Bold Prediction: Luke Del Rio is a capable SEC starter

Jim McElwain enters his second season at Florida in need of some consistency under center. The Gators rolled to a 6-0 start last fall in McElwain’s debut, but after Will Grier was suspended by the NCAA following a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, the offense floundered during an 0-3 finish that saw Florida outscored 97-24.

Grier and backup Treon Harris have both transferred, leaving a pair of transfers to battle for the starting role in Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby. Del Rio is on his third FBS program following stints at Alabama and Oregon State, but he appears to have found a home at Florida.

 Del Rio was announced as the starter Thursday, as McElwain told reporters. He will take the job and, working with a talented receiver corps that includes Antonio Callaway and Brandon Powell, he’ll pass for at least 2,500 yards and lead Florida to a second consecutive 10-win season.

Bold Prediction: Soso Jamabo will rush for 1,500 yards

UCLA slipped a bit in 2015 following consecutive 10-win seasons. The Bruins fell to 8-5, and after losing their leading rusher and four of their top five receivers, they have some work to do on offense. However, with sophomore quarterback and budding star Josh Rosen returning, there’s reason for optimism. Rosen is one of the best young signalcallers in college football, but he’ll carry a heavier burden in 2016.

Complementary pieces around him must mature. Paul Perkins’ early NFL departure stung; he rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns. That said, sophomore Soso Jamabo is ready for a breakout year. Jamabo rushed for 403 yards and four scores as a freshman and appears capable of more. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry on only 66 carries. Jamabo was largely ignored down the stretch, getting six combined carries in the last four games of 2015.

However, he has a 6’3”, 210-pound frame and possesses excellent speed. With the No. 1 role all his own, he’ll rush for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Bold Prediction: Louisville finishes no lower than second in the ACC Atlantic 

As Bobby Petrino begins the third season of his second stint at Louisville, the Cardinals appear poised for a big season. Following a pair of eight-win campaigns, Louisville returns 16 starters, led by emerging star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who shredded Texas A&M’s defense for 453 total yards and four total touchdowns in the Music City Bowl.

The future looks bright until you remember that Louisville is in the ACC Atlantic with national powers Clemson and Florida State, both of whom have been regulars in the Top 5 of preseason polls. Getting past the Tigers and Seminoles seems like a difficult proposition, but the Cardinals have hung with both in their first two years in the ACC, dropping a 20-17 home decision to Clemson last fall.

Louisville’s season will turn in a three-game stretch from Sept. 17-Oct. 1 where they’ll host Florida State, travel to Marshall and travel to Clemson. Here’s betting they’ll win at least two of three and finish no lower than second in the Atlantic Division.

Bold Prediction: Oregon will struggle to make a bowl game

Oregon’s first season post-Marcus Mariota was uneven at best. Graduate transfer quarterback Vernon Adams excelled when he was healthy, throwing for 2,643 yards with 26 touchdowns against six interceptions. But the Ducks were streaky, starting the season 3-3, ending it 6-0 and blowing a 31-0 Alamo Bowl halftime lead to TCU, falling 47-41 in overtime.

Now, Mark Helfrich is retooling a bit, replacing both coordinators (former Michigan coach Brady Hoke replaced demoted defensive coordinator Don Pellum) while the Ducks return just eight starters. The defense was porous under Pellum, allowing 485.3 yards per game (No. 117 nationally) and 306.5 passing yards per game (third-worst nationally). And three of the four starters who return from 2015 are in that wretched secondary.

Oregon’s schedule isn’t easy, with road trips to Nebraska, Washington State, Southern California and Utah. Stanford and a resurgent Washington are also on the home schedule. Unless Hoke is a miracle worker, this team could struggle to scrape out the six wins needed for bowl eligibility.

Bold Prediction: Scandal will take its toll on Baylor in 2016

Even before the investigation that claimed the jobs of Baylor coach Art Briles, university chancellor Kenneth Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw, Baylor was facing a season of transition in 2016. The Bears had one of the nation’s most potent offenses in 2015 (rolling up an FBS-best 48.1 points per game), but returned just nine total starters, with center Kyle Fuller the only returning starter on either line.

