Top 50 College Football Players Entering Spring Practice
This past weekend's NFL Scouting Combine highlighted the immense amount of talent that comes from the college ranks each season. But those players are gone, and it's time to focus our attention on those standouts who remain.
And there are plenty. So many that we had to cut off the list after 50.
As spring practices are starting across the country, we've ranked the 50 best returning players based on their past performances and what's expected from them during the 2016 season.
50. Harold Landry, DE, Boston College
1 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'3”, 245 lbs
Boston College had a rough 2015 season from a win-loss standpoint, going 3-9 with eight straight losses. That came despite having the nation's top-rated defense, a unit that returns seven starters, including one of the nation's most underrated defensive ends.
Harold Landry is coming off a sophomore campaign in which he had 4.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and 60 total tackles, adding three forced fumbles and a fumble return. His breakout game came in a September home loss to Florida State, when he was responsible for 1.5 sacks, 4.5 TFLs and a career-high 11 tackles.
49. Kendell Beckwith, LB, LSU
2 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'2”, 252 lbs
Given a second-round draft grade, Kendell Beckwith opted to return to LSU in order to improve his game while also ensuring LSU's defense will have one of its best and most experienced weapons available for another season.
Beckwith was second on the Tigers in tackles last year, with 84, and his 10 tackles for loss were also second-best.
48. Shock Linwood, RB, Baylor
3 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 5'9”, 200 lbs
Baylor tied for second nationally in rushing offense last season, at 326.7 yards per game, aided by a bowl-record 645 yards on the ground in the Bears' final outing. Shock Linwood wasn't a part of that performance, out with a foot injury, but his running throughout the regular season helped pace the overall numbers.
Linwood ran for 1,329 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015, averaging 6.78 yards per carry. He had six 100-yard games, giving him 14 for his career. With 3,462 career yards, Linwood needs 213 to pass Walter Abercrombie's career mark.
Linwood's foot injury required surgery, and he is expected to sit out spring practice, according to the Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton.
47. Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
4 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'4”, 205 lbs
The national leader in passing yards per game last season, Luke Falk has only started 15 games and appeared in 17 yet has produced the kind of numbers that would take most quarterbacks at least two full seasons. His 4,561 yards in 2015 came in fewer than 12 full games, as a head injury suffered in the first half of a win over Colorado knocked him out for the following week.
Falk threw for a school-record 38 touchdowns last year, but most impressive were his 69.4 percent completion rate and only eight interceptions on 644 pass attempts. He's topped 300 yards on 13 occasions, including three 500-yard games.
46. Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee
5 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 5'11”, 186 lbs
Cameron Sutton has held down a starting spot in Tennessee's secondary for every game the past three years, yet that's only been part of his value to the Volunteers during their recent resurgence. Throw in his contributions in special teams, and he's been one of the best all-around players in program history.
Sutton has six career interceptions, 26 pass breakups and three punt-return touchdowns, scoring twice on runbacks in 2015. Sutton scored on punts in wins over Kentucky and Vanderbilt, both of which came during Tennessee's season-ending six-game winning streak.
45. Justin Jackson, RB, Northwestern
6 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'11”, 190 lbs
A workhorse in the simplest of terms, Justin Jackson is the Northwestern offense. He's carried the ball 557 times in the past two seasons, including 312 times in 2015 to account for 52 percent of the Wildcats' rushing plays and nearly 58 percent of their 2,451 rushing yards.
Jackson's 24 carries per game were fifth-most in FBS last season, and he topped 100 yards on eight occasions. His performance directly correlated to Northwestern's success, as he averaged 128.9 yards per game in wins as opposed to 43 yards per game in losses.
44. William Likely, CB, Maryland
7 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 5'7”, 175 lbs
William Likely has spent his entire Maryland career splitting time between the secondary and special teams, standing out in both areas. And toward the end of 2015, he began to get looks on offense, hoping to maximize the speed and elusiveness that have made him one of the top return men in the country.
Last year, Likely returned two punts for touchdowns and also had a kickoff-return score, breaking up 11 passes and forcing three fumbles on defense and adding 110 yards from scrimmage on 16 offensive plays. For his career, Likely has eight return TDs, including a pair of pick-sixes as a sophomore in 2013.
43. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
8 of 50
Year: Sophomore
Height, weight: 6'4”, 210 lbs
Josh Rosen came to UCLA last year with a truckload of hype as the nation's top-rated pro-style passer (per 247Sports) who was taking over for a three-year starter in Brett Hundley. It took only one game for Bruins fans to begin to forget Hundley's departure, as Rosen produced one of the best seasons ever for a true freshman quarterback.
Rosen threw for 3,669 yards and 23 touchdowns, topping the 300-yard mark on six occasions, including in his collegiate debut and in the Foster Farms Bowl. There were hiccups, too, such as 11 interceptions (including four games with at least two picks) and eight games where he failed to complete at least 60 percent of his throws.
However, with 20-1 odds, he's the only sophomore listed among the early Heisman favorites identified by Odds Shark.
42. Jalen Hurd, RB, Tennessee
9 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'4”, 240 lbs
Built more like a linebacker than someone asked to carry the ball 20 times per game, Jalen Hurd has used every bit of his massive frame to punish opposing tacklers over the past two seasons. He's coming off the best rushing season for a Tennessee player since 2009, gaining 1,288 yards with 12 touchdowns on a team that had two other players top 600 yards on the ground.
Hurd had six 100-yard games in 2015, including in each of the Volunteers' final three contests, going for 130 yards and a TD in the Outback Bowl win over Northwestern. With 2,184 career yards, he's 895 yards from passing Travis Henry's school record.
41. Marcus Maye, S, Florida
10 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'0”, 207 lbs
Three of Florida's starting defensive backs either graduated or turned pro after 2015, and that number could have been four. Instead, Marcus Maye opted to return to Gainesville for a fifth season. In doing so, he ensures the Gators' back line won't need to rebuild.
Maye had 82 tackles last season, which led to five forced fumbles. He has forced seven fumbles in his career while also posting four interceptions.
40. Wayne Gallman, RB, Clemson
11 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'1”, 215 lbs
Clemson was one of a handful of FBS teams that sported a pair of 1,000-yard rushers last season, but the Tigers and Georgia Southern were the only ones where one half of that duo topped the 1,500-yard mark. Clemson's running back would be Wayne Gallman, who also set the school single-season record.
Gallman's 1,527 yards and 13 touchdowns came via nine 100-yard games, all in three-game bunches, including 187 in the ACC title game win over North Carolina and 150 with two scores in the Orange Bowl semifinal victory over Oklahoma.
39. Jake Butt, TE, Michigan
12 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'6”, 248 lbs
Jake Butt was Michigan's biggest receiving target in 2015 in more ways than one. His large frame became a favorite of quarterback Jake Rudock, resulting in more catches (51) and yards (654) than in his previous two seasons with the Wolverines.
Though he only had three touchdowns, they all came in the red zone and when Michigan was trailing. Expect the Wolverines' next quarterback to turn to him in similar situations.
38. Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State
13 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'6”, 275 lbs
After two years building up a reputation as one of the best young interior defensive linemen in the country, Malik McDowell is ready to shine as Michigan State's leader up front. The Spartans lost three starters from the line, leaving McDowell to carry the mantle for what has been a strength of the team during its recent rise.
McDowell had 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last year, adding two forced fumbles, a blocked kick and an interception that he returned 13 yards for a touchdown in a November win over Penn State. Those were examples of McDowell's varied talents, which should be on further display this fall.
"He will play everywhere, that’s for sure," defensive line coach Ron Burton told Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press. "No maybes. He will play everywhere."
37. Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss
14 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'2”, 215 lbs
Few junior college transfers played as big a role in their team's performance in 2015 as Chad Kelly, a former Clemson quarterback who set 17 school records in 2015. Among those marks were passing yards (4,042), total offense (4,542) and total touchdowns (41).
Kelly helped Ole Miss to its first 10-win season since 2003, knocking off defending champion Alabama along the way. He was MVP of the Sugar Bowl after throwing for 302 yards and four TDs while adding 73 rushing yards.
