3 College Football Programs Whose Stock Has Fallen After Spring Games – Sports Illustrated

In this story:
College Football spring games made a big return this spring after most programs canceled the game in 2025. With that said, not every team that chose to have an intrasquad scrimmage got good news for their efforts.
These three College Football teams have more questions than answers, have undoubtedly instilled doubts in their fan bases, and saw their stocks fall after hosting their spring games within the past two weeks.
Alex Golesh found out on Saturday that he has a stud backup quarterback in Oregon State Beavers transfer Tristan Ti'a, but he didn't get the most convincing day from his former starter with the USF Bulls, Byrum Brown.
While the spring game format wasn't a good fit for Brown's run-heavy attack, he still flashed accuracy issues that may alarm some entering his fifth year. There weren't many worries on the Plains, though the offensive line play looked problematic, making weak offensive trenches an evergreen issue in East Central Alabama.
Still, the Auburn Tigers probably would've liked a stronger statement from Brown, who holds the program's fate in his hands this fall.
George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon did little to separate themselves from the pack during the Orange and White spring game on Rocky Top last week. In fact, Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel may be giving Ryan Staub more thought for the QB1 spot.
While first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles's notoriously tricky concepts seemed to be implemented well and quickly, it's unclear if that's because there wasn't a QB who could take advantage and help this team win games in the SEC based on the early returns in the spring.
The Colorado Buffaloes looked great during their Black and Gold spring game last week. Redshirt freshman QB Julian Lewis threw the ball well downfield, while San Jose State Spartans transfer receiver Danny Scudero showed strong chemistry with the pillar QB.
Chris Marve's defense looked crisp and was implemented well. The issue wasn't with any one position group, though. It was with the size of the roster as players ran through the tunnel at Folsom Field.
Several outlets picked up how small Colorado's roster looked and clowned Coach Prime over it. Deion Sanders may not have many more opportunities to pull the Buffs out of a sub-mediocre malaise the team's been in outside of the 2024 season and 2016 before that.
New AD Fernando Lovo has a different ideological viewpoint on recruiting than Sanders. Coach Prime's approach just became a meme. If Colorado loses more than it wins this fall, everyone will remember how the spring game exposed the Buffs' lack of size.
Loading recommendations… Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations
Andrew is a freelance sports journalist based in Austin, Texas. His work has work has been featured in ON SI, The Miami Herald, Bleacher Report, Sporting News and Yahoo Sports. Andrew graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in journalism.
© 2026 ABG-SI LLC – SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates, licensees and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

source