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.
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.
Not being an early enrollee might hurt five-star tackle Isaiah Wilson, but the fact that he has dropped weight might help his case. He committed to the Bulldogs as a 350-pound tackle from Brooklyn, N.Y., but head coach Kirby Smart has said that he’s been slimming down.
By losing weight, he’s making himself more of a threat to crack the rotation and prove that he can take over one of the tackle positions in the fall. Georgia will be forced to replace three-fifths of its offensive line in 2017, including the right tackle spot. While left tackle is filled by returning starter Isaiah Wynn, a senior, Wilson could start on the right side and move over in 2018.
One of the most physically-imposing forces in the recruiting class, Wilson looks to live up to the immense hype and if he does get the nod to start on the right side this season, he could become one of the best offensive linemen in the SEC. Pretty soon, it’ll be tough to justify Smart playing Wilson on the left side as opposed to the right.
The 6-foot-7 tackle was ranked the No. 16 player in the country in the 2017 class as well as the fifth-best offensive tackle, according to 247Sports. It’ll be tough to keep a player of his size on the bench when he can be punishing SEC defenders.
As a high school recruit, wide receiver Byron Pringle wasn’t exactly recruited heavily. In fact, he accepted a scholarship to play for Youngstown State before departing and going the JUCO route. Kansas State landed him in the 2016 class as the nation’s 71st-best JUCO transfer and 12th-best receiver from that level of competition.
Now 23 years old and entering his junior season, Pringle has the opportunity of a lifetime, starting at receiver for Kansas State for the second straight year. He started all 13 games for the Wildcats last season, but they weren’t exactly a pass-first offense.
Pringle finished the 2016 season with 39 catches for 631 yards and four touchdowns and he also had 23 kickoff returns for nearly 700 yards and a touchdown. He was one of the most dynamic athletes in the country, but he didn’t put up the stats he was capable.
Some would argue he broke out in 2016, but those numbers are pedestrian compared to some of the nation’s top receivers. He will approach the 1,000-yard mark and he could be one of the nation’s top return men as well.
Deshaun Watson led Clemson to a national title in 2016 and became one of the most impressive quarterbacks in the nation during his time with the Tigers. He won back-to-back Davey O’Brien Awards, given to the country’s top quarterback, and was drafted 12th overall by the Houston Texans in 2017.
Who would replace Watson in the 2017 season for the Tigers? The choice seems to be down to two options in either five-star freshman Hunter Johnson, a top-50 recruit in 2017, or former three-star dual-threat Kelly Bryant. While the latter has been in the system for a little longer, Johnson seems to have a higher ceiling.
The 6-foot-2, 201-pound freshman from Brownsburg, Ind., has a strong arm and showcases some athleticism of his own. He’s been turning some heads as an early enrollee freshman and that has helped him master the playbook for Dabo Swinney as well as develop a connection with the receivers.
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After winning MVP at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he played in the spring game and passed for just 48 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He’s still opening eyes and Clemson might just have a quarterback who’ll turn out better than Watson did — if you can believe that.
Yet another U.S. Army All-American quarterback to make the list, Missouri’s Drew Lock had a big 2016 season, but no one is giving him the respect he deserves. Why wasn’t he a breakout player from the 2016 season? Because his Tigers went just 4-8, essentially sweeping his stats under the rug for the rest of the country to overlook.
Lock had a poor freshman season with the Tigers, passing for just 1,332 yards and four touchdowns to go along with eight interceptions and a 49 percent completion rate. Fortunately, the staff remained patient with him and he stepped up in 2016.
As a sophomore, he passed for 3,399 yards, 23 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. His completion rate rose about five percent and he looked like a much better quarterback. He even added 123 rushing yards and another score, showing he’s not one-dimensional.
Missouri should have a much better season with Lock entering his junior season and for him to truly break out as one of the SEC’s best quarterbacks, he will need to get that completion rate up and lead the Tigers to a bowl game. Both could very well happen in 2017.
The SEC is loading up on elite young offensive linemen who could be the next No. 1 overall picks in the NFL draft. First, we named Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson and now we move on to Tennessee’s Trey Smith, a five-star from Jackson, Tenn.
Tennessee Volunteers Football
Smith was regarded as one of the best offensive line talents in the 2017 recruiting class and committed to home-state program Tennessee. He enrolled early in January and has been working toward a starting spot with the Volunteers ever since. The coaching staff has been praising him, as have his fellow linemen.
However, there’s always a learning curve for incoming freshmen and Smith is no exception to that. He was recruiting as the nation’s third-best offensive tackle and fifth-best overall recruit, but he’s making the switch, potentially, to the guard position as the offensive line is loaded with returning players.
While only one player on the line is a returning starter, all have been in the system longer than Smith. Still, he could be one of the nation’s best young linemen when the season begins, no matter what position he ends up playing.
It’s been a rough couple of years for Florida quarterback Malik Zaire. He entered his sophomore year with Notre Dame in 2015 as the projected starter and even began the season with a Heisman-like performance against Texas. He was nearly perfect against the Longhorns and the hype quickly surrounded him.
Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury shortly after that game in Notre Dame’s early-season contest against Virginia. He gave way to rising star DeShone Kizer who took his place and never looked back.
To start the 2016 season, Brian Kelly gave him the benefit of any talent-based doubt, avoiding naming a starting quarterback. Although Kizer was the clear option after his strong 2015 campaign, Zaire still remained in the picture because the coach wasn’t ready to give up on him.
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The season didn’t go nearly as planned and Kizer took nearly 100 percent of the snaps under center and held on to his job. Zaire decided to transfer from the school, as a Notre Dame grad, and picked Florida this offseason. The Gators will be relying heavily on the unproven dual-threat and he’s talented enough to finally break out.
