One Player Each Top 25 Team Should Be Most Hyped for Ahead of 2016 Season
College football and hype go hand-in-hand. The regular season lasts 12 games, and counting bowl season, it stretches out just over four months on the calendar from early September to mid-January. Beyond the action, thereโs a lot of time to fill and a lot of time to talk.
College fans fill it with discussion about recruiting, the NFL draft, offseason workouts and, this spring, satellite camps, among other things. And they talk about their teams. Thereโs plenty of time for hype, and fans rely on it to get them through the long offseason.
2016 is no different. A number of talented players will attract attention and hype from fans and reporters alike for a variety of reasons. Maybe theyโre a standout freshman. A Heisman contender. Or just a cog a team canโt succeed without. Regardless, youโll be hearing a lot about these guys.
Hereโs a look at the most hyped players for the 2016 season for the Top 25 teams. This Top 25 was created via a Bleacher Report consensus of preseason polls.
25. UCLA QB Josh Rosen
1 of 25
For Josh Rosen, 2015 was a learning process. The 6โ4โ, 210-pound pocket passer arrived at UCLA early for spring practice, grabbed the starting quarterback role and never let go. He showed serious promise while passing for 3,670 yards with 23 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, but the Bruins slipped from 10 to eight wins.
UCLA began the season 7-2 but finished it 1-3, including a Foster Farms Bowl loss to a 5-7 Nebraska team. Rosen threw four touchdowns against four interceptions in his final two games, losses to crosstown rival USC and the Cornhuskers.
Although he loses 1,100-yard receiver Jordan Payton to graduation, Rosen will be expected to progress as a sophomore. Heโll get plenty of attention from reporters and opposing defenses alike. How he responds will be telling.
24. Miami QB Brad Kaaya
2 of 25
2016 should be a honeymoon season for Mark Richt. Following 15 successful seasons at Georgia, Richt, a south Florida native and former Miami quarterback, landed on his feet at his alma mater following his unceremonious departure from Athens.
Miami is a natural fit for Richt, and he inherits a very solid situation from the fired Al Golden. Most notably, heโll get to work with junior quarterback Brad Kaaya in a pro-style offense. Kaaya, the 2014 ACC Offensive Freshman of the Year, is a polished pocket passer. Last fall, he threw for 3,238 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Those numbers will need to improve for the Hurricanes to make a run at their first ACC title-game berth, and Kaaya is fully capable of making that happen. Heโll be a focus of Richtโs first season. How long will the honeymoon last? Kaaya will have plenty to say about that.
23. Georgia QB Jacob Eason
3 of 25
Itโs a year of new beginnings in Athens. For the first time in 16 seasons, Georgia has a new head coach, as Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was hired following Richtโs inability to get the Bulldogs into the SEC title game.
And the Bulldogs just might have a new quarterback, too. Virginia transfer Greyson Lambert was good but not great in 2015. He threw for 1,959 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. This spring, Lambert fought against junior Brice Ramsey and early-enrollee freshman Jacob Eason to keep his job.
Eason, by far, generated the most buzz from the trio. The son of former NFL quarterback Tony Eason has a classic pocket-passer frame at 6โ5ย ยฝ", 208 pounds, and he is the nationโsย No. 5 overall recruit,ย per 247Sports.
He dazzled in his first public outing at Georgiaโs spring game, completing 19 of 29 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, with a strong touch on deep balls. Even if Lambert wins the job, all eyes will be on Eason this fall. Itโs only a matter of time before he ascends to the starting role for good, and fans know it.
22. Washington RB Myles Gaskin
4 of 25
This fall, Washington hopes to take a step forward following a pair of mediocre seasons under Chris Petersenโs watch. The Huskies have promise after finishing 2015 on a flurry, winning three consecutive games while averaging 47 points per game.
Tailback Myles Gaskin finished strong as well, ending the season with four consecutive 100-yard rushing efforts. He gashed Southern Miss for 181 yards and four touchdowns in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, which will only raise the stakes for his sophomore season.
Gaskin rushed for 1,302 yards with 14 touchdowns as a freshman and should be even better in his second collegiate season. If Washington challenges for the Pac-12 North title, the Huskies will do so with Gaskin and quarterback Jake Browning powering the way.
21. Louisville QB Lamar Jackson
5 of 25
Louisville and coach Bobby Petrino are in a tough spot in the ACC Atlantic Division. The Cardinals are a very solid group, coming off an 8-5 season capped by a Music City Bowl win over Texas A&M. But getting to the top of the Atlantic will be very difficult due to the presence of national powers Clemson and Florida State.
