Every year, college football sees new teams pop up and take the nation by storm. Here are 25 players who could take college football by storm in 2016.
Teams lose players due to the NFL draft, graduation or to the transfer market each year. And with that, teams will look for younger guys or career backups who have shown flashes of potential to set up and fill those holes on the roster.
Every year, teams experience players who have an up year who give fans and coaches something forward too. However, some of those players don’t quite meet the expectations that are bestowed upon them. But there are some talents that either meet or excel beyond those expectations.
While every team has players that their fans should know about , typically the All First-Team selections, but there are always some players on those teams that are questions marks.
Will they break out or will they be just another guy on the roster. And in 2015, the college football season saw a number of player break onto the national scene.
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield broke onto the scene after passing for 3,700 yard and 36 touchdowns and rushing for 405 yards and seven touchdowns and leading the Sooners to a Big 12 title. Another player who broke onto the scene last year was Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey. The back rushed for 2,019 yards and eight touchdowns while tallying 645 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions and he had probably the best Rose Bowl performance ever.
So who can be this year’s Mayfield or McCaffrey? Well here are the top-25 players who can break onto and take the college football scene by storm in 2016.
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Last year, the Michigan State Spartans final broke into the tier of college football’s elite after going 12-2, winning the Big Ten championship and earning a playoff berth. While former quarterback Connor Cook was the primary reason the Spartans earned a berth into the College Football Playoff, Michigan State got their final playoff push from now-sophomore running back L.J. Scott.
Scott’s one-yard touchdown plunge with less than a minute on the against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship game helped lift the Spartans to a 17-13 victory.
During his first season in East Lansing, Michigan, Scott put up 699 yards on 146 carries–good for an average of 4.8 yards per carry–and 11 touchdowns. Scott will undoubtedly be the Spartans feature back and his statistics should show that in his second year in the green and white.
To add onto how talented Scott is, some people in East Lansing believe he can be the next Le’Veon Bell for Michigan State this year and seasons to come.
Next: Matt Nelson
The Iowa Hawkeyes experienced a massive turn around after going 7-6 in 2014 to going 12-2 in 2015. And that turnaround can be largely credited to a dominant run defense. However, entering the 2016 season the Hawkeyes lose two big time contributors to that run defense, talented defensive ends Nate Meier and Drew Ott, due to graduation.
So how can Iowa replace Meier and Ott’s production this year? Well, look no further than the imposing specimen that is 6-foot-9, 270-pound sophomore Matt Nelson.
In his first year at Iowa City, Nelson got his feet wet. He made 14 tackles as a freshman, but the thing that might signal him breaking out in 2016 was his Rose Bowl performance against the Stanford Cardinal.
Against Stanford, Nelson tallied his first ever collegiate sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Nelson has power, speed, and intensity to become an absolute force off the edge for Iowa and should thrive as a starter this upcoming season.
Next: Wilton Speight
The Michigan Wolverines went 10-3 last season in Jim Harbaugh’s first year as the head man in Ann Arbor. And during that 10-3 season, a lot of people overlook how crucial former quarterback Jake Rudock was to the success for the Wolverines.
Rudock threw for 3,107 yards and 20 touchdowns for Michigan last year. However, he has since graduated and off in the NFL now.
This past spring Harbaugh and company decided to throw the quarterback position wide open. And the quarterback who took the ruins of the spot was Wilton Speight, which came as a surprise to some.
Speight emerged as the leading quarterback over former highly touted recruit Shane Morris and highly touted transfer John O’Korn.
Last fall, Speight threw for 73 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also led a comeback against the Minnesota Golden Gophers when Rudock was sidelined with an injury.
If he can continue to be steady during fall camp, Speight should emerge as Michigan’s lead signal-caller ahead of John O’Korn and should have a breakout 2016 season.
Next: Stacy Coley
Last year, Stacy Coley was the Hurricanes primary slot receiver. In the slot, Coley recorded 47 catches for 689 yards and four touchdowns. And according to Pro Football Focus College, Coley caught 70.4-percent of the passes thrown his way last season.
In 2016, Coley’s numbers should increase since Miami’s top two receivers–Herb Waters ad Rashawn Scott–have both moved on. And with quarterback Brad Kaaya throwing the ball, that should help benefit Coley quite well this upcoming season.
While Coley is expected to be the Hurricanes number one target, he needs to stay healthy during his senior season. Coley has dealt with injury issues for about half of his Miami career. But when healthy, Coley has the ability to burn defenders and make acrobatic catches. A year with him staying fully healthy could see him become one of the nation’s most elite pass catchers.
