16 Best Rising Seniors for 2016 College Football Season
Most of the best college football players never end up becoming seniors, instead opting for the NFL draft and a chance to make it as a professional earlier than normal. That's the case with 107 players who declared for the draft rather than finish up their collegiate careers.
For those who choose to stick around, the senior year is their last time to shine. A great performance in that final season could be parlayed into a pro career, while it also provides the opportunity for them to go down in their schools' record books.
We've identified the 16 best seniors who will be on the rise as they come back for 2016, ones who are heading into their fourth or fifth year of college and looking to finish with a bang. They're listed alphabetically, rather than in a ranking.
Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
1 of 16
Alabama's leader in sacks (12) and tackles for loss (14.5) was ranked 23rd on Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller's 2016 big board, making his choice to return for his senior year quite shocking. Jonathan Allen decided the pros could wait for him to help the Crimson Tide defend their latest national championship.
"At the end of day, it’s a business decision, and I feel like I made a good one," Allen, who is majoring in financial planning and should graduate in December, told ESPN's Chris Low.
The 6'3", 283-pound Allen has been a steady riser throughout his career, going from a reserve in 2013 to one who recorded all but one of his sacks this past season against ranked opponents.
Jake Butt, TE, Michigan
2 of 16
Jake Butt's emergence in 2015 as a go-to offensive weapon brought out the immature teen in all of us, even Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. The only ones who weren't laughing were the players tasked with trying to defend the 6'6", 248-pound pass-catcher.
Butt had 51 receptions last season, two shy of the school record for a tight end, and his 654 receiving yards were 94 behind Devin Funchess' 748 yards in 2013. He'll be the Wolverines' top target next season with Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh graduating, which should make it possible for both records to fall.
An incredibly dependable target, Butt converted eight of his 11 third- or fourth-down receptions into first downs last year.
Pat Elflein, OL, Ohio State
3 of 16
Ohio State lost nine underclassmen to the NFL draft, including several redshirt sophomores who still had two seasons of eligibility remaining. The number would have been 10 had Pat Elflein not decided to come back for one more year, and by doing so, he prevents the Buckeyes from almost completely starting over up front.
Elflein's return gives OSU two-fifths of its offensive line back for 2016, along with guard Billy Price. The 6'3", 300-pound lineman started all 13 games last season at right guard, where he was moved to early in 2014, but for his senior year, he'll shift to center to provide quarterback J.T. Barrett with some stability in the middle of the line.
In Elflein's two seasons as a starter, the Buckeyes allowed only 47 sacks in 28 games, including just 19 last season. He also helped them average 255.5 rushing yards per game and 5.69 yards per carry in that span.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Devonte Fields, LB, Louisville
4 of 16
Based on how his college career began, Devonte Fields not only seemed destined for the NFL but likely should have been there already. Then life got in the way, detouring his original path for a few years before getting him back on track.
Fields was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2012, when he had 10 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss with TCU. The following season, he was the league's Preseason Player of the Year choice. However, an injury limited him to three games, prompting a redshirt, and then in 2014, he was booted from the program after being involved in an off-campus domestic dispute.
That sent Fields to Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, where he resurrected his career and caught the eye of several FBS schools. He ended up with Louisville last year, finishing with team highs in sacks (11) and tackles for loss (22.5) as the Cardinals ranked 18th in total defense.
The 6'4", 245-pound Fields began his career at defensive end but now is an even greater force playing on the second level.
Daeshon Hall, DT, Texas A&M
5 of 16
Myles Garrett gets most of the attention, but Texas A&M's defensive line has more than just one stud player. Daeshon Hall broke through in 2015 with a monster performance opposite of Garrett, registering career bests in sacks (seven), tackles for loss (14) and forced fumbles (two).
Hall's season got off to a bang when he had four sacks and two forced fumbles against Arizona State, one of four games with at least two tackles for loss. He had two TFLs in the Aggies' Music City Bowl loss to Louisville, finishing the year with 54 tackles.
At 6'6" and 260 pounds, Hall has the size to play both inside and out on the line, though his quickness is better suited for the edge.
"With the return of Hall and junior-to-be Myles Garrett, A&M could arguably have the best set of defensive ends in the SEC—if not the nation—in 2016," Fox Sports' Michael Wayne Bratton wrote.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo
6 of 16
If not for a pair of injuries and a suspension the past two seasons, Kareem Hunt probably would be preparing for the NFL Draft Combine and a shot at a pro career. Instead, he's going to get to take a run at Toledo's career rushing record during what he hopes will be a redemptive senior year.
