ESPN College Football

Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. Do not think that I am very much impressed by that as a boxing title, but it meant a lot to Cohn.

• Just about every incoming Arizona freshman is present and accounted for.
• Arizona State feels pretty good about its linebackers.
• A recap of California players on various "watch lists." Have the Bears found the next J.J. Arrington?
• Ticket sales are going well for Colorado.
• Rob Moseley is back from his Hawaiian honeymoon -- congrats, by the way -- and he presents some lucid thinking on Oregon and street agent Willie Lyles. His traffic fines paid off, Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris returns to voluntary summer workouts.
• More on an honor for former Oregon State center Alex Linnenkohl.
• A Stanford preview.
• A look at UCLA recruiting needs. A Bruins opponent preview: San Jose State.
• A USC opponent preview: Utah.
• More on Washington's new running back, who was once headed to UCLA.
• Should Washington State fans be concerned about the future -- beyond 2011 -- of the Cougars' offensive line?
• Lyles from an LSU angle.

Four former Pac-12 football players were awarded the Tom Hansen Conference Medal, which is given annually to each member institution’s outstanding senior male and female student-athlete based on "the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership."

The winners were Oregon State center Alex Linnenkohl, Arizona defensive end Brooks Reed, Oregon center Jordan Holmes and Stanford fullback Owen Marecic.

The Tom Hansen Conference Medal winners will be honored at the State Farm Pride of the Pac-12 Breakfast held in Los Angeles in conjunction with the Pacific Life Pac-12 men's and women's basketball tournaments next March.

The Tom Hansen Conference Medal was named in honor of Hansen, who served 26 years as commissioner of the Pac-10 Conference, retiring in June of 2009. The award was first named in his honor in 2008-09.

You can view all the winners here.

The only one that can do what I do is me. Lot of people had to die for me to be me. You wanna be me?

• Former Arizona defensive end Brooks Reed continues to impress NFL draft watchers.
• Checking in with Arizona State linebacker Colin Parker.
• A Cass act calls it a career at Colorado. A look at the Buffaloes at the NFL combine.
• Two Oregon linemen retire due to injuries.
• Oregon State receiver has second surgery; fans cross fingers on 2011. Some video of the Beavers' NFL prospects, Jacquizz Rodgers and Alex Linnenkohl.
• Stanford has some Pep in its step.
• A look back at UCLA recruiting.
• Is this guy USC's fullback of the future?
• More on Utah's new, plus-size lineman.
• Washington State linebacker Louis Bland has been charged with second-degree assault, which is a Class B felony.

To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth.

• More on the return of Duane Akina to Arizona.
• An interesting conversation with Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler.
• It appears that California is getting its former ace O-line coach back.
• Colorado is starting to generate some recruiting momentum with another commitment, though it wasn't able to lure a player away from Michigan.
• Reviewing Oregon's season: running backs.
• Former Oregon State center Alex Linnenkohl tries to make a name for himself in front of NFL scouts.
• A look at UCLA's most important recruits.
• Who is USC's biggest enemy?
• Washington is battling for a quarterback commit.
• Checking in on Washington State recruiting.

Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl are at the Shrine Game practices and are sending notes throughout the workouts on who's doing well and who's struggling.

Their Day 1 material had some observations about three Pac-12 guys.

Arizona offensive tackle Adam Grant gets a thumbs-up, while Oregon DE Kenny Rowe gets a thumbs-down in this practice review.

And Arizona DE Ricky Elmore was a "top performer" on Day 1.

There will daily updates from these guys, and with 15 Pac-12 players in the game, there should be plenty of info on players of interest.

These are the Pac-12 players in the game.

Brandon Bair, DT, Oregon
Jordan Cameron, TE, USC
David Carter, DT, UCLA
Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona
Adam Grant, OT, Arizona
Trevor Hankins, P, Arizona State
Alex Linnenkohl, C, Oregon State
Jeff Maehl, WR, Oregon
Mike Mohamed, LB, California
Caleb Schlauderaff, OG, Utah
Justin Taplin-Ross, SS, Utah
Ryan Whalen, WR, Stanford
Nate Williams, SS, Washington
Zach Williams, OG, Washington State
Kenny Rowe, DE, Oregon*

* Playing for East team.

Happy Friday.

