10 Underrated Players to Watch in 2016 College Football Spring Games
Spring time is when everything starts to bloom again—and that includes college football's next crop of star players.
More specifically, spring games are when these high-rising names get to showcase their offseason development and overwhelming promise for the upcoming season in front of teammates, coaches, fans and media members alike. A huge performance in the year's biggest scrimmage could spark a breakout campaign in the fall.
The established stars for the upcoming college football season are obvious, from Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson to Michigan defensive star Jabrill Peppers to the massive amount of star power at the running back position all across the country. But let's forget about those names for a moment.
Here are 10 underrated players to keep an eye on in the college football spring games that will dominate several weekends next month. Some are already starters who flew under the radar last season, while others are young role players poised to break out into top spots for championship contenders in 2016.
Of course, this is by no means a comprehensive list of underrated players to watch this spring. Tell us some future stars who you'll be focusing on over the next few weeks in the comments below.
Alabama LB Tim Williams
1 of 10
Last season, Tim Williams broke out as a pass-rushing specialist for eventual national champion Alabama. After only recording 2.5 tackles for loss in his first two seasons with the program, Williams was second only to Jonathan Allen for the Crimson Tide with 12.5 tackles for loss—10.5 of them being sacks.
Now the Crimson Tide will be looking for Williams to step up and become an every-down player in 2016. With Denzel Devall now gone, the strong-side linebacker job is wide-open, and Williams should get the first crack at it this spring.
"Very sharp kid that’s picked it up as we've gone along," former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said, per Bleacher Report's Christopher Walsh. "A lot of our calls and stuff are conducive for him to go fast, come off the edge, create havoc."
Williams' skills in the pass rush are already well established. But in Alabama's spring game, he needs to prove he can be just as effective as a run-stopper against the Tide's new-look rushing attack.
If Williams can develop into the latest all-around linebacking star at Alabama, he'll be a name to watch on awards lists and draft boards all season long.
Baylor WR Ishmael Zamora
2 of 10
Corey Coleman is no longer leading the way for the Baylor receiving corps, and it'll probably take more than one player to replace his production. The Bears need wideouts other than No. 2 target KD Cannon to step their games up this offseason in order to keep the wide-open passing attack humming.
Baylor has plenty of faces, experienced and brand new, who could thrive in its plug-and-play offense this year. But keep an eye out for Ishmael Zamora, who has all the physical gifts to dominate for Baylor in 2016.
Zamora only had nine catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns in 2015, with his two scores coming against lowly Rice and Kansas. At 6'4" and 220 pounds, he's a potential matchup nightmare for any defense—and those aren't the only numbers that stand out for him.
"Ishmael Zamora was touted as a physical beast coming out of high school, but it was well known it would take him some time to learn the position," Shehan Jeyarajah of the Dallas Morning News wrote. "The hulking Zamora has been clocked at 4.47 in the 40-yard dash to go along with a 39-inch vertical jump and 11-foot, 0.5-inch broad jump."
Zamora could step right into the big-target role Jay Lee excelled at in the last couple of seasons for Baylor's offense. With another set of spring practices under his belt, Zamora could break out this year alongside the likes of Chris Platt, starting with a strong spring game performance against an experienced Baylor secondary.
Clemson DE Austin Bryant
3 of 10
The well-oiled machine that is the Clemson defense should keep ticking this fall, even after the departures of NFL talents Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd and Mackensie Alexander.
The Tigers need to replace 49 tackles for loss and 24.5 sacks just between Lawson and Dodd, but they have plenty of potential once again on the defensive line thanks to players such as Austin Bryant. As a true freshman last year, Bryant enrolled early and carved out a small role in the rotation for Clemson.
That role grew exponentially in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Oklahoma. According to David Hood of TigerNet.com, Bryant only played 59 snaps and made eight tackles in the six contests leading up to the Orange Bowl. But after Lawson went out, Bryant played 63 snaps and recorded eight tackles.
"[Getting a chance to start in 2016] is a great opportunity," Bryant told Hood. "You can't look at it as anything more than that or you will rattle yourself. I am looking at this as a great opportunity."
