Out of the loop?  Trying to play catch up on all the latest college fantasy football news?  Here is a rundown of the happenings at spring camps from around the country.


ARKANSAS
News:  Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett led the team through drills during the first few days of practice, and looks to be recovered from the broken foot suffered back in February.
CFG Analysis: Mallett was expected to make a full recovery by the time fall camp rolled around.  So far, so good.

BAYLOR
News:  The Waco Tribue-Herald reports that Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin threw the ball exceptionally well in the first few practices.  He's also bulked up to 220 pounds.
CFG Analysis: Good news as RG3 is an elite fantasy QB when healthy.  It’ll be interesting to see if a knee brace and some extra pounds will slow down Griffin in the run game this fall.

CALIFORNIA
News:  Per the MercuryNews.com, Cal running back has yet to practice in camp due to his hamstring.
CFG Analysis: Nothing to be too alarmed about just yet as Vereen basically skipped most of spring ball to keep from being dinged up.  However, for some reason Cal RBs have a history of nagging injuries.  Let’s see how he progresses in another couple days.

News:  Per Jonathan Okanes of Bear Talk, Cal is on the hunt for a backup running back to Shane Vereen this fall.  The four candidates are redshirt sophomore Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson, sophomore Isi Sofele, redshirt freshman Dasarte Yarnway and incoming freshman Trajuan Briggs. Although Briggs is a talent that reminds some of Marshawn Lynch, the fact that he worked almost exclusively with the fourth team in the spring suggests he’s not realistically in the mix. All things being equal, DeBoskie-Johnson is the favorite, based on seniority. He had the few carries available behind Vereen at the end of last year (after Jahvid Best went down). DeBoskie-Johnson has a pretty good burst and is a smart player, which will help in the meeting room.
CFG Analysis: If you read the piece, it sounds as if - for the first time in a long time - Cal might not have a surefire No. 2 RB.  Could be a committee approach in that role.  Briggs seems to have the most potential of the bunch, but there are rumblings that he might redshirt.

COLORADO
News:  Per the Denver Post, Colorado tailback Rodney Stewart got in a small car accident Saturday night and wore a blue non-contact jersey in Wednesday’s practice. He was not hurt. “He got smashed by a car on Saturday night so we just wanted to be precationary,” coach Dan Hawkins said. “We wanted to be careful with his head and his neck.”
CFG Analysis: It doesn’t sound like there is anything to worry about here.  He’ll rest for a day or two and likely be back out on the practice field.

FLORIDA
News:  Per TampaBayOnline, receiver-running back Chris Rainey has a "racing heart beat'' and is being held out of practice. Meyer hopes it will clear up and the team will have Rainey, one of the squad's top offensive threats, back in a few days. Meyer confessed it was a condition he wasn't very familiar with.
CFG Analysis: This is something to keep an eye on as Rainey is a key cog in the Gator offense.

FLORIDA STATE
News:  Florida State has dismissed junior receiverJarmon Fortson from the football team.  Sophomore Rodney Smith probably will take Fortson's spot on the depth chart although he had only one catch last season.
CFG Analysis: This is a pretty big loss for the Seminoles, and for QB Christian Ponder.  Fortson surprisingly projected very well this year as he was expected to use his 6’3 231-pound frame to become FSU’s leading redzone target.

HAWAII
News:  Bryant Moniz was named starting quarterback for Hawaii on Monday, per HawaiiNewsNow.com. "I'm excited to be have that responsibility and to have that role again." Moniz said on Monday, he also added "it's always good to know when you're work is appreciated."
CFG Analysis: This is good news for fantasy owners as there was a little bit of doubt as to how the team would react to what was a rocky offseason for Moniz.
News:  The Honolulu Star Adviser reports that wide receiver Rodney Bradley practiced at full speed on Friday.  He spent the off-season recovering from a broken leg suffered during the 2009 season. "At first I thought it was going to be a little tough coming back mentally with it, but today I didn't favor it at all," Bradley said. "I wasn't really thinking about it."
CFG Analysis: Good news here for Bradley.  If he continues to look good in practice, look for him to rise up our preseason player rankings.  Bradley was limping at practice but he claims it was due to a foot bruise and not his leg.  His health will play a factor in the fantasy production of Greg Salas, and could cause Darius Bright to redshirt.

