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College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017

By Connor Muldowney

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: Defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the first half against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: Defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the first half against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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With the 2017 college football season right around the corner, here are the top 50 breakout candidates from around the country.

Can you believe that the 2017 college football season is just a month away? It feels like this offseason has been dragging on for years, but it’s only been about six months. Fans are gearing up for what should be an incredible season, but there is no clear favorite, not even Alabama, this year.

Fresh faces will be gracing the college football landscape and this is the time of year when we hear about potential breakout stars and depth chart projections. Each program has a player who shines bright as a future star, but some have guys who could have major seasons right away.

Some breakout stars last year were Jalen Hurts, Bo Scarbrough, Mike Weber, Lamar Jackson and Ed Oliver, but this season will provide a new batch of potential award-winning players.

Let’s take a look at the top 50 potential breakout stars heading into the 2017 campaign.

LEXINGTON, KY – OCTOBER 08: Kyle Shurmur#14 of the Vanderbilt Commodores throws the ball during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – OCTOBER 08: Kyle Shurmur#14 of the Vanderbilt Commodores throws the ball during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Vanderbilt doesn’t get four-star quarterback recruits on a regular basis, but when Kyle Shurmur committed, there seemed to be a culture change looming. Head coach Derek Mason landed him in the 2015 recruiting class and he’s now heading into his third year with the program.

As a freshman in 2015, he was lightly-used, passing for 503 yards and five touchdowns, but he completed less than 50 percent of his passes. Uncertainty arose regarding his potential to lead the offense in the coming years, and he took a nice step forward in 2016.

While some might argue that he broke out last season as a sophomore, his numbers hardly back that up. Sure, he passed for 2,409 yards in 2016, but he completed just 54 percent of his throws and had more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9).

With another year of learning the offense under his belt and Vanderbilt coming off a bowl appearance, Shurmur, son of NFL coach Pat Shurmur, could be in for a big season. He’s likely to surpass the 3,000-yard mark and maybe even break 20 touchdown passes.

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