College Football Players Turning Heads During 2019 Spring Practice

While the opening week of the 2019 college football season is still months away, spring always provides a bit of excitement as players begin to stand out on the practice field.

Visions of a new starting quarterback, a breakout freshman or an emerging veteran dance in the heads of fans everywhere. Dozens of those dreams take place during offseason workouts.

For a brief moment, we're letting imaginations run wild.

Highlighted by a couple of 5-star prospects from the 2019 recruiting class, this list features eight players having a great spring.

Miami is replacing a couple of multiyear starting safeties in Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine, but Amari Carter is getting closer to eliminating one part of that competition.

"You can really see Amari, he really stands out to me," new defensive coordinator Blake Baker said, per Stefan Adams of CanesInsight. "He's not a vocal guy by nature, but has been a lot more vocal on the field. He's kind of a silent assassin from what I've seen. I'm really impressed with him."

Over the last two seasons, Carter has held a reserve role. He's totaled 38 tackles with five takedowns for loss in 17 appearances.

But if spring practices are indicative of what's to come, 2019 will be Carter's year to shine for the Hurricanes.

When he arrived at Memphis, Chris Claybrooks was used to escaping from cornerbacks. The coaching staff turned him into one.

That transition happened in 2018, limiting the former wide receiver's impact. But the Liberty Bowl showed Claybrooks' upside as he notched four tackles and returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. He's carried that momentum into the spring.

"He's night and day because he had been a receiver the majority of his life, so he's coming a long way," defensive backs coach TJ Rushing said, per Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "He's taking coaching, applying it and getting better daily. That's all you can ask for."

According to Barnes, Claybrooks has worked with the first-string defense and returned kicks this offseason.

Dexter Lawrence was a rare talent; the 6'4", 342-pound defensive tackle amassed 131 tackles during his three seasons at Clemson and helped the program win two national championships.

It appears Tyler Davis is helping the Tigers move on.

"We kind of like to call him 'Baby Dex' because he looks like a little 'Baby Dex.' He is a little bit smaller, but he is strong, and he is fast," Clemson guard Gage Cervenka said, per Will Vandervort of The Clemson Insider. "He is going to be a great player. I am looking forward to seeing what he has got."

A 4-star prospect in the 2019 class, Davis has enjoyed a larger opportunity than anticipated because of injuries to projected starters Nyles Pinckney and Jordan Williams. But if he keeps performing at this level, he may force his way into the rotation.

If you've watched Nakobe Dean's highlight reel, you probably knew he'd make a positive impression on Georgia's practice fields.

But the 5-star recruit is drawing the loftiest comparison imaginable.

"He's another Roquan," Georgia defensive tackle David Marshall said, referencing 2017 All-American and Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith, per Connor Riley of DawgNation. "He's got speed, he's fast. He's smart. He already knows more plays than most of the other freshmen."

Expectations for Dean should be tempered in 2019 because junior Monty Rice and senior Tae Crowder both return. But in the near future, he could be the centerpiece of a terrific Bulldogs defense.

Not every story has a happy ending, but Jaden Mitchell is emerging from a couple of frustrating chapters.

In 2017, a torn left ACL suffered in the season-opener prevented the wide receiver from making further appearances as a high school senior. The ensuring recovery led to a grayshirt as Mitchell delayed his enrollment for another year. He's finally healthy and on campus at Arizona.

Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star noted the praise for Mitchell from inside receivers coach Theron Aych.

"For a guy that’s been out of football for two years, he's a remarkable story," Aych said. "If we were playing Hawaii today, he's in a good position. He's got personal drive. He's a kid that really loves the game of football. He's giving it his all. Hopefully he'll continue to develop through the rest of the spring."

Until head coach Gus Malzahn says otherwise, Auburn has a four-man competition to replace quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

Bo Nix, a 5-star freshman, is backing up his billing.

"He's a freshman, but you can see he's got the potential to be great," receiver Seth Williams said, per Justin Ferguson of The Athletic. "He's above any other freshman quarterback you see coming in. You'll see them struggling in some areas, but he's ahead in those areas like that."

Nix has regularly taken first-string snaps along with redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood. They appear to be leading the charge ahead of Malik Willis and Cord Sandberg.

Nebraska lost 1,000-yard rusher Devine Ozigbo to graduation, and Maurice Washington faces charges under California's "revenge porn" law. The Cornhuskers could be leaning on a freshman this season.

Considered the 87th-best prospect and top all-purpose back in 2019, Wandale Robinson quickly impressed the Nebraska staff.

"You know some guys, they just have that look," running backs coach Ryan Held said, per Steven M. Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star. "There's a certain demeanor about him where you're like, 'This guy's a dude.' You just know it. He fits in that category."

Although a hamstring injury has limited Robinson during the spring, that's high praise for a new player at a position of need.

After he took a redshirt in 2018, Rasheed Walker is making a strong case to secure a starting job this season.

"We've been very pleased with him," Penn State head coach James Franklin said, per John McGonigal of the Centre Daily Times. "He's big, he's strong, he's athletic. He needs 1,000 reps just to gain the experience. But so far, so good."

Throughout the spring, Walker has worked as the first-string left tackle. He's currently competing with junior college transfer Anthony Whigan for the chance to replace Ryan Bates.

Given that Penn State is also holding a quarterback competition, a clear answer about who will protect the blind side would be a welcome development.

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.