• Arizona State punter Trevor Hankins' season isn't over.
• Nevada recalls its win against California.
• Oregon's undersized offensive line has not been beat this year.
• Oregon State's Alex Linnenkohl has been invited to an All-Star game.
• Lots of NFL chatter about Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. And also the return of quarterback Andrew Luck.
• More on UCLA's Rahim Moore opting to enter the NFL draft.
• A USC recruiting update.
• Utah cashes in because of new TV deal for Pac-12 title game.

One of the peculiar imbecilities of our time is the grid of morality we have placed on human behavior: so that every act of man must be measured against an arbitrary latitude of right and longitude of wrong -- in exact minutes, seconds, and degrees!

• Arizona needs to stop UCLA's pistol offense.
• While Arizona State's defense has been under-performing, end Jamaar Jarrett has played well.
• California's first focus: Stopping Jacquizz Rodgers.
• Can USC keep up with Oregon's speed of play? Some notes from practice. What do other coaches think of the matchup.
• Oregon State center Alex Linnenkohl is hurting, which isn't good. What does it take to play QB for the Beavers? Brennan Olander breaks his silence and turns out to be an interesting cat. (And, Brennan, more than a few of us media folk thought the golf cart thing was next to nothing).
• It will be a tale of two QBs in Seattle. Some highlights of Stanford's Andrew Luck.
• Talking points for UCLA-Arizona.
• You know: It isn't like USC is exactly slow. Talking points: USC-Oregon. T.J. McDonald is trying to make a name for himself.
• Washington's Jake Locker has a healthy Wednesday, and it's fairly shocking how many freshmen are playing for the Huskies.
• Things got intense at Washington State practice, which is a good thing. Fundraising isn't going that well, though.
• Jon Wilner ranks the Pac-10 and looks at the bowl situation.
• T.J. Simers can't decide which LA game to attend.

Issues to consider heading into the ninth week of games.

USC must disrupt Thomas' rhythm: There seem to be a few basics to slowing down Oregon's offense, starting with having a good defensive line that can defeat blocks, as well as enough team speed to close before the Ducks get into space. The second is having a good plan -- see Boise State and Ohio State last year and Arizona State this year. At this point in the season, Ducks QB Darron Thomas has exceeded expectations and shown remarkable poise. He's become a good QB, not just a game manager who gets the ball to playmakers, such as LaMichael James. He has yet to get rattled, though the Sun Devils did force the Ducks to punt 11 times. The Trojans have had an extra week to prepare: Do they have a plan that taxes Thomas, both physically and mentally?

Which Cal shows up in Corvallis? Cal has good players. It's not the most talented team in the Pac-10, but it has top-25 talent. But it doesn't -- duh -- always play like that. The team that got blown out by Nevada and USC wasn't the same team that rolled Colorado, UCLA and Arizona State. So far this year, the common denominator is the road -- Cal is 0-3 away from Berkeley; 4-0 inside Strawberry Canyon. But, really, it's mostly about showing up with a good plan and playing with focus and intensity. The Beavers are beaten up with injuries, but they will show up on Saturday and play hard. It's what they do. If the Bears match their motivation, they've got a good shot to win. If they don't, they'll get rocked.

Locker vs. Luck: Washington QB Jake Locker and the Huskies have not lived up to high preseason expectations. While Locker is still a likely early-round NFL draft pick, his decision to return for his senior year now, obviously, doesn't seem like a good one, considering he was likely a top-10 pick last spring. Meanwhile, Stanford's Andrew Luck has often looked like the best QB in the nation -- a sure-thing in the NFL. The press box at Husky Stadium will be overflowing with NFL scouts on Saturday. The matchup is an opportunity for one -- or both -- to make a statement.

Will UCLA rally? Little is going right for UCLA at present. A team that a few weeks ago looked like it had turned a corner when it beat Houston and Texas on back-to-back weekends, is now floundering after blowout losses to Cal and Oregon. Moreover, QB Kevin Prince is out for the season with a knee injury, and two other offensive starters -- left tackle Sean Sheller and leading receiver Ricky Marvray -- have been suspended for the Arizona game. Still, one thing that Rick Neuheisel has done throughout his career is rally his team when it is down. Will he get a rally from his Bruins? Or are they ready to raise a white flag on the season?

