Top teams fill their key voids

The Sporting News

The magazines stare back at him from bookshelves everywhere. In this summer of change, he is gripped by them. He digests every word. You know, the preseason college football annuals that say Jason Fife is no Joey Harrington; the ones that say Jason Fife is the reason the Oregon Ducks, who return most of a team that should've played for the national title last season, will be lucky to stay among the elite in the Pac-10. Even The Sporting News' preview magazine has them pegged for fourth place.

"I saw that," Fife says, forcing a laugh.

Look, we're not dense. Fife threw all of nine passes last season as Joey Heisman's sophomore backup. Talk all you want about his rifle arm and physical ability, he hasn't played in a game that matters since high school. Yet there's one distinguishing factor that makes this transition easier than it should be: track record.

Oregon's pass-happy offense has dominated the Pac-10 the last seven years under coach Mike Bellotti, the West Coast's version of Steve Spurrier. Players come and players go, and the system keeps churning along. Tony Graziani. Akili Smith. Harrington. A.J. Feely, Harrington's backup for much of two seasons, was drafted by the Eagles in 2001. Philly Coach Andy Reid, one of the NFL's most respected quarterbacks coaches, says Feely has a future in the league. And he couldn't break into the starting lineup in Eugene.

Fife isn't the only player stepping in under pressure. Here's a look at five others who will have a serious impact on a team with great potential:

WR Devard Darling, Washington State. Star receiver Nakoa McElrath is gone, and Mike Bush, the Pac-10's best wideout, will face plenty of double-teams. Coaches want to isolate Darling, a physical target, in the slot to create matchup problems.

LT Carlos Joseph, Miami. The poor kid has to step in for a player (Bryant McKinnie) who never gave up a sack. Don't feel too sorry for quarterback Ken Dorsey. Joseph (6-6, 335) is huge and full of pro potential -- like McKinnie.

LB Lance Mitchell, Oklahoma. A junior college All-American, Mitchell originally committed to play at Florida but signed with Oklahoma after Florida officials refused to allow him to enroll because of an academic discrepancy. Gators coaches privately fumed over the loss, and here's why: Mitchell (6-foot-2, 245) hits and chases laterally as well as, or better than, former Oklahoma All-American inside backers Torrance Marshall and Rocky Calmus.

RB Derrick Knight, Boston College. Brian St. Pierre was one of the nation's most efficient passers last season because William Green gave the Eagles a breakaway runner in the backfield. Knight, who is 5-9 but runs with power, doesn't have the home run speed of Green, but he's good enough to give the Eagles balance on offense.

QB A.J. Suggs, Georgia Tech. He lost out to Casey Clausen at Tennessee and left for Tech because of his ties to the school's former coaching staff. The Yellow Jackets have dynamic threats at wideout (Kerry Watkins, Will Glover) and need Suggs to play within new coach Chan Gailey's ball-control offense to lessen the impact of the loss of quarterback George Godsey. Suggs held off redshirt freshman Damarius Bilbo in the spring but will be pushed again in the fall.

Matt Hayes is a columnist for The Sporting News