Now that spring practices are in the books, it’s time to discuss whose value is on the rise and whose is on the unfortunate decline. Without a spring portal window, this edition of the stock report is based primarily on practice and scrimmage reports, quotes from staff and players, injury information, and other rumblings throughout the rumor mill.
STOCK UP
Keelon Russell, Alabama
Let’s snatch the low-hanging fruit first. This former 5-star has been in a heated battle with Austin Mack, but we got some clear separation after the spring game when Russell threw for 4 TDs and showed he could be a willing runner on a squad that has struggled to establish a ground attack. Mack really struggled in the game, and the staff’s reporting that he was “dinged up” felt more like them tossing Mack a bone to help him save face. This battle looks to be about as done as a Lincoln Riley brisket.
Jaden Craig, TCU
Nerd alert! The Harvard transfer was thought to be in a battle with redshirt freshman Adam Schobel, but Craig has been working almost exclusively with the 1s throughout the spring. It really doesn’t even seem close as we head into the summer. He was a prolific passer at Harvard and now has solid weapons and a bright offensive staff to work with at TCU. Dykes has even complimented Craig on his mobility, which was also unexpected.
Will Hammond, Texas Tech
No need to pile on Sorsby and his personal demons. It is probably safe to say that his focus for 2026 will be getting his life back on track, not football. Subsequently, Will Hammond is now back in play as a redraft/bestball option. We probably don’t see him until late September at the earliest, but a quick jump from the Red Raiders’ QB2 to the QB1 is a significant value bump, even if he misses 3+ games.
Ashton Daniels, FSU / Austin Simmons, Missouri / Nick Poulos, Ohio
Don’t get me wrong. There is absolutely no reason to get too excited here or reach in your drafts for any of these guys. But there is still some value to coaches publicly naming a starter in the spring, as was the case with Daniels and Simmons, or publicly stating that one guy is clearly in the lead, as John Hauser said of Poulos. They have all been promoted from Russian roulette options to regular roulette late-round flyer options.
STOCK DOWN
Byrum Brown, Auburn
There had been some War Eagle rumblings throughout the practices that Brown had been on the struggle bus, passing the ball. Golesh was quick to deny that prior to the scrimmage, but Brown’s spring game stat line of 7-14 for 85 yards with no TDs and 2 INTs is concerning. Golesh said after the scrimmage, “he just wasn’t seeing it well today.” Brown should remain very productive in the run game, but concerns about his passing ability translating to the SEC seem quite warranted at this point.
Bishop Davenport, South Alabama
Davenport was benched in the final game last year due to an abysmal performance. Freshman Jared Hollins performed well in his place. While there was no portal addition to the QB room this offseason, Applewhite stated this would be an open competition in 2026. Hollins clearly had the best performance in the spring game with 246 yards and 3 TDs compared to Davenport’s 138 yards and 1 TD. Make no mistake…this is one of the closer QB competitions heading into the fall. Coach speak be dammed, here.
Conner Weigman, Houston
You might be a little surprised to see Weigman here. In his third season of being named the opening week starter, Weigman finally cracked 100 fantasy points on the season last year in large part to a 171-700-11 rushing stat line. Quotes from Willie Fritz, like “We want to limit Conner to 4 or 5 carries a game as opposed to the 10 or more he saw last year,” suggest it likely won’t be repeated in 2026. Additionally, the staff has indicated 5-star freshman QB Keisean Henderson will not redshirt and will be worked into the game plan with special packages to get him some experience. Lastly, Fritz has stated that he is very impressed with the running back room and would like to lean on them much more.
Bryce Underwood, Michigan
It’s rare to have someone make both the pre-spring and post-spring stock report. It was all sunshine and rainbows for Underwood in January with the addition of OC Jason Beck. Now, he finds himself on the other side of the coin after an awful spring game performance where he went 3 of 9 for just 22 yards. His footwork and processing continued to look like a work in progress. Meanwhile, freshman Tommy Carr impressed all onlookers. It’s not the time to freak out, but we should probably tap the brakes on the idea that this may look like Dampier and Beck.
