College Football Recruits with the Best Chance to Start in 2016
Now that the dust has settled from another national signing day, it's time to take a look at the new blue-chip stars who can take over the top spots on their new depth charts from the opening kickoff of the fall.
Last season, college football saw several true freshmen take over as key starters, including UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, Florida State safety Derwin James and Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk.
Which of these talented 2016 signees appear to have the best chances at becoming the next teenage stars in college football?
Here are 12 recruits that have the talent to take over a starting job and a favorable depth-chart situation upon arrival at their new school. Some of them have already enrolled early and started putting in work for a chance at the No. 1 job in the 2016 season.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, and there are more potential instant-impact starters from yesterday's signing classes. Shout out some more from the class of 2016 in the comments below.
Arizona State WR N'Keal Harry
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WR Ranking: 7 | Overall Ranking: 52
Hometown: Chandler, Arizona (Chandler)
Size: 6'4", 210 pounds
N'Keal Harry, quite simply, is a big talent for an offense that has big holes to fill for the 2016 season. The 6'4" Arizona State signee has the size and the athleticism to be the next Jaelen Strong, who told Harry to "break every record" during his time in school.
Not only does Arizona State have to replace quarterback Mike Bercovici in 2016, it also has to replace three of its top four wide receivers from last season. Harry should immediately take over a spot high on the depth chart and establish chemistry with the new Sun Devil quarterback this fall.
This Under Armour All-American should be a matchup nightmare for anyone he lines up against at the college level. If he can be as strong with a football in his hands as much as he is with a basketball—he famously shattered a backboard last December—he'll be an instant star in Arizona State's pass-happy attack.
Arkansas RB Devwah Whaley
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RB Ranking: 3 | Overall Ranking: 96
Hometown: Beaumont, Texas (Beaumont Central)
Size: 6'0", 209 pounds
While he made more headlines for what was perceived as an attack on Florida, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema was able to celebrate national signing day with a strong incoming class of Razorbacks. One of the jewels of the haul is Devwah Whaley, a highly rated running back who fits in perfectly at Arkansas.
"I've recruited a lot of running backs, and he's as gifted as any I've recruited," Bielema said Wednesday, per Otis Kirk of 247Sports.
Whaley is a big body at 6'0" and 209 pounds who has both the power and the breakaway speed that the Razorbacks love to see out of their running backs. With Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams gone, Arkansas needed an instant-impact running back, and Whaley is one of the best around. He'll get plenty of touches from day one in Fayetteville.
Auburn WR Nate Craig-Myers
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WR Ranking: 6 | Overall Ranking: 43
Hometown: Tampa, Florida (Tampa Catholic)
Size: 6'2", 205 pounds
Auburn needed plenty of reinforcements after a disappointing 7-6 season, and it's no surprise Bleacher Report's Michael Felder called the Tigers' class the one with the most instant-impact recruits in 2016. Even though 5-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown was the top player in the class, 4-star wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers might have the better chance to start this fall.
While Brown joins a defensive line that has several returning playmakers, Craig-Myers is stepping into a situation where the top returning receiver only had 203 yards in 2015. Craig-Myers fits the mold of a Duke Williams or a Sammie Coates at Auburn—a big body with a great catch radius and a polished vertical game.
Auburn has been high on Craig-Myers for several years now, and the coaching staff was visibly ecstatic when the Tampa, native rejoined the Tigers' class on Wednesday. He's a game-changer with big goals for himself and a wide-open depth chart ahead of him on the Plains.
Baylor OL Patrick Hudson
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OG Ranking: 2 | Overall Ranking: 50
Hometown: Silsbee, Texas (Silsbee)
Size: 6'5 ½", 325 pounds
Baylor's offense should be as deadly as it usually is in 2016 with the return of quarterback Seth Russell, running back Shock Linwood and several playmakers out wide. However, the Bears have to rebuild nearly their entire offensive line with just one starter returning.