The aftereffects of the scandal only exacerbated those issues, with 12 recruits released from their national letters of intent after acting coach Jim Grobe took over. Talented backup Jarrett Stidham also transferred, leaving no depth behind standout Seth Russell.

Russell is one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, and 1,000-yard backfield duo Shock Linwood and Johnny Jefferson will take some pressure off him, as will deep threat junior receiver KD Cannon. But it’s hard to discount the psychological effects that this summer’s events have had in Waco, and same goes for the lack of offensive and defensive line experience. Baylor won’t challenge for a Big 12 title in what could be Grobe’s only season at the helm.

Bold Prediction: Mitch Trubisky will be just fine as UNC’s new starting QB 

North Carolina broke through for an ACC Coastal Division title last fall, winning 11 games and averaging 40.7 points per game (No. 9 nationally). A huge reason why? Quarterback Marquise Williams. Williams was outstanding, rolling up 4,020 yards of total offense and 37 total touchdowns. The Tar Heels return 13 starters, but Williams (who graduated) is not one of them. Is that a problem? Not really.

Mitch Trubisky is a highly capable replacement who’ll take control of the same system that Williams left behind, despite offensive coordinator Seth Littrell’s departure to become North Texas’ head coach. He has played in 21 career games and pushed Williams hard for the starting role two years ago. Last fall, he completed 40 of 47 passes (an 85.1-percent clip) for 555 yards and six touchdowns.

With the talent surrounding him (receivers Ryan Switzer and Mack Hollins, tailback Elijah Hood and four returning offensive line starters), he’ll be a perfect fit. Trubisky won’t complete 85 percent of his passes, but he’ll complete 65 percent of his throws, pass for 3,000 yards and UNC will win the Coastal again.

Bold Prediction: Barry Sanders Jr. will rush for at least 1,000 yards

2015 was a season to remember for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys started the year 10-0 and while an 0-3 finish was ugly, Mike Gundy’s team still made the Sugar Bowl and contended for the Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff spot until mid-November. However, there are still some reasons for concern. OSU averaged just 126.8 rushing yards per game, No. 114 nationally, and leading returning rusher Chris Carson managed just 517 yards and four touchdowns, averaging an ugly 3.9 yards per carry.

Reinforcements have arrived, however. At Stanford, Barry Sanders Jr. got just 51 carries, but had 315 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He saw opportunity at the alma mater of his father, Barry Sanders, one of college football’s all-time greats. Without Christian McCaffrey in front of him, the younger Sanders is set to run wild. Expect him to roll up at least 1,000 yards and help the Cowboys challenge for another league title.

Bold Prediction: Washington will make a New Year’s Six bowl game 

By now, it’s hard to call Washington a sleeper team. The Huskies have just 15 wins in coach Chris Petersen’s first two seasons in Seattle, but appear poised for much more in 2016. They return 17 starters, including developing star quarterback Jake Browning, standout sophomore tailback Myles Gaskin and secondary duo Budda Baker and Sidney Jones. They also return four starting offensive linemen to protect Browning and Gaskin.

The schedule features Stanford and Southern California at home and trips to Oregon, Washington State and Utah, but is manageable within the Pac-12’s tough standards. This will be the year that Washington justifies the hype surrounding Petersen’s hire from Boise State. Gaskin will rush for 1,500 yards and the Huskies will make a New Year’s Six bowl and win 10 games.

Bold Prediction: USC will win the Pac-12 South

Finally, it’s Clay Helton’s time to shine. Helton served three separate stints as Southern California’s interim head coach, but when Steve Sarkisian was fired last October due to alcohol-related issues, Helton made the most of his opportunity. He led the Trojans to a Pac-12 South title and 8-6 record, earning the full-time role. It was surprising that Southern California didn’t pursue a bigger name, but Helton left a comfortable feeling. It also didn’t hurt that the Trojans bring back a loaded roster with 14 starters.

