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Pac-12 Football: Breakout player from every team for 2016

By Gabe Encinas

October 24, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey (18) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Southern California Trojans during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
October 24, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey (18) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Southern California Trojans during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 5, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive end Solomon Thomas (90) returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Southern California Trojans in the third quarter in the Pac-12 Conference football championship game at Levi
Dec 5, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive end Solomon Thomas (90) returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Southern California Trojans in the third quarter in the Pac-12 Conference football championship game at Levi /

You’ll be hearing a lot of these names this Pac-12 football season as they look for a breakout performance in 2016.

Whether it might be to the NFL Draft, graduation, transfers or just a lack of depth, teams will look forward to their younger guys that have shown flashes of potential. Maybe they’ve been in the mix and getting reps regularly, or perhaps they’ve been used situational and are now ready to take over.

Every year there are players from each team that have an up year, giving the fans and coaches something to look forward to. Of course there are guys who don’t quite live up to the hype, which is extremely disappointing. But then you have the guy who just fit in a the right spot at the right time and excels.

While each team also has those players that every Pac-12 fan should know about, typically the first team all-Pac-12 selections, there looks to be a new wave of those players coming soon. Last year in the Pac-12 we saw a deep talent pool of quarterbacks and running backs, leaving the Pac-12 a big mystery in terms of talent.

You could go down the list of schools, naming off players from each program that are not returning, thinking about how that will affect the standings at the end of the season. Last year the Pac-12 was down, with no representative in the College Football Playoffs, everyone viciously taking down each other.

But now with a youth movement in the Pac-12, there are going to be some close standings all season long and the guys on this list will do all they can to breakout and help lift their program.

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