36. Thomas Sperbeck, WR, Boise State
15 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'0”, 175 lbs
Thomas Sperbeck followed up a breakout performance in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl with a season full of breakouts, resulting in at least a share of two school receiving records last year. By the end of 2016, he could have a few Boise State career marks as well.
His 88 catches last season tied Matt Miller's tally from 2013, while his 1,412 receiving yards topped the previous record by nearly 200 yards. Sperbeck also set single-game records for receptions (20) and yards (281) in November against New Mexico.
35. Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt
16 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'4”, 230 lbs
Zach Cunningham was a first-time starter in 2015, yet his play made it seem like he'd been in that role for several years. Helping fill in after Nigel Bowden suffered a concussion and missed the final nine games of the season, Cunningham posted a team-best 103 tackles.
Cunningham also led the Commodores in tackles for loss (16.5) and sacks (4.5) and added four forced fumbles. His play helped Vandy rank 28th in the nation in total defense.
34. Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami (Florida)
17 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'4”, 210 lbs
Brad Kaaya has started every game he's played in during his college career, handed the keys to Miami's offense as a true freshman and only relinquishing them on one opportunity when a concussion held him out of a game in 2015. Otherwise, Kaaya has been a steady presence for the Hurricanes, one who figures to benefit from the hiring of coach Mark Richt.
Richt inherits a passer who has recorded back-to-back 3,000-yard passing seasons, going for 3,238 yards with 16 touchdowns last year. His 6,436 yards already put him fifth on Miami's all-time list, and another 3,000-yard season will put him in line to top Ken Dorsey's career mark of 9,565 yards.
33. Jalen Tabor, CB, Florida
18 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'0”, 191 lbs
Jalen Tabor has split time at cornerback and safety in his first two seasons, standing out no matter where Florida has put him. Now he'll take over the No. 1 corner spot with Vernon Hargreaves III in the NFL.
Last year saw Tabor intercept four passes and break up another 14 throws to his targets, helping the Gators rank 13th nationally in pass defense. Two of Tabor's picks were returned for touchdowns in wins over East Carolina and Missouri.
32. Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio State
19 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'2”, 240 lbs
Ohio State's mass exodus to the NFL after the 2015 season robbed it of most (but not all) of its best defensive players. Raekwon McMillan was a notable exception, only because he wasn't eligible to declare for the draft.
In two seasons, McMillan has recorded 173 tackles, including a team-best 119 last year. That led Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer to call him the "top middle linebacker in the country," per Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.
WalterFootball.com has McMillan pegged as a late first-round pick in 2017, but expect that to rise after this upcoming season.
31. Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
20 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 5'9”, 180 lbs
Donnel Pumphrey's size, or lack thereof, masks a running style and performance history that are among the best in the country the last three years. And early on in 2016, he'll top an all-time great by becoming San Diego State's career rushing leader.
Consecutive seasons with at least 1,600 rushing yards have Pumphrey sitting at 4,272 yards for his career, the most of any active player and only 317 yards behind SDSU great Marshall Faulk. Pumphrey had 2,069 all-purpose yards and 21 total touchdowns last year, including a passing TD in the Aztecs' Hawaii Bowl win over Cincinnati.
30. Artavis Scott, WR, Clemson
21 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'11”, 190 lbs
Artavis Scott became Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson's best friend in 2015, getting targeted more than any other player during the Tigers' run to the national championship. His continued emergence as a reliable outlet made the loss of fellow receiver Mike Williams to a season-ending injury have minimal impact.
A year after catching 76 passes as a freshman, Scott had 93 more grabs to go with six touchdowns. He added a rushing score and served as Clemson's top return man.
Scott needs 72 receptions to pass Sammy Watkins for the school career mark.
29. Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
22 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'3”, 257 lbs
Derek Barnett has been on a steady rise from the start of his career, to the point that he was rated by ProFootballFocus as the second-best edge-rusher in 2015 based on its grading system. Only likely first-found draft pick Joey Bosa of Ohio State graded higher.