They have one of the nation’s top receivers in JuJu Smith-Schuster (89 receptions, 1,454 yards, 10 scores) and perhaps its best all-around talent in cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who also excels as a receiver, kick and punt returner. A strong backfield duo of Justin Davis and Ronald Jones will also run behind an offensive line that returns four starters.

In short, there are few reasons (beyond a defensive line that needs to mature) that the Trojans won’t excel. They’ll hand Stanford a defeat on Sept. 17, win 10 games and take the Pac-12 South for the second consecutive season.

Bold Prediction: Jacob Eason will excel as Georgia’s starting quarterback

Kirby Smart has yet to coach a game at Georgia, but his best move thus far was securing the signature of Jacob Eason on a national letter of intent following Mark Richt’s departure from Athens. Eason had originally committed to Richt, but wavered after he left, also considering Florida, among others. Getting the nation’s top prep quarterback prospect, per 247Sports, back in the fold was huge.

We’ll find out just how big this fall. Eason is in the middle of a three-way battle for the starting role with Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey, neither of whom was particularly impressive in 2015. Lambert threw for 1,959 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions as the starter. Eason has a big ceiling as a pocket passer, standing 6’5”, 208 pounds. Per Seth Emerson of DawgNation.com, he’s getting a long look as a first-teamer in practice. 

The door is open for him to claim the starting role as a true freshman. If he can do that and if Nick Chubb and Sony Michel return healthy in the backfield, the Bulldogs have the talent to surprise and win the SEC East in Smart’s first season at the helm.

Bold Prediction: C.J. Beathard will pass for 3,000 yards

Iowa and Kirk Ferentz were one of the biggest surprises of the 2015 season. Ferentz received some heat following a disappointing 7-6 2014 season, but extinguished the flames lapping around his chair with a 12-0 regular season and Big Ten West championship. The year didn’t end the way the Hawkeyes wanted thanks to a last-second loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game and a Rose Bowl rout at Stanford’s hands, but it was impressive regardless.

C.J. Beathard made Ferentz look smart after being installed as the starter over incumbent Jake Rudock, throwing for 2,809 yards with 17 touchdowns against five interceptions. More impressively, he did so while battling through a groin injury that required offseason surgery. That begs the question: What can Beathard do in a full, healthy season?

He rushed for 237 yards and six scores as a junior. If fully healthy, Beathard will pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 500 more, emerging as one of the league’s most complete passers.

Bold Prediction: Kenny Hill will lead the Big 12 in passing

Kenny Hill just needs another chance. Two years ago, Hill burst onto the scene as Johnny Manziel’s successor at Texas A&M, throwing for an A&M single-game record 511 yards in his starting debut at South Carolina. Hill threw for 2,649 yards and 23 touchdowns, earning Heisman buzz and a nickname “Kenny Trill” but quickly flamed out. He ran into off-field legal issues and was supplanted by Kyle Allen as the starter by season’s end, opting to transfer to TCU.

Following a redshirt year, the Horned Frogs offer a perfect opportunity for Hill. Trevone Boykin’s graduation leaves a void in TCU’s offense, but Hill is ready to fill it and run the Air Raid scheme.

TCU returns just one offensive starter but offers major receiving talent for Hill to throw to with the likes of KaVontae Turpin, Jaelan Austin, Ty Slanina, Deante’ Gray and Taj Williams. As Hill showed at A&M, he can make things happen with good receivers. Expect him to lead the Big 12 in passing yardage over the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Seth Russell and Baker Mayfield.

Bold Prediction: Greg Ward Jr. will pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,200

This fall, Houston won’t sneak up on anyone. The Cougars went from underachiever to national darling in Tom Herman’s first season, going 13-1, winning the American Athletic Conference title and beating Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Now the big question: What do they do for an encore? The only step forward is a College Football Playoff berth, and even with Oklahoma and Louisville coming to Houston for marquee nonconference games, a playoff trip will still be very difficult to achieve.