IOWA
News:  Iowa running back Brandon Wegher isn't practicing with the team for undisclosed reasons, according to multiple media reports.
CFG Analysis: Stay tuned on this one.  If he winds up leaving the team, it makes a muddled fantasy situation a little clearer as Adam Robinson and Jewel Hampton would see most of the load.  Note: If Wegher doesn’t return, Robinson would become a top Week 1 play as Hampton is likely to be suspended for the opener for an off-the-field incident earlier this summer.

LOUISVILLE
News:  In an interview with ESPN.com's Brian Bennett, Louisville's Josh Chichester stated that he has been moved from wide receiver to tight end.
CFG Analysis: This is an interesting development.  Chichester stands 6’9 and is a stout 250 pounds.  In a down year for tight ends, he is one to watch, even in the anemic Cardinals offense.

LSU
News:  TheTownTalk.com had some interesting quotes regarding the LSU running back competition between Richard Murphy, Stevan Ridley and Michael Ford. "Who's the best of the three?" head coach Les Miles asked. "He (Ford) might be the best. We're going to have to see." Ford drew raves from offensive coordinator Gary Crowton Tuesday for his "strength, explosiveness and speed," and he said he has "a good feeling" about him.
CFG Analysis: We feel that it’s only a matter of time before Ford emerges from the pack.  The only question is “when”?  Will it come in the early portion of the season or later in the year?

MISSOURI
News:  Jerrell Jackson, Missouri’s top returning receiver, will be out four weeks with a broken scaphoid bone in his left wrist. He is already in a cast.
CFG Analysis: This looks to be the first real casualty of the young fantasy season as Jackson was the team’s leading receiver.  Looks like he could miss the first game or two.  T.J. Moe is expected to take Jackson’s place in the slot.  Wes Kemp should get a bump up your draft board, and we’ll have to keep an eye on Rolandis Woodland and a host of young freshman led by Marcus Lucas.

NOTRE DAME
News:  According to ESPN.com, Notre Dame freshman TJ Jones lined up with the first-stringers at receiver instead of senior Duval Kamara who was listed at No. 1.
CFG Analysis: Tai-ler (aka T.J.) Jones is another freshman to monitor.  If he can live up to his spring hype, this will mean good things for both QB Dayne Crist and WR Michael Floyd.

OLE MISS
News:  Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli announced on his website this weekend that he will join the Ole Miss football squad as a walk-on.  He is eligible to play immediately under NCAA rules since he has graduated from Oregon and will enroll into Mississippi's graduate program.
CFG Analysis: August camp just got a whole lot more interesting in Oxford.  Don’t rush onto the waiver wire to grab Masoli just yet.  He has a lot of work to do.

OKLAHOMA
News:  According to the Tulsa World, the accolades are pouring in for freshman wide receiver Kenny Stills.  "He's got a lot of speed," said quarterback Landry Jones, "so he's gonna be a deep-ball threat for us." Stoops said the ascension of Stills was part Stills going up and part his competition going down. "Or at this point," Stoops said, "he's outperformed them."
CFG Analysis: Right now, Stills is listed as a starting WR for the Sooners.  He’s a hot keeper league name - and rightly so, but for regular All-120 leagues he’s probably nothing more than a late round consideration.  The real news here is that Landry Jones has another legitimate weapon at his disposal.

OKLAHOMA STATE
News:  Oklahoma State wide receiver Tracy Moore arrived at fall camp in great shape, tipping the scales at 220 pounds. He's impressed both his head coach and his quarterback thus far with his new physique, which Moore attributes to a new diet.  According to the Tulsa World: "I'll tell you who looks pretty good — Tracy Moore, the kid from Union. He might be a player," head coach Mike Gundy said.
CFG Analysis: We’ve been on the Moore bandwagon since spring ball.  In the new Houston offense, he fits the mold of the big-bodied James Cleveland type.  A guy that could catch a bunch of balls over the middle, as Weeden suggests above.  At the moment, Moore is worth drafting in the late rounds of All-120 league formats.  Don’t be surprised if his value rises the closer we get to the opening weekend.