Petrino needs a transcendent quarterback to lead his offense, and the Cardinals hope theyโve found that guy in Lamar Jackson. Jackson emerged from an uncertain quarterback situation to be โthe manโ under center by the end of 2015. He is a true dual-threat. Jackson passed for 1,840 yards with 12 touchdowns against eight interceptions and was also Louisvilleโs leading rusher with 960 yards on the ground.
Against A&M, he showed just how high his ceiling is. Jackson threw for 227 yards and two scores and rushed for 226 and two more. That just made Cardinal fans hungry for 2016 and more of Jackson in Petrinoโs offense.
20. North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky
6 of 25
2015 was a special season for North Carolina. The Tar Heels finally broke through under coach Larry Fedora, riding an 11-game win streak to the ACC Coastal Division title and finishing 11-3. Now comes the tough part: taking the next step without quarterback Marquise Williams, who graduated after accounting for over 4,000 yards of total offense and 37 touchdowns.
The Heels do return 14 starters, but all eyes will be on backup Mitch Trubisky, who steps into a starting role. Trubisky completed an eye-popping 40 of 47 passes for 555 yards and six touchdowns against no interceptions last fall and pushed Williams for the starting role in 2014. He has experience. Heโll have fansโ attention. Can he keep the offense rolling? Weโll see.
19. Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph
7 of 25
Late in the 2014 season, Mike Gundy made a somewhat-surprising decision to pull the redshirt off freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph. It was a risky call that paid off. Rudolph and Oklahoma State upset Oklahoma to make a bowl game and upended Washington to finish with a winning season. The sophomore quarterback built on that success last fall.
Oklahoma State began the season 10-0, and Rudolph finished the year with 3,770 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. At 6โ4โ, 220 pounds, he has a sturdy frame that can thrive in Gundyโs Air Raid offense. The Cowboys return 10 offensive starters, but Rudolph will be the centerpiece.
If they start 2016 as strongly as they did in 2015, Rudolph will get national attention and potentially Heisman Trophy consideration.
18. Oregon QB, Dakota Prukop
8 of 25
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So Vernon Adams should be very flattered by Dakota Prukop. Adams made the jump from FCS Eastern Washington to Oregon last fall and thrived, throwing for 2,643 yards with 26 touchdowns against six interceptions. But he was a graduate transfer, meaning Oregon had an opening for a starter in 2016.
Enter Prukop, who was a star with EWU Big Sky rival Montana State but wanted more. So he followed Adams as a graduate transfer to Oregon, choosing the Ducks over suitors that included Alabama and Michigan.
Last fall, he threw for 3,025 yards with 28 touchdowns and also had 797 yards and 11 scores on the ground as a true dual-threat quarterback. Prukop is a strong bet to beat out Jeff Lockie for the starting role and slide right into Mark Helfrichโs fast-paced scheme. Pressure and hype will abound, but Adams has set the blueprint for success. Can Prukop follow it?
17. Southern California CB Adoree' Jackson
9 of 25
Nineteen years ago, Charles Woodson became the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy, leveraging his offensive exploits and special teams role with Michigan to beat out Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning for the stiff-arm trophy.
Woodson contributed all over the field for the Wolverines, which made him highly unique. Nearly two decades later, Southern California has a similar talent. The question isnโt what Adoreeโ Jackson can do. What canโt he do?
Last fall, he made myriad impacts for the Pac-12 South champions. He was a starting cornerback, contributing 35 tackles and an interception. He made 27 receptions for 414 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver and returned kicks and punts, taking two punts back for touchdowns.
Jackson is also a talented long-jumper; in fact, he skipped spring practice to focus on track exploits. This fall, new coach Clay Helton will involve him as much as possible. Smart move. If youโve ever seen Jackson play, you know heโs worth the hype.
16. Iowa CB Desmond King
10 of 25
Iowa was one of college footballโs best stories in 2015. The Hawkeyes came from well off the radar following a sluggish 7-6 season to finish the regular season 12-0, win the Big Ten West title and come within inches of the College Football Playoff.
And they could give plenty of credit to a stalwart defense keyed by cornerback Desmond King. King tied an Iowa single-season record with eight interceptions and won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nationโs top defensive back, earning unanimous first-team All-America honors.
His decision to return for his senior season, spurning the NFL draft, was huge for Iowaโs hopes of approximating last fallโs magical run. King is a lockdown corner who contributes on special teams as well, averaging 14.2 yards per punt return and 24.4 yards per kick return as a junior.