That's where Patrick Hudson steps into the picture for Baylor. One of the program's best-ever offensive line signings has the immense strength and the impressive athleticism to play both guard and tackle—and the Bears could use help in both areas for 2016. Baylor only returns center Kyle Fuller.
"He’s the highest ranked lineman in the state of Texas and a tremendous athlete," Baylor coach Art Briles said, per John Werner of the Waco Tribune. "The thing that really intrigued us about him besides his passion, his personality, and his mentality, is his overall physical strength."
Georgia QB Jacob Eason
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QB-PRO Ranking: 2 | Overall Ranking: 5
Hometown: Lake Stevens, Washington (Lake Stevens Senior)
Size: 6'5 ½", 208 pounds
Jacob Eason stuck to his commitment to Georgia even after the departure of Mark Richt, and the Washington native has a great chance at being rewarded with a starting job as a true freshman in the SEC.
Eason was offered by more than a dozen big-time programs during his recruitment, with several of them wanting a quarterback polished enough to log major minutes from the first snap of his career. Georgia struggled to move the ball consistently with Greyson Lambert in 2015, and Kirby Smart's new coaching staff might be best served by going with the freshman in 2016.
The new Bulldog quarterback also has the advantage of enrolling early in Athens, which will give him a head start on the competition much like Josh Rosen had last year for UCLA. With a strong arm and a quick release, he could be the missing piece for the Georgia offense this fall.
Houston DT Ed Oliver
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DT Ranking: 3 | Overall Ranking: 6
Hometown: Houston, Texas (Westfield)
Size: 6'2", 277 pounds
When a top-10 prospect commits anywhere, there's a good chance he could start in his true freshman season. When that top-10 prospect chooses a "Group of Five" school like Ed Oliver did with Houston, those chances increase exponentially.
Houston lost several top playmakers from its defense this offseason, but Oliver should be able to pick up the slack by providing a new type of weapon for the Cougar defensive line. As an unnamed college assistant told Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, Oliver is extremely explosive and is now going to face mostly average offensive linemen in AAC competition.
The Cougars have some returning experience on the defensive line, but there's no way they won't plug Oliver into the starting lineup. He's the type of defensive star who can take a program to bigger and better things during his college career.
Michigan DT Rashan Gary
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DT Ranking: 1 | Overall Ranking: 1
Hometown: Paramus, New Jersey (Paramus Catholic)
Size: 6'5", 293 pounds
The talent is obvious for Rashan Gary, who was crowned the consensus No. 1 overall prospect by the four major recruiting services. Now the ace recruit is headed to Michigan, where he'll have the opportunity to star for a tough Wolverine defense from his first season of college ball.
"He is two years ahead of almost any high school lineman in the country when it comes to college-level technique," Gary's trainer, Peter Kafaf, told Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue. "That technique builds off itself, so I expect him to be perfecting it during these next few seasons while other kids are just attempting to learn it."
Michigan lost two of its top four interior linemen to graduation this offseason, and Gary definitely has the college-ready skill set needed to step in and beat out all comers for a starting job. The perfect storm of talent and opportunity is brewing in Ann Arbor for the nation's No. 1 signee.
Michigan State WR Donnie Corley
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WR Ranking: 15 | Overall Ranking: 107
Hometown: Wyandotte, Michigan (Martin Luther King)
Size: 6'2 ½", 185 pounds
Michigan State needed impact wide receivers in this year's class after losing several to graduation, and the Spartans picked up four of them. Not only was Donnie Corley the highest-rated one—he is also on campus early and is leading the way for his new teammates in winter conditioning.
"Donnie Corley was leading the sprints," Michigan State assistant Curtis Blackwell told Mike Griffith of MLive.com earlier this week. "[He's] showing he's ready to make an impact."
Corley also has the talent to lead the way for a new-look Michigan State passing game in 2016, as the nearly 6'3" receiver had 1,403 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior. The U.S. Army All-American will get the chance to play both offense and defense, but the Spartans need him the most on the offensive side of the ball this fall.
