Survey among LBM coaches in the USA: Georgia is the leader, Michigan falls behind after title run
College football season is upon us and Paul Myerberg is here to analyze the US LBM Coaches’ preseason poll, which has Georgia at the top.
Sportpuls
The rich have gotten richer through the transfer market. Many of the top targets available on the portal ended up with some of the best teams in the Bowl Subdivision, attracted both by the bigger name, image and likeability packages offered by college football’s elite programs and the chance to play in the College Football Playoff.
One of the biggest winners was Ohio State, which was able to sign an all-around safety (Caleb Downs), a likely new starting quarterback (Will Howard) and the best running back available (Quinshon Judkins). Oregon also wants to upgrade in the Big Ten with a new starter under center (Dillon Gabriel) and an elite starting cornerback (Jabbar Muhammad).
Other programs with high-profile transfers include Notre Dame, Mississippi, Texas A&M and Miami. These are the newcomers who will have the biggest impact in 2024:
DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State (Alabama)
Nick Saban’s sudden retirement and the chance for more NIL offers prompted Downs to leave Alabama after a stellar freshman season in which he became the first freshman to record the program’s most tackles since at least 1970. He will immediately step into a starting position at Ohio State and become one of the best defensive backs and overall defenders in the Big Ten as the Buckeyes look to win a national championship.
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QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (Oklahoma)
While Downs has two or more seasons to prove himself, Gabriel is likely to have the biggest impact in this year’s Big Ten after a strong run as a starter for Oklahoma. The senior was productive at two FBS stops and brings experience and reliability to one of the top playoff contenders. Gabriel had 73 total touchdowns and just 12 interceptions in his two years with the Sooners.
QB Will Howard, Ohio State (Kansas State)
Howard is not guaranteed to be a starting guard for the Buckeyes after playing well in his nearly two years as the Wildcats’ primary starter; he will have to beat out Devin Brown in fall training camp to officially earn the job for the opening game against Akron. As expected, he’s in a great position. The Buckeyes have plenty of skill positions and are potentially dominant defensively, which would take some of the pressure off Howard as he adjusts to the Big Ten.
CB Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon (Washington)
Acquiring one of the best defensive backs available on the transfer market is great for the Ducks; and hurting their archrival in the process is even better. Muhammad spent his first two years at Oklahoma State, making a name for himself as one of the conference’s best young defenders before earning All-Conference honors in his lone season with the Huskies, who finished as national runners-up. He is expected to step into the starting lineup immediately at Oregon and help make the Ducks’ pass defense one of the best in the country.
RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State (Mississippi)
Judkins seems like an almost unnecessary addition, as the Buckeyes bring back leading runner TreVeyon Henderson (926 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023). Ryan Day will make it work by having both share the workload. Judkins ran for 1,158 yards and 15 scores for the Rebels last year and came on strong at the end with six 100-yard performances in his last nine games. Together, Henderson and Judkins form the best backfield duo in the FBS.
