Pac-12 Football: 10 Players Who Should Be Getting More National Acclaim
Heading into the Pac-12 season, a number of players have received plenty of national acclaim, and for the most part, they've backed it up.
Marcus Mariota, Brett Hundley, Nelson Agholor and Jaelen Strong are just a few of the names folks around the country are well aware of.
But who should be getting more attention? Who's been dominating week in and week out while still failing to turn heads east of the Mississippi?
We're taking a look at 10 Pac-12 players who are flying a bit under the radar despite producing in a way that would add value to any team in the country.
If one of your favorite players is left off, it's probably because he's vaulted himself into the national discussion, like Washington State's Connor Halliday, who's no longer a West Coast secret.
Here are 10 more who ought to be joining him soon.
All stats via CFBStats.com.
RB Devontae Booker, Utah
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Aside from finding some stability at the quarterback position, maintaining an effective ground game was something Utah had to focus on heading into 2014.
Running back Devontae Booker has helped accomplish that goal and then some, having already rushed for 513 yards in the Utes' first five games.
Having mobile quarterbacks like Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson is an advantage, but opponents don't feel the full effect without an elite running back to watch out for. Booker might not have that title just yet, but it's clear that Kyle Whittingham has found his guy at the position.
Booker has four touchdowns to go along with eight catches for another 81 yards. He's overshadowed a bit by players like D.J. Foster, Javorius Allen and Nick Wilson, but don't be surprised to see Booker making his case for inclusion on the All-Pac-12 team when the season is over.
DB Damarious Randall, Arizona State
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Senior safety Damarious Randall was one of the few elite players on the Sun Devils defense in 2013 who still resides in Tempe. If it weren't for him, we'd be talking about one of the worst defenses in the country, but Randall's efforts have played a huge role in the team's 4-1 start.
Despite seeing his defense give up more than 31 points per game, coach Todd Graham has a safety in Randall who leads the team in both tackles (51) and tackles for loss (5).
Of those 51 tackles, all but four were solo, which means despite the team's reputation for poor tackling, Randall knows how to bring down ball-carriers in the open field without help.
If Arizona State wants to contend in the Pac-12 South, it'll have to improve on defense and hope to get quarterback Taylor Kelly back looking strong and ready to go. But despite serious inexperience, Randall has given the defense a major boost and helped the Sun Devils stay in the hunt.
DE Obum Gwacham, Oregon State
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Oregon State defensive end Obum Gwacham is just the latest in a string of Pac-12 players to start their careers on offense only to switch to the other side of the ball and see more success right away.
The trailblazers were Oregon's Dion Jordan and UCLA's Anthony Barr, but Gwacham made the switch much later in his career.
Already a senior, Gwacham filled a position of need for the Beavers with Scott Crichton out of the picture, and he's answered the bell with four sacks and five tackles for loss.
As a freshman in 2011, Gwacham caught eight passes for 147 yards, but his numbers dwindled as a sophomore and even more so as a junior, catching just one pass in 13 games.
Having a lanky, 6'5" defensive end to knock down passes is invaluable, but with a receiver's athleticism, Gwacham has more than a couple tricks up his sleeve for eluding offensive tackles. Expect his production to continue to soar as the year goes on, making him an intriguing prospect for the next level.
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WR Cayleb Jones, Arizona
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With receivers such as Samajie Grant, Nate Phillips and Austin Hill set to highlight Arizona's passing attack, the rest of the Pac-12 knew that defending the Wildcats would be tough.
What they probably didn't count on was Texas transfer Cayleb Jones having the biggest impact out of everyone.
After sitting out the 2013 campaign, Jones began the 2014 season with a bang, catching three passes against UNLV before hauling in four against UTSA which went for 143 yards and a score.
Against Nevada, he kept improving the mark with nine grabs and two touchdowns. In a thrilling 49-45 victory over Cal, Jones had 13 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
For the season, the 6'3" sophomore has 525 yards receiving and six scores, providing Rich Rodriguez's offense with yet another dangerous threat in the passing game.
Hill's name still carries clout from his magnificent 2012 season, but Jones has been the best player on offense not named Anu Solomon, and he's a big reason for the team's 5-0 start.
LB Peter Kalambayi, Stanford
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For anyone who thought Stanford's defense might take a step back with the departure of players like Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy, think again.
Not only are the Cardinal allowing fewer than 10 points per contest, veterans like Henry Anderson and A.J. Tarpley have assumed leadership roles. Then there's the next big star: outside linebacker Peter Kalambayi.
