10 College Football Players Who Will Take Huge Strides Forward in 2016
The constantly changing landscape of college football opens the door for breakout players each year. Starters graduate or move on to the NFL early, which leaves spots open for powerhouse programs. Other players adjust to new roles under new coaches and thrive there.
Last year, Christian McCaffrey became the No. 1 running back at Stanford and smashed an all-time FBS record on his way to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Shaq Lawson became one of the game's most feared edge-rushers after taking over for Vic Beasley on the Clemson defensive line.
For these 10 players, 2016 should be their time to shine. They have all the potential to take huge strides forward and turn from complementary pieces or reserve players into big-time playmakers who will command a lot of attention.
Whether it's a new position or a new coach in charge of them, these are several of the players in college football who appear destined to break out after strong spring practices.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, as there are dozens of athletes who should move forward in a big way this fall. Shout out who else you think will make that leap in the comments below.
Alabama LB Rashaan Evans
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Rashaan Evans had a limited role in Alabama's outside linebacker rotation as a sophomore last season, and he only recorded 10 tackles on the season. However, four of those tackles were sacks, as he showed tremendous speed as part of the Tide's pass rush.
This spring, Evans moved from the outside to the inside of Alabama's 3-4 defense, where he emerged as a valuable member of the defense. He had a team-high 17 tackles in the spring game—more than twice the amount of the second-best defender in the game—and came up with a sack.
"Evans is a work in progress as far as the nuances (eye discipline, run fits) of inside linebacker play go, but all the physical attributes needed to excel at the spot are in place," Travis Reier of 247Sports wrote. "We already knew Evans could rush the passer and close quickly on mobile quarterbacks while working as a spy in the dime rabbits package."
Evans should be a key rotation piece at inside linebacker this season for Alabama alongside Reuben Foster and Shaun Dion Hamilton. A 5-star linebacker coming out of high school, Evans has incredible pursuit skills and an ability to make plays all over the field.
The Tide want that speed in the middle of their defense this spring as they return several of their top pass-rushers on the edges. Expect to see a lot more of Evans in his junior year, when he can showcase what made him such a coveted recruit.
Baylor WR Ishmael Zamora
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When Baylor star wide receiver Corey Coleman made his move to the NFL this offseason, most expected KD Cannon to take over Coleman's spot in the Bears' high-flying offense. But Baylor still had to find a true No. 2 option.
This spring, the Bears landed on one with Ishmael Zamora. Even though he only recorded nine catches for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season—with both scores coming against Rice and Kansas—Zamora finished the spring as a starter at outside receiver opposite Cannon.
Zamora looked strong in the spring game for Baylor, as he led all receivers with seven catches for 43 yards, per Suzanne Halliburton of the Austin American-Statesman. He is listed by Baylor as 6'4" and 220 pounds, and he was a track star in high school. That combination should make for a deadly outside receiver in Baylor's vertical passing game.
Colt Barber of 247Sports wrote of Zamora's pro potential:
"While he has a ways to go, receiver Ishmael Zamora could be in the NFL sooner rather than later. The natural ability is there to match his size and he has put in the work hoping to get to the NFL as soon as possible. If and when the time comes that Zamora has a breakout season, don't be surprised to see him head to the next level.
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That season could be as early as 2016, as the No. 2 receiver in Baylor's offense has recorded at least 860 yards in each of the last five seasons. And if Cannon can't develop the consistency needed to be a reliable first option, Zamora could be the new go-to guy in Waco.
Clemson DL Christian Wilkins
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College football fans most likely remember Christian Wilkins as the massive defensive tackle who stunned Oklahoma by receiving a fake punt for 31 yards in the College Football Playoff semifinal. This year, they might know him better as the next great defensive end out of Clemson.
That's right. This spring, Clemson lined up the 315-pound Wilkins at defensive end to help replace the loss of both Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd to the NFL draft. Now Wilkins is looking for a chunk of those nation-leading tackles for loss in the 2016 campaign.
Wilkins had 33 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks at defensive tackle last season as a freshman. But Clemson returned its key players on the interior, prompting the staff to experiment with Wilkins on the edge. He brings a unique mix of immense size and impressive athleticism, and there were reportedly times in spring practices when he was unblockable.
"Seeing him mentally being able to (play end). ... (Coach Dan) Brooks was a little worried coming into the spring because he knew we were going to challenge him in that regard," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said, per Will Vandervort of the Clemson Insider. "You don't want to lessen what he is really good at, but you have to find out, mentally, he just has a great understanding."