Who would have expected Oregon would have taken major steps in the wrong direction in 2016, finishing 4-8? Not many saw the Ducks struggling as much as they did, leading to Mark Helfrich’s termination and the hiring of former South Florida head coach Willie Taggart. The culture seems to be headed back in the right direction.
Something good did come from the Ducks’ horrid season, though, and that was freshman quarterback Justin Herbert. Ranked the 25th-best pro-style quarterback in the 2016 class, according to 247Sports, Herbert wasn’t expected to have much of an impact in his first year.
However, after four games of watching the Ducks’ offense fail to live up to its potential, Helfrich made a change under center and he appeared in the fifth game of the season. He didn’t get his first start until the Ducks were already 2-3, but he looked good.
Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 225 pounds, Herbert has tremendous size for the position and he also possesses one heck of an arm. He passed for over 1,900 yards and 19 touchdowns as a freshman with just four picks, but expect him to have a monster sophomore season.
How the gates have opened for junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush to become the starting quarterback of Notre Dame in 2017. Both DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire, previously mentioned, have moved on to different situations, leaving Wimbush as the clear option to start for the Fighting Irish.
Unfortunately for Notre Dame, Wimbush has attempted just five career passes at the collegiate level, completing two of them, for 17 yards. That’s not exactly the experience you want from your starting quarterback, but the talent is definitely there. He has also carried the ball seven times for 96 yards and a touchdown.
Wimbush fits the mold of his two predecessors. He’s a dual-threat quarterback with a strong arm and the potential to be an All-American. As a member of Notre Dame’s 2015 recruiting class, Wimbush was ranked the No. 46 overall recruit in the country, per 247Sports, and the third-best dual-threat.
Brian Kelly should feel good about his inexperienced quarterback because the 6-foot-1.5, 225-pound quarterback from New Jersey has an extremely high ceiling and a wealth weapons surrounding him.
Shocker, a Wisconsin running back is mentioned on this list. The Badgers have constantly churned out quality running backs over the years like Ron Dayne, Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon, Corey Clement and now Bradrick Shaw has an opportunity to be the next great back from the program.
Why do Badger running backs have so much success? Well, it’s because the Wisconsin offensive line is usually one of the best in the Big Ten. The Badgers are no slouches when it comes to opening up running lanes and protecting quarterbacks.
Shaw had a solid freshman season with the Badgers as a backup option, rushing for 457 yards and five touchdowns on 5.2 yards per touch. His role is expanding in 2017 with Clement and Dare Ogunbowale gone and his carries will likely double, if not triple. He could surpass the 1,000-yard mark in his second full season of eligibility.
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Although Chris James joined the team as a Pitt transfer before the 2016 season, and was forced to sit out per NCAA transfer rules, Shaw looks to be the lead back. There will be some competition, but that’s usually where breakout stars thrive.
Tanner Mangum is a rare breakout candidate. Not many players on this list have already broken out once before — back in 2015 — only to be forgotten the following season after losing their starting jobs. Mangum was a 3,000-yard passer in 2015 before losing his job to the oft-injured Taysom Hill.
Is it too far out of the question to label Mangum a breakout star with his past accomplishments? I don’t think so, and it’s because the BYU coaching staff didn’t truly invest in him even after his solid 2015 season.
In fact, he was expected to return as the team’s starter for the 2016 season, but when it was revealed Hill would be healthy enough to compete, the coaching staff showed loyalty to the veteran gunslinger over the rising star. Mangum passed for just 241 yards and three touchdowns, not playing a snap until the final month of the year.
You can expect him to play like he has something to prove as a junior with the Cougars. He’s capable of breaking the 3,000-yard mark and 20 touchdowns, so don’t be surprised when he breaks his previous career highs and puts himself on the map in 2017.
Two seasons at the collegiate level and Jalin Moore is still not a household name. For what reason? Only because he plays for Appalachian State and not one of the nation’s powerhouse programs. If he was an Alabama running back, he’d be grabbing headlines left and right.
That’s just the nature of the beat, but Moore will catch on at the next level somewhere, so don’t feel too bad. He has put up solid numbers through his first two seasons with the Mountaineers and he will be one of the nation’s top running backs in the 2017 season, no doubt about it.
It’s hard to believe that he was hardly recruited out of high school and was ranked in the 3,000-range, recruiting-wise. He has defied all odds to become one of the team’s top offensive contributors and he’s going to be someone to keep an eye on this season. The junior back is 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, making him a load to deal with despite his lack of height.
As a freshman in 2015, he rushed for 731 yards and five touchdowns and averaged 7.4 yards per carry. Last season, he doubled those numbers, rushing for 1,402 yards and 10 scores with 5.9 yards per carry to his name. Can he surpass the 2,000-yard mark on the ground in 2017? That’d be quite the feat, but he has the talent.
Apparently I’m not the only one who believes in Mark Walton as a running back, as he’s been named to some preseason award watch lists, including the Doak Walker Award. Entering his junior year with the Hurricanes, there are some high expectations headed his way.
First off, recording over 1,000 yards as a sophomore is an impressive feat and that puts him on the verge of a true breakout season. He’s one of the top returning running backs in the ACC and it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him finish as the leading rusher in the conference for 2017.
Next, his body frame makes him play like a pinball. He bounces off would-be tacklers often and he doesn’t got down easily. His 5-foot-9 height may seem like a drawback, but he makes up for it with his 205 pounds of muscle. He’s elusive but he’s also not afraid to lower his shoulder if it means he can get more yards out of it.
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Walton’s career has been a tale of two seasons. As a freshman in 2015, he rushed for 450 yards and nine touchdowns and averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, but he improved that to 5.3 as a sophomore and finished with 1,117 yards and 14 scores. He also has a receiving element that can set him apart from his position group.
An Alabama-native committing to South Carolina over the Crimson Tide? That’s what happens when Nick Saban has his pick of the nation’s recruiting litter. The Alabama head coach seemed to overlook Jake Bentley who became a Gamecock and will be facing the Crimson Tide in the SEC throughout his career.