Sun Devils are on upset alert: This is easy. Arizona State looked bad at Cal, and QB Steven Threet is coming back from a concussion. How inspired will the Sun Devils be against Washington State? The Cougars? They fought until the bitter end against Stanford. Each week it seems like the Cougs' confidence takes an uptick, even in defeat. Their visit to ASU seems like a prime opportunity to break through with a conference win.

Can USC and Matt Barkley protect the football? Barkley is the top-rated QB in the Pac-10. He's only thrown four interceptions this year -- against 20 TD passes. Oregon's defense is No. 1 in the conference in passing efficiency and it has grabbed 13 interceptions, five more than any other Pac-10 team. Last year, Barkley ran into problems when he tried to force passes into small spaces. That hasn't been the case of late. But in a big game when Barkley feels pressure to make plays opposite the Ducks high-powered offense, it could become an issue. Oregon, by the way, is No. 1 in the nation in turnover margin.

Can the Beavers block the Bears? Two Oregon State offensive linemen are banged up -- center Alex Linnenkohl and guard Grant Johnson. The Beavers have struggled at times in pass protection, and the running game has been inconsistent. Cal's front seven is strong. The Bears rank second in the conference in run defense, and have recorded 19 sacks, which is tied for second. If the Bears control the line of scrimmage, they have a good chance to notch the road upset.

Which D makes a stand in Seattle? Stanford's defense has been OK this year, but it looked bad against Oregon and lost focus late versus Washington State. It ranks in the middle of the conference in most categories. The Huskies' defense ranks toward the bottom in nearly everything, but it should at least benefit from the home crowd. If the UW defense looks like it did last week at Arizona, the Huskies have no chance. Or if the Stanford secondary gets exposed by Locker, then an upset is possible.

Oregon State quarterback Ryan Katz doesn't think there's anything strange about California's wild swings in quality of play. Just look around the entire conference.

"They've been been up and down," Katz said. "A lot of teams have been up and down."

That's true. Take Katz's Beavers. They were good enough to win at No. 15 Arizona -- the Wildcats only loss -- but couldn't take care of business at Washington. The Huskies? They win at USC, but lose at home to Arizona State. The Sun Devils? They beat the Huskies but get drilled by Cal.

Cal? It blows out UCLA and Arizona State, but gets blasted by Nevada and USC.

Go figure.

The Bears are 4-0 at home and 0-3 on the road. They've lost nine of 11 to Oregon State and haven't beaten the Beavers since 2006. Last year, they got blown out 31-14 at home.

But this game feels like a pick 'em. Despite coming off a bye week, the Beavers are banged up. Receiver James Rodgers is done for the season with a knee injury, tight end Brady Camp (back) is out for Saturday and perhaps longer. Receiver Markus Wheaton (knee), center Alex Linnenkohl (ankle) and offensive guard Grant Johnson (neck) are expected to play but aren't 100 percent.

Cal has no significant injuries. Even its psyche has to feel better after it followed an embarrassing blowout loss to USC with a dominant effort against the Sun Devils.

Can't win on the road? Quarterback Kevin Riley dismissed that as just a "just a weird thing." And safety Sean Cattouse promised the Bears will find a solution.

"It's an issue that everyone knows amongst the team," he said. "So we're definitely going to get it fixed this week."

In last year's game, Beavers quarterback Sean Canfield picked the Bears apart, throwing for 342 yards, and H-back Joe Halahuni had a coming-out party with six catches for 128 yards. It's likely this go-around, however, that the Beavers are going to need more from their running games. Cal is too good at rushing the passer -- see 19 sacks -- to expect Katz to throw 39 times, as Canfield did in Berkeley.

That means the Beavers need to get Jacquizz Rodgers going. Rodgers has been grumpy -- in his mellow, mostly good natured way -- about the running game this year. While he's averaging a solid 103.5 yards rushing per game and has scored 10 TDs, the rushing offense as a whole ranks ninth in the Pac-10 with just 120.7 yards per game. Blocking has been an issue.

It's clear that Rodgers has Cal coach Jeff Tedford's attention. Consider this laudatory scouting report.