Bryant has received a huge amount of snaps so far in spring practice for the Tigers, and he seems destined to take over a starting role heading into 2016. All eyes will be on Clemson's star-studded offense during its spring game, but Bryant has the opportunity to snatch some more spotlight.
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Florida State DE Josh Sweat
4 of 10
The mere fact Josh Sweat was even able to play a role last season for Florida State was incredible. According to Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel, Sweat still had a limp from a major knee injury suffered in high school during fall camp for the Seminoles. Head coach Jimbo Fisher called his recovery "freaky."
That's not the only thing freaky about Sweat, who recorded 41 tackles—including five for loss—two sacks, an interception and three fumble recoveries for Florida State as a true freshman. The 6'5" pass-rusher earned the starter role at "Buck" defensive end and is now eyeing a huge sophomore campaign.
"As far as the team, I felt I could have helped them a lot better by bettering myself, getting more sacks and tackles for a loss," Sweat told Sonnone in January. "[I need to improve at] getting stronger, working the edge of a man better, not running down the middle of him. I'll definitely pull off a lot more sacks than I did this year."
With All-ACC defensive end DeMarcus Walker returning for his senior season, Florida State has one of college football's best pairings on the edge for 2016. The Seminoles return their leader in sacks and an underclassman who consistently got great pressure against any quarterback.
Sweat will line up against a more experienced Florida State offense in this year's spring game, which will take place at Orlando's Citrus Bowl Stadium. Fans will want to see how far Sweat developed after a completely healthy offseason of physical training and on-field practices.
Houston RB Duke Catalon
5 of 10
The college football world hasn't gotten to see what Duke Catalon is made of yet. The former 4-star running back, who had more than 2,000 rushing yards and 700 receiving yards in his final three years of high school, redshirted the 2014 season for Texas and decided to transfer to Houston last August.
"When we go tackling drills he's one of those guys that can run behind his pads, because he's ran over linebackers," Texas head coach Charlie Strong said in 2014, per Jeff Howe of 247Sports. "When you keep him in a contained area, he's not afraid to just lower his head and shoulders and run you over."
The Houston native is primed to take over as the No. 1 running back for his hometown Cougars, who lost Kenneth Farrow to graduation after their dream 13-1 campaign in 2015. Farrow rushed for 958 yards and 12 touchdowns as the tag team partner for electrifying quarterback Greg Ward Jr.
In addition to Farrow, Houston also lost No. 2 running back Ryan Jackson to graduation and dismissed No. 3 running back Javin Webb last month, per Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.
Catalon has an impressive skill set as a former top-10 running back with both strength and speed to go along with his receiving gifts. He's the perfect match for Ward in the backfield, and they have the potential to put up monster numbers with the read-option.
LSU CB Donte Jackson
6 of 10
LSU has plenty of potential breakout players on its loaded 2016 roster, but Donte Jackson gets the nod here for his potential to wow in all three phases of play.
Jackson is legitimately one of the fastest players in college football, as he dominated the Louisiana state track championships several times with his elite speed. He's been clocked at a blistering 10.3 seconds in the 100-meter dash, and LSU will want to unleash that quickness as much as it can on the football field.
As a true freshman, LSU used Jackson as a third cornerback behind Tre'Davious White and Kevin Toliver. After recording both a start and a pick last season, Jackson could push for even more playing time in new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda's first-team unit this spring.
Then there's Jackson's ability with the ball in his hands. He averaged 20.5 yards per kick return and filled in for White on punts several times last season. Jackson also took a carry for 14 yards against Auburn, and coaches made it clear last year they wanted him to play both ways at LSU.
Jackson will be one to watch when lined up against what should be a stronger LSU passing attack in the spring game and any time there's a chance he'll get the ball in his hands. His speed and versatility are too good to ignore for too long.
Michigan State RB LJ Scott
7 of 10
LJ Scott led Michigan State with 699 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last season—you probably remember his final one in the Big Ten Championship Game—but it seems like the true freshman only scratched the surface of his potential in the Spartans offense.
Michigan State has to rebuild the vast majority of its passing attack in 2016, which should put even more of the offensive burden on Scott. He showed last season he could handle it, even in pressure situations, as he scored a pair of touchdowns in four different games that were all decided by one possession.