Bentley was just a true freshman in 2016 but got a chance to come in and play right away. The former four-star recruit sat out the first six games of the season, only to watch the Gamecocks put together a 2-4 start. Will Muschamp believed it was time for a change at quarterback, and that’s where Bentley came in.
In the final six regular season games, he led the Gamecocks to a 4-2 record and a trip to a bowl game against South Florida in which they lost in overtime, 46-39. He even helped the Gamecocks overcoming an unlikely scenario which looked as if they’d be bowl-less by pulling off an upset win over Tennessee.
During his time as the team’s starter, he passed for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns, completing about 66 percent of his throws with only four picks. He’s going to have a huge season for the Gamecocks in 2017.
The offensive situation in Georgia is one of the best, and youngest, in the SEC. Besides having a solid quarterback entering his sophomore season and a running back duo that’s arguably the best in the conference, the Bulldogs have one of the best young tight ends in the country.
Georgia Bulldogs Football
If you haven’t heard the name Isaac Nauta by now, you will before the end of the 2017 season. He’s 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds and as long as he continues to improve as a blocker, he’s going to keep earning snaps and eventually he could become the team’s leading receiver.
As an athletic tight end, he came to Georgia as the No. 1 player at the position in the country. He knew he’d have a chance to contribute right away and he’s developing a solid connection with Eason.
Those two could be quite a tandem in the SEC for the next couple of years.
Nauta finished third on the team in receiving in 2016, catching 29 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, but he didn’t even come close to reaching his potential.
The expectations are high for Nauta entering his sophomore campaign and it’s only a matter of time before he puts up video game-like numbers.
Can you believe the Ohio State Buckeyes are looking to “rebuild” the secondary once again? The Buckeyes lost a wealth of talent to the 2017 NFL Draft, but it seems like every year they bring in a slew of young stars who become the next big things in college football.
Well, the 2017 season is no exception. Besides having talented defensive backs to cover the safety position, they also have Alabama cornerback transfer, and former five-star prospect, Kendall Sheffield to grace the secondary. He was one of the top cornerback prospects in Alabama’s 2015 class, but he decided to go the JUCO route after being listed as the backup corner on the 2016 depth chart.
One year at a junior college and Sheffield was considered one of the top prospects in the nation at that level. In fact, 247Sports ranked him the fourth-best JUCO prospect and No. 1 cornerback. He’s coming to Columbus with a major opportunity to contribute right away.
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Sheffield is already impressing Buckeye coaches and Urban Meyer even said at 2017 Big Ten Media Days that Sheffield is pushing for the top cornerback position, according to Scout.com.
Texas A&M got itself an elite quarterback prospect in the 2014 class when five-star Kyle Allen took the plunge and decided to become an Aggie. The Army All-American expected to come in and contribute right away, but it didn’t quite work out the way he planned.
The Scottsdale, Ariz., native was the No. 5 prospect in the class and widely considered to be the nation’s top quarterback prospect, but he never quite panned out with the Aggies like he had hoped.
However, he did pass for 3,532 yards and 13 touchdowns in two seasons of starting on-and-off for Kevin Sumlin’s team before deciding to transfer to down the road to Houston. The Cougars would need help at the quarterback position with Greg Ward Jr. leaving after the 2016 season so it was a perfect fit.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback will be a name to watch this season as he could return to his old form and really shock the rest of the country. Major Applewhite might just have himself a gem down in Houston and if that’s the case, the Cougars could be one of the best Group of Five teams in the nation, yet again.
I’ve already talked about how Georgia has a good situation down in Athens with the young offense coming together. However, one of the main weaknesses over the past few years for the Bulldogs has been at wide receiver. There hasn’t been a truly dominant wide out in Athens since A.J. Green, back in 2010, who now stars with the Bengals.
Now that 2016’s leading receiver, Isaiah McKenzie, has moved on to the next level with the Broncos, there’s a chance that Jeremiah Holloman could get a shot to contribute right away. The team needs a game-changer at the receiver position and he has the talent to be just that.
An early enrollee for the Bulldogs, Holloman is already mastering the playbook and he has a leg up on the rest of the incoming recruiting class. He has the skill set to be the best wide receiver on the team and he seems poised to impact the offense immediately.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing about 192 pounds, Holloman has ideal size for the position and the nation’s No. 98 recruit, according to 247Sports, can run a sub-4.5 40-yard dash. Deep threat? He sure looked like it.
It might take a lot for Najee Harris to have an immediate impact on Alabama’s offense in 2017. He comes in as one of the highest-rated recruits in the 2017 class, ranking No. 3 overall and as the second-best running back, according to 247Sports.
The Antioch, Calif., native made headlines this offseason when he was rumored to be choosing between two schools: Michigan and Alabama. Rumors were swirling that he would be enrolling early and it would be a surprise as to which school he chose. Michigan felt like it would land him, but he spurned the Wolverines and picked the Crimson Tide.
Alabama fans were ecstatic, but it was a head-scratching move seeing as the Crimson Tide backfield was loaded. In fact, the top three rushers, as well as Jalen Hurts, were returning for 2017. Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough and Joshua Jacobs will all be fighting for snaps, but Harris has the potential to steal a good amount.
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Harris played well in Alabama’s spring game, rushing for 70 yards on 17 carries and it’s going to be difficult for Nick Saban to sit a guy with Harris’ potential for too long. My guess is he’ll see the field, rise the depth chart and become one of the nation’s top young backs in 2017.
Janarion Grant wasn’t the most highly-touted recruit out of Date City, Fla., but a speedy athlete who could do play multiple positions is always welcome at the FBS level. Rutgers was fortunate enough to land him seeing as the Scarlet Knights have been a program in decline for the past few years.
