Hello, College Fantasy Football (CFF) World! Man, it feels good to be here! I’m the New Coach On The CFF Block. Wait. No. I’m the new writer on the CFF block. Today I will highlight three P4 schools and three G5 schools with new Head Coaches or Offensive Coordinators and their IMPACT for your CFF/C2C rosters in 2024. Before we get too far into this… I want to properly introduce myself to you.
I have been writing for a little over a year now on Substack. These articles have been based on coaching tendencies and their fantasy football impact, at the college level. Mainly, I have been in the podcasting world for the last 2-3 years. I am the Co-Host of the @G5Hive on X. My Co-Host, Justice, and I are working on a series called “The Worker Bee Series“. We deep dive into the G5 College Football landscape with the folks who know the teams the best. To top it off, I do another podcast with my league-mates about our Campus2Canton home league, the Casuals2Degenerates. As you can imagine, I have some passion for CFF and C2C leagues…and of course the G5! Enough about me. Let’s talk fantasy!
🚨Calling all CFF Fans🚨
Which P4 coaching move are you most intrigued by?
Please post your comment in the 🧵 👇 #PlayCFF #C2C #CollegeFootball @Fantrax #CollegeFantasyFootball #CFF
— Luke Probasco (@ProbascoLuke) May 30, 2024
“I voted DeBoer. A lot of questions about how the offense will look this year and how he will fit over there. I am intrigued.”
@VolumePigs
New Coach On The CFF Block
Kalen DeBoer – Head Coach, Alabama
Kalen DeBoer is the new coach on the block. He comes to Alabama via Washington. He averages a passing completion bump to his QBs by an average of +3.03%. Jalen Milroe has the highest completion %percentage for a QB he will inherit, with the exception of Peyton Ramsey in 2019 while at Indiana. Ramsey had a passing completion of 66% in 2018. After 2019, DeBoer helped raise that to 66.2%. DeBoer also has experience with rushing QBs, like Reggie Bell at Eastern Michigan in 2014. Bell rushed for 562 yards and 4 TDs.
What does that mean?
I believe we should expect something similar from Jalen Milroe in 2024, as we saw in 2023. Maybe we see a dip in those 12 rushing TDs from 2023. Maybe we see an increase in the 2834 passing yards and 23 passing TDs from 2023. I think we see those offset, and we get a solid QB showing week to week from Milroe. With the uncertainty in the 2024 CFF QBs, I like Milroe.
Kevin Barbay – Offensive Coordinator, Houston
Kevin Barbay is the new coach on the block. He comes to Houston via Mississippi State. He has been an OC at Central Michigan, Appalachian State, and most recently Mississippi State. Over those five seasons his offenses average 38.4 rushes and 31.2 passes per game. In 2019, there were two 1K rushers in Jonathan Ward and Kobe Lewis. 2020 was cut short, but there were 2 rushers on pace for over 1K. In 2021, the world was introduced to Lew Nichols and his 1,848 rushing yards. In 2022, Appalachian State had a 4 RBBC (Running Back By Committee). Nate Noel had the most yards rushing, with 604. The 2023 Mississippi State team also had a 4 RBBC. Jo’quavious Marks had 573 rushing yards. We saw some Houston WRs leave via the portal. Matthew Golden is now at Texas, and Sam Brown is at Miami.
What does that mean?
I’ll read in between the lines and say we will see a run-heavy approach from Houston in 2024. That RB room has Stacy Sneed, Parker Jenkins, and Tony Mathis Jr. I like Jenkins and Sneed of the three. In 2024, I can see a call back to the 2019 Central Michigan team. Barbay saw firsthand how to get Jonathan Ward and Kobe Lewis both over 1k rushing. Or do we see a 1 RB workhorse, Lew Nichols, type season from Parker Jenkins? Invest in this RB room.
Jeff Lebby – Head Coach, Mississippi State
Jeff Lebby is the new coach on the block. He comes to Mississippi State via Oklahoma, where he was the OC. Between Ole Miss and Oklahoma, he has four seasons with an OC title. Over those four seasons his offenses average 33.2 passes and 44.1 rushes per game. He typically has a mobile QB who clears 3k passing yards easily. His #1 WR in three out of four years has had more than 1k and 8TDs. The only one missing that threshold was Drake Stoops in 2023. He had 962 yards receiving and 10 TDs.
What does that mean?
I expect Blake Shapen to be the QB for the Bulldogs in 2023. He is not mobile, so I’ll pass on him having Corral/Gabriel-type numbers in 2024. However, I do expect there to be a valuable WR in this room. Lebby’s #1 WR typically comes from the slot. Kevin Coleman played on the outside during the spring game, but I was told he was more effective in the slot during the practices leading up to the game. Give me Kevin Coleman to have a breakout-type year in 2024. I expect him to have a stat line of ~75 receptions for 1000 yards and 7/8 TDs. That would be good for 220-230 seasonal points.
🚨Calling all CFF Fans🚨
Which G5 coaching move are you most intrigued by?
Please post your comment in the 🧵 👇 #PlayCFF #C2C #CollegeFootball @Fantrax #CollegeFantasyFootball #CFF
— Luke Probasco (@ProbascoLuke) May 30, 2024
“Voted for Lewis but Chesney to JMU is very interesting. They ran nearly 70% of the time at Holy Cross. Do yo expect the same at JMU?”