If the Cougars can pull it off (or even come close), it will be thanks in large part to senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. Ward thrived in Herman’s spread offense, throwing for 2,826 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 1,108 yards and 21 scores. He joined Clemson’s Deshaun Watson as the only FBS quarterback to throw for at least 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards. The departures of receiver Demarcus Ayers and tailback Kenneth Farrow will mean a bigger load will fall on Ward’s shoulders.

Expect him to respond well and pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,200, leading Houston to another New Year’s Six game, at the very least.

Bold Prediction: Ole Miss will win eight games 

Hugh Freeze has done a very impressive job at Ole Miss with a 34-18 record in four seasons, including last fall’s 10-3 mark. The Rebels own two consecutive wins over SEC West power Alabama and are on the verge of something even better, even with the specter of an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations hanging over the program.

Will that “bigger thing” happen in 2016? Good question. Ole Miss returns just 10 starters, although one of them is dual-threat quarterback Chad Kelly, who threw for 4,042 yards with 31 touchdowns against 13 interceptions as a junior. The Rebels must replace a trio of NFL first-round picks in receiver Laquon Treadwell, offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. The Rebels are counting on freshman offensive tackle Greg Little to protect Kelly’s blind side.

The schedule is not easy. Ole Miss opens against Florida State in Orlando and also faces Alabama and Georgia in September, and travels to Arkansas and LSU back-to-back in October. The Rebels are talented, but there are too many question marks to call this a 10-win team. They’ll slip back to the eight-win mark.

Bold Prediction: Malik McDowell will win the Outland Trophy

Michigan State had an exceptional 2015 season. The Spartans broke through as a national force, winning 12 games, winning the Big Ten and making the first College Football Playoff appearance in program history. Repeating that success will be difficult, however. Mark Dantonio’s group sustained serious graduation losses and returns only nine starters. MSU must find replacements for, among others, steady quarterback Connor Cook and defensive end Shilique Calhoun.

One player who’ll become a household name among college fans this fall? Junior defensive tackle Malik McDowell. McDowell stands 6’6”, 280 pounds and has excellent versatility, capable of shuffling between tackle and end. He’s coming off a very good sophomore season that saw him make 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

He’ll be a leader for another very solid Spartans defense and make a name for himself on the Big Ten and national scenes. McDowell will emerge as one of college football’s top defensive linemen and take home the Outland Trophy, given to the game’s top interior lineman.

Bold Prediction: Tennessee will not win the SEC East 

This is supposed to be the year that Tennessee recovers some of its former glory as a national and SEC power. Butch Jones has done an excellent job cleaning up the mess left behind by Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley, and improved the Volunteers in each of his three seasons (going from five to seven to nine wins with bowl victories in each of the last two seasons).

And this should be Jones’ best team yet. Tennessee returns 18 starters, led by steady senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs, bullish tailback Jalen Hurd and dynamic defensive end Derek Barnett. The roster is deep and talented. The Vols are a sexy pick to win the SEC East. Still, something’s missing.

This team has to prove it can win the big games. Tennessee hasn’t beaten Florida in 11 years and is also riding a nine-game losing streak to rival Alabama. A year ago, the Vols blew late leads to Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma, their only three defeats. A much-hyped showdown against Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway will tell us plenty about this group, as will a showdown two weeks later with Florida.

But somewhere along the way, this team will slip up when it matters. The Vols will lose at Georgia on Oct. 1, which will be the difference between winning the SEC East and another ultimately disappointing season.

Bold Prediction: DeShone Kizer will claim Notre Dame’s starting quarterback role eventually

This preseason hasn’t been easy for Notre Dame and coach Brian Kelly. The Fighting Irish are coming off a 10-win season in 2015, but have been forced to make a difficult decision at quarterback. Do they go with former starter Malik Zaire, who emerged as the starter last fall before breaking his ankle in Week 2 against Virginia? Or do they turn to DeShone Kizer, who excelled as his replacement, throwing for 2,884 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushing for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns?