His 10 sacks were tied for fourth in the SEC, with seven coming in league play and eight in Tennessee's nine victories. Barnett added 12.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and 69 total tackles.
28. KD Cannon, WR, Baylor
23 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'0”, 180 lbs
The loss of an explosive receiving talent such as Corey Coleman would devastate most teams, but KD Cannon ensures that Baylor won't be lacking at the position in 2015. It just means Cannon has nothing preventing him from rising to the No. 1 spot.
Cannon has registered at least 50 receptions in each of his first two college seasons, averaging better than 17 yards per catch along the way. Last year, he had 50 catches for 868 yards and scored six times, with his best performance coming in a five-catch, 210-yard, two-TD effort against Oklahoma State.
27. Derwin James, S, Florida State
24 of 50
Year: Sophomore
Height, weight: 6'3”, 212 lbs
Derwin James played like a seasoned veteran instead of a first-year prospect last year for Florida State, ranking second on the team with 91 tackles (including a team-best 52 solo takedowns). It was the third-highest tackle output for a freshman in school history, according to his online bio.
A backup at first, James eventually took over a starting safety spot and ended up second on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss along with 4.5 sacks. He also had two forced fumbles, a fumble return and four pass breakups.
26. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
25 of 50
Year: Sophomore
Height, weight: 5'11”, 222 lbs
Penn State must replace a three-year starter at quarterback, but what it does have returning on offense is a potential breakout star to build around.
Saquon Barkley missed two games because of injury and had a combined nine carries in two other outings yet still ran for 1,076 yards and seven scores. That was the most for a Nittany Lions rusher since Silas Redd ran for 1,241 in 2011 in Joe Paterno's final season as coach.
25. Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
26 of 50
Year: Sophomore
Height, weight: 6'1”, 205 lbs
One of the most hyped players in program history, injuries forced Jabrill Peppers to take a redshirt in 2014, but nothing could hold him back last year. A full-time starter in Michigan's secondary, as the season went on, Peppers saw his role expand to include more and more plays on offense and special teams.
Peppers finished with 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 10 pass breakups on the defensive end, adding two rushing touchdowns and eight receptions on offense. He also averaged 11.4 yards on punt returns and 27.9 yards on a handful of kickoffs.
The plan is for Peppers to get even more work on offense in 2016. He told Josh Newkirk of Scout.com, "I would like to think I can play any position beside the line."
24. Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
27 of 50
Year: Sophomore
Height, weight: 5'11”, 200 lbs
No true freshman made a quicker impact on his team in 2015 than Christian Kirk, who in Texas A&M's opener scored touchdowns as a receiver and punt returner. That was the start to a stellar first year in which Kirk had nine TDs, two on punts, and was the Aggies' leading pass-catcher.
Kirk had 80 receptions for 1,009 yards, with the 106 yards he had in his debut marking the first of four 100-yard games. All told, he finished last season with 1,789 all-purpose yards, averaging more than 14 yards per play.
23. Anthony Walker, LB, Northwestern
28 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'1”, 235 lbs
The centerpiece of a defense that allowed 18.6 points and 318.9 yards per game, Anthony Walker finished as Northwestern's leader in tackles (120) and tackles for loss (20.5). The latter was also tops in the Big Ten, beating out the likes of Joey Bosa, Carl Nassib and Joe Schobert.
Walker had a nose for the ball, returning a fumble for a touchdown last season and recording a pick-six in 2014. All five of his career takeaways have come in Northwestern wins.
22. Quin Blanding, S, Virginia
29 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'2”, 205 lbs
Every year, there are a handful of great players on bad teams, which has been the case for Quin Blanding so far in his career. As he heads into the season when he becomes draft-eligible, one of the hardest hitters in college would like to showcase his talents on a winning squad.
Blanding has started 22 games at safety for Virginia, which has failed to post a .500 record since 2011. Last year, he had 115 tackles, only slightly down from the 123 he recorded as a true freshman. He has four career interceptions.
21. Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan
30 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 5'10”, 176 lbs
Jourdan Lewis enters his final college season with only four career interceptions, but he's still one of the most difficult cornerbacks in the country to throw against. Last year, he picked off two passes but was credited with an additional 20 pass breakups, which tied for third in the country.
