10 Underrated Players to Watch in 2015 College Football Spring Games
Forget about the stars in college football for a moment. Yeah, it's difficult, but following all the key players is too easy.
Which players around the sport aren't standing out as much but deserve to? Sometimes, spring phenomenons show up from the most unlikely places. From team leaders who are overshadowed nationally to fast risers, underrated spring stars have the chance to make a name for themselves before the season gets underway.
Which players are flying under the radar this spring but deserve more attention? Taking into account last year's numbers and projected role in 2015, we give 10 in the following slides.
TCU Running Back Aaron Green
1 of 10
There are probably a half-dozen players on TCU's starting 22 who could be considered underrated. Half of those are wide receivers. But let's take a moment to admire Horned Frogs running back Aaron Green.
It's been a long road for Green, a former 4-star recruit who began his career at Nebraska but never quite took off. Even his first full year at TCU in 2013 was underwhelming (232 yards, zero touchdowns).
2014 looked like it was going to be more of the same until November rolled around. In a 31-30 win over West Virginia, Green had 11 carries for 63 yards; he hadn't carried the ball more than six times in a game last season prior to that.
Things only got better. Green finished with at least 100 yards in three of his final five games and scored six touchdowns in that span. His 922 yards on the season were fourth in the Big 12. ESPN.com's Big 12 bloggers have been giving Green a lot of spring publicity, and there's a feeling 2015 will be Green's breakout year.
Penn State Wide Receiver DaeSean Hamilton
2 of 10
The Big Ten's leading pass-catcher in 2014? It was actually Penn State freshman DaeSean Hamilton with 82 receptions, which broke down to 6.3 catches per game.
Of course, there's still room for Hamilton to grow. In addition to still learning the position, Hamilton recorded just two touchdown grabs last year.
Along those lines, Penn State's offense was a mess, ranking last in the conference with 20.6 points per game. Protection was a major issue for quarterback Christian Hackenberg, which played a huge role in his development (or lack thereof) and the Nittany Lions' ability to move the ball.
If Penn State's offense can finally click, 2015 will be a huge year for Hamilton. He's already established himself as one of the Big Ten's best receivers, and he'll only be a sophomore.
Georgia Tech Quarterback Justin Thomas
3 of 10
There are a pair of freshman quarterbacks in the ACC who should be the face of the conference for the next two or three years: Miami's Brad Kaaya and Clemson's Deshaun Watson. If you want to find the most underrated quarterback in the ACC, though, take a look at Justin Thomas at Georgia Tech.
Since Thomas operates the Yellow Jackets' option attack, he's not your traditional dropback passer. However, he's an efficient enough passer and operates that offense like a well-oiled machine.
What makes Thomas an intriguing guy to watch this spring is that he's now the unquestioned leader of the offense. Gone are the team's top four leading rushers (besides Thomas) and top two pass-catchers. Basically, the entire offensive skill group is going to look brand-new. How does Thomas look as he works with new faces around him?
Other than Ohio State, perhaps no team was playing better football at the end of last season than Tech. The Yellow Jackets are an interesting dark-horse ACC title contender for 2015.
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Oklahoma State Quarterback Mason Rudolph
4 of 10
For the first time since 2011, Oklahoma State may actually have a steady quarterback. Sophomore Mason Rudolph started the last three games of 2014 and enters this spring as the clear front-runner to start next season.
"Mason is our starting quarterback," head coach Mike Gundy said to The Associated Press in January (via ESPN). That's a big deal, as Gundy has been tight-lipped about such things in recent years. Yes, backup J.W. Walsh will get some package-play snaps. Technically, that could mean there's still a split at quarterback, but it looks like Rudolph is the direction the Cowboys want to go.
TCU's Trevone Boykin is the clear No. 1 quarterback in the Big 12, but the picture gets muddy behind him. Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech among others all have a guy who could potentially have a breakout year.
Add Oklahoma State to that list. Rudolph is a big kid at 6'4" and 217 pounds, and he can sling it around. He doesn't have a ton of playing experience, but the ceiling seems high for him.
UCLA Cornerback Ishmael Adams
5 of 10
Last year, Oregon corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was the household name for defensive backs in the Pac-12. In 2015, I expect that title to go to UCLA corner Ishmael Adams.
Adams notably had two pick-sixes a year ago, but he's a far more complete defensive back than that. He also ranked in the top 10 on the team in tackles.