That was all the way back in the 2013 class and Grant was part of two bowl teams at Rutgers before the Scarlet Knights declined heavily in 2015 and 2016, winning a combined six games.
Unfortunately, Grant couldn’t do much to help the 2-10 squad in 2016 as he had to sit back and watch as the Scarlet Knights failed to muster any points multiple times throughout the year. The offensive threat was sidelined with a season-ending injury and sat out the final eight games of the year — all losses.
While he doesn’t have eye-popping numbers from his previous three years, he has the potential to be a game-changer for the struggling program. He has 82 career catches for just 892 yards and one touchdown, but he is one of the best returners in college football.
In fact, he has three career punt return scores and five kickoff return touchdowns. He’s also rushed for over 250 yards in his career and three more scores. He’s an absolute machine and you can bet he’s ready to go off in his final year.
Is there a better recruiter in the Big Ten than Urban Meyer? Probably not, although Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Penn State’s James Franklin are a close second and third, respectively.
Ohio State Buckeyes Football
Reeling in Baron Browning from Kennedale, Texas, in the 2017 class was a major win for the Buckeyes’ head coach.
Ohio State beat out programs like Texas, Alabama and Baylor and over 35 other programs had offered the talented five-star from the Lone Star State. The Army All-American is ranked the No. 10 overall recruit and top outside linebacker in the 2017 class, according to 247Sports, and he’s expected to have an immediate impact for a defense losing a cornucopia of starters.
Browning stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at about 229 pounds and definitely looks the part of a typical Ohio State linebacker who has speed, athleticism and toughness. Meyer seems to find these kids with ease and he sells them on the Buckeyes’ elite defense.
Although Browning had shoulder surgery this spring and missed time, the early enrollee is expected to be on the depth chart as either a backup or starter at one of the linebacker positions. He’s going to make a name for himself this year as the Buckeyes make another run at the playoff.
When Chris Evans committed to Michigan as an undersized, and really under-recruited, running back from Indianapolis, Ind., everyone thought it was just a depth chart padder and he’d have to wait a couple of years before really breaking the rotation.
That was about 25 pounds and a year ago now. Since then, he has bulked up and some even list him at 212 pounds this spring. He was just 186 pounds coming out of high school, which raised some concerns, but he’s been following the strength and conditioning program closely. He’s also pretty quick.
As a true freshman in 2016, Jim Harbaugh gave him a shot. The first game of the season was a blowout against Hawaii and he carried the ball eight times for 112 yards and two scores. Although it wasn’t a quality opponent, he really opened some eyes. He combined for just 135 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries over the next four weeks before busting through again.
Evans put up 153 yards on 11 carries in a win over Wisconsin, but he was misused for the rest of the season, failing to put up more than 55 yards in any remaining game. Still, he showed promise and he averaged 7.0 yards per touch.
If he’s getting bigger like he claims, he could be on track to be the team’s clear No. 1 back and put up 1,000-plus yards in 2017.
Just how good is Georgia’s offense going to be in 2017? Judging by this list, pretty darn good. There are four young players who we are predicting to breakout in 2017 on the Bulldog offense and the final one listed happens to be the most important.
Entering his sophomore season, Jacob Eason had somewhat of an up-and-down first year and he’s looking to prove that he’s more of the quarterback that finished the season on a high note with a Liberty Bowl victory over TCU. Although he seemed to have a big game one week and then disappointment the next, he has the arm to be a special quarterback.
Kirby Smart landed Eason in the 2016 class and he was ranked the No. 4 overall recruit in the country and the second-best pro-style quarterback, according to 247Sports. The Washington-native looked to start right away, and it took some time for him to get comfortable, but he slowly grew into his own as the season progressed.
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There’s much more that Eason can bring to the table than what fans saw in 2016. Although he did pass for 2,430 yards and 16 touchdowns, his accuracy was a tad off and decision-making could have used some work. The 2017 season will be much better.
Arizona State didn’t exactly have the best season in 2016, finishing just 5-7 with a 2-7 record in Pac-12 play. That wasn’t enough to make a push for a bowl bid and Sun Devil fans were left wondering what the next step for the program would be.
There were few bright spots in the Sun Devils’ forgettable season, but one had to be the play of junior running back Kalen Ballage. He played well enough to warrant ‘breakout’ talk this offseason and his 15 total touchdowns and 1,005 all-purpose yards were nothing to scoff at.
Ballage started the 2016 season off strong and even recorded eight total touchdowns in a Week 2 win over Texas Tech — yes, you read that right — but he fizzled out shortly after, just as the Sun Devils did. His rushing numbers took a dip in 2016 compared to his sophomore season, but his receiving numbers jumped off the sheet.
The junior had just 536 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry, but caught 44 passes for 469 yards and a touchdown. The ability to be a dual-threat running back makes him one of the scariest weapons in the Pac-12 heading into 2017.
Right now, Ole Miss doesn’t have a lot going for itself. The Rebels lost head coach Hugh Freeze to an unexpected offseason resignation, the program is being sued by former coach Houston Nutt and there are NCAA violations still to be sorted out, with potential punishments looming.
However, the offense has some big names to account for still and one of those is rising sophomore Greg Little, a former five-star offensive tackle from Allen, Texas.
It could be argued that he had a breakout freshman season, but he only started five games at the left tackle position and it’s expected he is the full-time starter there in 2017. He hasn’t truly starred at his natural position and the rest of the country will take notice this coming season.
The imposing force in the trenches was a Freshman All-SEC first-teamer according to the conference’s coaches, and second-team per the media. He has a lot of room for growth, but with another offseason under his belt, there’s reason to believe he could be a future first-round pick.
The 2016 season was one to forget for Alize Mack, formerly Alize Jones, as he didn’t get to see any live action for Notre Dame. The talented tight end lost an entire year of eligibility because he didn’t qualify academically. He was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch the Fighting Irish suffer through the worst season in the Brian Kelly era as they finished 4-8.