Next: Mike Weber
This offseason, Ohio State lost some major talent on both sides of the ball.
The Buckeyes had an NFL-record of 12 draftees this past year’s NFL draft and nine of them were underclassmen. One of the biggest holes that have to be filled is the gap that former running back Ezekiel Elliot left.
Last year for Ohio State, Elliot rushed for 1,823 yards and 21 touchdowns. And the man who seems most likely to fill the hole Elliot left is redshirt freshman Mike Weber.
Weber is a powerful back who recorded 38 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries during the Buckeyes’ spring game.
While having an impressive outing in Ohio State’s spring game, Weber has been earning high praise from the likes of starting veteran center Pat Elflein.
“Mike has taken the initiative , taking care of his body on his own and eight right,” Elflein told the Columbus Dispatch.
Also with Ohio State dismissing senior Bri’onte Dunn, Weber is more likely to be the feature back for the Buckeyes in 2016.
Next: Deatrich Wise Jr.
Deatrich Wise came up big for the Arkansas Razorbacks late last season.
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive end used his long frame to rack up seven sacks during the month of November. Wise finished the 2015 season with eight sacks, good for being tied for sixth in the SEC overall. However, all eight of those sacks came during conference play, and he led the league in SEC-only games.
Wise has the size to play any position on the defensive front for the Razorbacks. So expect Arkansas to use him to rush off the edge or kick him inside to take advantage of smaller guards.
While Wise may not be able to fully replicate his 2015 success, a full-season workload should allow him to grow into one the nation’s most feared pass rushers in the country’s most talented, feared conference.
Next: Jhajuan Seales
The Oklahoma State Cowboys have one of the nation’s best quarterback-wide receiver duos in Mason Rudolph and James Washington. However, Washington is expected to receive a lot of double teams this year, due to the fact he is one of the nation’s best pass catchers. And with that, it should open the door for the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiving target to produce eye-popping statistics.
Entering the season, Oklahoma State’s No. 2 receiver was expected to be Marcell Ateman. However, Ateman recently had surgery on his foot which is sidelining him to at least October. Which means Jhajuan Seales is going to be the Cowboys’ No. 2 target.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Seales explodes into his routes, which allows him to burn the cornerback defending him deep. And with a quarterback like Rudolph, who is the nation’s best deep passer, Seales should be racking up the catches, yards, and touchdowns this season in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
To show how well Oklahoma State utilizes its receivers, last year Ateman racked up 766 yards as the No. 3 receiver. So imagine what type of statistics Seales can rack up as the No. 2 pass catcher while Ateman is out with his foot injury.
Next: Davante Davis
The Texas defense was abysmal, due to the fact that the Longhorns played a handful of freshmen. And one of those freshmen who saw significant time last year was cornerback Davante Davis.
Davis is a rangy cornerback standing at 6-foot-2 and weighs nearly 200 pounds. As a freshman last season, Davis improved out the course of the year. He started the last five games for the Longhorns and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 after tallying seven pass breakups, 36 tackles, one tackle for loss and an interception.
The young defensive back is a physical defender with adequate speed and excellent anticipation. Davis’ size and length make it difficult for opposing receivers to go against him, due to the fact that most of them don’t have his height or wingspan.
Entering this year, Davis is earning a lot of preseason hype–as he was named to the preseason All-Big 12 team. Davis could end up being the best cornerback in the Big 12 this upcoming year.
Next: Ronald Jones
New USC head coach Clay Helton wants to build the Trojan’s offense through the running game. And USC is returning two running backs that both topped 900 yards rushing last year.
But out of those two running backs, one of them has to prove he wasn’t just a ‘flash in the pan’ player last season: that being Ronald Jones. As a freshman last year, Jones ran the ball 153 times for 987 yards and eight touchdowns, all team highs.
Early on, Jones was underutilized by the Trojans as he tallied under 10 carries in each of USC’s first three games. But then as the season progressed, so did Jones.
As previously mentioned, Jones wasn’t the only running back for the Trojans who topped 900 yards in 2015. Justin Davis rushed for 902 yards last year for USC.
While Davis will see plenty of opportunities this year for the Trojans, Jones should become the focal point of this rebuilding USC team–as USC is starting a brand new quarterback in 2016. And with that, that means Jones should see a lot of carries and with one of the nation’s best offensive line units, he could emerge as one of the Pac-12’s best running backs as a sophomore.
