Ten college football players who will break out this season
Between Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield, Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette, Myles Garrett and Jabrill Peppers, college football’s junior class dominates headlines, watch lists and all-America teams.
But it's a big field out there, and there's always room for others to show their stuff. We identified 10 players, in alphabetical order, whose names haven't resonated far beyond their stadium loudspeakers but are likely to this season.
Tony Brooks-James, sophomore running back, Oregon
Devon Allen isn't the only Oregon player who also burns up the track. Brooks-James sprints for the Ducks' track team and is another speedy talent whom Oregon's staff thinks is going to have a big football season. He's ultra-quick with great vision to cut through a crowd and is a terrific complement to star lead back Royce Freeman.
SoSo Jamabo, sophomore running back, UCLA
Paul Perkins is off to the New York Giants, and Jamabo and junior Nate Starks are ready to step in. Jamabo, who teamed with Josh Rosen to give UCLA the top RB-QB signee combo in 2015, gained more than 6 yards per carry as a freshman. He is an excellent receiver and has a knifing running style that makes him hard to square up and tackle.
CeCe Jefferson, sophomore defensive end, Florida
He doesn’t lack for confidence, and that’s because he doesn’t lack for ability. Jefferson was a five-star recruit who in limited time as a true freshman tied for third on the team with 3.5 sacks and nearly one-third of his total tackles resulted in lost yardage. With Jon Bullard off to the NFL, Jefferson will get more time to use his on-field leverage to collapse pockets and corral running backs.
Nyles Morgan, junior linebacker, Notre Dame
Jaylon Smith and Manti Te’o have established a strong lineage at inside linebacker during Brian Kelly’s Irish coaching tenure. Morgan, meanwhile, had the opposite of a breakout last season, seeing his numbers fall from the 2014 season. But Notre Dame thinks Morgan is ready to excel, and Morgan’s comfort level shows he does too.
Mason Rudolph, junior quarterback, Oklahoma State
Rudolph for the first time is not expected to share snaps for the Cowboys this season, which should give him ample opportunity to reach for his very high ceiling. He tied for 10th in the FBS last season with 8.9 yards per attempt, but he needs to improve his touchdown to interception ratio, which was only slightly better than 2:1.
Daron Payne, sophomore defensive tackle, Alabama
The biggest endorsement of Payne comes from the giants who played alongside him on the Tide’s line last season, A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed. Alabama’s 2016 defense draws raves for its power, speed and skill off the edge of the line, but Payne in the middle makes a lot of that possible.
Brett Rypien, sophomore quarterback, Boise State
Rypien has begun his self-imposed social media hiatus, so his play will have to do the talking until January. And it will. When former Broncos QB coach and coordinator Mike Sanford left for Notre Dame after the 2014 season, nothing made his decision tougher than Rypien’s pending arrival. And Rypien lived up to the billing, earning first-team All-Mountain West status and league Freshman of the Year honors.
Dalton Schultz, junior tight end, Stanford
The Cardinal welcome a four-star tight end to campus in the form of Kaden Smith, but head coach David Shaw has not been subtle in his suggestion that Schultz will be a big part of Stanford’s passing game. The Cardinal has Michael Rector to stretch defenses down the field, but the team’s new starting quarterback will look to Schultz often, too.
Tre’Quan Smith, sophomore wide receiver, Central Florida
The 2015 AAC Rookie of the Year already is the Knights’ returning leader in catches and yards, a sign of life for a program that was foundering before new head coach Scott Frost's arrival. Smith will thrive even more under the guidance of new offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Troy Walters.
Mike Weber, freshman running back, Ohio State
Weber is sharing the position with Curtis Samuel but projects as more of an every down runner compared to Samuel's combination of extreme speed and receiving skills. Since high school Weber has made headlines over his choice of schools and connection to his Michigan home, which could rankle some in Columbus, but he grabbed a different kind of attention in April with an outstanding spring game. Weber is in a great situation, and having J.T. Barrett as the offense's dual-threat trigger man makes it even better.
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