Projecting 2015 MVPs for Power 5 College Football Conferences

Here's the good news for college football fans in 2015: There are a ton—and we mean a ton—of amazing players who are returning. For every Jameis Winston who's gone, there's a Joey Bosa who's coming back. Bosa, along with several other well-known names, is an early favorite to be his conference's most valuable player. 

In many instances, the projected offensive and defensive MVPs among the Power Five conferences are returning players. That tells you just how strong the top of the game is this season. 

Players were chosen based on performances from previous seasons, stats included, as well as elements and circumstances for the upcoming season. 

ACC

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Offensive MVP: Clemson QB Deshaun Watson

Watson was a breakout star for Clemson in 2014, that's for sure. In eight games, he threw for nearly 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He also accounted for another five rushing touchdowns. But he also missed five games because of various injuries, one of which was a season-ending ACL injury. If there's one thing causing hesitation with this pick, it's Watson's health. 

Still, his upside, coupled with the skill players the Tigers are returning, is enough to give him the nod. Clemson's offense didn't run the same without Watson last season. As Joe Giglio of the News & Observer opined, Clemson can afford to lose offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who took the head coaching job at SMU, but losing Watson to another injury would be a different story. That, to many, would indicate Watson is the ACC's MVP by itself. 

Defensive MVP: Virginia Tech CB Kendall Fuller 

There are a lot of great candidates here. Jalen Ramsey at Florida State is one of the more versatile defenders and Virginia safety Quin Blanding is an up-and-coming star. You could even make a case that Virginia Tech defensive ends Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem could split the award. But let's stick with the Hokies for this selection and go with cornerback Kendall Fuller. 

Choosing a corner can be risky since he's not going to lead a team in tackles and may not even lead the team in interceptions. To the contrary, a sign of a great corner is if his stats are on the nonexistent side, as it means no one's throwing to that side of the field. That said, Fuller did lead the ACC with 15 passes broken up last season, with a couple of interceptions to boot.

Fuller can make a huge impression if he plays well in the season-opening game against Ohio State. There are some excellent wide receivers in the ACC, too: Artavis Scott, Tyler Boyd and Travis Rudolph, among others. If Fuller is able to limit their production, he'll get serious consideration.

Big 12

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Offensive MVP: TCU QB Trevone Boykin

Boykin is the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and first-team selection at quarterback, as determined by the conference's head coaches. While POY awards in the Big 12 have been quarterback-friendly—they've won 15 times in 19 seasons—there hasn't been a repeat winner since Oklahoma quarterback Jason White in 2003 and '04. Can Boykin reverse that trend?

All he did as a junior was lead the Big 12 in total offense (354.5 yards per game) and account for 42 total touchdowns. Even though that was his third year as a starting quarterback, it was really his first full-time job. It was also the first year under co-offensive coordinators Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham. The point being, there's room for Boykin to be even better. With practically the entire offense returning, there's no reason the Frogs shouldn't have one of the best groups in the country. 

Defensive MVP: Baylor DT Andrew Billings

Bears defensive end Shawn Oakman is likely going to be an early favorite for this award. After all, he's a big name who plays a position ripe for picking up stats—not to mention he's a freak of an athlete. But let's move our attention one spot over to the interior of Baylor's defensive line, which—mind you—is shaping up to be the Big 12's best. That's where you'll find Billings. 

At 6'2" and 300 pounds, Billings is also an incredible athlete who can break through the line and make plays down the field beyond the line of scrimmage. Though he only had two sacks last year, he led the team with nine quarterback hurries and finished with 11.5 tackles for loss. Oakman's great—no doubt about it. There may not be a better pure pass-rusher in the Big 12. However, Oakman might occupy a lot of attention this year. Focus on the interior of the line, and you'll see Billings causing all kinds of problems on every snap. 

Big Ten

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Offensive MVP: Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott

The Big Ten was a conference of running backs in 2014. Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah and David Cobb highlighted one of the best groups of running backs anywhere in college football. Lost in that mix was Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott. However, as Ohio State made its miraculous run toward the national championship, Elliott's profile rose. 

Elliott finished the year with 1,878 yards rushing, but he recorded more than a third of those yards in the three postseason games. There likely isn't a returning running back—not even Nick Chubb at Georgia—who has more momentum coming into 2015 than Elliott. At the moment, Elliott is the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman, according to recent numbers released from Bovada (h/t Odds Shark). 