According to ProFootballFocus, Lewis was the nation's highest-graded cornerback in 2015. He allowed only 31 receptions on 85 passes targeted to his opponent.
20. Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma
31 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'10”, 230 lbs
Oklahoma's shift to a more pass-oriented offense led to lower numbers last season for Samaje Perine, but he still managed to go for 1,349 yards and 16 touchdowns. That still accounted for nearly half of the Sooners' ground production in 2015, as they won the Big 12 and made the playoffs.
Perine has 11 career games with at least 100 rushing yards, including in 2014 when he set the FBS single-game record with 427 yards against Kansas as a true freshman. In two seasons, he's gained 3,062 yards, putting him just 979 behind Adrian Peterson for the all-time Sooners mark.
19. Greg Ward Jr., QB, Houston
32 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 5'11”, 185 lbs
The combination of Greg Ward's athleticism and first-year coach Tom Herman's guidance turned Houston's quarterback into a superstar last season. And with that, the Cougars became the top non-power-conference team in the country.
Ward had 3,936 yards of total offense in 2015, with 38 total touchdowns that included 21 as a rusher. His 1,108 rushing yards were three more than Clemson's Deshaun Watson had in one fewer game, and the 21 scores were fifth-most in FBS.
Ward had seven games where he was responsible for at least three TDs, with four 100-yard rushing games and 10 with at least 200 passing yards.
18. Jamal Adams, S, LSU
33 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'1”, 211 lbs
LSU's claim of being the best producer of defensive backs is evident on NFL rosters, with Jamal Adams on his way to being the next on that list. Through two seasons with the Tigers, including last year as a starter, he's shown his ability as a ball hawk and a hard hitter.
Adams led LSU with four interceptions in 2015, when he also had five tackles for loss and a forced fumble to go with 67 tackles.
17. Seth Russell, QB, Baylor
34 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'3”, 220 lbs
Seth Russell was on his way to an incredible 2015 season before he suffered a neck injury in October, one that ended his season and required surgery. Before getting hurt, though, he put up numbers that many quarterbacks would struggle to tally in a full year.
In just seven games, Russell had 2,104 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, adding another six rushing TDs and 402 yards on the ground. He was also unbeaten in that starting role, while Baylor went 3-3 in his absence.
Russell has been cleared for spring practice for everything other than contact, which should get him prepared for the upcoming season.
16. Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB, Tennessee
35 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'0”, 225 lbs
Jalen Reeves-Maybin has been Tennessee's top tackler the past two seasons, going for 105 last year that included 66 solo takedowns, while leading the Volunteers in tackles for loss with 14. Throw in six sacks, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles, and Reeves-Maybin was as integral to the Vols defense as any other player.
Now, new defensive coordinator Bob Shoop will look to Reeves-Maybin to guide Tennessee into 2016, when it should be a favorite to win the SEC East.
Shoop, hired from Penn State in January, has called Reeves-Maybin "the undisputed leader of the defense," per Rocky Top News' Twitter account.
15. Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
36 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'6”, 326 lbs
Cam Robinson was the first true freshman to start at left tackle for Alabama in nearly a decade, and he's yet to leave that position in his two seasons of college ball.
According to his online bio, Robinson was responsible for only three sacks allowed in 2014, and last year, the Crimson Tide yielded only 26 in 15 games en route to a national title. With the Tide starting a new quarterback for the third time in his career, Robinson's prowess protecting the blind side will be critical to a shot at repeating.
14. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC
37 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'2”, 215 lbs
USC's run of big-bodied, big-play receivers continued in 2015 with JuJu Smith-Schuster far and away the Trojans' top target. His 89 receptions, 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns were all more than any two other players contributed a season ago.
Smith-Schuster had six 100-yard receiving games last year, with no fewer than 55 years in any game, and his 16.3 yards-per-catch average was fourth-best in the country.
With 143 career receptions, Smith-Schuster is 108 catches behind Robert Woods for the school's career mark.
13. Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
38 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'3”, 283 lbs
Alabama led the nation with 52 sacks last season, and the man who had the greatest percentage of those made a somewhat surprising choice to come back for his final year of college. In doing so, Jonathan Allen figures to raise his NFL draft stock while also keeping the Tide stacked on the defensive front.
"I know a lot people were saying I might go in the first round, but it’s important that you listen to the right people," Allen told ESPN's Chris Low. "My grade was second round. Nothing’s guaranteed, but I know the people coach [Nick] Saban is talking to, and I trust him, and I trust the people here at Alabama to steer me in the right direction."
Allen had a team-high 12 sacks along with 14.5 tackles for loss last season, adding two forced fumbles and four pass breakups. His stats came in bunches a year ago, with two or more sacks in four different games, including key wins against Mississippi State, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
12. Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
39 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'3”, 255 lbs
Missouri's reputation for churning out top-tier defensive linemen continued in 2015 with the rise of Charles Harris, who led the Tigers with seven sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in his first year as a starter.
11. Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon
40 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'11”, 230 lbs
Lost in the chaos that was Oregon blowing a 31-point lead in the Alamo Bowl was Royce Freeman's claiming of the school single-season rushing record. He finished 2015 with 1,836 yards, 31 more than LaMichael James had in 2011, while scoring 17 touchdowns.
Freeman has scored 38 TDs in his two seasons, including three as a receiver, catching 26 passes for 348 yards and two TDs last year.
With Oregon going with another new quarterback in 2016, it will be Freeman who should again serve as the offensive centerpiece and pace a rushing attack that gained nearly 280 yards per game in 2015.
10. Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC
41 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'11”, 185 lbs
The ultimate do-everything player, Adoree' Jackson has started at both cornerback and wide receiver (even in the same game) for USC while also serving as its best return man. In two seasons, he has scored touchdowns via a reception, a punt and kick return and interception.
Last year, Jackson scored twice as a receiver and also brought a pick back 46 yards for a score, adding two punt return TDs along the way. He averaged 16.3 yards on 89 total touches.
Jackson may spend more time on offense in 2016, including time in the backfield, as USC's depth in the secondary will free him up to do more with the ball in his hands.
9. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
42 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'10”, 220 lbs
An horrific knee injury cut short what might have been a Heisman-level season for Nick Chubb in 2015. Before going down on the first offensive play of Georgia's sixth game, he had run for 745 yards and seven touchdowns and had a streak of 13 consecutive 100-yard games.
Now we'll see just how effective he can be after having surgery in late October to repair multiple ligaments in his left knee. Ralph Russo of the Associated Press wrote that "you can all but guarantee the running back will spend more time riding a stationary bike at spring practice than carrying a ball." But the plan is for him to be back at full speed for Kirby Smart's first game as coach in September.
Chubb averaged 8.1 yards per carry before getting hurt, and his return will take pressure off a quarterback position that remains wide open at Georgia.
8. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
43 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'1”, 209 lbs
Baker Mayfield's first season with Oklahoma resulted in one of the best performances ever for a quarterback at that school. That's saying a lot, since the Sooners have produced two Heisman-winning passers.
With a style that's a combination of cockiness, composure and recklessness, Mayfield piloted Oklahoma through the Big 12 and into the playoffs with his arm and legs. He threw for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns while adding another 405 rushing yards and seven scores.
Mayfield began his career at Texas Tech before joining the Sooners, and in his career, he's recorded 10 300-yard passing games and 11 games with at least three TD passes.
7. Desmond King, CB, Iowa
44 of 50
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 5'11”, 200 lbs
Desmond King is the reigning Thorpe Award winner, an honor given to the nation's top defensive back. He earned this distinction by recording eight interceptions in 2015, which tied for second-most in the country, while breaking up another 13 passes.
His work in the secondary was where he had his greatest impact, but he also served as Iowa's punt and kick returner.
With King still in the fold for another season, the Hawkeyes should again be a Big Ten contender after winning its first 12 games en route to a division title in 2015.
6. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
45 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'2”, 225 lbs
J.T. Barrett will head into his third year as a starting quarterback at Ohio State, but it's the first in which he'll have this job from the outset. That means a full spring to prepare for the gig as well as no distractions of a competition.
