The notable changes in the PAC-12, with 10 of the 12 teams leaving, put the rest of the conference into question. Alabama's loss of Nick Saban to retirement puts pressure on new Coach Kalen DeBoer, who recently was the coach of the Washington Huskies. Out in the Big XII, could Colorado come in immediately and be an impact player after departing the Pac-12? And with another lengthy list of quarterbacks likely draft-bound at the end of the season, who has the most to prove? Let's find out.
Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
Alabama could be in for a challenging ride if they still aim to reach another National Championship. With Jalen Milroe entering his fourth and final season with the Tide, he is expected to lead the heavily talented squad. Last year, he threw for almost 3000 yards and ran for 531 yards, clearly showing off high-end dual-threat prowess. The dynamic of Kalen DeBoer's coaching style and how he will run the offense will be different, and perhaps the key story with Milroe and this program as a whole in 2024.
In the transfer portal, 40 players have left Alabama. Could it be due to Nick Saban leaving? Maybe, but that still doesn't stop the team from having a rich winning history. They still have acquired a handful of good players from the portal. Milroe could be in the talks of being a top Heisman candidate, but we will have to wait and see.
Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
The Colorado Buffaloes have faced much controversy over the last two years due to Deion Sanders. Colorado football will have eyes on them at the start of the season, same as last year. I think they need to get above six wins to show the whole CFB that the hype is real. Shedeur Sanders needs to perform at a high caliber this season to show the public and the rest of the Big XII that he is a weapon. Last year, Shedeur had a good start to the season, leading the team to a victory over TCU and continued to prove that they have the talent. But within those three games, they faced a solid Oregon team losing 42-6, which had the whole CFB questioning the team. But with Shedeur returning along with star two-way player Travis Hunter, who is expected to be drafted early in the first round of the '25 Draft, they are looking to be a very dangerous duo if they can both lead the team on each side of the ball.
In Deion's first season, he went 4-8, with many players coming out against him, feuding and insulting them. But if we look at Deion's whole spectacle, it's to the public eye that he does not care. The transfer portal this year has been good to the Buffaloes; they may have lost many players, but they had the best transfer portal in the Big XII. Shedeur Sanders is a name you must look out for this season. Are they going to surpass the six-win mark this season with him at the helm before he's (likely) NFL-bound?
Quinn Ewers (Texas)
Can Quinn Ewers lead the Texas Longhorns to a National Championship? With Quinn Ewers returning with one last year, he is expected to lead the Longhorns to a national championship; last year, Ewers threw for 3479 yards on 394 attempts. With RB Jonathon Brooks and WRs Xaiver Worthy and Adonai Mitchell being drafted, it leaves the rest of the core with more targets and more opportunities. The Longhorns have impacted the transfer portal, getting five-star WR Isaiah Bond, along with a bunch of four-star Transfers. Bond, specifically, being a massive, massive get.
Last year, Bond went for 668 yards on 48 Targets and is expected to exceed those numbers, with the Longhorns being more of a passing offense. CJ Baxter is RB1 after being behind Brooks, but he still counted for almost 700 yards. He will get many opportunities and is only a sophomore, so he has more time to develop. Ewers has many expectations leading up to the season, being in the top three Heisman candidates and behind Carson Beck (Georgia) and Dillion Gabriel (Oregon). Ewers still has much to prove to get to the number one spot with all of this on his shoulders and, for Texas fans' sake, back to the promised land of another National Championship.
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