Mack entered spring with a new outlook and he vowed to never let something like academics be the reason he doesn’t see the field. He played well in Notre Dame’s spring game, his first action in nearly two years, catching five passes for 46 yards.
As a freshman in 2015, the former four-star tight end, considered the top tight end in his class, Mack caught 13 passes for 190 yards and Notre Dame went on to have a relatively successful 10-3 campaign with a Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State. He was a star-in-the-making.
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Unfortunately, the off-field issues bit him in the rear before the 2016 season, but he’s back for his junior year and his 6-foot-4, 245-pound athletic frame will be a force for opponents to attempt to cover in 2017.
Alabama is a darn college football superstar factory. As long as Nick Saban is in charge in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide will be churning out elite players at a high rate. One five-star who committed to the Alabama class of 2017 was outside linebacker Dylan Moses, who doubled as a running back at the prep level.
If those two positions don’t tell you the type of athlete Moses is, you’ll just have to wait to see him take the field for the Crimson Tide this fall. He stands about 6-foot-2.5 and 235 pounds, making him the ideal size for a linebacker, but he could also play running back in a pinch. He’d be a heck of a load to try and bring down.
The Bradenton, Fla., native was expected to pick LSU by many, but he surprised some folks by committing to the Crimson Tide even though he might not star on that loaded defense right away. However, it’s going to be tough for Saban to keep a talented kid like this off the field.
Don’t be shocked to see Moses contribute right away seeing as he’s one of the more freakish athletes to enter the college ranks in 2017. Alabama got itself another gem.
Starting his career with the Florida Gators, Will Grier had it made. He had just taken over the starting role for Jim McElwain’s team as a redshirt freshman and was in the midst of leading the Gators to a 6-0 record and becoming one of the more polished quarterbacks in the SEC.
The former Army All-American, and top-100 recruit, seemed to be coming into his own in Gainesville before drama struck. He was suspended for a year after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs which he claimed were over-the-counter pills with a banned substance. He decided to part ways with the Gators and transfer to West Virginia for a fresh start.
Now a junior, Grier looks to be the team’s replacement at quarterback for Skyler Howard who had a solid 2016 campaign. If he lives up to the hype and gets back to playing like the 2015 version of himself, the Mountaineers could be in luck.
Grier will be one of the more closely-monitored players in college football in 2017, and there’s a good chance he will come out on the winning end of it. He has the potential to surpass the 3,000-yard mark for West Virginia.
Clemson seems to produce some of the best wide receivers in college football, year after year. That won’t change in 2017 as head coach Dabo Swinney has junior Deon Cain to rely on.
With Mike Williams and Artavis Scott gone, Cain will be expected to take over No. 1 receiver duties. He caught 38 passes for 724 yards and nine touchdowns last season which placed him third on the team. He was the biggest deep-threat the Tigers seemed to have, averaging 19.1 yards per reception — tops on the team.
Cain’s nine touchdown receptions were also second on the team while his 38 receptions placed him only sixth. Not many teams can have a sixth-leading receiver catch 38 passes, but that’s how loaded Clemson’s offense was in 2016 with Deshaun Watson slinging the ball.
The former five-star receiver will be the team’s top option and he has the talent to become the next great wide receiver for the Tigers. It’d be a shock if Cain wasn’t one of the top breakout stars in college football this season because the talent is undeniable.
Not often does Kirk Ferentz and Iowa football land a five-star blue-chipper like A.J. Epenesa, but the Edwardsville, Ill., prospect picked the Hawkeyes over about two-dozen other programs.
Schools like Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin all came knocking at his door, but he decided to go with he underdogs.
The nation’s sixth-best overall recruit, according to 247Sports, and No. 1 strong-side defensive end committed to Iowa and Ferentz knew right away that he had a future star on his hands. Although he’s not protected to start right away, he is on the Hawkeyes’ two-deep depth chart.
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Epenesa, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound monster at the end position, will likely be backing up senior Parker Hesse at one of the defensive end positions, but don’t be surprised if he’s starting games by season’s end. This kid can flat-out ball.
Who saw Penn State’s breakout season in 2016 coming under James Franklin? After a couple of mediocre campaigns, the Nittany Lions’ head coach looked to be headed straight for the hot seat, but the 2016 season was more than kind to him.
In fact, his top-notch recruiting classes started to pay off as his team became one of the most skilled in the country as the season progressed and young guys stepped up. One, in particular, was cornerback John Reid, a sophomore, but he suffered a knee injury this past spring and could miss the 2017 season.
Luckily for the Nittany Lions, an incoming cornerback by the name of Lamont Wade could take his place and become a star in the Big Ten. He was considered one of the nation’s top 50 recruits in the 2017 class and the state of Pennsylvania’s third-best prospect, according to 247Sports.
Although he stands just 5-foot-9, he’s one of the most impressive recruits who Franklin has reeled in. He could be a lockdown corner for the Nittany Lions and the opportunity has presented itself in the form of an injury ahead of him on the depth chart. The Penn State secondary could be scary for years to come.
Michigan State suffered through the worst season during Mark Dantonio’s tenure in 2016 and it had something to do with the lack of chemistry, disconnect between the coaches and certain players and lack of quality leadership. Well, the fat has been trimmed heading into the 2017 season and the youth movement has begun.
One player who is sure to kick off this “youth movement” is sophomore wide receiver Trishton Jackson. With the Spartans having to replace their leading receiver from last year, R.J. Shelton, and talented freshman Donnie Corley who was kicked off the team in the offseason for his role in an alleged sexual assault, Jackson seems to be the favorite for that No. 1 spot.
The West Bloomfield, Mich., native has all the tools to be the next great Spartan receiver. Don’t forget that Michigan State has had two of the past three Big Ten receivers of the year. Jackson may not reach that level in 2017, but he has the potential to get there eventually.