Next: Josh Sweat
After suffering an ACL injury during his senior year of high school, it seemed like Josh Sweat was destined to be a redshirt player in 2015. But as the season progressed, the Virginia native progressed as well.
Sweat started his first collegiate game in Florida State’s opener against the Texas State Bobcats. In that game, Sweat showed the explosiveness and athleticism that earned him the right to don a Florida State uniform. During his first year in Tallahassee, Florida tallied 41 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and two pass breakups.
With another offseason to add strength onto his already impressive 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, Sweat could contend and become an All-ACC performer this season. And with the other threats around him that opposing teams also have to focus on, Sweat could be one of the nation’s most elite pass rusher as a sophomore in 2016.
Next: Kavontae Turpin
The TCU Horned Frogs had one of the nation’s best wide receivers in Josh Doctson. But Doctson and TCU’s No. 2 receiver Kolby Listenbee are both of and in the NFL. With those departures, that opens the door for sophomore Kavontae Turpin to be an even bigger threat for the Horned Frogs this season.
As a freshman last year, Turpin recorded 45 receptions for 649 yards and eight touchdowns. He also added 116 yards on the ground on 20 carries. Turpin was also the Horned Frogs primary returner as he recorded 729 yards on 27 kickoff returns and 181 yards and a touchdown on 18 punt returns.
In 2016, Turpin should become TCU’s all around, big play threat. He was named to the Maxwell Award watch list as a sophomore this offseason.
Next: Matthew Thomas
Matthew Thomas is a former five-star recruit who has yet to take Tallahassee by storm, due to injuries and suspension.
Thomas missed the entire 2015 season due to NCAA rule violations. But his return to the football field could be a huge upgrade for Florida State.
So far during his Seminole career, Thomas has only seen action in only four games. But in those four outings, he has shown how talented he is.
In the four games he has played in–against Notre Dame, Louisville, Georgia Tech and Oregon–Thomas tallied 26 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
The talented linebacker moves extremely well. His reaction time is phenomenal, his lateral movement is outstanding, and he possesses speed that makes you look twice. With his talent returning to the field for Florida State, the Seminoles could contend for the College Football Playoffs or the national championship. But that is if he can remain healthy or eligible in 2016.
Next: Jake Browning
Jake Browning was the first ever true freshman to start at quarterback for the Washington Huskies.
Last season, the Huskies had the youngest offense in Pac-12 and with that, Browning showed his inexperience. Despite that, Browning still had a fine debut collegiate season.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback finished with 2,995 passing yards, fifth-most in school history, with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 games. His 66.3 completion percentage ranks sixth in school history and his 139.7 quarterback rating is No. 9–all high marks for a true freshman quarterback.
Browning surprised a lot of people last season with his ability to escape pressure and showed a lot of toughness that helped him earn a ton of respect from his teammates and coaches.
Washington is entering the 2016 season with a lot of hype. Some people around the nation believe they could win the Pac-12 this year. If the Huskies do win the Pac-12 this season, Browning could become one of the nation’s most elite quarterbacks and maybe even contend for the Heisman.
Next: Soso Jamabo
For UCLA, this offseason has been the Josh Rosen show. All the attention is drawn to the young quarterback nicknamed the Chosen Rosen after he had a stellar freshman year in Los Angeles. But don’t forget about his teammate in the backfield.
The Bruins lost standout running back Paul Perkins, which leaves a massive gap to fill. However, UCLA has quite a few options to fill Perkins void.
Junior Nathan Sparks and sophomore Bolu Olorunfunmi are both in the mix for the starting running back spot, but all eyes are drawn to 6-foot-3, 210-pound sophomore Soso Jamabo.
Jamabo is a former five-star recruit out of Texas. He is a tough runner who runs through arm tackles and a runner who needs two or three defenders to take him down.
In Jamabo’s first year in Los Angeles, he rushed for 403 yards and four touchdowns on 66 carries. Paired with Rosen gives the Bruins one of the most talented, young backfields in the nation.
Next: Austin Bryant
The Clemson defense was dominant last season. And on that defense, the Tigers had two outstanding defensive linemen in Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd. But both Lawson and Dodd are gone and off in the NFL, leaving two massive holes on Clemson’s defensive line.
One of the players who is expected to fill the voids that Lawson and Dodd left is second-year man Austin Bryant.
Bryant has a tremendous frame at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds and is the favorite to continue Clemson’s recent defensive end success.