RICE
News:  Rice coach David Bailiff spent a good part of his team's media day talking about running back Sam McGuffie. “You’ve all seen his high school video,” Bailiff said. “Coming from Michigan, Sam is one of the premier running backs — could be — in the country. We have to get Sam the football, create some space for him and let Sam do what Sam does best.”
CFG Analysis: McGuffie is one of the higher profile transfers in the country, coming from Michigan.  If the coach continues to heap praise on his new RB, one might think there is a good chance he’ll give him the ball early and often in 2010.  Before you get too carried away with McGuffie this draft season, keep an eye on the surrounding talent around him.  There are no Chase Clements, Jarett Dillards or James Caseys to be found.

SOUTHERN MISS
News:  The Tulsa World is reporting that Southern MIss wide receiver DeAndre Brown has been demoted to second team. "We ask these guys to practice a certain way every day no matter what you feel or what you think," Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora told the Hattiesburg American. "There is no gamer in our deal. There's no guy that's not going to do it on the practice field and get the opportunity to do it in the game. That's not the way it's going to work. The team is what's most important and everybody is going to do it the way we want it."
CFG Analysis: Brown has had a rocky summer with an arrest and now apparently his practice worth ethic is in question. This demotion is probably nothing more than than a motivational ploy by the coaching staff, but it worth keeping an eye on as Brown is an elite fantasy prospect.

STANFORD
News:  According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the guy with the inside track to win the starting running back job might be Jeremy Stewart.  He's considered to be the best pass protector of the RBs, which could be a big factor with quarterback Andrew Luck expected to do a lot more throwing this fall.
CFG Analysis: Whoever wins the job would be happy to produce HALF of the stats that Gerhart put up last fall (1871 rushing yards, 28 TDs).  Keep an eye on this competition in Augsut, if Stewart of someone else emerges as the No.1 he might make a decent draft pick in BCS-only leagues.

SYRACUSE
News:  Syracuse running back Delone Carter has been reinstated to the football team.  He had been suspended for punching a student last February.  Last season as a junior, Carter led the team with 1,021 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
CFG Analysis: Assuming he isn’t suspended for any games, Carter is definitely draft worthy as a strong RB4 in All-120 leagues.

TEXAS TECH
News:  According to the Dallas Morning News, the Texas Tech coaching staff will decide between quarterbacks Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield following Texas Tech's second intra-squad scrimmage on Aug. 21. "It'll be about after at least two scrimmages," Tuberville said after Sunday's practice. "And that's probably about all we'll go. I want to give the starting quarterback at least a week or a week and a half work with the first-team to get his timing down. Let him know that he's the guy. But he's got to fight to keep it. There's obviously going to be competition throughout the year."
CFG Analysis: Unless there is another injury, we have a hunch that Sheffield will win this battle.

TOLEDO
News:  The Toledo Blade reports that Austin Dantin is still the No. 1 quarterback on the Toledo depth chart. "Austin has had five pretty good days," UT coach Tim Beckman said Tuesday. "He's still in there as the No. 1. He's been very accurate, and his arm strength has gotten better because of the work that he's put in in the offseason."
CFG Analysis: The coaches are calling this a 4-man quarterback competition, but it feels more like they are just trying to keep Dantin on his toes.  We’d be surprised if he is not named the starter here.  With some great targets in his arsenal, Dantin is a nice sleeper candidate.

TROY
News:  Per the Dothan Eagle, Troy's Jamie Hampton is battling redshirt freshman Corey Robinson for the starting quarterback job. The two have received equal work with the first unit through the first week of fall practice. Both quarterbacks said earlier this week that they didn’t mind that the competition continued through the fall.
CFG Analysis: Ugh. This isn’t what we wanted to hear.  One must wonder whether Robinson is that good or if Hampton hasn’t taken over the offense as most expected.  Whatever the case, Hampton should be drafted with caution until further notice.

USC
News:  According to the L.A. Times, USC freshman running back Dillon Baxter has been suspended for next month's season opener at Hawaii for violating team rules.  Coach Lane Kiffin declined to say what team rules Baxter had broken, but a source with knowledge of the situation said Baxter was the unnamed individual cited in a USC Department of Public Safety incident report for "violating a team curfew" and "being under the influence of a controlled substance".
CFG Analysis: Sounds like Baxter is being a knucklehead (again), which is good news for Allen Bradford owners.  Baxter still remains a top keeper prospect as his talent is undeniable.