15 Best Returning College Football Players You've Likely Never Heard Of
Top players from college football's power conferences are often showered with compliments, and rightfully so in many cases. The Group of Five boasts a solid collection of talent, however, and those stars are widely overlooked.
NFL-bound contributors Jay Ajayi and Jacoby Glenn might be recognized on the national landscape, but casual followers of the NCAA often don't know the small-school superstars. So that's where Bleacher Report comes in.
To qualify, a player must be returning for the 2015 season and have represented a school that competes in the American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West or Sun Belt conferences—as well as FBS independents—in 2014.
With that being said, we excluded all Notre Dame players because the program is a national brand.
While the list is organized alphabetically by school, notable factors used to determine inclusion are individual production, all-conference honors, national awards and expectations for 2015.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 16
Nate Holley, S, Kent State: Defensive backs aren't supposed to be the nation's No. 8 tackler, but Nate Holley doesn't care about the rules. The first-team All-MAC safety registered 137 stops, never notching fewer than nine in a game.
Andrew Ness, C, Northern Illinois: Familiarity on the O-line is often a critical component of an offense's success, and Andrew Ness has started 42 straight games for Northern Illinois. He's a first-team All-MAC center on a team that's earned a pair of conference titles during his tenure.
Elijah McGuire, RB, UL Lafayette: Considering he split carries with Alonzo Smith in the backfield, Elijah McGuire's Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year label is doubly impressive. McGuire tallied 1,264 yards and 14 touchdowns, catching 45 passes for 468 yards and two more scores.
Jovan Santos-Knox, LB, UMass: The 6'2", 240-pound linebacker amassed 143 total stops last season, recording eight 12-plus-tackle performances. Jovan Santos-Knox added six pass breakups and three forced fumbles, making the first team All-MAC.
Jarvion Franklin, RB, Western Michigan: It didn't take long for Jarvion Franklin to row the boat. He scampered for 1,551 yards and scored 24 touchdowns—the nation's fourth-best tally—en route to MAC Offensive Player and Freshman of the Year honors.
Fredi Knighten, QB, Arkansas State
2 of 16
You wouldn't mistake Fredi Knighten for an elite passer, but the dual-threat quarterback fits Arkansas State's offense perfectly.
As a junior, he completed 62.3 percent of his attempts for 3,277 yards and 24 touchdowns, tossing just seven interceptions. Knighten tacked on 779 rushing yards and 11 scores, leading the Red Wolves to their fourth straight bowl appearance.
His 4,056 total offensive yards rank second best in school history, and that proficiency helped Knighten earn first-team All-Sun Belt honors.
Kamalei Correa, DE, Boise State
3 of 16
"I came last year, and I really didn't do much for this team," Kamalei Correa said in mid-December, per Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman.
The defensive end certainly changed that during his second season at Boise State. Correa accumulated 12 sacks—one of only nine players in the nation to reach that mark—including two during the Fiesta Bowl victory against Arizona.
He finished the year with 19 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, one blocked kick and a first-team All-Mountain West distinction.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Rashard Higgins, WR, Colorado State
4 of 16
Rashard Higgins certainly isn't recognizable like former Alabama target Amari Cooper, but the receivers shared first-team All-American honors in 2014.
Colorado State's star collected 96 receptions, pacing the country with 1,750 yards and 17 touchdowns. Higgins topped the 100-yard barrier 10 times last season, hitting 98 in one other appearance.
The 6'2" wideout unsurprisingly destroyed the previous school record of 1,293 yards. After just two seasons, he already holds the Rams' career touchdown mark at 23.
Higgins grabbed a spot on the All-Mountain West first team and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented to the nation's top receiver.
Richard Leonard, DB, Florida International
5 of 16
Richard Leonard was ruled ineligible for the 2013 season but returned to Florida International last year and contributed in a variety of ways for the Panthers.
The junior cornerback logged five interceptions and returned the picks for 144 total yards, scoring a pair of touchdowns. He recorded 40 tackles, seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles. What's more, Leonard recovered four fumbles and turned them into 115 yards and one score.
Had he returned one more punt, his 23.8-yard average would have ranked first in the nation. The 5'9" speedster scored one touchdown on a punt and added 25.7 yards per kick return.
Leonard was recognized as a first-team All-Conference USA member.
Kevin Ellison, QB, Georgia Southern
6 of 16
Kevin Ellison was a key piece to Georgia Southern's upset bid over Florida in 2013, and he was a critical component of the Eagles' ascent from the Football Championship Subdivision into the bowl series in 2014. And oh, what a cog Ellison was.
The sophomore quarterback nearly led the first-year FBS program to a pair of victories against North Carolina State and Georgia Tech; Georgia Southern fell by a combined five points in those games.
However, Ellison helped the Eagles to a 9-1 record against all other opponents—including an 8-0 mark against conference foes—before an NCAA rule prohibited a bowl appearance.
The leader of GSU's triple-option offense registered 1,082 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, throwing for 1,001 yards and five scores. Ellison was a second-team All-Sun Belt honoree.
Austin Rehkow, P, Idaho
7 of 16
It's about time Austin Rehkow gets some attention, because this little-known specialist is the real deal.
In 2013, the Idaho punter led the nation with 47.83 yards per attempt, which was both a school and freshman NCAA record. Additionally, it was the best average by someone who launched at least 75 kicks in a season, according to his official profile.
Rehkow nearly matched that mark at 47.75 last year, but Alabama's JK Scott edged the sophomore by a mere 0.25 yards.
Nevertheless, Rehkow is a two-time third-team AP All-American and well-deserving of a place on this list.
Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech
8 of 16
After an explosive 27-touchdown freshman season, Kenneth Dixon faded into relative obscurity. That, however, doesn't mean he's no longer a remarkably talented player.
Dixon has rushed for 3,410 yards and 53 touchdowns—both of which are school records—during three seasons at Louisiana Tech, eclipsing the 100-yard plateau 17 times. The 5'10" running back has also caught 54 passes for 505 yards and eight scores.
He was first-team All-WAC as a freshman and followed that up with a pair of second-team All-Conference USA honors.
Devon Johnson, RB, Marshall
9 of 16
Marshall had an explosive offense, but the Thundering Herd sure exhibited balance. Devon Johnson switched from tight end to running back in fall camp and then provided a majority of the country's No. 8 ground attack.
He was sidelined for one game and toted the ball a combined seven times during two other injury-affected appearances, yet Johnson still amassed 1,767 yards—the No. 6 individual mark this season.
Additionally, his 8.58 yard-per-carry average was the third-best clip by a player with at least 100 attempts, and the 6'1", 243-pounder bullied his way to 17 touchdowns.
Johnson was chosen as a first-team All-Conference USA performer after his breakout season.
Keenan Reynolds, QB, Navy
10 of 16
If you've heard of Keenan Reynolds, that's not surprising. But for anyone who hasn't, it wouldn't be fair to leave the Naval Academy's starting quarterback off the list.
Though he's responsible for spearheading Navy's triple-option attack, Reynolds has been an efficient passer too. In 37 career games, the dual-threat quarterback has totaled 2,798 yards, 23 touchdowns and just seven interceptions through the air while running for 3,186 yards and 64 scores.
Reynolds has twice been tabbed the FBS Independent Offensive Player of the Year and first-team quarterback. If he can tally 14 rushing touchdowns as a senior, Reynolds would own the career record.
Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
11 of 16
Undersized at 5'9", 170 pounds, Donnel Pumphrey only received a few scholarship offers coming out of high school, per his 247Sports profile. As it turns out, he was vastly underrated.
Pumphrey was one of the most consistent running backs in the nation, tallying 100 yards in 10 of his 13 appearances and 85 or more in every game. He also scored at least one touchdown in 11 contests.
Overall, the San Diego State runner accumulated a program-record 1,873 yards and 20 touchdowns, which ranked fourth and ninth at the FBS level, respectively. Pumphrey was a first-team All-Mountain West selection.
Four starters return on the Aztecs offensive line, so Pumphrey should find plenty of, if not more, running lanes as a junior.
Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple
12 of 16
Death, taxes and Tyler Matakevich stopping everyone.
The 6'1", 235-linebacker surpassed the 100-tackle mark for the third consecutive campaign, racking up a stunning 88 of the solo variety. He chipped in 10.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
Matakevich grabbed first-team All-American Athletic honors once again, and he also rose to No. 55 on the career FBS tackle list with 355.
Another 100-stop output next year—and that's a conservative mark barring injury—would mean Matakevich finds himself as a top-10 tackler in college football history.
Jordan Howard, RB, Formerly UAB
13 of 16
The board of trustees at Alabama-Birmingham elected to disband the football program and essentially sent former Blazers into collegiate free agency. Running back Jordan Howard was the best of the bunch.
He's headed to Indiana and will immediately step in for NFL-bound Tevin Coleman, but Howard is still included since he played for UAB last season.
On a related note, you need to know this guy. The 6'1", 228-pound freight train powered his way to 1,587 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, improving on a solid 881-yard freshman campaign.
If the Hoosiers offensive line opens running lanes like it did for Coleman, the nation will know Howard's name in short order.
Nick Vigil, LB, Utah State
14 of 16
He's not 2013 Myles Jack or 2014 Shaq Thompson, but Nick Vigil was another decent two-way contributor who primarily played defense.
A sophomore at Utah State, Vigil notched 123 total stops, 17.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, five forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He was a first-team All-Mountain West linebacker, as was his brother Zach.
The younger Vigil didn't spend a copious amount of time in the backfield, but Nick recorded 41 carries for 152 yards and three touchdowns during five games of work.
Don't be surprised if the 6'2", 230-pound athlete logs a few more carries and garners a little more attention next season.
Brandon Doughty, QB, Western Kentucky
15 of 16
Brandon Doughty is easily the best under-the-radar quarterback in the nation.
Last season, the 6'3" gunslinger shredded opposing defenses for 4,830 yards, 49 touchdowns and a 69.7 completion percentage, which ranked first, first and sixth in the FBS, respectively. Doughty's final passing total shattered his own school record by a jaw-dropping 1,973 yards.
Rakeem Cato edged Doughty for first-team C-USA recognition, but a second-team honor doesn't diminish the Western Kentucky star's accomplishments. Doughty won the Sammy Baugh Award, a trophy given to college football's top passer.
Plus, since he suffered a pair of season-ending injuries in 2011 and 2012, the NCAA granted Doughty a sixth year of eligibility. Good luck stopping him.
Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
16 of 16
While Titus Davis was tearing it up at Central Michigan, his younger brother Corey Davis emerged as a star at rival Western Michigan.
The Broncos wideout tallied 1,408 yards—which ranked No. 2 in school history and No. 7 in the nation—and caught 15 touchdowns, the third most in the FBS.
What's more, he snagged 78 passes—51 resulted in a first down—and amassed 23 plays of 20-plus yards, the fifth-best clip from any non-quarterback.
One year after receiving second-team All-MAC honors, Davis was selected as a first-team receiver alongside his brother.
Note: Stats courtesy of CFBstats.com.
Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