The 2015 season saw Barrett split snaps with Cardale Jones before ultimately winning out down the stretch. The Buckeyes offense looked best when he was at the helm, and the dominant performance in January's Fiesta Bowl—in which Barrett had 307 yards of total offense—was a sign of things to come.
Ohio State is hoping Barrett can perform like he did as a redshirt freshman, when he set numerous school records before going down with a broken ankle in the regular-season finale.
5. Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
46 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'5”, 262 lbs
Myles Garrett led the SEC in sacks last season, a year after setting the league's freshman sack record. What might he have in store for his junior year?
If anything, expect Garrett to remain the focal point of a Texas A&M defense that made major improvements in 2015 under first-year coordinator John Chavis. Garrett had 12.5 sacks along with 19.5 tackles for loss while forcing five fumbles, intercepting a pass and blocking a punt against eventual national champion Alabama.
Garrett can apparently also do a spot-on impression of Beyonce, showing off some dance moves that explain why he's so hard to slow down when rushing off the edge.
4. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
47 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'1”, 230 lbs
The FBS leader in rushing yards per game, Leonard Fournette spent most of 2015 as an unstoppable force. He needed less than five games to get to the 1,000-yard mark, finishing with a school-record 1,953 yards with 22 touchdowns, topping 200 yards in a game four times and scoring at least twice in six different contests.
Fournette carried LSU offensively a year ago, and when teams were able to slow him, that turned the Tigers from a national title contender into a one-dimensional team. The lack of a capable quarterback held them back in 2015 and will again this fall—but not as much as it would for a team without such a capable runner.
Threats of LSU's season being scrapped because of budget issues in Louisiana haven't swayed Fournette's focus in what will likely be his final season. In February he tweeted that he "will never jump ship, I'm drowning with my brothers."
3. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
48 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'11”, 202 lbs
Dalvin Cook set Florida State's single-season rushing record in 2015, running for 1,691 yards with 19 touchdowns despite being hampered much of the year by a hamstring injury. That held him out of one game and limited him to two carries in another, yet he still led the ACC and was fifth nationally in yards per game.
He's the first Seminole with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since Warrick Dunn did it three years in a row in the 1990s, and with another 1,261 yards, he'll pass Dunn for the school's career rushing mark.
Cook also has 46 receptions in his career, making him a valuable outlet for whomever FSU will go with at quarterback this season.
2. Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
49 of 50
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'2”, 210 lbs
Deshaun Watson is coming off a one-of-a kind season, and based on early Heisman Trophy odds, he's in line for another historic performance as Clemson looks to build off its trip to the national title game.
The only player in FBS history with at least 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards, Watson averaged 347.3 yards per game of total offense while accounting for 47 touchdowns. He single-handedly kept the Tigers close to Alabama in the championship, tallying 478 of their 550 yards, with five 100-yard rushing performances in the last seven games.
"It's not crazy to suggest he could be even better as a junior next fall," Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan wrote.
Listed as the early favorite for the Heisman, per Odds Shark, Watson will be at the forefront of a stacked offense this fall. Despite plenty of weapons at his disposal, it will still be his performance that determines if Clemson can return to the playoffs.
1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
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Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'0”, 201 lbs
Never before has a player accounted for more all-purpose yards in one season than what Christian McCaffrey did in 2015. His 3,864 yards were nearly 20 percent more than the previous record, held by Barry Sanders since 1988. While McCaffrey had three extra games to tally that number, he also did it in a much more diverse manner.
The bulk of the work came as a rusher, with 2,019 yards, though he was also Stanford's top receiver with 45 catches for 645 yards. Additionally, he handled most of the Cardinal's punt and kickoff returns and had touchdowns in both manners. And if that wasn't enough, McCaffrey also threw two TD passes.
McCaffrey may end up with even more yardage in 2016 depending on how Stanford's passing game materializes. It will be breaking in a new quarterback, and he's the only returning player with more than 15 receptions, while backup rushers Remound Wright and Barry Sanders Jr. have both moved on.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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