College Football: Top 30 breakout candidates for 2018 season

The Michigan defense front is regarded as the cream of the crop of college football front sevens. They aren’t alone on top of the mountain (Clemson and Ohio State have a fair claim as well), but year in and year out, Michigan produces pass rushers at an unmatchable rate. Aubrey Solomon is the next iteration.

Solomon has patiently waited his turn in Ann Arbor and he’s not going to be relegated to second team for that much longer. The sophomore defensive tackle was a 5-star recruit in 2017 — the No. 2 player at his position and the No. 23 overall recruit in the nation. You don’t recruit that kind of player to warm the bench.

What gives Solomon the best chance to succeed in 2018, other than his incredible talent, is the array of talent around him. Defenses aren’t going to be able to give him any extra attention in the middle. They’re going to have to worry about slowing down the likes of Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary, a task that not many offensive lines will be up to anyhow. And thus, an open door to stardom for Solomon.