In his first season as a Tiger, Bryant appeared in 13 games and recorded 35 tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His first breakout game in a Clemson uniform was against Appalachian State when he tallied nine tackles on 33 snaps. But Bryant’s true breakout game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the College Football Playoffs.
Against the Sooners, Bryant saw 63 snaps–due to Lawson getting hurt–and he recorded eight tackles and shared a tackle for loss.
Next: Preston Williams
The Tennessee Volunteers are looking ramp their passing attack that averaged 198.6 yards per game last season.
No receiver had more than 409 yards last year for Tennessee, which means there is plenty of room for someone to step up and become quarterback Joshua Dobbs go-to target. And the hope is that sophomore Preston Williams becomes that target this season.
Williams came to Knoxville, Tennessee with a lot of hype surrounding him. He was a four-star recruit from the Atlanta area who was considered a top-10 receiver and a national top-50 player. However, Williams did not live up to the hype surrounding him.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver only tallied seven catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns. And most of those statistics came against Western Carolina, an FCS team.
According to Tennessee head coach Butch Jones, Williams had a heck of a spring practice and is expected to be a crucial part of the Vols’ 2016 season.
Next: Arden Key
LSU is welcoming a new defensive coordinator this season in former Wisconsin coordinator, Dave Aranda. And Aranda is inheriting an athletic outside linebacker in Arden Key.
Key will be a long and athletic weapon for Aranda to utilize in his first season in Baton Rogue. Although Key has a thin frame, he weighs 230 pounds while standing 6-foot-6, he has the ability to become a dominant pass rusher.
A former four-star recruit, Key started most of his freshman year at LSU. In his first season in a Tiger uniform, Key tallied 36 tackles, five sacks, and nine quarterback hurries.
At Wisconsin, Aranda had outside linebackers Joe Schobert and Vince Biegel who combined for 33.5 tackles for loss last season. So Key should benefit from Aranda’s defensive scheme.
Also to add onto Key’s talent, according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Key is comparable to first round draft pick Leonard Floyd.
Next: Lamar Jackson
While Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson is the most dynamic quarterback in the nation, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson could make a case to be known as the second most dynamic signal-caller in the country.
To open the 2015 season, head coach Bobby Petrino and the Cardinals played musical chairs with the starting quarterback through the first few games. But Petrino and Louisville settled on then freshman Jackson.
Last year, Jackson started seven games and was inconsistent at times, especially in the passing game.
Jackson completed 54.7-percent of his passes for 1,840 yards, 12 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. But while he was inconsistent through the air, he proved to be a dynamic running quarterback.
In the Music City Bowl against the Texas A&M Aggies, Jackson rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Jackson ended the 2015 season with 960 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 163 carries.
In 2016, Jackson’s accuracy should become more consistent as Petrino is known to be a quarterback guru. And with a full season as Louisville’s starting quarterback, Jackson could become one of the nation’s best well-rounded signal callers this year.
Next: Sam Hubbard
The Ohio State Buckeyes lost a lot of talent this offseason due to the NFL Draft. And one of the players that departed from Ohio State was defensive end Joey Bosa.
Bosa is leaving big shoes to fill, as he was one of the most dominant pass rushers in the nation last season. And the man who is expected to replace Bosa along the Buckeyes’ defensive line is redshirt sophomore, Sam Hubbard.
Hubbard certainly looks the part to become one of the best pass rushers in the country, as he stands 6-foot-5 and weighs almost 270 pounds. To add onto how talented Hubbard is, in high school he was a star safety. So seeing him go from one of the best safeties in high school to now a budding pass rusher, just shows how athletic Hubbard is.
As a situational player last year for Ohio State, Hubbard recorded 28 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. So with a full season of getting starter quality snaps, Hubbard should become a terror of the edge for the Buckeyes and blossom into an All-Big Ten player.
Next: Saquon Barkley
When talking about Big Ten running backs last year, the name that always came to mind was former Ohio State back Ezekiel Elliot. However, while people were focused on Elliot, they failed to see the talent that is Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.
Last year as a freshman, he rushed for 1,076 and seven touchdowns on 182 carries–good for 5.9 yards per carry. And Barkley recorded those statistics behind a suspect offensive line and missing two full games.
However, while most people failed to realize Barkley’s talents last year, the now sophomore impressed some of his opponents last season.
Michigan State linebacker Riley Bullough stated that Barkley is a better running back than Elliot is, and Elliot was the No. 4 draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys in this past year’s NFL draft. That is certainly high praise for Barkley.
So with Elliot now gone, Barkley should be seen as the Big 10’s best running back and could be in the running for the Doak Walker Award–given to the nation’s best running back–this year.
