The college football offseason is a time for optimism. In June and July, anything seems possible for all 130 teams. Goals seem achievable, coaches rave about the roster, and fans vow that this year is their year. However, we know that come September, optimism gives way to realism, and NFL Draft stocks can go awry. Those players that carried such promise before the season will get savaged on social media. Here, we look at those players who are potential busts of the 2021 college football season.
College Football Busts | 1-5
Below are some players who have the potential to be busts in the 2021 college football season.
1) Tyler Shough, QB, Texas Tech
Tyler Shough’s transfer to Texas Tech has garnered him early attention as a 2022 NFLÂ Draft prospect. The theory being that his strong arm coupled with the Red Raiders’ aerial offense should elevate his draft stock. However, the former Oregon quarterback’s failure to beat out Anthony Brown for the Ducks’ starting job raises question marks about him leading an offense.
The seventh-ranked pro-style quarterback in the 2018 recruiting class completed 63.5% of his passes last season while throwing for 1,559 yards. Shough also threw 13 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in the shortened season. He can vastly inflate those statistics this year, but that shouldn’t necessitate the first-round hype he has received from some outlets.
2) Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams was one of the most impressive running backs last season. As the Fighting Irish booked a place in the college football playoff, Williams rushed for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also added 313 receiving yards and a touchdown, representing a genuine every-down threat out of the backfield.
Williams should be one of the top running back prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft class. Yet, there is the potential that he ends up as a bust in the 2021 college football season relative to his sophomore campaign. Notre Dame has to replace nearly their entire offensive line, making Williams’ job substantially harder this coming season.
3) Keaontay Ingram, RB, USC
During his time at Texas, Keaontay Ingram demonstrated that he owns the skill set to be an extremely successful running back. Still, he was plagued by injury and was inconsistent in the passing game for the Longhorns. Following the 2020 season, he entered the transfer portal, landing at USC. His arrival in Southern California facilitated the departure of former five-star RB Stephen Carr.
Ingram has essentially downgraded from a Texas offense that ranked in the top 50 to a USC offense that was one of the worst in the nation in terms of rushing yards per game in 2020. As a result, there is a significant chance Ingram becomes a bust in the 2021 college football season.
4) Emory Jones, QB, Florida
Last season, the Florida Gators, led by Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts, deployed the best passing offense in college football. The Gators averaged 378.6 yards per game while totaling 46 passing touchdowns. With Trask departing to the NFL, Emory Jones will pick up the reigns and lead the offense.
Inheriting the nation’s top passing offense has led to the assumption that Jones will automatically develop into one of the best quarterbacks in college football. However, several factors point to Jones being one of the bigger busts of the 2021 college football season.
The majority of the Florida offensive playmakers followed Trask to the NFL, with Pitts’ loss being the most pivotal. Furthermore, Jones is unproven as a passer. In his three seasons at Florida, he tallied less than 100 passing attempts, a 64% completion percentage, and an average of 7.1 yards per pass. There’s no denying he can make plays with his legs, but will that be enough?
5) Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
If Justyn Ross makes it to the field in 2021, it would be a minor miracle. Having undergone spinal surgery just last year, there were doubts over whether the acclaimed Clemson receiver would play the sport again. At the time of writing, it seems optimistic that he will return this season — may his recovery be swift.
Still, it remains to be seen whether Ross is the same receiver that many experts considered a potential first-round selection before his injury. With the pass catcher featuring in first-round mock drafts, he may become a bust if his 2021 college football season doesn’t live up to that expectation.Â
College Football Busts | 6-11
Whose expectations have been elevated so high that they could be busts for the 2021 college football season?
6) Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
Over the past two years, Hendon Hooker established himself as one of the most exciting dual-threat quarterbacks in college football. He boasts a 63.1% career completion percentage, 22 passing touchdowns, and almost 3,000 passing yards. Meanwhile, Hooker has rushed for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns for Virginia Tech.
The former Hokies quarterback transferred to Tennessee before Jeremy Pruitt’s sacking and was expected to be the starting quarterback. Now, he is faced with a quarterback battle with fellow newcomer Joe Milton and former four-star recruit Harrison Bailey. Although it remains to be seen what the Vols offense looks like this season, they ranked 85th out of 127 FBS programs last year in passing offense.
7) Jordan Strachan, LB, South Carolina
Jordan Strachan led the nation with 10.5 sacks last season, averaging 1.05 per game. Morever, the former Georgia State linebacker registered 14 tackles for loss, making him one of the most dangerous defensive playmakers in the country. As a result of his play, he earned a transfer to South Carolina for the upcoming season, making the leap from the Sun Belt to the SEC.
That leap presents one reason why Strachan has the potential to be one of the college football busts in 2021. The difference in quality between the Sun Belt and the SEC is substantial, and it will be difficult for Strachan to replicate that level of production again this year.
8) Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia
It’s been a wild ride for Derion Kendrick. He was a highly-ranked-and-recruited wide receiver coming out of high school. However, when Clemson suffered an injury crisis in the secondary, he switched sides and became one of the best cornerbacks in the country. Ahead of last season, he received hype as a potential first-round cornerback in the NFL Draft.
Although his transfer to Georgia this offseason gives Kendrick an excellent opportunity to elevate his draft stock, his journey over the last year raises concerns. He dealt with early-season disciplinary action, missed time with injury, and ultimately entered the transfer portal. While in the portal, some other alleged off-field issues raised doubt over his future.
Kendrick possesses the skill set to be an elite cornerback. Despite this, the alleged off-field antics could easily label him as a bust by the end of the 2021 college football season.
9) Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky
A former four-star recruit, Wan’Dale Robinson has been one of the most exciting players to watch at Nebraska for the last two seasons. Equally adept as a rusher and receiver, he generated nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards and 7 touchdowns for the Cornhuskers. Regardless, he entered the transfer portal following the conclusion of last season.
The former No. 1-ranked player in Kentucky, Robinson opted to return home, announcing his decision to transfer to Kentucky in January. Although the transfer brings him closer to home, it could see him fail to live up to his potential and become a bust in the 2021 college football season. The Wildcats offense ranked 122nd out of 127 teams in passing offense last year. Additionally, Kentucky already has a potent rusher in Chris Rodriguez Jr. Thus, time will tell just how Robinson is utilized in the offense.Â
10) Sean Clifford, QB, Penn State
Since inheriting the Penn State offense from Trace McSorley, Sean Clifford has been treading a tight rope between boom and bust. Much of the offense’s struggles in 2020 fell on his shoulders. While he elevated his completion rate by a marginal amount, Clifford threw for less average yardage and more interceptions than in his 2019 campaign.
On the other hand, Clifford threw just 1 interception down the stretch as he led the Nittany Lions to four consecutive wins. Furthermore, he appears to have won the confidence of head coach James Franklin during spring ball. His biggest competition was Will Levis, who transferred from the program. Has Clifford turned the corner, or will he ultimately be a bust in the 2021 college football season?
11) Marcel Brooks, WR, TCU
This season feels like the “Last Chance Saloon” for Marcel Brooks. A five-star recruit who was the second-ranked outside linebacker in the 2019 recruiting class, Brooks spent a season at LSU before arriving at TCU ahead of last year. A massive coup at the time for the Horned Frogs, Brooks barely saw the field. Ahead of this season, he switched to play wide receiver with mixed results in spring ball.
Brooks is an incredible athlete and is one of just two five-star prospects on the TCU roster. However, if he doesn’t showcase an ability to contribute somehow in 2021, his college football career will be labeled a bust.
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Oliver Hodgkinson is an NFL Draft Analyst for Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @ojhodgkinson.