"When you talk about jump cuts -- jump cuts are when you're in the hole and you can jump sideways and then go forward very quickly-- he's a master at that," Tedford said. "So if you're in front of him and he jumps sideways on you, you've got to get on him right away or he will spurt through a hole and be gone. You just can't arm-tackle the guy. He is built low to the ground and very strong, and then when he gets in the open field he has great speed. You can never go to sleep on him. You can never relax and think he's down because he'll come spurting out of there and take it the distance."

If Oregon State (3-3) manages to win, it will improve to 3-1 in Pac-10 play. The win over Arizona and remaining games with Stanford and Oregon mean that the Beavers, if they won out, could still win the Pac-10.

That might be a reach for a team that lost to Washington. But the Beavers have been here before and started a late-season run that few saw coming.

As for Cal (4-3, 2-2), a win at Oregon State -- a second consecutive win, a road victory -- might indicate the Bears are finding some consistency. They play host to both Oregon and Stanford on back-to-back weekends (Nov. 13 and 20) down the stretch.

So who knows? The unpredictable teams in the Pac-10 could create chaos in the conference. A good candidate to do that probably will be the winner in Corvallis on Saturday.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- TCU pushed Oregon State around inside palatial Cowboys Stadium. No getting around that. The sixth-ranked Horned Frogs rushed for 278 yards, which is more than the Beavers 255 total yards. Oregon State ran just 51 plays; TCU 81.

"Still," the glum head shakes from the Beavers said afterwards. They had the ball and a chance with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter, but they made their biggest error of the evening. A miscommunication on a shotgun snap from senior center Alex Linnenkohl to sophomore quarterback Ryan Katz, who was making his first career start, sailed over a surprised Katz's shoulder, which forced Katz to kick the ball through the end zone for a safety.

Those would be the final points -- and the last time the Beavers touched the ball -- in a 30-21 defeat.

"I'm disappointed that we didn't give ourselves a chance on the drive at the end," Beavers coach Mike Riley said.

What happened was this: Oregon State, down seven, had a first down on its 18-yard line. A draw play was called. Katz saw something he didn't like. He tried to change the play. Linnenkohl didn't get the message and snapped the ball.

The Horned Frogs got two points and the ball and they didn't give it back.

"The safety was a big deal," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "You go up by nine and you play the game a lot different."

The biggest deal was TCU's running game and the Beavers lack of one. While Jacquizz Rodgers gained a tough 75 yards on 18 carries, the Beavers finished with just 73 yards on the ground. Three TCU runners gained at least 64 yards, topped by Ed Wesley with 134 on just 17 carries, which works out to a crisp 7.9 per rush.

Suffice it to say, the Horned Frogs option worked even though the Beavers knew it was coming.

"We just couldn't get off a block to make a play," Riley said.

Oregon State was still in the game in the fourth because of two interceptions of TCU quarterback Andy Dalton -- one by Lance Mitchell and the other by Dwight Roberson -- and a well-executed fake punt that netted 23 yards on a fourth-and-1. The fake punt set up the second of Katz's two touchdown passes, which gave the Beavers a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

Katz made some nice throws -- his TDs covered 30 and 34 yards -- but he only completed 9 of 25 passes for 159 yards. Nonetheless, it was a solid first start on the road. He didn't throw an interception and was mistake-free until the muddled shotgun snap.

The only plus coming from that play was Katz taking responsibility for the miscue, just like a veteran quarterback would.

"We should have just stayed with the [called] play," he said. "That's on me."

Riley agreed, by the way: "He didn't have to get out of it."

As for TCU, it got another win over a BCS conference foe. In the constant fight for respect, this was another notch on the musket. Seeing that the Horned Frogs are 14-3 in their past 17 games against teams from BCS automatic-qualifying conferences, they might need another musket.

"The national spotlight and national attention I think will pick up," Dalton said. "I think a lot of people will watch the game tonight and see how we play football."

One thing is for sure: TCU still enjoys seeing itself as an underdog. It didn't escape detection that ESPN GameDay analyst Lee Corso picked the Frogs to go down by "three touchdowns."

"I did text [Corso]," Patterson said. "You guys thought that was a bogus text. That was me. I asked Chris Fowler, 'Lee: Three touchdowns?'"