King will be the nationโs top defensive back and a preseason first-team All-American, without question. If Iowa repeats 2015, heโll lead the charge.
15. TCU WR KaVontae Turpin
11 of 25
Good things come in small packages. KaVontae Turpin is proof positive. The TCU sophomore receiver measures in at just 5โ9โ, 165 pounds, but he has huge speed and big-play ability. Last fall, Turpin made a major impact early on in the Horned Frogsโ Air Raid offense, making 45 receptions for 649 yards and eight touchdowns.
His best game came in a 50-7 rout of Texas. Turpin caught six passes for 138 yards and four touchdowns. He didnโt have the game-to-game consistency his coaches would have hoped for but flashed huge potential. With NFL first-round pick Josh Doctson gone, Turpin is poised to emerge as TCUโs top receiver.
No matter if Kenny Hill or Foster Sawyer is throwing to him, the sophomore will be a major factor in the Frogsโ high-flying offense.
14. Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly
12 of 25
Hugh Freeze offered Chad Kelly a second chance after a tumultuous ending at Clemson. Kelly was more than happy to take advantage, and the Rebels were better for it. Last fall, Ole Miss thrived with Kelly at quarterback. Freezeโs bunch went 10-3, beat eventual national champion Alabama for the second consecutive season and capped the year with a Sugar Bowl rout of Oklahoma State.
Kelly was at home in his uptempo scheme, throwing for 4,042 yards with 31 touchdowns against 13 interceptions and rushing for 500 yards and 10 scores.
Heโll be counted upon for key leadership roles this fall. Ole Miss returns only eight starters and is breaking in a new left tackle following Laremy Tunsilโs departure to the NFL. If the Rebels are competitive in the SEC West again in 2016, Kellyโs swagger and moxie will lead the way.
13. Michigan State DT Malik McDowell
13 of 25
Michigan State and coach Mark Dantonio are reloading a bit after an outstanding 2015 season. The Spartans finished 12-2, won the Big Ten title and made the programโs first College Football Playoff but return just nine starters across the board.
One of the hardest-hit areas was the defensive line. Three of four starters, including standout defensive end Shilique Calhoun, graduated, leaving junior defensive tackle Malik McDowell as the only returning starter.
Thatโs not such a bad thing, really. McDowell emerged as a star as a sophomore. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors after making 37 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He also forced two fumbles and made eight quarterback hurries, per the school's website.
As he enters his third season on campus, McDowell will carry the D-lineโs banner. Heโs the most talented player on Michigan Stateโs roster and expect opponents to treat him accordingly this fall.
12. Houston QB Greg Ward Jr.
14 of 25
Itโs a good time to be associated with Houstonโs football program. In one season, new coach Tom Herman maximized an underachieving groupโs potential, leading the Cougars to a 13-1 record that included a New Yearโs Six bowl win with a Peach Bowl victory over Florida State. And Houston isnโt stopping there.
According to ESPN.comโs Jake Trotter, Houston is making a push to be included in a Big 12 Conference expansion. The Cougars can make an argument on the field this fall with a strong effort against a tough schedule that includes home dates against Oklahoma and Louisville.
The key to success? Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. The dual-threat senior quarterback makes Hermanโs spread system go with multifaceted skills, speed and athleticism. Last fall, Ward threw for 2,828 yards with 17 touchdowns against six interceptions. He was also Houstonโs leading rusher, going for 1,108 yards and 21 touchdowns.
If Houston makes a push to make the College Football Playoff from the Group of Five, Ward will lead the way. If he can build on 2015โs success, he could earn a trip to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Plenty of outsiders will be keeping an eye on him in 2016.
11. Tennessee RB Jalen Hurd
15 of 25
Under Butch Jonesโ guidance, Tennessee has shown steady improvement. The Volunteers ended each of the last two seasons with bowl victories, finishing 7-6 in 2014 and 9-4 in 2015. Now, they appear to be a legit SEC East contender. A strong nucleus that includes 17 starters also inspires plenty of hope.
If the Vols need to grind out games on the ground in 2016, they have an impressive weapon in junior tailback Jalen Hurd.
Hurd, a powerful back at 6โ4โ, 240 pounds, is an imposing force in the backfield. He had six 100-yard rushing games as a sophomore, ending the season with three consecutive 100-yard efforts, and finished with 1,288 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Defenses and opposing fans will give Hurd a strong focus, but that wonโt make him any easier to stop as a junior.
10. Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey
16 of 25
Even in todayโs digital-focused world, itโs possible for Pac-12 football to get a bit lost in the shuffle. The leagueโs network doesnโt have the widespread TV carriage that the Big Ten or SEC Networks enjoy, and even prominent league games begin after many on the East Coast have wrapped up their football viewing for the day.