If it's a name you haven't heard of and you make a note to keep an eye out for him on Friday night when Stanford takes on Washington State, you won't have to look very hard.
Kalambayi leads the team in both tackles for loss and sacks. When he makes a play behind the line of scrimmage, he makes it count, as his four sacks have pushed offenses back a total of 45 yards.
The scariest part for the rest of the league? The 6'3", 245-pound Kalambayi is just a sophomore despite his NFL build. He may not be on everyone's radar at the moment, but it won't be long before we're looking at one of the Pac-12's premier defensive standouts.
LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA
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Benardrick McKinney, Denzel Perryman, A.J. Johnson and, heck, even Myles Jack are just some of the linebackers most fans can rattle off before the next player on our list, UCLA's Eric Kendricks.
The 230-pound senior is tied with Arizona's Scooby Wright for the most tackles in the conference with 58, and he's one of those guys who just seems to be in on every single play.
If you like defense, just watch Kendricks in any situation. Even if he doesn't end up by the tackle, he rarely makes a bad decision.
The experience combined with strong tackling skills will make him a valuable commodity for whichever NFL team picks him up in the 2015 draft. For now, he'll continue to be overshadowed by others on talk shows, despite being thought of as one of the top prospects at his position.
On the field, however, he stacks up against anyone, and he should be in the running for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
QB Jared Goff, Cal
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The Pac-12 has the best group of quarterbacks in the country, and there's not much dispute about it. From Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley, to Connor Halliday, Sean Mannion and Taylor Kelly, we could see as many as five or six current starters playing in the NFL someday.
Flying under the radar along with his entire team is quarterback Jared Goff, a sophomore gunslinger who piled up nearly 3,500 yards through the air as a freshman.
He's set to pass that mark in 2014 with nearly 1,900 yards through five games, but the most impressive part is his 22-to-3 touchdown-to-interception mark.
That's already four more scoring passes than he had in 2013, and the results are showing as the Bears are off to an impressive 4-1 start with the only loss coming on a Hail Mary at Arizona.
The group of signal-callers mentioned in the first paragraph deserve all the attention they get, but it's not a complete list without Goff, who may end up as good, if not better, than all of them when his career is over.
WR River Cracraft, Washington State
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By now you're probably aware of the incredible exploits of Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday. The dude has already thrown for 3,000 yards, so it stands to reason that he also has some pretty talented receivers.
The name you know is Vince Mayle—a big, physical wideout who's a lock to be playing on Sundays in the near future.
The name you'll know soon enough—if you don't already—is River Cracraft, a sophomore with 576 yards receiving and eight scores on the year. In the wild 60-59 loss to Cal on Saturday, Cracraft had 11 grabs for 172 yards and three scores.
Not only does he fit Mike Leach's system perfectly, but he still has a couple more seasons to hone his skills. With the ability to make acrobatic grabs already in his tool belt, Cracraft will be a nightmare for secondaries throughout the rest of his career.
Even now, he's a really bad dream that haunts opposing defensive coordinators the week before they face the Cougars.
DT Danny Shelton, Washington
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Defenses don't get mentioned very often in the Pac-12 unless you're referring to Stanford, and Washington's fallen out of the conversation after giving up 52 points to Eastern Washington.
But quietly, the Huskies are allowing just over 17 points per game for their other four contests, thanks in large part to big Danny Shelton at tackle.
The 6'2", 340-pound senior not only leads the team in tackles with 47, he's already notched 10 tackles for loss to go along with seven sacks. Those are the kind of numbers most defensive linemen would be happy with for an entire season, let alone just five games.
Due to a lack of defense throughout the conference and other interior linemen making headlines elsewhere, Shelton's name isn't well-known around the country, but it should be. He's having just as much of an impact as any defensive player in the Pac-12 at present.
WR Nelson Spruce, Colorado
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Don't look now, but for all the national love players like Nelson Agholor, Jaelen Strong and Ty Montgomery get on a weekly basis, it could be that Colorado's Nelson Spruce makes a case for the best overall receiver in the Pac-12.
Spruce may not wind up having more success in the NFL than the aforementioned trio, but his numbers thus far for the 2014 season are staggering.
He's already piled up 732 yards receiving to go along with 10 touchdowns. He has just one game with fewer than 95 yards, and he even has a 19-grab, 179-yard performance to his name.
The attribute that really stands out watching the 6'1", 200-pound junior is great hands. Through just six games, he's already surpassed his numbers from 2013, and as quarterback Sefo Liufau continues to develop, Spruce will continue to benefit.
As someone who's a lock to make the all-conference team, Spruce deserves more national eyeballs.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