Big week for the Mountain West Conference, too. Utah beat Pittsburgh, the Big East favorite, on Thursday, and BYU's win over Washington -- along with Oregon's 72-0 win over New Mexico -- gave the conference a 2-1 Saturday vs. the Pac-10. Why is the conference in turmoil when it's so darn good?

Perhaps the most disappointed Beavers were the Rodgers brothers, who were playing their first -- and likely only -- game together in the state of Texas. Both turned in solid performances -- James Rodgers caught four passes for 75 yards and a TD -- but both only saw what they didn't do.

"We left a lot of plays out there," James Rodgers said.

For both programs, this big stage was an opportunity. Both are nationally respected -- see national rankings -- but both want to take the next step. TCU knows only perfection will get it into the national championship conversation -- or even BCS bowl contention -- while the Beavers want to climb toward the top-10 while they make a run at their first Rose Bowl since 1965.

For TCU, mission accomplished. For Oregon State, it's another nonconference loss to start the season, which fits into a pattern: The Beavers started 2-3 in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and 2-2 in 2009.

Of course, if any team knows that an early loss doesn't end the season, it's the Beavers.

"It's very frustrating, but we can't let that get to us," James Rodgers said. "We've got 11 more games."

That's 11 more games, including a date with Boise State on Sept. 25, in which to make a statement.

But on this night, TCU made the statement: Count us in the mix in the national championship chase.

There are lots of good centers in the Pac-10: See six being named to the 37-man watch list for the Rimington Award, which is given annually to the best one.

You can see the entire list here.

The Pac-10 players are:

Colin Baxter, Arizona
Chase Beeler, Stanford
Jordan Holmes, Oregon
Alex Linnenkohl, Oregon State
Kai Maiava, UCLA
Kristofer O'Dowd, USC

Obviously, Maiava, who broke his ankle during a scrimmage on Saturday, is probably not going to win the award.

The winner will be honored at the Rimington Trophy Presentation banquet Jan. 15 at the Rococo Theater in Lincoln, Neb.

At what position is the Pac-10 deep? At what position in the Pac-10 thin? Here's the first of three parts taking a look at just that.

Deep: Center

Why is it deep? Start with the fact that nine starting centers are back from 2009, though Washington's Ryan Tolar has moved to guard and former starting tackle Drew Schaefer has moved inside to center. Then consider that of those nine, six earned a spot on the 37-man watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which is given annually to the nation's best center. Even Washington State, which lost Kenny Alfred, probably feels pretty good about Andrew Roxas, who's started nine career games.

The big names: Six players are legitimate all-conference candidates: USC's Kristofer O'Dowd (he could be the top center in the 2011 NFL draft), Arizona's Colin Baxter and Stanford's Chase Beeler (both were second-team All-Pac-10 in 2010), Oregon State's Alex Linnenkohl (who has 26 career starts), Oregon's Jordan Holmes and UCLA's Kai Maiava.

Thin: Tight end

Why is it thin? Only four teams welcome back a starting tight end, none of whom earned all-conference honors. In fact, only one returning tight end, California's Anthony Miller, earned honorable mention. And consider the list of departed players from 2009: Arizona's Rob Gronkowski, Oregon's Ed Dickson, Stanford's Jim Dray, UCLA's Logan Paulsen and Ryan Moya and USC's Anthony McCoy. Phil Steele recently named his four All-Pac-10 teams, and he made Washington's Kavario Middleton the first-team tight end. Middleton caught 26 passes last year and he's fighting with Chris Izbicki for the starting job.

Fill the void? Miller and Middleton (Izbicki?) could be breakthrough players. UCLA is excited about the Joseph Fauria-Cory Harkey combination. Joe Halahuni, though a hybrid, H-back sort, is a threat for Oregon State. Stanford's Konrad Reuland, a Notre Dame transfer, is promising. It appears that David Paulson, Dickson's backup last year, and JC transfer Brandon Williams will be solid for Oregon. Perhaps Blake Ayles finally stays healthy for USC.

The Rimington Trophy has released its spring watch list, and six players from the Pac-10 have made the 37-player cut.

The award, given annually to college football's top center, has never gone to a the same school twice.