When it comes to Stanford and Christian McCaffrey, however, excuses donโt apply.ย In 2015, McCaffrey made sure Cardinal games and his performances were must-see TV. The 19-year-old led Stanford to its third Pac-12 title in four seasons and capped the year with a Rose Bowl smashing of Iowa.
He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up after leading the nation in all-purpose yardage, rushing for 2,019 yards with eight touchdowns and also leading Stanford in receiving yardage and receptions, catching 45 passes for 645 yards and five touchdowns.
McCaffrey is Stanfordโs most valuable player and it isnโt close. Entering this season, heโll be a strong candidate to move up a spot on the Heisman dais and take the stiff-arm trophy back to Palo Alto. Heโll prove that the considerable hype surrounding him will be justified.
9. Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire
17 of 25
Everything was going so perfectly for Malik Zaire. The Notre Dame quarterback had finally claimed the Fighting Irishโs starting quarterback role and performed well in a season-opening rout of Texas, completing 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. But those dreams turned into nightmares in the second game of the 2015 season at Virginia.
Zaire left the game with a broken ankle that would end his season. In his absence, backup DeShone Kizer excelled. He threw for 2,884 yards with 21 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and showed mobility while rushing for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns.
This spring, Zaire was healthy and spent 15 practices battling Kizer for his old job back. Neither truly emerged by springโs end, meaning the battle will linger into preseason practice.
The winner likely wonโt have much room for error with a talented backup lurking, meaning that even if Zaire canโt win the job immediately, he wonโt leave the limelight anytime soon.
8. Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett
18 of 25
It was hard to miss Ohio State in the NFL draft. Urban Meyerโs program was omnipresent with 12 selections in the seven-round draft, most in college football. That talent helped Meyer to a 50-4 record with a national title in his first four seasons in Columbus, but now that theyโre playing Sundays thereโs the not-so-small matter of replacing them.
Ohio State returns just eight starters, and Meyer has to be glad that one of them is junior quarterback J.T. Barrett.
Barrett played a huge role in OSUโs push for a national title in 2014, and although he lost his starting role to College Football Playoff hero Cardale Jones before 2015, the job was his again by seasonโs end.
Barrett threw for 992 yards and 11 touchdowns against four interceptions and rushed for 682 yards and 11 scores. Heโs a mobile, battle-tested leader whoโll be an important force in moving a talented-but-inexperienced roster forward this fall.ย If Ohio State can challenge for another Big Ten title despite its youth, the spotlight and a potential Heisman Trophy campaign will find him, too.
7. Baylor QB Seth Russell
19 of 25
Art Briles has built Baylor into one of the nationโs most exciting programs thanks to a fast-paced spread offense that has been extremely productive. Last fall, the Bears averaged 616.2 yards and 48.1 points per game total offense, both tops nationally. And they did so while battling through injuries that left them with their third-string quarterback by November.
Starter Seth Russell suffered a season-ending neck injury and backup Jarrett Stidhamโs season ended due to an ankle injury. Top deep threat Corey Coleman is gone, as are four of five starting offensive linemen from 2015. But Russell is healthy and ready to put up huge numbers again.
Last fall, he threw for 2,106 yards and 29 touchdowns against six interceptions while rushing for 402 yards and six scores in just seven games.
If Russell can stay healthy, heโll put up video-game numbers in Baylorโs system. Thereโs plenty of reason to be excited about him, as long as Baylorโs new offensive line can keep him upright.
6. LSU RB Leonard Fournette
20 of 25
LSU and coach Les Miles are fortunate that the NFL draft rules prohibit players from declaring professionally until theyโre three years removed from high school. Otherwise, thereโs no way that weโd be seeing a third season of Leonard Fournette in purple and gold.
Thatโs how good the 6โ1โ, 230-pound junior tailback is. Fournette can run over opposing defenders as easily as he can run around them. He's a powerful, nasty runner who is a chore for any opposing linebacker to bring down.
Fournette rushed for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns last fall, developing into a full-blown superstar. Only a storm-cancelled opener against McNeese State kept him from a 2,000-yard season. He had a seven-game string of 150-yard rushing efforts and four 200-yard games on the season.
In what should be his final season in Baton Rouge, Fournette will be motivated to carry LSU to a College Football Playoff berth. When he runs angry, look out.