Wilkins will still be in the mix to play defensive tackle this fall, but he played well during Clemson's spring game at defensive end and might stay there when practices start up again. Clemson is developing a reputation as "Defensive End U," and Wilkins looks like the next proud alumnus.
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Florida State WR Auden Tate
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Since Kelvin Benjamin left Florida State for the NFL, the Seminoles have been lacking that fearsome red-zone punch. In 2013, Florida State ranked third nationally in touchdown percentage on trips inside the 20-yard line. In the two seasons since then, it's ranked 73rd and 89th.
With a bunch of talented but short receivers back on the roster this season, the Seminoles turned to sophomore Auden Tate to occupy that new role. At 6'5" and 218 pounds, the South Carolina native has the ability to high-point the ball far above most defensive backs, and he showcased that skill in FSU's spring game.
As Florida State could possibly be breaking in a new starting quarterback for 2016, having a rangy weapon like Tate is a tremendous asset, especially in tight scoring situations. As part of an offense that returns almost every single player of note from 2015, Tate could be the missing piece the Seminoles need to get their mojo back in the red zone.
Tate will have to battle the likes of Travis Rudolph, Kermit Whitfield and Bobo Wilson for a bigger role in the receiving corps this season, but his length makes him a contender to play often in 2016. Look for him to rack up touchdowns whenever the Seminoles close in on the opponent's end zone.
LSU LB Arden Key
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If LSU's spring game was any indication, new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda's versatile 3-4 scheme is going to be all about attack, attack and attack. The biggest weapon in that scheme could be Arden Key, a sophomore who will take over the "Buck" edge-rusher position under Aranda.
Last season, Key had 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks as a reserve on LSU's defensive line. Under Aranda, the 6'6", 231-pound Key will stand up to rush the passer, which should take full advantage of his impressive speed and agility.
"With his great first step, he should be a terror off the edge," Rene Nadeau of SportsNOLA.com wrote. "He has tremendous length and reach. Key seems to have made strides since the conclusion of 2015 and fits as an outside linebacker in the new scheme."
Key also showed great versatility when he was asked to drop back in coverage to set up other blitzers. He had an interception in the spring game, and a creative D-coordinator such as Aranda can do a lot of things with a rangy defender such as Key.
As a traditional defensive lineman in a 4-3 defense in 2015, Key was a budding young star in the LSU pass rush. As a standup hybrid linebacker in 2016, he should be a menace for the Bayou Bengals as they look to contend for championships again.
Michigan State QB Tyler O'Connor
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Tyler O'Connor had his first big tryout for Michigan State's starting quarterback job when he took over for Connor Cook and helped the Spartans beat Ohio State last season—a tight win that went a long way in getting them to the College Football Playoff.
This spring, he seemingly nailed down the starting job in what was an open battle that featured Damion Terry. Now the fifth-year senior will have the chance to be the next impressive quarterback out of Michigan State with a strong 2016 campaign.
O'Connor can rely on the return of R.J. Shelton at wide receiver, and the true-freshman combination of Donnie Corley and Cam Chambers looked highly impressive during spring practices. He has a deep stable of running backs to hand the ball off to, and the offensive line remains strong after a few transitions.
The command O'Connor has shown in the pocket of Michigan State's power-based pro-style offense should carry over well to the new season. Although this will be his one and only year as a full-time starter, his experience will be a tremendous boost for the Spartans in their defense of the Big Ten championship.
O'Connor is the heir apparent to Cook, and he has the chance to put up similar numbers as his predecessor—more than 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons—under center this season. While he's a new starter, the Spartans should have plenty of confidence in him.
Ohio State DE Sam Hubbard
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Joey Bosa has sacked and shrugged his way to the San Diego Chargers, leaving a big gap at defensive end for the young Ohio State Buckeyes in 2016. Expect Sam Hubbard to fill that void—a player who has had an interesting path to becoming the next great pass-rushing star in Columbus.
Hubbard started his college career at safety, moved to linebacker and eventually stopped at defensive end. He had to start in place of Bosa in Ohio State's 2015 season opener against Virginia Tech, and he handled himself well with the first of what would be 6.5 sacks on the season.
This spring, Hubbard took on the responsibility of becoming a key pass-rusher on the Ohio State defense and emerged from practices as a stronger player. His improvement to what was already an impressive set of physical gifts should make him a tremendous force along the front four in 2016.