Hunt ran for 1,631 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2014, doing so in just 10 games because of an ankle sprain that forced him out of three contests. He had at least 100 rushing yards in every game he played that season, setting the stage for what should have been a monster junior year. Then he was suspended for the first two games of 2015 for violating team rules before making his debut with 129 yards in a win over Iowa State.
Then another ankle injury sidelined him for two more games, and he ended up with 973 yards and 12 scores. The 6'0", 225-pound Hunt has 3,470 yards for his career, which is fourth-best in school history and 1,379 behind all-time leader Chester Taylor.
Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss
7 of 16
Chad Kelly and Ole Miss were a match made in heaven in 2015, a pair that needed each other equally in order to achieve their respective goals. For Kelly, the former Clemson quarterback needed somewhere to go to resurrect his career after multiple off-field incidents, and Ole Miss needed a skilled passer to make its offense live up to expectations.
Both got what they wanted last year, and Kelly's return for 2016 gives each a chance to do even better.
The nephew of former NFL star quarterback Jim Kelly, Chad Kelly was booted from Clemson in spring 2014 after clashing with his coaches. Following a standout performance at the junior college level, he signed with the Rebels in December 2014. Before coming to campus, however, he was arrested in Buffalo following an altercation outside a restaurant.
Once he got to Oxford, though, it's been all positives for the 6'2", 215-pound Kelly. He set school single-season records for passing yards (4,042), total offense (4,542) and total touchdowns (41) as Ole Miss reached 10 wins for the first time since 2003.
His return for 2016 should prevent Ole Miss from having too much of a backslide, despite losing three top juniors (including wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil) to the NFL draft.
Desmond King, CB, Iowa
8 of 16
Desmond King was the best defensive back in college football in 2015, the Thorpe Award winner who tied for second in FBS with eight interceptions along with 13 pass breakups and 72 tackles. He also shined as a kick and punt returner, an all-around star who was integral to Iowa's 12-0 run through the regular season and its first Rose Bowl appearance in 25 years.
A consensus All-American, the 5'11", 200-pound King opted not to turn pro after the Hawkeyes' season finished on a down note with losses to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game and then to Stanford. There was also the strong relationship King had developed with quarterback C.J. Beathard, who will also be a senior in 2016.
"He didn’t want to leave C.J. like that," King's mother, Yvette Powell, told the Daily Iowan. "I told him it’s time for you guys to lead your team and to see them on graduation day."
Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan
9 of 16
While Michigan's offense developed and improved as the 2015 season progressed, its defense was strong from wire to wire and finished fourth nationally in yards allowed and third best against the pass. The Wolverines can point to several players for this defensive effort, most notably Jourdan Lewis and his work in the secondary.
As a junior, the 5'10", 176-pound Lewis made the most of his first season as a full-time starter. He was credited with a school-record 20 pass breakups, third most in the country, while also intercepting two passes and returning one for a touchdown against Northwestern. That win was one of three straight shutouts for the Wolverines, who held opponents to just eight passing TDs and a 47.5 percent completion rate.
Lewis also took on kickoff-return responsibilities late in 2015, adding to his overall value. As one of only four starters returning on defense for 2016, his importance becomes even greater.
Gabe Marks, WR, Washington State
10 of 16
Only three other players had more receptions in 2015 than Gabe Marks, who benefited from Washington State's pass-happy offense to log 104 catches for 1,192 yards and 15 touchdowns. That gives him 227 for his career, tops in program history and tied for seventh most in the Pac-12.
But there's always room for improvement, which is why the 6'0", 190-pound Marks didn't use his breakout season as a springboard to the pros.
"After the heartbreaking loss to Stanford this season, I realized how close this program is to being a Pac-12 champion and I also remember the No. 1 goal I had when committing to WSU, and that was to get the Cougars back to a Rose Bowl," Marks said on Twitter, via Stephanie Loh of the Seattle Times.
By coming back, Marks gives quarterback Luke Falk his top target for one more year as the Cougars look to build off a 9-4 campaign.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
11 of 16
Baker Mayfield would normally be considered a redshirt junior heading into 2016 had his former school not decided to play hardball when he chose to transfer to Oklahoma. Despite being a walk-on, Mayfield's departure from Texas Tech was not signed off on and—per Big 12 Conference rules—he had to give up a year of eligibility in addition to sitting out a year.