Jackson broke out in the spring game, developing a solid connection with fellow sophomore quarterback Brian Lewerke and he showed flashes in 2016. He’s a quick, shifty receiver who has speed to burn defenders deep. What’s not to love?
Backing up Christian McCaffrey might not be the best job in the entire world because he’s the type of running back who can take over a game and the No. 2 usually gets lost in the shuffle. However, that wasn’t the case with Bryce Love in 2016 as a true sophomore.
The former four-star running back from Wake Forest, N.C., seems to be the next star running back for the Cardinal. David Shaw has to be feeling pretty lucky for the simple fact that he can lose a Heisman-caliber running back and still not have to worry about where the production in the backfield is going to come from.
Although he’s just 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, Love has the speed and burst through the hole and around the edge that elite running backs need to possess.
In limited carries as a freshman in 2015, he finished with 226 yards and two touchdowns on just 29 carries, averaging 7.8 yards per touch. He also finished with 250 receiving yards and another score on 15 receptions. Last season, he had 779 yards and three touchdown runs on 7.0 yards per touch. This kid is hard to bring down.
Some have labeled Arizona State’s Blake Barnett the biggest wild card in college football for the 2017 season. While he has the talent to be one of the country’s top quarterbacks at this level, he will be battling it out this fall for the Sun Devils’ starting quarterback job with Manny Wilkins.
As a former five-star quarterback at the high school level, the Corona, Calif., native would seem to be a shoe-in for the starting job, but Wilkins was the Sun Devils’ starter last season and has the playbook down as well as the experience. He knows the system while Barnett, a sophomore, does not.
In case you haven’t heard the story, Barnett transferred from Alabama in 2016 because he lost the starting quarterback battle with Jalen Hurts. He was criticized heavily for the way he left, but he made the decision that was best for him, giving him three years of eligibility still.
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However, the start of fall camp has signaled the beginning of one of the best quarterback competitions out there. Will the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the JUCO ranks from this past class fit in with the Sun Devils and prove the doubters wrong? He surely has the size for an elite-level college QB, standing 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds.
The path that Jacob Park has had to Iowa State has been an interesting one. The former Army All-American and top-100 recruit was destined for a solid career at Georgia, but he redshirted his freshman season before leaving the program and joining Northeastern Oklahoma A&M at the JUCO level.
Park was there for a year and was listed as a three-star JUCO prospect and committed to Iowa State for the next step in his career. The South Carolina-native probably didn’t envision himself playing for a perennial bottom-dweller at this point in his college career, but he could play a hand in putting the Cyclones on the map in 2017.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, Park surely looks the part. After beginning the 2016 season on the bench, the sophomore JUCO transfer took the reigns eventually and won over the coaching staff.
The potential is there, and it was evident with the final month of action. He completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,791 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2016, but you can expect an even bigger season in 2017. With elite receiver Allen Lazard to throw to, Park should have no problem surpassing the 2,500-yard mark.
Things looked a little cloudy for four-star top-50 linebacker Jacob Phillips less than a month ago as he was being investigated in a possible rape case. However, Baton Rouge police did not pursue charges against him and his name was cleared in the investigation.
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Obviously, that’s not the type of start you want just a month after moving to campus. The Nashville, Tenn., native has a bright future and it’d be a shame to see it thrown away, but fortunately, it seems like he was nothing more than a name swirling around and he was not involved.
Getting down to football now, Phillips can turn his focus to the depth chart. While he’s talented enough to make the two-deep depth chart, he will likely be the backup at inside linebacker, although he’s too talented to sit on the bench for too long. Don’t be surprised if he moves to outside just so he can see the field as a true freshman.
Ed Orgeron will play the best players, and this 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker might just be one of the most talented guys on the roster.
Josh Sweat is one of those guys who has been consistent in his first two years of college ball, but no one would argue that he’s “broken out” quite yet. You might look at his stats and scratch your head in bewilderment because 82 tackles and nine sacks from the end position in two seasons seems like a ton, but it’s nowhere near where his potential.
In fact, he was ranked the No. 1 weak-side defensive end in the country coming out of high school in 2015 and was a nationally-recognized top-10 recruit, according to 247Sports. Florida State fans rejoiced when he committed and knew they got a stud.
The Chesapeake, Va., native recorded 41 tackles in each of the past two seasons and now with DeMarcus Walker gone, Sweat’s role on the defensive side of the ball is expected to grow significantly. He has the potential to be one of the top pass rushers in college football, but will be do so in 2017?
That 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame is intimidating and the Florida State defense should be elite this fall, so expect big things from Sweat as this is likely his final collegiate season.
For a short period of time during the offseason, it looked like new Texas head coach Tom Herman was dead-set on bringing in Notre Dame transfer Malik Zaire. The senior quarterback would play right away for the Longhorns, but sophomore Shane Buechele would be forced to take a back seat.
Adding Zaire would have shattered Buechele’s growing confidence and that’s something that needs to be avoided at this point in a young quarterback’s career. He had an impressive freshman season, passing for nearly 3,000 yards, but I don’t think we’ve truly seen what Buechele can bring to the table.
Buechele won the starting job out of fall camp last year and began the season strong with a win over Notre Dame, and 280 passing yards, as well as a four-touchdown performance against UTEP. However, he experienced somewhat of a lull against the conference’s top teams. He played well, but not as well as he had shown previously.
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Expect the sophomore to exhibit more of a leadership role and even show more confidence than he had last season. It’d be surprising not to see him break out and pass for well over 3,000 yards and about 25 touchdowns.
Not many receivers in college football bring as much intrigue to the table as incoming freshman Donovan Peoples-Jones does. The Michigan early enrollee showed off during the Wolverines’ spring game and it didn’t surprise anyone because the in-state prospect had been dominating defenses at the prep level for four years.
