While Major League Baseball balked at the chance to improve its product with worthwhile rule modifications ahead of 2024 spring training, college football's top officials evidently took notice, by making several noteworthy adjustments to the game. The end product will be one that only increases the interest and watchability in an already popular sport.
Soon enough, football fans will miss seeing Tupac-themed posters and weird hand signals coaches use to communicate the play calls. They'll probably be non-existent moving forward, due to the NCAA permitting headset-to-helmet dialogue, though some schools may utilize backup measures to ensure play calls are right. In the meantime, the lack of excessive coding and subsequent deciphering will be a welcome sight for fans and players who were confused by football jargon and gibberish.
The additions of the two-minute warning and allowing tablets on the sideline were also huge alterations. Collectively, college football's changes give the sport more of a pro-type feel. With the differences gap closing even quicker, especially with a mass exodus of standing head coaches leaving for the NFL or lower-tier assistant positions, it's important. Having resemblance in style of play isn't enough in and of itself, making recent implementations that much more crucial.
Allowing tablets on the sidelines went hand in hand with putting the headset rule in place. One permits players and coaches to review game information in real time, which significantly alters the nature of making in-game adjustments. When offenses can observe defensive formations, they'll have an easier time making play calls. This'll also alter weekly preparation, as schools may decide on how they're going to react to various looks while brainstorming necessary adjustments. This model perfectly emulates the NFL's way of business.
In addition to avoiding forcing low-level graduate assistants to come up with overly sophisticated, quirky motions, the increased headset communication creates more uniformity in terms of play calling procedures. Could this lead to more quarterbacks calling plays in the huddle, which would represent another step toward becoming more NFL-esque? We shall see. Coordinators seem to favor simplicity, but perhaps some could create more structure by relaying in the play and having the quarterback read it back to the team.
The two-minute warning was probably the least relevant of new rules, but it's still important enough to be a worthwhile addition. One could argue that clock stoppages after every first down were already too excessive and providing an extreme competitive advantage to the offense. Point noted.
A random pause at the two-minute mark provides yet another late break in the action -- it'll be strategically leveraged to allow teams to avoid calling timeout. With this in mind, it's yet another rule being mirrored in the college landscape. This can never be a bad thing -- except when fans have to constantly attempt to guess what is and what isn't a catch.
Those at the top ultimately listened to feedback from coaches like Nebraska's Matt Rhule, who went on a tangent complaining about the game's wacky play call disguises. The end result will be a cleaner-looking game. It'll allow players to compete at a higher level. So, cheers to college football for doing right by everyone once again.
Xavier Worthy still needs to prove his worth
Speaking of change, the NFL has a new 40-yard dash record holder, as Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy completed the sprint in a stunning 4.21 seconds, breaking John Ross' previous mark of 4.22 seconds. The difference between the times was only a fraction of a second, faster than the amount of time that a human brain can process thought. As wild as it is to think that was all it took to break the record at the NFL Scouting Combine, Worthy still has a long way to go in proving he can play in the league.
Ross was able to leverage his speed and NFL Combine numbers into a much higher draft spot, and he was ultimately selected No. 9 overall by the Bengals back in 2017. That was after he was projected to go somewhere in the middle of the first round. The Bengals were impressed enough to reach, and another team likely would've scooped Ross up soon thereafter if they'd passed.
Worthy can expect the same type of rise with recency bias kicking in roughly two months before 2024 draft day. But if history is a predictor of the future, it far from guarantees him NFL success. Ross struggled to stay healthy, lacked the motivation and work ethic at times, and played a double-digit number of games just twice in five league seasons before retiring. Steelers cornerback Kalon Barnes, who sits in third place with a 4.23 time in the dash, has been on the roster of six different teams since being drafted in 2022.
Among the top 40-yard dash performers at the NFL Scouting Combine, only Chris Johnson, who recorded a 4.24 time in 2007, has gone on to be a big- time playmaker in the NFL. Scouts surely have caught on to the trend, and take players' sprints in underwear with a grain of salt. But teams can still be swayed by specific attributes of a player, which will, in turn, influence what direction they decide to go once on the clock.
As for the new record holder, Worthy sure will benefit from the extra attention. Refinement in route running and continuing to work on his fundamentals will be paramount, as he can't only rely on outrunning everyone at the NFL level. The tools are there, and now finding the right fit becomes a priority.
Land in a perfect spot, and Worthy can have a seismic impact similar to Rams phenom wideout Puka Nacua, who set numerous rookie records last season. Worth's speed also presents a possibility of bringing a DeSean Jackson-type deep ball element to an offense. Plenty of reason to be intrigued.
Watching where Worthy ends up, and how the team utilizes him, will be really telling. Those who are smart would look to get the youngster in space, where he can get extra yards after the catch and also go long on some routes. Once the shine from the NFL Combine wears off, he'll have to produce on Sundays, and dispelling the notion he was a one-hit wonder will be a large part of that.