"The first thing when we talk about Sam is his strength level has gotten better," Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson said, per Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors. "He's got more weight on him now so going into the spring we've got a stronger Sam. That's the goal: to get him stronger to play inside, play on tackles. That's what he's working on."
Ohio State's top defensive lineman has recorded at least a dozen tackles for loss in every season since 2009. Hubbard is next in line, as he has the strength, length and all-around desire to be a star for the Buckeyes this fall.
Oklahoma WR Dede Westbrook
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Dede Westbrook didn't exactly have a quiet first year with Oklahoma. He finished as the team's No. 2 receiver with 46 catches, 743 yards and four touchdowns.
But now that star receiver Sterling Shepard and key complementary piece Durron Neal are gone, Westbrook has the opportunity to take a huge step forward and be the No. 1 weapon for quarterback Baker Mayfield in Lincoln Riley's Air Raid offense. Shepard had 86 catches and 11 touchdowns last season, and there's no reason why Westbrook's numbers can't go through the roof.
Westbrook's biggest asset is his speed, which led him to average 16 yards a catch last season for the Sooners. No longer a newcomer, he is now the unquestioned leader of the Oklahoma receiving corps, which picked up Penn State transfer Geno Lewis to help ease the loss of Shepard and Neal this offseason.
"I think Dede Westbrook is going to fill in and take my spot," Shepard told James Hale of 247Sports. "He is going to be one of those playmakers that will be hard to stop. He has put on a little weight and is carrying it well and looked good at practice."
In an Air Raid offense with a quarterback who was one of the nation's best last season, Westbrook should have incredible production with the Sooners in 2016. While he's far from an unknown quantity, he has the chance to explode into the national spotlight this fall.
Oregon DE Canton Kaumatule
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Injuries limited the impact of what could have been a great freshman season for Canton Kaumatule, the former 5-star Hawaiian defensive end who was expected to shine early and often for the Oregon Ducks. Now, if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to be a star in new coordinator Brady Hoke's 4-3 defense.
The 6'7" Kaumatule can play several roles in a 4-3 defense, whether it's rushing the passer from an end spot with his quickness or firing from the inside as an agile defensive tackle. Even though he struggled with more injuries during spring practices, he had a sack in the spring game and looked strong throughout.
While he doesn't have a clear-cut role on the depth chart just yet, it's almost a guarantee that Kaumatule will play a big role in Hoke's defensive line if he can avoid the injury woes again. He's too big, too fast and too talented not to be starring for what the Ducks hope will be a defensive turnaround in the fall.
Kaumatule told Cameron Rogers of 247Sports about the defensive shifts:
"The 2-gapping from last year forced the d-lineman to be very technical in what they do, but with the 4-3 it allows us to be more natural and more fluid and just attack. ... I don't think the Ducks have run a defense like this, where they just send so many guys at once constantly throughout the game, I am excited to see what kind of damage we can do.
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A healthy season should pave the way for Kaumatule to take a massive step forward and become the blue-chip star he was meant to be out of high school. He has the potential to be Oregon's best defensive prospect yet.
UCLA RB Soso Jamabo
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UCLA had Paul Perkins and Nate Starks coming back to the team last season at running back, but the Bruins couldn't wait to unleash Soso Jamabo. Last season, Jamabo averaged six yards per carry and found the end zone four times in the top role behind Perkins.
This year, Jamabo should be the top rusher in new offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu's scheme, which is based on a lot more downhill power running than what the Bruins ran with Noel Mazzone. Perkins had back-to-back years of 1,300-plus yards in Mazzone's offense. The potential for Jamabo is outstanding under Polamalu.
"Jamabo, who never used a fullback in his spread-based high school system, has been especially impressive, despite not being known for his work between the tackles," Ryan Kartje of the Orange County Register wrote.
Jamabo might be the new No. 1 running back in Los Angeles this fall, but he won't have to rack up huge amounts of carries alone. The presence of Starks and Bolu Olorunfunmi should keep him fresh all season long, so he can hit defenses with his home run ability out of the backfield more often.
The sophomore has all the tools to be a star in the Pac-12 this fall, and the tweaked offense should give him plenty of opportunities to make big plays for the Bruins. Jamabo should follow right in the footsteps of Perkins and be a headache for defenses all season long.
Stats courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting information 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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