Scott put up those numbers despite a constant running back rotation that hurt the Spartans' overall offensive momentum, especially against Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal. MSU co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach Dave Warner wants to cut that down in 2016.
"I'm putting the pressure on myself more than anything to try and not go through what we went through this (past) season," Warner said, per Mike Griffith of MLive.com. "It wasn't what I wanted, it wasn't good, so I hope between now and September we're going to have a No. 1 tailback and a No. 2 tailback that are going to be getting the majority of the reps."
As the leading rusher from last year, Scott should have an early advantage in the running back race. Look for him to try to put on a show in the Spartans' spring game and nail down the starting job ahead of what could be a standout sophomore season.
Ohio State DE Sam Hubbard
8 of 10
Joey Bosa is no longer terrorizing offensive lines at the college level, and Ohio State now has one of many holes to fill on a depth chart that was impacted heavily by early NFL draft entrance. But the Buckeyes have stockpiled plenty of blue chips on their roster for situations like this.
Sam Hubbard is one of them, and the former 4-star could be the next big star for the Ohio State defense, starting in 2016. A prep lacrosse All-American in Cincinnati, Hubbard decided instead to play for Urban Meyer. He's added 65 pounds to his 6'5" frame since high school and become a fierce competitor at defensive end.
Last year, Hubbard picked up two sacks, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery in Ohio State's spring game. Later in the fall, he recorded eight tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks—with four of those sacks coming in the final six games of the year.
This spring, Hubbard has taken over the first-team reps in Bosa's place on the defensive line, opposite Tyquan Lewis. Although he has the body of a dominant defensive lineman now, Hubbard still has the athleticism and instincts of the safety/linebacker hybrid he was out of high school.
There's plenty of production to be replaced on Ohio State's entire roster in 2016, and Hubbard has the incredible size and speed to take on a lot of that responsibility on the defensive line. A second standout spring game would be huge for his momentum heading into the fall schedule.
Oklahoma WR Dede Westbrook
9 of 10
Oklahoma's offense should be loaded once again in the second year under coordinator Lincoln Riley. The defending Big 12 champions return star quarterback Baker Mayfield, top rusher Samaje Perine and several starting offensive linemen.
The Sooners, however, have to replace the talents of Sterling Shepard, who was the team's No. 1 receiver for the last two years. Now the spotlight is on Dede Westbrook, the JUCO transfer who broke out as Oklahoma's No. 2 receiving weapon in 2015.
Westbrook averaged 16.15 yards per catch last season and had four touchdowns. That's a great amount of production for a newcomer, but he knows he needs to do even more for the Sooners both on and off the field this fall.
"We're taking the jobs of Durron Neal and Sterling Shepard, and we're pretty much going to take [Oklahoma's young receivers] up on our wings, and they're just going to follow our footsteps," Westbrook said, per Scott Hiney of the Oklahoma Daily.
Westbrook is already an established big-play target, and he has the chance to blossom into an all-around weapon for one of college football's most feared offenses in 2016. He'll be the focal point of the receiving corps, starting with Oklahoma's spring game.
USC RB Ronald Jones II
10 of 10
With JuJu Smith-Schuster and Adoree' Jackson taking most of the offensive spotlight in Los Angeles, Ronald Jones II probably didn't get as much widespread attention as he deserved in 2015.
As a freshman, Jones led USC with 987 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, and he averaged nearly 6.5 yards per carry. In a 38-30 win against Arizona, Jones rushed for 177 yards on just 19 carries, introducing himself to the rest of the Pac-12.
The Trojans will be breaking in a new starting quarterback in 2016, and Clay Helton is focused on bringing more of a run-first mentality to the USC offense as the full-time head coach. Both of those trend well for Jones, who has the chance to be a superstar running back.
"USC hasn't had a young running back as promising as Jones since Reggie Bush," Jones' profile reads in Bleacher Report's 2015 countdown of the top running backs in college football. "Despite not much use in the season's first half, he still led the Trojans in rushing, and with a full offseason to get bigger and stronger, he's poised for a breakout sophomore year."
If USC showcases more of a run-first offense in this year's spring game, it should be Jones' stage to shine brightly. Behind one of the conference's best and most experienced offensive lines, Jones is definitely one to watch in 2016.
All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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