In fact, he played for one of the state’s top programs in the city of Detroit and he even got to show his skills in the state championship game as he came away with a ring. His school has been somewhat of a pipeline to Ann Arbor as the Wolverines were lucky to get the best wide receiver in the country.
Peoples-Jones is an athletic specimen at receiver. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs about 193 pounds and he’s truly a special talent at the position. Watching some of the five-star Army All-American’s high school tape, and being able to see him in person, I can tell you that he plays like a mini Calvin Johnson.
How so? His high school quarterback never showed fear when throwing him a jump ball because he knew that his receiver would win the one-on-one battle with the cornerback or safety. If you throw the ball his way, he will catch it. Michigan needs a No. 1 receiver, and he could be it.
How does one replace Dak Prescott? Well, it’s not done easily and, truthfully, a quarterback like that doesn’t come around often. Mississippi State had to watch Prescott graduate following the 2015 season and then go on to lead the Dallas Cowboys to one of their best seasons in recent memory.
Dan Mullen had to figure out a way to replace a talent like that at Mississippi State and Nick Fitzgerald stepped up in a big way in 2016. The redshirt sophomore passed for 2,423 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, but completed just 54 percent of his throws. He also threw 10 interceptions, but led a team that started the year 2-5 to a bowl victory over Miami (OH).
Fitzgerald didn’t begin the season as the team’s starter, but Mullen knew he needed to make a change after he watched his team lose the season-opener against South Alabama on their home turf. He wouldn’t stand for another embarrassment like that.
The now-junior has all the physical tools, and even the dual-threat ability of Precott, to become one of the SEC’s breakout performers in 2017. He is often overlooked as an athlete, but he did rush for 1,375 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. A big year is coming for Fitzgerald.
While most of the guys on this list will have a guaranteed major role on with their respective teams in 2017, one player who sticks out due to his potential more than anything else is Kellen Mond. The incoming Texas A&M freshman quarterback is in a three-way battle for the starting job in College Station, but he’s not going to just roll over.
Playing for the prestigious high school powerhouse IMG Academy, you can bet he’s had to beat out some pretty talented guys for a starting job before, so why should this be any different? Sure, it’s a different level of play, but Mond may just be the most physically-gifted of the bunch.
Ranked the No. 3 dual-threat in the 2017 class by 247Sports, Mond is an athletic quarterback who can also sling the ball around the field. He has a strong arm and a college-ready body, but will he be able to adjust to the speed of the game early enough? That’s always the biggest question for incoming freshmen.
There’s already plenty of hype surrounding the four-star quarterback who enrolled early in the winter to get a leg up on the competition. He knows the playbook and has really come on this summer, and if he gets the job, he is going to be a star.
Imagine a young quarterback who committed to play for a program only to watch it crumble before his very eyes. That was the case with Jarrett Stidham in 2015 as he picked Baylor as his home for a few years, but then the program turned in the wrong direction with off-field issues and coaching changes, forcing him to reconsider his allegiance.
The five-star dual-threat quarterback played a handful of games for the Bears in 2015 as a true freshman, passing for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns with just two picks, completing 69 percent of his throws, and he looked like a rising star.
However, after his freshman season, he decided to make a change. He was going to take a year and play in community college before picking a college. He did so and was ranked the No. 1 JUCO player in the country for the class of 2017. He also chose to commit to Auburn.
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Although head coach Gus Malzahn has said that Sean White and Stidham are locked in a heated quarterback battle with no one leading just yet, you can believe the latter is likely to win the job. His ceiling much higher, if he even has one, and could lead the Tigers to greatness in 2017.
Florida State is trying to bring back that hard-nosed defense and there were flashes in 2016, but it still ranked just 16th in the conference and No. 22 in the country. The Seminoles did have some solid pieces on the defensive line, such as DeMarcus Walker who was a top NFL draft prospect, and previously-mentioned Josh Sweat.
Coming into the 2017 season, Sweat returns but Walker is gone. Still, the defensive line is returning two starting tackles from last season which should provide a boost. That doesn’t mean that the nation’s No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2017 class won’t push for some playing time.
Right now, he might be listed as third-string, but the former five-star tackle from Bellaire, Texas, will be pushing to make the two-deep depth chart this fall and it wouldn’t be shocking because everything coming out of Seminoles’ conditioning and weight training about Wilson seems positive.
When you stand 6-foot-4 and weigh about 330 pounds, how could you not be an absolute beat on the defensive line? Look for him to have a huge freshman season for the Seminoles. Heck, all you need to do is look at his four-year high school totals — 200 tackles, 71 tackles for loss and 42 sacks. This kid is going to be a monster.
Texas A&M has to figure out its quarterback situation this fall, which was talked about on Kellen Mond’s page. He’s No. 10 on the list of potential breakout stars and could very well beat out some quarterbacks who have been in the Aggies’ system for multiple years.
If he does that, he will have plenty of talent at the skill position surrounding him to rely on. In fact, Christian Kirk returns as one of the nation’s top receivers and the running back situation is relatively set in stone as well. One early enrollee freshman has been making a splash as well — IMG Academy’s Jhamon Ausbon.
The former four-star receiver from Bradenton, Fla., happens to be one of the top wide outs in the 2017 class and has already been on campus for about seven months now, making sure he gets a leg up on the competition. Standing 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he’s got the body of a strong wide out at the collegiate level, and has already drawn comparisons to Mike Evans.
The offense for Texas A&M in 2017 will be young, but with the youth comes talent and extreme potential. Ausbon’s ceiling is as high as any potential breakout star on this list. It will be fun to watch him become a household name in 2017.
Michigan State has been a running back factory in recent years. It started with Javon Ringer putting up All-American numbers in 2008 and then getting drafted by the Titans. Then, Le’Veon Bell surpassed the 1,700-yard mark in 2012 and the Steelers jumped at the opportunity to draft him in the second round. Lastly, Jeremy Langford went to the Bears in 2015.
