NCAA Football: Five Players with the Biggest Shoes to Fill in 2012 - jmik58's Blog

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NCAA Football: Five Players with the Biggest Shoes to Fill in 2012 Stuck

Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:34 AM.

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Few players truly want to be the guy that follows "the guy."

The pressure and criticism of never matching your predecessor can easily outweigh the hope that burns inside of the fresh-faced replacement. Some have had success but almost all took their shots from fans on their way to finally earning respect.

Steve Young got the monkey off his back after following the legendary Joe Montana as a San Francisco 49er. And Aaron Rodgers has done his part to help Green Bay fans forget Brett Favre. While the pressure may not be as big in college football as it is at the pro level, fans are just as rabid and the younger, less mature amateurs can easily buckle.

Here is my list of college football players with the biggest shoes to fill in 2012.

5. Eddie Lacy (JR) - HB - Alabama Crimson Tide

Replacing: Trent Richardson (#1 Draft Choice of Cleveland Browns)

Richardson rushed for over 1,600 yards in 2011, carrying the 'Bama offense en route to a national championship appearance. The abundance of talent on the Alabama squad lightens the burden of any one player, but back-to-back studs at tailback in Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson put a lot of pressure on Lacy to immediately impress.

Lacy measures in at 6'0" 220 lbs and has shown flashes of brilliance in the few opportunities he's been given. Averaging just over seven yards per carry, the top-fifty recruit should make it three-in-a-row for successful Crimson Tide halfbacks.

4. Sean Duggan (SO) - MLB - Boston College Eagles

Replacing: Luke Kuechly (#1 Draft Choice of Carolina Panthers)

Kuechly was nothing if not a tackles machine in 2011 for the Eagles. Leading the nation with 191 stops (nearly 16 per game), the undersized ball of fire led the way with his determination and won over fans with his heart. The two-time All-American took home the Lombardi Award, Nagurski Trophy, and was the recipient of the Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2011.

At 6'4" 228 lbs, Duggan has a little room to grow before sculpting himself as a true beast in the middle. His strongest skills are more cerebral than physical, but he does come in with moderate expectations as a former top-seventy recruit out of high school.

3. Brett Nottingham (JR) / Josh Nunes (JR) - QB - Stanford Cardinal

Replacing: Andrew Luck (#1 Overall Draft Choice of Indianapolis Colts)

It's almost easier to tell you what Luck didn't accomplish than to list out all the accolades he achieved. The top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Luck threw for over 3,500 yards to go with 35 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions in his impressive senior season. As a Heisman finalist, the near-perfect prototype for a drop-back quarterback helped lead the Cardinal to a BCS game appearance and a return to national prominence.

The battle to replace Luck has been narrowed down to juniors Nottingham and Nunes who may split time in the regular season as well. Both stand at about 6'4" 220 lbs and came in as top-fifteen recruits, but playing behind Luck afforded neither a true chance to showcase an ability to lead the team in the future.

2. Joe Southwick (JR) - QB - Boise State Broncos

Replacing: Kellen Moore (Signed as undrafted free agent by Detroit Lions)

Simply put, Moore won a lot of games. More games than any quarterback in FBS history to be exact. Over his four-year career as a starter he threw for over 14,600 yards -- the equivalent of more than eight miles. Along with his gaudy yardage, Moore tossed 142 touchdowns to only 28 interceptions. The master of efficiency, he led the Broncos to a record of 50-3 over his career while collecting All-American honors twice. When it comes to the little guy, the underdog, the epitome of non-BCS success -- Moore is "that guy."

Southwick may actually benefit from the unbelievable career of Kellen Moore as many realize how special of a quarterback he was for the program. Regardless, the next-in-line at Boise looks to be primed for a solid two-year run at continuing the Broncos' success. Like Kellen Moore (6'0" 197 lbs), Southwick isn't built like your prototypical quarterback -- Joe is 6'1" and tips the scales at 192 lbs according to Broncossports.com.

However, in limited action during his freshman and sophomore years, Southwick showed flashes of passing brilliance while appearing in eight games each season completing 40 of 54 passes (.714 completion %) for four hundred yards to go with two touchdowns and one interception.

1. Nick Florence (SR) - QB - Baylor Bears

Replacing: Robert Griffin III (Second overall pick in NFL Draft by Washington Redskins)

RG3 may be one of the most charismatic personalities to ever play the game at such a high level. Not to mention, he resurrected a Baylor football program that hasn't been relevant since -- well, since forever. Heisman Trophy? Check. First team All-American? Check. Davey O'Brien Award and Manning Award? Keep the lid off your pen, and double-check.

Griffin III led the Bears to their greatest season in program history, going 10-3 in 2011, capped off by a bowl victory, RG3 gracing the cover of EA Sports' NCAA Football 13 video game, and the number-two selection in the NFL Draft. Not only is he "that guy," but he may be the one that will never be matched in the eyes of those who lived it. No matter what anyone does from now on, Robert Griffin III is Baylor football's "Michael Jordan" or "Babe Ruth."

And the man who gets to constantly be compared to Griffin III: Senior Nick Florence. On the positive side, he only has to live with the pressure for one year knowing that he didn't get as much of a chance to develop into a program guy. On the flip side, he's stuck with the players Baylor has this year and is a lame-duck quarterback that likely will be thought of as a transition guy while the future signal-callers are groomed.

Starting in seven games over this first two years, Florence did little to impress but looked strong in very limited action last year connecting on 75% of his passes. He will most likely be asked to make plays with his arm and not his feet -- as Griffin III was beloved for -- but as a former top-75 recruit, Florence has the potential to keep Baylor on the winning side.

Who has the biggest shoes to fill in 2012?

Justin Mikels is a staff writer for Operation Sports. Follow him on Twitter @long_snapper.

Comments

# 1 Dynastium @ Jul 19

Clint Chelf or Wes Lunt for Ok. State?

# 2 jmik58 @ Jul 19

Funny you should mention Chelf and Lunt. If I was doing a top-ten I would have had Weedon/Blackmon in there for sure. My opinion is that the OK St offensive system is so good that it makes it easier to find a quality quarterback to fill in.