Kelly punted on the decision, telling reporters this week, including SI.com’s Brian Hamilton, that both would play in the season opener against Texas, essentially deciding to let the competition unfold on the field and calling it the best decision for his team.

It’s never easy playing two quarterbacks. It’s much easier just playing one. But we’re in the business of winning. So if it’s a little bit harder on us, then we can make that work, if the net is we win the football game. Yeah, there’s no question that some people shy away from this kind of business in terms of playing two, because it’s easier to just play one. My job is to win, and my belief is playing both of them gives us a better chance to win.

That’s a tough process to navigate. Both have strong dual-threat passing and running skills, but Kizer, who measures at 6’4”, 225, is a bit bigger than Zaire, who is 6’0”, 207 pounds. Expect Kizer to prove more durable and a better fit for the offense and claim the starting role, leading the Fighting Irish to another 10-win campaign.

Bold Prediction: John O’Korn will win Michigan’s starting quarterback role.

Michigan fans have reason to be excited as Jim Harbaugh begins his second season in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines doubled their win total in 2015 (going from five to 10) and they appear poised for even more success this fall. Michigan returns 14 starters and brought in an excellent recruiting class highlighted by defensive tackle Rashan Gary, the nation’s top overall recruit per 247Sports. But there is one lingering question at quarterback, where steady graduate transfer Jake Rudock was a one-and-done starter.

This month, Rudock’s backup, Wilton Speight, Houston transfer John O’Korn and former heir apparent Shane Morris are competing for the role. Harbaugh has given no indication any quarterback leads, but O’Korn is intriguing. He was the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year at Houston before transferring, and has the pocket-passer skills needed to thrive in Harbaugh’s pro-style offense.

Expect him to claim the role for himself and lead Michigan to another 10-win season that ends in a New Year’s Six game, at the very least.

Bold Prediction: Christian McCaffrey will win the Heisman Trophy

Last fall, Christian McCaffrey went from unknown quantity to a star. Buried as a backup running back in his first season at Stanford, McCaffrey was handed the keys to the Cardinal offense by coach David Shaw and ran away with it.

He put together the best all-around season in NCAA history. McCaffrey accounted for an NCAA-record 3,864 total yards. He rushed for 2,109 yards and eight touchdowns and also led Stanford with 45 receptions for 645 yards and five touchdowns and served as a dangerous kick and punt returner.

But despite leading the Cardinal to a 12-2 record and its third Pac-12 title in four seasons, that still wasn’t enough to win the Heisman Trophy. Alabama tailback Derrick Henry took home the stiff-arm trophy.

This fall, McCaffrey will be a strong contender to win, along with Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and LSU’s Leonard Fournette, among others. But Stanford will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, which will put an even bigger onus on his shoulders. McCaffrey will respond by improving his all-around numbers and take home the program’s first Heisman since Jim Plunkett in 1970, East Coast bias or not.

Bold Prediction: Leonard Fournette will rush for 2,500 yards 

Leonard Fournette is a special backfield talent. LSU fans already knew that, but Fournette clued in the rest of the nation in 2015. He rushed for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns, and it could have been better. LSU’s season opener against McNeese State was washed out by persistent storms, meaning Fournette piled up his stats in 12 total games.

He rushed for at least 100 yards in 10 of 12 games, and had four games of 200-plus rushing yards. His only stumbles came in games against Alabama and Arkansas, when he managed a combined 122 yards on 38 carries.

LSU returns eight offensive starters, including three starters from a strong offensive line, around Fournette this fall. He’ll be a year stronger and smarter and certainly motivated to push the Tigers to an SEC championship and College Football Playoff berth. With a full season ahead, he could rush for 2,500 yards, a mark only three FBS rushers (Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Central Florida’s Kevin Smith) have ever reached.

Bold Prediction: Mike Weber will rush for at least 1,200 yards

There’s no denying that 2016 will be a year of change for Urban Meyer and Ohio State. The Buckeyes lost nine underclassmen and 12 players overall to the NFL draft, and return just six starters (fewest in the FBS). Meyer and OSU will rely heavily on young players to maintain a lofty perch atop the Big Ten and college football’s power structure.