@CFFLists
Bob Chesney – Head Coach, James Madison
Bob Chesney is the new coach on the block. He comes to James Madison via Holy Cross. In his six seasons as Head Coach, his offenses averaged 40.8 rush plays and 24.8 pass plays per game. He has always had 2 main rushers. It just so happens that it has been a QB for the last 4 years, Matthew Sluka. Not looking at position, he has had five 1K rushers in 5 seasons (taking out 2020 as 1k would be hard to hit in 5 games). In the case of 2023 and 2022, he had two 1k rushers in those years. Most of the James Madison OL is back for 2024. Dylan Morris was brought in from Washington and is not a dual-threat QB.
What does that mean?
Fire up Ayo Adeyi! He is a transfer from North Texas. I’d also grab some George Pettaway, transfer from UNC, here and there too. Per sources around JMU, there will be a committee approach to start off the season, but they are VERY high on Adeyi. I believe we see Ayo Adeyi rush for 1k yards in 2024 and maybe George Pettaway too!
Sean Lewis – Head Coach, San Diego State
Sean Lewis is the new coach on the block. He comes to San Diego State via Colorado. Historically he is a 50/50 guy when it comes to the run and pass. He was the OC for the Buffalo in 2023, well until Nov 3. He was relieved of his duties as playcaller before the Oregon State game. Shedeur Sanders was averaging 329 yards, 2.8 TDs, and 0.4 INTs up to that point. If you take a step back, he had 2637 yards passing in 8 games. This is more passing yards than his QBs had while he was the Head Coach at Kent State. For reference: 2018 (Barrett – 2339), 2019 (Dustin Crum – 2622), 2020 – Covid, 2022 (Collin Schlee – 2109).
I said earlier, that Lewis has historically been a 50/50 guy when it comes to the run and pass. Well, that went out the window in 2023. Colorado barely ran the ball and the defense put them in situations where they needed to throw the ball to keep up. Now was it due to Deion’s son being the QB and wanting to pump up those numbers for the 2025 draft? You can’t convince me otherwise! Lewis typically runs an RBBC, except when he had Marquez Cooper at Kent State. In 2021, Cooper had 241 rushing attempts. In 2022, he had 285 rushing attempts. He ran for over 1,200 yards and over 10 TDs both years.
What does that mean?
At QB. I expect Florida State transfer, AJ Duffy, to win that job. I would expect 23-28 ppg from him in 2024. He also needs to throw it to someone. A Sean Lewis #1 WR averages a seasonal statline of ~54.8 rec, 803.6 yards, and 7 TDs. That is good for 17.67ppg. Give me Louis Brown IV, a Colorado State transfer. Because AJ Duffy is not Deion Sanders’ kid, I expect to see Lewis get back to the running game. Guess who transferred in from Ball State? You guessed it, Marquez Cooper! Give me a back who historically has seen 17-25 touches per game under this Head Coach. Because he is not involved in the passing game, I would expect ~15-17ppg from Cooper in 2024. I would advise you to pivot off of Cooper quickly if you don’t see that 17-25 touches in the first 2/3 weeks. I know we just met, but trust me.
*Additional note: Michael Harrison is a TE from Colorado who stepped up in Travis Hunter’s absence, in 2023. I would advise you to take some shares as he averaged 11.89ppg in Sean Lewis’ eight game stretch.
Major Applewhite – Head Coach, South Alabama
Ok, I bent the rules a little on this one. Major Applewhite isn’t a new coach on the block. He comes to South Alabama via…South Alabama. He had been the OC at South Alabama for the last three seasons. Prior to South Alabama, he was the HC for Houston and the OC in 2015. Over his last seven seasons calling plays, he averaged 34.7 pass attempts per game and 40.1 rushing attempts per game. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2016, Applewhite’s leading rusher was a QB. In 2018, his QB was the team’s second-leading rusher. In six of Applewhite’s seven seasons, he has had six receivers with more than 1k in receiving yards. The year he missed having a 1k receiver was in 2022. Devin Voisin had 867 yards and Caullin Lacy had 812 yards.
What does that mean?
I want the WRs, Devin Voisin and Jamaal Pritchett. Applewhite’s #1 WRs, typically from the slot, have averaged 83 rec for 1155 yards and 5.8 TDs (19.49ppg) over the last seven years. His #2 WRs, typically from the outside, have averaged 58 rec for 781.5 yards and 6.1 TDs (14.42ppg). I also want the QB, Giovanni Lopez. He has rushing ability, so I can see some throwback Greg Ward Jr./D’Eriq King type numbers from Houston (2015, 2016, and 2018). He is NOT Tim Tebow, but is in that mold. I think he can add 7-10ppg on the ground. What he may lack in passing he makes up for in rushing. I can see getting 24-27ppg with a ceiling of 34.5ppg!
Today, I highlighted three P4 schools and three G5 schools with a new Head Coach or Offensive Coordinator for you. It was nice meeting you, and I hope you were able to meet a few new names. College football is less than 100 days away! CFB and C2C leagues to the moon, baby!