Next: Da'Shawn Hand
The Alabama defensive line lost two talented playmakers in A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed this offseason. However, they will be replaced by a more athletic lineman in Da’Shawn Hand.
Hand is a former top recruit in the 2014 class. According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Hand was the No. 5 recruit behind Leonard Fournette, Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers and Cam Robinson. All of whom have became stars in college football. That bodes very well for Hand to form into a star in 2016.
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound junior had 6.5 tackles for loss in a rotational role last year. And with Hand becoming a full-time starter for the Crimson Tide, Alabama should continue their defensive dominance in the front seven in 2016.
Hand is seen to be even better than Robinson was and last year, Robinson tallied 48 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. So say hello to Alabama’s next great defensive lineman.
Next: Jacob Eason
The Georgia Bulldogs’ quarterback play last year was up and down. Last season, Georgia played three quarterbacks. And entering the 2016 season, the Bulldogs are holding a competition for the starting signal caller role.
Currently, the quarterback that may wind up to be Georgia’s starting quarterback is highly touted freshman Jacob Eason.
Coming out of high school, Eason was a five-star recruit and the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 2015 recruiting class. Eason has a big arm and fits Georgia’s pro-style scheme.
If he earns the right to be the Bulldogs full-time signal caller, he will be playing the SEC. And the only freshman to ever finish in the top-50 in passing efficiency in the past 15 years while playing in the SEC was Florida’s Chris Leak back in 2003. But the talent around Eason–like running back Nick Chubb–is tremendous and could help him become one of the best freshman quarterbacks in 2016.
However, new Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has yet to name a starting quarterback for the Bulldogs’ opener against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Sept. 3. But Georgia fans are hoping it will be Eason taking the opening day snaps.
Next: Luke Del Rio
The Florida Gators have all the makings to be a national contender, as long as they can find a suitable starting quarterback. Which they might have found in Luke Del Rio.
Del Rio’s collegiate journey to the Swamp has been a long one. He first started his college career at Alabama as a walk-on. Del Rio passed up scholarships from the likes of Oklahoma State and UCLA. So that shows Del Rio has a competitive spirit to him.
However, Alabama didn’t pan out and he decided to transfer to Oregon State. But being with the Beavers didn’t work out either which, made him transfer to the Gators.
During Florida’s spring game, Del Rio completed 10 of his 11 passes for 176 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
While the Gators haven’t named a starting quarterback yet, new team ambassador Steve Spurrier basically stated Del Rio is Florida’s starting signal caller heading into the 2016 season. If Del Rio can perform like he did in the spring game, he could lead the Gators to the College Football Playoffs this season.
Next: Mitch Trubisky
The North Carolina Tar Heels had a stellar 2015 as they were the ACC Coastal division champions. But the question concerning North Carolina entering the 2016 season is if they can repeat as Coastal champions?
If they want to repeat as division champions, they will need new starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky to live up to preseason hype.
Trubisky has so far been a career backup at North Carolina. But whenever he has seen the field for the Tar Heels, Trubisky has been impressive. Last year, Trubisky completed 40 of 47 passes that he attempted for 555 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound signal caller is replacing one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in North Carolina history in Marquise Williams. However, Trubisky possesses the skill set to operate the Tar Heel offense at a high level. And Williams believes that as well.
Trubisky could turn out to be the biggest story of the 2016 college football season if he pans out like people expect him too.
Next: Bo Scarbrough
How will the Alabama Crimson Tide replace Heisman Trophy winner, running back Derrick Henry?
Well, it won’t be easy. But the Crimson Tide have a running back that is almost an exact replica of Henry: in sophomore Bo Scarbrough.
Scarbrough is a monster of a running back as he stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds. Last year, Scarbrough was slowed by a knee injury which only allowed him to carry the ball 16 times as a freshman.
But Scarbrough is now healthy and is ready to become the focal point of this Crimson Tide offense. This year, Alabama is breaking in a new signal-caller. Which means Scarbrough should see a ton of carries. However, while Henry was the Tide’s bell-cow last year, head coach Nick Saban has a ton of running back talent to utilize in 2016. So although Scarbrough will probably be Alabama’s main running back option, he will probably split carries with the likes of another sophomore back, Damien Harris.
LSU running back Leonard Fournette called Scarbrough a great talent this offseason.
If Scarbrough turns out to be anywhere near the talent that Henry was, Alabama’s 2016 ground game will be just as good as it was in 2015.