14 College Football Players Who Will Reach Elite Status in 2016
The word "elite" gets thrown around a lot these days in sports, from constant talk show discussions to hilarious Twitter jokes featuring a certain NFL quarterback.
When it comes to college football, a player becoming "elite" is a unique situation. Since players only get four years of eligibility, they often turn pro right after breaking out as some of the best of the best. Those who can turn heads early as underclassmen and continue to deliver, such as LSU's Leonard Fournette and Clemson's Deshaun Watson, are truly elite.
With that in mind, let's take a look at 14 players who should break through and reach elite status in the 2016 college football season. Most of them have already broken out as starters and key players for their respective teams. But none of them have been named to their conference's first or second teams, and they aren't considered to be among the top 10 players at their respective positions.
All 14 of these players—two for every position group on offense and defense—have the abilities and the opportunities to cross that threshold into elite status this fall. The supporting casts around them and their team's chances at success in 2016 play a large role in determining who can become elite, too.
Keep in mind that this isn't a complete list of players with elite potential in 2016. These are a handful of selections who seem like they have the best chances at getting into consideration for All-American teams and awards this fall. Tell us who you think will become elite in 2016 in the comments below.
Louisville QB Lamar Jackson
1 of 14
Lamar Jackson is the breakout pick of all breakout picks this preseason in college football, and for good reason. The Louisville sophomore quarterback had several excellent contests last season for the Cardinals—especially late in the season—and became a stronger weapon through the air in spring practices.
Jackson wasn't the every-week starter at quarterback for Louisville last season, but he still put up some impressive numbers. He had at least 200 passing yards in four out of five midseason contests and had another one to go with his 226 rushing yards in a bowl win against Texas A&M. Now that he'll be the clear-cut starter from day one, an older Jackson should have outstanding numbers.
Jackson's passing wasn't all that consistent last year, as he completed just 54.7 percent of his passes and threw eight interceptions. However, Louisville put him hard at work on it during spring practices, and he obliterated the second-string defense for 519 yards in the annual spring game. Although it was a scrimmage against backups, that level of explosiveness and efficiency from Jackson has people excited for his 2016 campaign.
The Cardinals quarterback already showed he could beat a team with his impressive speed on the ground, and a better arm in a full season of starts should lead to a massive campaign in Louisville. He's already getting some long-shot love on Heisman odds boards at Bovada (h/t Chip Patterson of CBS Sports).
Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph
2 of 14
In his first full season as a starting quarterback, Mason Rudolph delivered in a huge way for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys got off to an impressive 10-0 start last season, and Rudolph only had one "bad" game in the streak—a three-interception performance in a close win against West Virginia. Other than that, he was putting up great numbers.
Rudolph established a rock-solid connection with receiver James Washington, who scored 10 touchdowns and averaged 20.5 yards per catch last season. He'll also have Marcell Ateman, the team's No. 2 in receiving scores last season, back for 2016. Oklahoma State could also return all of its starters on the offensive line, so it would just need to find a solid answer in a struggling running game in order to give Rudolph the perfect supporting cast.
Brandon Chatmon of ESPN.com wrote about Rudolph's effect on the Cowboys:
"Few players have transformed their team's outlook like Rudolph did during his first two seasons in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State is 12-3 in 15 games with Rudolph as its starting quarterback. In the 11 games he did not start during his time in the program, Oklahoma State is 5-6.
"
Rudolph is at the cusp of being an elite quarterback, and with all the talent around him for 2016, he should earn that designation this fall. If he can lead Oklahoma State to another strong season, there's no reason for him not to be considered among the best of the best for college quarterbacks.
Auburn RB Jovon Robinson
3 of 14
Auburn has had a 1,000-yard rusher in every season since Gus Malzahn first became the team's offensive coordinator in 2009. With all signs pointing toward more of a run-heavy system for Auburn again in 2016, watch for Jovon Robinson to become one of the best backs in the SEC and a bigger name on a national level.
Robinson, who transferred to Auburn from JUCO prior to last season, struggled with injuries early in the season as Peyton Barber took over for the Tigers. Barber and No. 3 running back Roc Thomas are now gone, leaving a giant hole for Robinson, who finished 2015 on a huge hot streak. He rushed for 90 more yards in all but one of the last five games of the season and was a big play waiting to happen.
