By Marc Lawrence — From the 2020 PLAYBOOK Football Preview Guide magazine: Joining new head coach Mike Leach at Mississippi State this season is 6-5 QB KJ Costell, who arrives from Stanford via the transfer portal. Leach has done wonders with transfer quarterbacks in the past – most recently Gardner Minshew (East Carolina) and Anthony Gordon (City College of San Francisco), both who led the nation in passing the past two seasons. Power Five: Take Four Continuing with our pre-spring practice Power Five conference report from Paul Myerberg of the USA TODAY, Oregon is the unquestioned Pac-12 leader in the clubhouse as the league begins spring drills looking for a second contender to join the Ducks in the College Football Playoff chase. That team may be Utah, which came within a hair of making last season’s national semifinals before flopping against Oregon in the conference title game. But the Utes will spend the spring and summer looking to reload after losing the heart of last year’s roster, including major names at quarterback, the defensive line and the defensive backfield. Maybe that team is Washington, which could be sparked by an unexpected coaching change. Chris Petersen’s resignation opens the doors for well-regarded assistant Jimmy Lake, who has already stressed the importance of redrawing the Huskies’ offense. Then again it could be California, a program trending in the right direction under Justin Wilcox but one that hasn’t reached double-digit wins since 2006 nor reached the equivalent of a New Year’s Six bowl since 1958. The biggest question surrounding the Utes is can they reload after losing QB Tyler Huntley? South Carolina transfer Jake Bentley is the favorite to replace Huntley, though Texas transfer Cameron Rising could make things interesting. To find out the number one question surrounding the other teams in the PAC-12 this season, click here. Grinding Out The Profits New Browns GM Eric Berry was in the front office during Cleveland’s fabled 1-31 run. But blaming him for the 1-31 is like blaming your waiter because the steak is overcooked. His work in the free agency market this offseason indicates he’ll be a great hire. |