That made Mayfield's breakout season with Oklahoma in 2015 his junior year but only the second in which he was eligible to play. Efforts to appeal or reverse this have failed, meaning the 6'1", 209-pound passer is heading into his final season of college.
So let's enjoy him while we can, especially if Mayfield is able to match what he did this past season in helping the Sooners reach the playoffs.
Mayfield accounted for 4,105 yards of total offense and 43 total touchdowns, completing 68.1 percent of his passes along the way. That helped him finish fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, and in 2016, he has the best odds (per Odds Shark) of any senior to win the award.
Skai Moore, LB, South Carolina
12 of 16
Very little about South Carolina's 2015 season went well, though Skai Moore still managed to carve out a pretty strong individual performance. His 111 tackles were fourth-most in the SEC, 50 percent better than any other Gamecocks player, and he had a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss.
Moore also had four interceptions, two of which came in the season-opening win over North Carolina that proved to be South Carolina's high point in 2015.
The 6'2", 218-pound Moore was one of his team's few bright spots last year. As a senior, he could be the key to a resurgence under defensive-minded head coach Will Muschamp.
Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
13 of 16
San Diego State's football program doesn't have a long and storied history, but it did produce one of the best running backs in NFL history in Marshall Faulk. And barring a major setback next season, Donnel Pumphrey will end his career by passing Faulk for the most rushing yards by an Aztec.
The 5'9", 180-pound rusher had 1,653 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, giving him 4,272 yards and 45 TDs for his career. Faulk had 4,589 yards and 57 TDs with SDSU from 1991 to '93. The Indianapolis Colts then took him second overall in the 1994 draft. Faulk finished 10th in NFL history with 12,279 yards.
It's far too early to project what Pumphrey might be able to accomplish in the pros but not to estimate his 2016 production with SDSU. He's topped 100 yards in 22 of 40 career games, going for at least 90 in each of the Aztecs' 10 straight wins to end last season.
Thomas Sperbeck, WR, Boise State
14 of 16
Thomas Sperbeck's career at Boise took a while to get going, but over the past 14 months, he's been one of the best receivers in the country. Expect that to continue in 2016, when he's on track for another monster performance as a senior.
The 6'0", 175-pound Sperbeck caught 88 passes last season, tying the school record, while his 1,412 receiving yards were 197 more than any other Bronco had amassed in one year. He had at least five catches in 10 straight games to end 2015, including a 20-catch, 281-yard performance in November against New Mexico.
Sperbeck had only five catches as a sophomore in 2013, jumping to 51 the following season but just 39 before busting out with 12 (for 199 yards) in Boise's Fiesta Bowl victory over Arizona.
Greg Ward Jr., QB, Houston
15 of 16
The pairing of coach Tom Herman's offensive mind and Greg Ward's skill set was a lethal combination for Houston in 2015, helping the Cougars win 13 games, including the Peach Bowl. Their second act might just lead to a playoff appearance and a Heisman run.
Houston is 11th in Bleacher Report's latest early 2016 rankings, and Bleacher Report's Greg Wallace noted that "Ward’s presence gives Houston a chance at greatness" in a season where it will face Oklahoma and Louisville in high-profile nonconference games. Ward had 3,936 yards of total offense and accounted for 38 touchdowns a year ago, including 21 rushing scores and 1,108 yards on the ground.
The 5'11", 185-pound Ward had seven games with at least two rushing TDs, including a pair in Houston's win over Florida State in the Peach Bowl that gave it three wins over power-conference teams.
Tim Williams, LB, Alabama
16 of 16
Alabama scored a huge offseason win when leading sack man Jonathan Allen opted to come back for his senior year, but had that not happened, the Crimson Tide were still going to be in good shape on defense. That's because their depth on that side of the ball was such that they might have had the nation's top pure pass-rusher on their third string.
Tim Williams had 10.5 sacks in 2015, second behind Allen on Alabama, despite sitting behind both Denzel Devall and Ryan Anderson on the depth chart at the "Jack" position. Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller raved about the 6'4", 230-pounder on Twitter earlier this month, noting that he may have been his top edge-rusher prospect had he decided to turn pro.
Instead, Williams will be a key member of the Alabama defense as it looks to match the effort of the national title group that led the nation with 52 sacks. And maybe he'll even be a starter.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