The junior back won't be in the shadows of other running backs again this season. What will be interesting to watch, though, is if Elliott is battling Ohio State's starting quarterback for MVP status. Certainly, Elliott is the safer pick since no one knows yet who the Buckeyes' starting quarterback will be. 

Defensive MVP: Ohio State DE Joey Bosa

The defending Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year could very well win the award for a second year in a row. Bosa was an unstoppable force in 2014, leading the conference in sacks and tackles for loss. His blend of pure power and quickness makes him one of the most complete players at his position in the country. Already, Bosa is considered one of the top players for next year's NFL draft by people like B/R's Matt Miller. 

Undoubtedly, opponents will be keying in on Bosa. The number of times he's double-teamed and the amount of plays run to the opposite side of him will be interesting to watch. He'll get his numbers, barring injury, but that kind of impact away from the stat sheet is another reason why Bosa is a good choice here.  

Pac-12

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Offensive MVP: USC QB Cody Kessler 

We're approaching broken-record status with Kessler, but he remains an early favorite to be the Pac-12's best offensive player. His numbers from a year ago stand on their own: 3,826 yards passing, 39 touchdowns and just five interceptions. However, he took back-burner status because Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was having a year for the ages. 

With Mariota gone, the assumption is that Kessler will simply step up into the spotlight. It's not that simple, though; Kessler deserves more credit than being identified as an understudy of sorts. He's incredibly efficient and a sound decision-maker. As a veteran starter, he's seen and been through it all. But he'll also be on a team with lots of weapons in a conference that favors offense. With several high-profile games on the schedule, Kessler will have the opportunity to impress on the biggest stage several times. 

Defensive MVP: UCLA LB Myles Jack

UCLA linebacker Myles Jack will be in for a huge year. He's a versatile defender previously known for splitting time between linebacker and running back in 2013. Last year, however, he was all over the field on defense. As Kevin Gemmell of ESPN.com wrote in April, Jack's statistics didn't tell the whole story: 

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He was a safety against Stanford last year because the Bruins needed him to be. He was a cornerback against USC last year because the Bruins needed him to be. He lines up where the coaches tell him and he performs -- more often than not, extremely well.

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Now at middle linebacker, Jack should be a tackling machine that can go sideline-to-sideline with any player in the country. 

"You put him in the middle, and he’s going to make plays all over the field," head coach Jimi Mora told Gemmell. "Of all the athletes I’ve ever been fortunate enough to be around—just pure athleticism—there’s Michael Vick and Julius Peppers. Two different body types, but amazing athleticism. Myles is at their level as an athlete."

SEC

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Vanderbilt offensive linesman Andrew Bridges, right, grabs onto Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett (9) who grabs onto Vanderbilt quarterback Patton Robinette (4) in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014, in Nashvill

Offensive MVP: Georgia RB Nick Chubb

It's tough to pick against Chubb more than anything else. As tempting as quarterbacks Joshua Dobbs (Tennessee) and Jeremy Johnson (Auburn) were, Chubb just seems like the natural pick. As a freshman filling in for Todd Gurley, Chubb rushed for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns. Everything sets up well for Chubb in 2015—he'll be the primary back behind an experienced offensive line in an offense that will be (or should be, at least) run-oriented. 

Will defenses load up to stop the run? Absolutely. The Bulldogs are unproven at quarterback, but Chubb has a great blend of power, speed and open-field vision. For someone who's only going to be a sophomore, he's a rare running back in that regard. 

"[Chubb is] very football smart, and very bright," offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said, per Jake Rowe of 247Sports. "The work ethic he displays on the field, just the way he practices, I've been around few guys who have worked like that. He's very mature beyond his years in what it takes to be an elite player."

Defensive MVP: Tennessee DE Derek Barnett

The last two SEC Defensive Player of the Year recipients have been defensive ends (Michael Sam and Shane Ray from Missouri). Tennessee's Derek Barnett would make it three in a row. Picking Barnett over fellow edge-rusher Myles Garrett from Texas A&M was tough. Garrett, after all, had 1.5 more sacks than Barnett; however, Barnett still had a phenomenal season and played well-rounded against conference competition, as Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com noted: 

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If anything, he performed best when the moment called for it. Of his ridiculous 20.5 tackles for loss, 18 came in conference play. Twice he had three sacks in a game: at Ole Miss and at South Carolina. And did we mention he did that as a true freshman without the benefit of early enrollment? 

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With a full year under his belt, Barnett should be even better in 2015. That's a scary thought. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.