The Memphis native is a bruising, tackle-breaking running back with impressive explosiveness in the open field. His all-around gifts make him the perfect player to build an attack around, especially with questions at the quarterback spot for Malzahn. In his first two seasons as head coach, Malzahn had an 1,800-yard rusher in Tre Mason and a 1,600-yard one in Cameron Artis-Payne.
Auburn running backs under Malzahn are usually prime candidates to become elite players, and Robinson has the skill set and opportunity needed to be the next one in line on the Plains. He'll be overshadowed by Leonard Fournette and Nick Chubb in the SEC, but he has the potential to have one of the best seasons for any running back in 2016.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Washington RB Myles Gaskin
4 of 14
One-half of the impressive sophomore duo in Washington's backfield, Myles Gaskin has all the tools needed to explode onto the national scene this fall. His Huskies are picking up steam as Pac-12 contenders this preseason, and he'll enter 2016 after one of the best finishes to 2015 of any running back.
Starting in October of last season, Gaskin became a force for an extremely young Washington offense that found itself on the wrong end of a lot of close games. Gaskin rushed for at least 100 yards in seven of the last nine games of the season, including 155 against Oregon and 181 in a bowl win against a strong Southern Miss team. He was only held out of the end zone twice in games when he had more than five carries.
Travis Mewhirter of Today's U wrote about Gaskin's rushing ability:
"What's particularly unusual about Gaskin's accomplishments is that, relative to his fellow stars in the backfield, he was involved in a low number of snaps. According to ProFootballFocus, Gaskin played just 44.9 percent of Washington's offensive snaps. For a running back who averaged 5.7 yards per carry, that leaves a tremendous opportunity to increase the workload—and payoff.
"
Gaskin will be fresh and more experienced heading into the 2016 season, and he'll run behind an offensive line that returns most of its starters. The Huskies are in a great position for the fall. Gaskin could be the poster child of their push toward a huge postseason.
Ole Miss WR Damore'ea Stringfellow
5 of 14
Laquon Treadwell is now off to hurt defenses in the NFL, meaning Ole Miss ace quarterback Chad Kelly now has to find a new No. 1 target for what the Rebels hope will be another strong season. Enter Damore'ea Stringfellow, who was second on the team in receptions per game last season behind Treadwell.
Stringfellow's overall stats weren't mind-blowing last season—36 receptions, 503 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers were hampered by a couple of games he didn't play in, including the Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma State. But when he was on the field, he flashed the skills that make him the perfect replacement for Treadwell in the Kelly-led, uptempo attack. Dane Brugler of CBS Sports agreed:
"Similar to Treadwell, Stringfellow is a good-sized athlete with the height, length and build to box-out defenders and control the catch point. He is a strong leaper and attacks the ball with his hands, using flexible body control and tracking skills to high-point the ball.
"
While Quincy Adeboyejo is the most productive receiver coming back to Ole Miss in 2016, Stringfellow was the one to get first-string reps in Treadwell's spot during spring practices. Expect him to lead Ole Miss in receiving this fall and be a breakout star like Treadwell was in 2014 for the Rebels.
TCU WR KaVontae Turpin
6 of 14
TCU's offense has a lot of question marks surrounding it for 2016, but it has a clear answer in KaVontae Turpin. The Horned Frogs will try to get the talented sophomore wide receiver the ball as much as possible, as he did it all for the team last season.
Turpin was second on the team last season behind the electrifying Josh Doctson with 649 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He added 116 yards on the ground, too, making him an even more versatile weapon for co-offensive coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie to use. He lit up a Texas defense for 138 receiving yards and four touchdowns, and he had another big day in a loss to Oklahoma State.
The versatile Turpin's biggest attribute is his blinding speed. The 5'9" receiver can turn short passes from TCU's quarterbacks into long gains in a heartbeat, and he can prey on the weaknesses of a defense between the numbers. Give Turpin any bit of room, and he can transform that into a huge play or even six points.
Add his work as a return man into the mix, and it's easy to see why a player such as Turpin has the chance to become one of the nation's best in 2016. Whoever commands the Horned Frogs offense this fall at quarterback will get plenty of work throwing the ball or handing it off to this terrific TCU speedster.
Notre Dame OG Quenton Nelson
7 of 14
Notre Dame's offensive line was one of the best in the nation last season, and it's time for a new star to emerge on the front that featured Ronnie Stanley and Nick Martin. Keep your eyes on Quenton Nelson, a rising sophomore who carved out a starting role as a redshirt freshman last season for a punishing Irish line.