The knock on Adams is his size. He's listed at just 5'8" and 190 pounds, but he plays a lot bigger (and tougher) than that. It's evident Adam plays with a chip on his shoulder and wants to win every play. With so many great quarterbacks and receivers in the Pac-12, Adams is key playmaker for the Bruins.
He's already a highly regarded player, but the spotlight hits him full on next season.
Texas A&M Safety Armani Watts
6 of 10
Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is going to get all the hype. In fact, he already has. When you break Jadeveon Clowney's SEC freshman sack record, that's going to happen. However, there was another impact freshman for the Aggies last season: safety Armani Watts.
A&M intercepted only five passes last year, but Watts collected three of them. He made seven starts and played in every single game. Watts also played alongside safety Howard Matthews, who led the team with 82 tackles. But with Matthews gone, Watts emerges as the new leader in the secondary.
Watts had good moments and bad moments, just what you'd expect from any true freshman thrust into playing time. As the Aggies look to shore up on defense, keep an eye on the sophomore. With new defensive coordinator John Chavis on board, Watts seems primed for a huge leap in 2015.
Pitt Quarterback Chad Voytik
7 of 10
I don't know if Pittsburgh quarterback Chad Voytik will ever be considered a top-tier signal-caller. It's nothing against him as a player; I'm not sure the Panthers offense will allow it.
When you have running back James Conner, why would you ever throw it? But that doesn't mean Voytik can't play. Last year, he had a passer rating of 140.19, just five points behind Jameis Winston at Florida State.
Put simply, Voytik is an efficient passer. As David M. Hale of ESPN.com noted, Voytik improved dramatically as the year went on.
Consider the fact that Voytik attempted just 22 passes a game. The only full-time starting quarterbacks in the ACC with fewer attempts per game were Justin Thomas at Georgia Tech and Tyler Murphy of Boston College. Both are far more accomplished runners with offenses that cater to that.
The one thing you'd like to see out of Voytik and Pitt in general is a more balanced passing attack. Tyler Boyd is one of the best receivers in the country and accounted for about 50 percent of the total passing yards. That requires other players to step up, but Voytik can get it to anyone.
Ohio State Linebacker Darron Lee
8 of 10
I don't know if I can accurately express how excited I am to watch Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee going forward. This kid is going to be star, and perhaps in some respect he is one already. In January, B/R colleague Ben Axelrod called Lee college football's best-kept secret.
Defensive end Joey Bosa is going to get most of the attention—and it's well-earned—but Lee is showing why he's the face of the middle of the defense. The redshirt freshman stood out last spring and came on strong in Ohio State's national championship run. In the final four games of the year, Lee recorded at least seven tackles a game.
Lee doesn't lack confidence and takes on the underdog role well. As the Buckeyes wrap up spring, watch out for Lee. As all eyes are focused on Bosa and the quarterback situation, Lee is going to be tackling monster.
Alabama Defensive End Jonathan Allen
9 of 10
When you think about the top defensive ends in the SEC, you might think about Myles Garrett at Texas A&M or even Derek Barnett at Tennessee. Not too far behind, however, is Jonathan Allen of Alabama.
As a sophomore, Allen finished the year with five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and seven quarterback hurries. His numbers should only get better in 2015.
The important thing for Alabama is that the defensive front seven returns mostly intact. With so much turnover on offense, 2015 could be a year when the defense once again has to rise to the occasion a few times. As Marq Burnett of the Montgomery Advertiser points out, the defensive front should the Tide's strength this season.
Allen is a key player on a key part of Alabama's team. There are losses in the defensive secondary, so line play is important. He won't have the name recognition that Garrett has, but Allen is crucial to Alabama's defensive success.
Colorado Wide Receiver Nelson Spruce
10 of 10
Here's the thing about Colorado wide receiver Nelson Spruce: Buffs fans know what he can do. Even fans from other Pac-12 schools know about him. But Spruce doesn't get a ton of national recognition despite the fact that he caught 106 passes a year ago, tied for best in the Pac-12.
There are a couple of reasons for that. First, Colorado continues to be a conference basement dweller. It's tough to become a household name when your team is losing a lot. Secondly, the Pac-12 South was loaded with top-end receiver talent. Nelson Agholor of USC and Jaelen Strong of Arizona State were two huge names.
Shoot, Spruce wasn't even the biggest name in the state of Colorado. That was Colorado State receiver Rashard Higgins.
Should Spruce get a bigger share of the spotlight in 2015? He's earned it.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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