That bodes well for the Pac-10, since each of the six watch listers are trying to become the Pac-10's first Rimington Trophy winner in the award's 10-year history. Here's who to watch in 2010:

• Colin Baxter, Arizona
• Chase Beeler, Stanford
• Jordan Holmes, Oregon
• Alex Linnenkohl, Oregon State
• Kai Maiava, UCLA
• Kristofer O'Dowd, USC

Fifth in a series taking a look at top position competitions this fall.

Oregon State: Offensive guard

Why the competition? Right guard Gregg Peat is the only 2009 starter not back on the Beavers offensive line, but the only certainties after spring practices are Alex Linnenkohl at center and Mike Remmers at right tackle.

Candidates: Sophomore Michael Philipp (6-3, 307), Grant Johnson (6-3, 280), Burke Ellis (6-4, 280), Colin Kelly (6-4, 285), Ryan Pohl (6-3, 284) and Michael Lamb (6-3, 282).

The skinny: The easy way for this to go is four starters return to their 2009 spots and Ellis and Kelly compete for the starting job at right guard. But the Beavers are looking for their best five guys, and that might mean some shuffling. So does Philipp stay at left tackle, where he started as a true freshman, or does he move inside to left guard because of how well Wilder McAndrews played this spring while Philipp sat out with a knee injury? And does McAndrews, after a career that almost ended because of hand and wrist injuries, stay healthy? Second, does Johnson, a returning starter at left guard who missed spring after shoulder surgery, then move to the right side to compete with Ellis and Kelly? Or will someone else emerge? McAndrews is the wild card. If he's one of the best five, then things will shuffle. If Philipp is back at tackle, then right guard is the only hot spot.

OREGON STATE

2009 overall record: 8-5

2009 conference record: 6-3 (tied for second)

Returning starters

Offense: 8, Defense: 7, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners: RB Jacquizz Rodgers, WR James Rodgers, C Alex Linnenkohl, DT Stephen Paea, DE Gabe Miller, LB Dwight Roberson, CB James Dockery

Key losses: QB Sean Canfield, LB Keaton Kristick, LB David Pa'aluhi, DE Matt LaGrone

2009 statistical leaders (*returning starter)

Rushing: Jacquizz Rodgers* (1,440)

Passing: Sean Canfield (3,271)

Receiving: James Rodgers* (1,034)

Tackles: Keaton Kristick (95)

Sacks: Stephen Paea*, Gabe Miller* (3)

Interceptions: Lance Mitchell* (3)

Spring Answers

1. Cool Katz: Sophomore Ryan Katz entered the spring as the favorite to win the quarterback job and he didn't disappoint. He has a big arm and good mobility. All he is missing is experience. He'll enter fall camp as the clear leader, while Peter Lalich and Cody Vaz compete for the backup job.

2. There are plenty of offensive weapons: Everything starts with the Rodgers brothers, running back Jacquizz and receiver James, but it doesn't end there. Receivers Markus Wheaton and Jordan Bishop and tight end/H-Back Joe Halahuni will give Katz plenty of options when he distributes the football.

3. Solid in the secondary: The Beavers will be experienced -- not to mention big -- in the secondary, with three starters back from 2009 and all four first-teamers measuring over 6-feet. James Dockery and 6-foot-2, 219-pound Brandon Hardin are the corners, while Lance Mitchell, 230-pound Cameron Collins and Suaesi Tuimaunei have combined for 29 starts at safety.

Fall questions

1. Front seven issues: Taylor Henry stepped up at defensive end after Matt LaGrone quit the team, but what's unclear is if he can hold off touted JC transfer Dominic Glover as the starter. Things also are fluid at linebacker. Will Keith Pankey be 100 percent by fall camp after missing spring with a torn Achilles tendon? Will Tony Wilson or Rueben Robinson step in at middle linebacker?

2. How will the offensive line shake out? Starters Grant Johnson and Michael Philipp missed spring with injuries, which forced line coach Mike Cavanaugh to do some mixing and matching. The good news was the re-emergence of tackle Wilder McAndrews, who almost quit due to persistent wrist problem. It's possible that McAndrews could take over at left tackle and Philipp could move inside to guard. Then Johnson and Burke Ellis could compete at the other guard.

3. Who is Katz’s backup? The story of spring might have been Katz's impressive effort, but Vaz also deserves note. His rise is more about how well he played than Lalich not producing. Considering how often a backup quarterback is needed, this will be an interesting competition to follow during fall camp.