
Alejandro Maldonado has had two of the biggest misses in Oregon's history, failing to tie the game against USC in 2011 with seconds on the clock and last year missing a field goal in overtime against Stanford.
Both defeats ended Oregon's national title hopes. Maldonado must begin fending off Ausherman, who also can kick field goals, and get a leg up in the confidence department before three-star recruit Matt Wogan arrives on campus in the fall looking to become the starter at placekicker and punter.
Maldonado split the placekicking duties with senior Rob Beard and the two combined to make just seven of 14 field goal attempts. That 50 percent success rate ranked 120th among FBS schools. Over the last two seasons, Oregon kickers have hit 16 of 28 field goal attempts.
USC
The Trojans had their share of problems on the defensive side of the ball in 2012, and they brought in a new defensive coordinator to address those issues. So how’s that whole fixing problems thing going?
After a 52-play situational scrimmage at the Coliseum, Coach Lane Kiffin described the cornerback spot as "a huge concern."
Receivers Nelson Agholor, Victor Blackwell and George Farmer burned corners for touchdowns or long gains and outmuscled them for possessions.
Some of it may be a function of growing pains -- Clancy Pendergast, the new DC in question, wants to run more man-to-man schemes, and the players have some adjusting to do.
Nebraska
The Cornhuskers are in great shape at wide receiver, but they have a void to fill at tight end, which is something that will have to be addressed over the course of the offseason.
Ben Cotton and Kyler Reed are gone leaving the Huskers in a tight spot at tight end. Cotton was one of the best run blockers on the team, while Reed was responsible for 357 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Walk-on Jake Long appears to be the heir apparent for now, at least. Honestly, the tight end position is likely open through fall camp. The Huskers need to find at least one dominant run blocker out of the bunch. Look for incoming freshman Cethan Carter as a potential injection of immediate athleticism.
Reed and Cotton ranked fourth and fifth on the team in receiving yards last season.
UCLA
The Bruins are set at starting quarterback with Brett Hundley, who is coming off a big freshman debut. What's not certain is which player will fill the backup role. The team has a lot of options, but it also has a lot of unproven youth.
Jerry Neuheisel is probably everyone's sentimental choice to be the backup quarterback - I know I was cheering for him to get some snaps in a game that was out of reach, and he did well on the scout team last year. I personally think it'll be a combo of [T.J. Millweard] and [Devin Fuller], and if something drastic happens to Hundley this year, [Asiantii Woulard] may be pressed into service.
Millweard and Woulard are freshmen, while Fuller is a sophomore.
BYU
The Cougars suffered another injury at the quarterback position when Ammon Olsen suffered a knee injury during the team’s spring game on Saturday. Olsen, who is not expected to be the starter this season, suffered a partially torn PCL that will keep him sidelined for at least a month.
Also working through a knee injury is Taysom Hill, who is expected to be the first-string quarterback in 2013.
On an unrelated note, the Cougars have a new wide receivers coach.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
