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Ranking the 50 best college football players for 2016

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley (3) is tackled by Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Carlos Watkins (94) in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley (3) is tackled by Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Carlos Watkins (94) in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Clemson had one of the top defenses in college football last year, leading the Tigers all the way to the national championship game against Alabama, but falling just short.

Carlos Watkins is a staple of that stingy defense and he has overcome a lot during his career with the Tigers to get where he is today. Three years after a car accident that nearly took his life and caused him to be trapped in the vehicle for two hours, waiting for help, Watkins is getting back to the way he knows how to play and he’s becoming a superstar.

Related Story: 25 breakout players of 2016

The fifth-year senior defensive tackle finally had that breakout season he was looking for in 2015 as a redshirt junior, recording 34 tackles, 7.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also added a pick-six and was one of the most improved players in the country.

Getting his mind back to football was the key to the 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive lineman’s success and now that he has put the devastation of a fatal car accident that claimed his friend behind him, he is now an All-American candidate.

The Tigers will be relying on him to lead a strong defensive line with plenty of potential back to the national title game. Watkins is one of those feel-good stories in college football and he’s a monster on the field.

Next: 43. Derek Barnett

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