One of the most glaring gaps is at tailback, where Ezekiel Elliott bolted for the NFL after rushing for 1,821 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior and is now learning the ropes in the Dallas Cowboys backfield.

Mike Weber redshirted last fall after suffering a knee injury in preseason workouts, but is the clear favorite to replace Elliott as Ohio State’s lead back. He runs with power and speed and excelled in spring practice. The Buckeyes return only two starting offensive linemen, although center Pat Elflein should be one of college football’s best linemen.

The offense will lean heavily on Weber as a workhorse back. He’ll respond as a star and rush for 1,200 yards as a freshman. And this is only the beginning.

Bold Prediction: Deondre Francois will pass for 3,000 yards as a freshman

Jimbo Fisher has rebuilt Florida State into a bonafide national power. The Seminoles had a “down” 10-win season in 2015, but that followed a three-year run that saw a national title, a College Football Playoff appearance and three ACC championships. Well, guess what? The old ‘Noles will be back in 2016.

Florida State returns 15 starters (nine on offense) and has a serious Heisman Trophy candidate in junior tailback Dalvin Cook, who rushed for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior.

FSU has already settled on a starting quarterback in freshman Deondre Francois, who took the job due to a foot injury which will sideline senior Sean Maguire for an extended period. That’s a positive for Fisher, who now has extra time to prepare Francois for added responsibility.

Francois won’t live up to the high standards set by Jameis Winston as a freshman, but he’ll pass for 3,000 yards and keep FSU in the thick of the College Football Playoff race all season long.

Bold Prediction: Geno Lewis will be Oklahoma’s top receiver 

Baker Mayfield was one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2015 season. Finally eligible as a transfer from Texas Tech, Mayfield ran wild in Lincoln Riley’s Air Raid offense, throwing for 3,700 yards with 36 touchdowns against seven interceptions and leading OU to the College Football Playoff.

Oklahoma returns 12 starters, but there are serious and justified questions about the receiver corps, which lost Sterling Shepard and his 86 catches, 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns to the NFL. Dede Westbrook (46 receptions, 743 yards and four touchdowns) is the leading returning receiver, but is he ready to be Mayfield’s top target?

Or might the Sooners turn to another transfer? Geno Lewis had just 17 catches for 196 yards and three touchdowns as a Penn State junior before landing in Norman as a graduate transfer. But he meshed well with Christian Hackenberg as a sophomore, making 55 catches for 751 yards and two scores. If he can build similar chemistry with Mayfield, Lewis is in for a big final season as a Sooner.

Bold Prediction: Clemson will win its first national title since 1981

This isn’t your father’s Clemson team. It isn’t even your older brother’s Clemson team. Dabo Swinney has taken care of that. In seven-plus seasons as the Tigers’ head coach, the excitable Swinney has taken a program that wallowed in almosts and mediocrity under Tommy Bowden and turned it into one of the nation’s best, with five consecutive seasons of at least 10 wins and a pair of ACC championships under his guidance.

2015 was the best season yet, with Clemson setting a program record for wins and taking a 14-0 record into the national title game, pushing Alabama to the limit before falling 45-40. And, naturally, that only motivated Swinney’s group for more.

Clemson returns 12 starters, including eight on offense, led by junior quarterback Deshaun Watson, the returning third-place Heisman Trophy finisher who became the first QB in FBS history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. He’s surrounded by a loaded offense including tailback Wayne Gallman, tight end Jordan Leggett and receivers Artavis Scott, Mike Williams, Hunter Renfrow and Deon Cain.

Clemson has a few tough spots in its schedule (an opener at Auburn, Oct. 1’s date with Louisville, Oct. 29’s trip to Florida State), but it is manageable. Only four starters return on defense, and Brent Venables will have a challenge keeping it in the top 10 in yardage allowed nationally, but there’s enough depth to pick up the slack.

Clemson will run the table, make the College Football Playoff at 13-0, and this time, the Tigers will finish the drill for their first national title since 1981.