Nelson started 11 games for Notre Dame at left guard last season, making a name for himself with his physical nature up front. He helped pave the way for an excellent Notre Dame attack that was among the top 10 nationally in yards per play, and teammates quickly saw his potential as a star interior lineman.
"Q is a brawler," Notre Dame linebacker Joe Schmidt said, per JJ Stankevitz of CSN Chicago. "He's somebody that loves to get in there. He's a tough, hard-nosed, nasty football player, and that's what you want on the offensive line."
If Notre Dame can keep up its momentum this fall with a newer-look cast of characters and contend for a national title, Nelson should be a big reason why. He's a young leader of Notre Dame's offensive line and could challenge for All-American honors with the way he took over a ton of responsibility on the interior last fall.
Stanford OT Casey Tucker
8 of 14
Here's a shocker: Stanford should have an elite offensive tackle this season. Outstanding bookend talents on the offensive line have been one of the main exports on the Farm for the last several seasons, and Casey Tucker is next in line for the Cardinal.
Matt Brown of Sports On Earth wrote about Tucker's value to Stanford:
"Christian McCaffrey loses three starters from the line that helped pave the way for his 2,000-yard rushing season. Fortunately, he'll get Tucker back at right tackle. The former four-star recruit played five games as a true freshman, then became the starter last season. The 6-foot-6, 296-pound junior will be counted on to keep McCaffrey rolling.
"
Tucker has serious All-American potential, and he'll be a cornerstone of a Stanford offense that is expected to overpower defenses and open things up for the game-changing talents of McCaffrey. Although he started at right tackle last fall, he has the talent to play left tackle, where he can protect the blind side of Kevin Hogan's replacement at quarterback.
Should defending Pac-12 champion Stanford keep things moving at a high level on offense after McCaffrey's explosive 2015 season, Tucker will get a lot of the deserved credit. By the end of the 2016 season, he could be the next household name out of Stanford's offensive line factory.
Clemson DE Austin Bryant
9 of 14
Like the case is for Stanford offensive tackles, it's hard to bet against a Clemson defensive end not becoming an elite player. The next one to follow in the footsteps of Vic Beasley, Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson should be Austin Bryant, who had to fill in for Lawson in last year's Orange Bowl playoff semifinal.
Bryant only accounted for two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks as a freshman last season, but what stands out about him is his potential. He'll be on a defensive line that includes returning starter Carlos Watkins and versatile sophomore Christian Wilkins down the middle, and that should open up plenty of opportunities for him to attack opposing backs with everything he's got.
Bryant told Brandon Rink of the Independent Mail about his 2016 hopes:
"The goal is just to help the team as much as I can. Can't say I'll be Shaq like he was last year. Can't say I'll be Dodd. I'll be Austin Bryant and that's all I can do. Give everything I have and hopefully help this defense.
"
Bryant already has plenty of experience in terms of snaps in a position of great production for Clemson over these past several seasons. He has the talent and the perfect situation to become a bona fide star in 2016 for a national title contender.
Michigan DE Chris Wormley
10 of 14
Heading into his final season at Michigan, Chris Wormley is on the edge of becoming a superstar for the Michigan defense. And with the amount of veteran talent returning to a defense now led by Don Brown—and the addition of No. 1 overall recruit Rashan Gary—Wormley should stuff the stat sheets this fall.
Wormley, who can play either defensive end or defensive tackle, led Michigan last season with 14.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He had a cold spell after racking up three TFLs in each of his first two games, but he came on strong with great games toward the end of the season against Penn State and Florida. From the inside or the outside, Wormley is an all-around force.
Steve Palazzolo of ProFootballFocus wrote about Wormley's ability:
"Wormley is yet another Michigan defensive lineman who can play the run (+19.8) and rush the passer (+19.0) and his 611 snaps led the way among the Michigan linemen. He finished with the top pass rush productivity among the nation’s interior defensive linemen at +12.5 while ranking 14th in run stop percentage at 8.4.
"
Michigan could start four seniors on the defensive line this season and keep things fresh with the talents of young stars such as Gary. That will open up plenty of chances for Wormley, who, with a little more consistency, has the opportunity to be one of the best all-around defensive linemen in the country for 2016.