Langford’s replacement, however, has a much higher ceiling than any of his predecessors. In fact, LJ Scott was ranked higher than any running back Mark Dantonio has ever landed, a top-60 player nationally, and he has looked every bit the part in his first two years.
The Spartans are still waiting for him to truly break out, though. He has rushed for the most yards in his first two years than any back under Dantonio and was just six yards shy of 1,000 as a sophomore in 2016. He also increased his yards per carry from 4.8 as a freshman to 5.4 last season.
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Scott’s 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame has been known to be difficult to take down — just ask Iowa’s 2015 Big Ten title runner-up squad — and he has some speed in the open field as well. Oh, and he takes after Bell when it comes to hurdling defenders. Expect a big season from the Spartan star.
Why does this name look familiar? Oh, just because Nick Bosa’s brother, Joey Bosa, was an All-American talent at defensive end for Ohio State just a couple of years ago and was even selected No. 3 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Chargers. The younger brother was a five-star talent at the high school level and decided to follow his older sibling’s footsteps.
Ohio State was glad to have another Bosa seeing as the first one worked out in the Buckeyes’ favor, to say the least. Urban Meyer made sure to snag Nick, who could wind up having an even better career at Ohio State than Joey.
Bosa stands 6-foot-4 and weighs about 270 pounds, even earning himself the No. 1 overall strong=side defensive end ranking in the 2016 class. He came in and knew he’d have a chance to compete for early playing time, especially with his older brother departing.
As a true freshman, Bosa recorded 29 total tackles and five sacks. Those aren’t quite the type of numbers he’s capable of putting up, but you better believe he’s going to be a star this season with some experience at the college level under his belt. Buckeye fans have been waiting for this breakout season.
After recording 392 yards and five touchdowns along with 140 receiving yards and five scores as a sophomore with Oklahoma in 2014, transfer Keith Ford was expected to start for Texas A&M and be a breakout star in 2016. He did begin the season as the No. 1 back, but he was overtaken by a younger presence.
Former four-star running back Trayveon Williams, from the 2016 recruiting class, got 15 carries in his first career game against UCLA and impressed. He finished with 94 yards on just 15 carries and looked like the team’s feature back. He only got 13 carries combined over the next two games before putting up video game-like numbers against Auburn and Arkansas to start SEC play.
Williams finished the season with 1,057 yards and eight touchdowns on 6.8 yards per carry while his production declined at the end of the year — the old November slump for the Aggies also affected him, it seemed.
Still, over 1,000 yards for a true freshman running back is a successful campaign, but he was robbed of a spot on the preseason 2017 Doak Walker watch list, awarded to the nation’s top running back. He be playing with a chip on his shoulder this season and 1,500 yards would be a nice breakout.
As a casual college football fan, you may have heard the name Da’Shawn Hand before. That’s probably because he was a five-star prospect out of high school in the 2014 class and was considered the nation’s No. 5 overall repost and No. 1 strong-side defensive end, according to the 247Sports’ composite rankings.
However, he was buried on the Alabama depth chart with five-stars riddled across the defensive line. Not many freshmen start for the Crimson Tide, and that’s strictly because the depth they have is just so immense — it has nothing to do with the talent level of the incoming freshmen.
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Hand has waited his turn on the defensive side of the ball and now entering his senior season, he’s ready to break out. When he committed to Alabama, many believed he’d be in Tuscaloosa just three years before bolting to the NFL — that’s just how good he can be.
Unfortunately, he’s facing a DUI arrest which is likely to bring on a suspension from Nick Saban. That’s just something you can’t have from a veteran player like Hand — or any player, for that matter.
If he misses a couple games, he will still have an opportunity to surpass his career numbers of 44 tackles, 11 for loss and six sacks. He has the potential to surpass three-year numbers in just one season.
With Dalvin Cook gone on to bigger and better things, how will Florida State replace the All-ACC running back who could do no wrong? One option is junior Jacques Patrick, but the hype train has been full-steam ahead for incoming freshman Cam Akers.
Akers, the No. 1 running back in the nation per 247Sports’ composite, picked the Seminoles over the likes of Ole Miss, Tennessee and Ohio State, among over a dozen other offers, and enrolled in early-January. Fans got their first taste of the talented running back at the spring game, and he did not disappoint.
In fact, the Clinton, Miss., native rushed for 87 yards and added a 17-yard reception. Surpassing 100 all-purpose yards against a talented Florida State defense was an eye-opener for fans and members of the media as he looked like the true heir apparent to Cook’s empty throne.
Patrick might start the season as the No. 1 running back, but the 5-foot-11, 215-pound freshman will eventually prove he has the higher ceiling and Jimbo Fisher will have no choice but to give him more reps. The Seminoles have two talented backs, and that’s a great “problem” to have.
It’s a mystery as to how no one has made a documentary about IMG Academy’s football prowess. Well, it probably violates some NCAA rule regarding the coverage of unsigned high school recruits, but still, Shea Patterson is just the latest of many potential breakout stars from the Bradenton, Fla., high school to appear on this list.
Unfortunately, the sophomore receiver and former five-star pledge will have to move forward knowing that the head coach who recruited him to play for Ole Miss resigned during the offseason. The Rebels lucked out, though, as Patterson has already stated he won’t be going anywhere and affirmed his commitment to staying with Ole Miss.
The Shreveport, La., native is my top breakout candidate for the 2017 season because of what he showcased at the end of the 2016 campaign when he took over as the starting quarterback in a lost season. The Rebels were just 4-5 when he became the starter and he didn’t disappoint.
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The former No. 1 quarterback in the 2016 class passed for over 300 yards in two of the final three games, along with six total touchdowns and three interceptions. He showed flashes of brilliance, but being thrown into the wolves definitely wasn’t fair. With a full offseason of work and more leadership expected from him, his confidence should grow, along with his stat line.