Oklahoma LB Caleb Kelly
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OLB Ranking: 3 | Overall Ranking: 25
Hometown: Fresno, California (Clovis West)
Size: 6'3 ¼", 215 pounds
When Caleb Kelly signed with Oklahoma on Wednesday, he provided an instant shot in the arm to a defense that has to overcome the loss of several star linebackers—including Eric Striker and Devante Bond—in the 2016 season.
"I'm ready, maybe not physically all the way yet, but I'm definitely mentally ready and ready to get into the playbook and be ready to go so I can make an impact early," Kelly said, per Andrew Rich of the Oklahoman. "I never wanted to redshirt, so this is like a dream come true and a big reason why [the Sooners] were always in my top three."
Kelly has plenty of athleticism to fill in the gaps for Oklahoma in its pass rushing and run stopping. The depth chart situation looks open, too, with the loss of Striker and Bond, along with inside linebacker Dominique Alexander. The Fresno native has several areas he can step into for the defending Big 12 champions.
Ole Miss OT Greg Little
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OT Ranking: 1 | Overall Ranking: 3
Hometown: Allen, Texas (Allen)
Size: 6'5 ½", 305 pounds
Ole Miss' best recruiting class since the famed 2013 crew has its own version of former 5-star Laremy Tunsil in Greg Little, who was rated slightly higher than the future first-round NFL draft pick out of high school.
Little, the nation's No. 3 overall player, looks like the ideal candidate to replace Tunsil at left tackle for the Rebels' high-powered offense. Making the jump from high school standout to blindside protector in the SEC is tough, but Tunsil did it at Ole Miss—as well as Cam Robinson at Alabama, who quickly became one of the nation's best offensive linemen after being thrown into the fire early.
Physically dominant with a strong body of work as a pass-blocker, Little can either take over at left tackle for Tunsil or go over to right tackle in place of Fahn Cooper. Either way, the Rebels have an open competition at both of the bookends of their offensive line, and there's no better addition in 2016 than Little.
Texas S Brandon Jones
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S Ranking: 1 | Overall Ranking: 40
Hometown: Nacogdoches, Texas (Nacogdoches)
Size: 5'11 ½", 193 pounds
Brandon Jones was one of the biggest signing day pickups of Texas' extremely strong finish to the 2016 recruiting cycle, and he has the potential to make an instant impact in Charlie Strong's starting lineup like Malik Jefferson did in 2015.
The nation's No. 1 safety can provide more than just optimism on a February weekday for Texas and its fanbase. He has jaw-dropping speed that makes him the ideal ball hawk for a Texas defense that finished just 74th nationally last season in passing yards allowed per game.
Texas will return both Jason Hall and Dylan Haines as starters, but Jones can be the new boost that the Longhorns are looking for in the secondary. His athleticism and cover skills set him apart from the other safeties in his class, and this Texas coaching staff is definitely not afraid of starting a highly touted true freshman in its defense from day one.
UCLA LB Mique Juarez
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OLB Ranking: 1 | Overall Ranking: 11
Hometown: Torrance, California (North)
Size: 6'1 ½", 231 pounds
Mique Juarez is coming into the right place at the right time for UCLA, which lost do-it-all linebacker Myles Jack to the NFL and struggled against opposing rushing attacks in 2015. Juarez has the versatility of someone like Jack and the run-stopping nature to make a major impact in year one for the Bruins.
"The Bruins definitely could use some help alongside Deon Hollins and they can definitely use someone who can move down the line and stop the run," Joe Piechowski of Bruins Nation wrote. "Considering how bad UCLA's run defense was last season, that's the area where Juarez can make the biggest impact right away for UCLA."
The Bruins have had several early-impact linebackers under Jim Mora who have gone onto become some of the brightest defensive stars in the Pac-12. The nation's No. 1 outside linebacker fits that bill perfectly in what was a stacked class of 2016.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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