Alabama LB Tim Williams
11 of 14
Alabama linebacker Tim Williams is already elite at one skill, and he might be able to turn that into an extremely high spot at next year's NFL draft. According to Duane Rankin of the Montgomery Advertiser, Williams is a potential top-five pick in the eyes of ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
But Williams wasn't a first- or second-team All-SEC selection last season, even though he had 12.5 tackles for loss—10.5 of them sacks—in 2015. That's because Williams was basically a third-down weapon only for the Crimson Tide, rushing the quarterback from an outside position on obvious passing situations. For the amount of snaps he played, his production was off the charts.
Now Williams should step into a more standard, every-down role as a starting linebacker for the Crimson Tide in 2016. He'll still be one of the most-feared pass-rushers in the entire country, but he could add onto his growing value nationally with strong work in every facet of his game as an outside linebacker. With Jonathan Allen returning on an incredibly deep defensive line, offenses won't be able to key on just one star for the Alabama defense.
Don't be surprised if Williams challenges for the national sack lead in 2016 thanks to the higher volume of snaps. He was one of the most underrated weapons the national champions had last season, and this should be a huge senior year for him.
USC LB Cameron Smith
12 of 14
If it wasn't for an injury that knocked him out of the final four games of the 2015 season, Cameron Smith might be one of the most talked-about linebackers in college football for 2016. As a freshman last season, Smith did it all at outside linebacker, and he'll have an even bigger role this fall.
Smith was second on the team in tackles but played in four fewer games, meaning he averaged nearly eight takedowns a game for the Trojans. He picked off three passes in a win against Utah and took one of them back for a touchdown. Smith was a sure tackler and an all-around ball hawk down the middle, and his game should only get better in Clancy Pendergast's 5-2 defensive scheme.
Smith told Ted Miller of ESPN.com about the knee injury he suffered during his freshman season:
"[The injury] was bound to happen. I'm glad it happened my freshman year. I got to play. Had some exciting moments. Was able to prove myself. I'd rather have it happen now than my senior year. I won't miss another game.
"
USC fans will hope that's the case as Smith enters 2016 as a leader of a rebuilding defensive front in the bright lights of Los Angeles. If Smith can lead the way in a resurgent season for the Trojans' defense, he'll undoubtedly be a college football star.
Northwestern CB Matthew Harris
13 of 14
In a conference that also featured the likes of Michigan's Jourdan Lewis and Iowa's Desmond King, Northwestern cornerback Matthew Harris didn't get the spotlight he deserved. After all, Harris had the most pass breakups and interceptions on a pass defense that allowed only 5.5 yards per attempt and five touchdowns for the entire season.
Put those two numbers together, and Harris finished with 17 passes defended last season for Northwestern, putting him in a top 20 nationally that also included Lewis, King, Florida's Jalen Tabor and Ole Miss' Trae Elston. But Harris was overlooked in his own secondary opposite Nick VanHoose and Traveon Henry.
This year, that should be different.
Harris will be the leader in the back for a transitioning defense that has been known to play excellent ball under head coach Pat Fitzgerald. He's a lockdown cornerback whom quarterbacks will most likely avoid throwing toward in 2016, or else risk him turning a mistake into a huge play for the Wildcats.
Harris is a seasoned veteran who will continue to battle for recognition in a Big Ten featuring plenty of skilled cornerbacks. However, another season of excellent pass defense for the Wildcats would mean Harris played at elite level once again. That would be tough for the rest of the country to ignore.
Pittsburgh DB Jordan Whitehead
14 of 14
Jordan Whitehead picked up ACC Rookie of the Year honors last season, but it wasn't enough to land him on one of the two all-conference teams at the end of the season. This year, a spot there should be a lock, and he'll have eyes on cracking the All-American teams as well.
Whitehead was a do-it-all strong safety for Pat Narduzzi's Pittsburgh team last season, leading the team in tackles—20 more than the No. 2 player on the list—and providing excellent support in pass coverage. He picked off a pass, had a scoop and score, broke up six passes and chalked six tackles for loss for the Panthers.
Ian A. Boyd of SB Nation wrote about Whitehead's unique strengths:
"At 5'11", 185 [pounds], he might represent a new direction for Narduzzi in prizing greater range and athleticism from his safeties as a counter to the stresses of handling spread offenses. Because of his ease in moving both laterally and downhill, Whitehead is a phenomenal free-hitter in this system for Pitt. He's also effective as an underneath dropper in Narduzzi's three-deep/two-under zone blitzes.
"
Pitt returns most of its starters for the 2016 season and could be a contender in the ACC Coastal division. Whitehead will be a star for the Panthers and has the all-around talent to be one of the best defensive backs in the country by season's end.
Stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings are courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