5. Florida State RB Dalvin Cook
21 of 25
Florida State has some uncertainty at quarterback, but there is no doubt who the Seminolesโ eventual starter will be handing the ball to repeatedly this fall: junior tailback Dalvin Cook. Cook emerged as one of the nationโs most explosive backs as a sophomore in 2015.
Cook rushed for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight 100-yard games and a pair of 200-yard efforts. Whatโs even more impressive is that he did so while playing much of the season with ankle and/or hamstring injuries.
Even at 80 percent, Cook is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. He has excellent speed and instincts, and heโll play a key role in Florida Stateโs push to get back to the College Football Playoff in 2016.
4. Michigan DT Rashan Gary
22 of 25
Jim Harbaugh made quick progress in turning around the mess left behind by Brady Hoke. In year 1, Harbaugh turned a 5-7 Michigan team into 10-3, and heโs far from done in Ann Arbor. In February, the coach reeled in an impressive recruiting class led by Paramus, N.J., defensive tackle Rashan Gary.
Gary, who chose Michigan over Clemson, is the consensus top recruitย in the Class of 2016. He stands 6โ5โ, 293 pounds and is ready to play right away. He is an explosive threat off the ball and proved very tough for opposing offensive linemen to slow down, making 55 tackles and 13.5 sacks as a high school senior.
The Wolverines have returning starters at both defensive tackle spots in Willie Henry and Maurice Hurst Jr., but Garyโs progress will be closely watched this fall. If he can pick up Michiganโs defense quickly it might be only a matter of time before he locks down a starting role.
3. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield
23 of 25
Texas Tech made a bowl game last fall. The Red Raiders have a prolific quarterback in Patrick Mahomes. But you have to wonder if Kliff Kingsbury wonders how he ever let Baker Mayfield get away. Mayfield wound up at Oklahoma as a walk-on transfer and then transformed the Sooner offense last fall.
He helped OU improve from 8-5 to 12-2 with a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth while averaging 43.5 points per game, No. 4 nationally. Mayfield thrived in Lincoln Rileyโs Air Raid system, throwing for 3,700 yards with 36 touchdowns against seven interceptions and rushing for 405 yards and seven scores. He made plays happen with his arms and feet and gave the offense a new attitude.
This fall, Mayfield must overcome the graduation of top receiver Sterling Shepard (Dede Westbrook and Penn State graduate transfer Geno Lewis are prime candidates to fill the void). If the Sooners can do so successfully, Mayfield will soak up the limelight and establish himself as a prime Heisman Trophy candidate.
2. Clemson QB Deshaun Watson
24 of 25
Last fall, Clemson took the leap from good to great, finishing as the national runner-up following a 14-1 record, with the only blemish a 45-40 national title game defeat at Alabamaโs hands. Itโs no coincidence that sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson developed into a superstar in the process.
Last fall, Watson became the first player in FBS history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season, accounting for 47 total touchdowns. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Alabamaโs Derrick Henry and Stanfordโs Christian McCaffrey.
Clemson and Watson should be even better this fall. The Tigers return nine offensive starters and get back 1,000-yard receiver Mike Williams, whose 2015 season ended after he broke a bone in his neck running into the goalpost following a touchdown on the seasonโs first drive.
Watson is an excellent leader who is best on the big stage, as anyone who saw him roll up 478 yards in total offense and four scores against Alabama knows. He doesnโt seem affected by attention, which is good, because heโll have a hard time escaping it while running Clemsonโs offense in 2016.
1. Alabama RB Bo Scarbrough
25 of 25
Under Nick Saban, the backbone of Alabamaโs offensive scheme has involved a hard-charging, durable tailback who churns through opposing defenses. In 2015, that back was junior Derrick Henry. The Crimson Tide leaned heavily on Henry, who rushed 395 times for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns, carrying 46 times for 271 yards and a touchdown against Auburn, and 46 times for 189 yards and a score against Florida.
Henryโs reward was a Heisman Trophy while leading the Tide to the fourth national title of the Saban era in Tuscaloosa. He declared early for the NFL draft, but Alabama will roll in another similar back in his place this fall.
Sophomore Bo Scarbrough was little-used as a freshman, carrying 18 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. But he has a 6โ2โ, 240-pound frame that blends speed and power. He emerged as the top back in spring practice, which only whetted Tide fansโ appetite to see him in a more prominent role in 2016. Hereโs guessing he wonโt disappoint.
ESPN.com's Alex Scarborough said the sophomore's hype train "has already left the station."ย
"Heโs going to be a great one,โ defensive tackle Jarran Reed said, per the same source.ย โHis time is coming. ... Heโs another Derrick Henry.โ
