Every College Football Playoff Contender's Secret Weapon in 2016
The term "playoff contender" gets thrown around a lot in college football, but in most cases, it's warranted. For most teams, this is usually based on the talent they have to work with.
We're not just referring to the household names—those stars even the most casual fans are aware of. Just as important to a postseason run are the role players, the supporting cast and under-the-radar contributors who mean just as much as the superstars but don't get nearly as much attention.
Using Odds Shark's list of top playoff contenders as a guide, we've signaled out a "secret weapon" who could be key to each team's success. You might not know about these players now, but that figures to change once the 2016 season gets underway in a few weeks.
Alabama: WR Gehrig Dieter
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Amari Cooper was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2014, and current Alabama sophomore Calvin Ridley might be even better. While there's little doubt who will be the Crimson Tide's No. 1 option in the receiving game, expecting Ridley to do all the damage is foolish.
Alabama needs multiple reliable targets for whoever wins its quarterback competition, which is why Gehrig Dieter could end up being one of the most impactful graduate transfers in the country in 2016. The 6'3”, 207-pound senior has already shown he can make the key catch during his time at Bowling Green and SMU.
Dieter had 94 catches for 1,033 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015, with seven of those scores coming in the red zone for Bowling Green. Alabama, as a team, had 12 red-zone TDs last year.
"I'm just going to continue doing my best and contribute in any way I can and help the team win," Dieter told AL.com's Michael Casagrande.
Clemson: WR Hunter Renfrow
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He isn't much of a "secret" to Oklahoma and Alabama, who are probably still having nightmares about him, but to the rest of the country, Hunter Renfrow must seem like an urban legend.
Really? A former walk-on who entered the College Football Playoff with 22 receptions and two touchdowns suddenly became an unguardable force? It seems hard to believe, but the 5'10”, 175-pound Renfrow was as important to Clemson's postseason performance as quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Wayne Gallman.
Renfrow was called on to take a bigger role in the Orange Bowl after Deon Cain was suspended for a failed drug test, and he responded with four catches for 59 yards and a 35-yard TD. Then, in the national title game against Alabama, he hauled in a career-high seven passes for 88 yards with two scores, with both coming in the first quarter to give Clemson its only lead at 14-7.
With Mike Williams returning from a neck injury that cost him nearly all of 2015 as well as Artavis Scott back for another season, Clemson's main targets are locked in. Still, don't be surprised if Renfrow ends up on the receiving end of a few more big scores this fall.
Florida State: CB Tarvarus McFadden
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Florida State isn't regularly included in the "DBU" discussion, an arbitrary debate between Florida and LSU over which school produces more top-quality defensive backs, but it should. The Seminoles secondary seems to always have several great corners and safeties—to the point that some highly rated prospects have to wait awhile to get onto the field.
It's how Tarvarus McFadden, the No. 15 player in the 2015 recruiting class and the third-rated corner, only managed to appear in seven games and log four tackles (three against FCS school Charleston Southern) because of the talent ahead of him on the depth chart.
But with Jalen Ramsey in the NFL, the Seminoles have an opening at corner, which is McFadden's for the taking as long as he can hold off fellow sophomore Marcus Lewis and another 5-star freshman, Levonta Taylor. FSU will have its hands full with Ole Miss' receiving corps in the season opener on Labor Day in Orlando, meaning McFadden figures to be put to the test early and get to prove himself right away.
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Georgia: TE Jeb Blazevich
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Tight end has been a significant position of value at Georgia for some time. From 2009-14, the group collectively had at least 31 catches, 394 yards and three touchdowns each season. Last year's group ended that trend, and top target Jeb Blazevich's total of 15 receptions for 144 yards and one TD was the worst of any No. 1 option in seven years.
New Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart recognized this dip, identifying No. 1 tight end prospect Isaac Nauta as a key recruiting target. The early enrollee could challenge for the starting job, but at the very least, he's apt to spark something in Blazevich as he tries to bounce back.
It will help that Blazevich will be playing healthy, unlike in 2015 when he dealt with leg issues, according to DawgNation's Seth Emerson.
The 6'5", 242-pound Blazevich should benefit greatly from Smart's hiring of offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, whose two tight ends at Pittsburgh last season combined for nine TDs, and that position produced 11 TDs in 2013-14 when he was at Arkansas.
LSU: RB Derrius Guice
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When you have a weapon as dominant as Leonard Fournette, what more does a team need? In LSU's case, having a reliable quarterback would help in order to balance the offense and keep defenses honest, but it's also important to have another rushing option in those rare occasions when Fournette needs a break.
Derrius Guice fit that bill perfectly as a freshman in 2015, albeit in limited action. He only had 51 carries but turned that into 436 yards and three touchdowns, with his 8.55 yards per carry ranking third in FBS.
Much of the 5'11”, 212-pound Guice's work came in mop-up duty, but in a must-win November game against Texas A&M, it was Guice who broke off a 50-yard TD run to give the Tigers a 13-7 lead midway through the third quarter. That run might have helped Les Miles keep his job, as a source told ESPN's Joe Schad that LSU reportedly didn't decide against firing Miles until that point in the game, possibly as Guice was headed to the end zone.
Fournette remains the first, second and probably third option for LSU when it wants to run the ball, which will be often. But Guice has shown he can break off big runs and get key yards, so expect him to get a few more touches in 2016.
Michigan: RB Ty Isaac
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Michigan's rushing attack produced 158 yards per game and 27 touchdowns last season, but as a whole, it felt like an unspectacular effort because there was no go-to player. Leading rusher De'Veon Smith had three 100-yard games but also four with fewer than 40, while neither Drake Johnson nor Derrick Green could do much.
Maybe things would have been different if Ty Isaac had been able to avoid injury and being wrapped up in an "internal matter," as coach Jim Harbaugh put it, that contributed to Isaac's not playing in the Wolverines' final six games.
Before that, the 6'3”, 230-pound Isaac had run for 205 yards on 30 carries, including a 76-yard touchdown against UNLV. It was his first season with Michigan after transferring from USC, where as a freshman in 2013, he had 236 yards and two scores.
Smith and Johnson remain ahead of Isaac, while Green has transferred to TCU, but don't count the junior out if he can make the most of his reps during training camp.
"Ty Isaac has a really good chance to make something happen," Harbaugh said, per Evan Petzold of MaizeNBrew.com.
Notre Dame: K Justin Yoon
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Kickers don't normally fit the description of a secret weapon, seeing as they're a regular part of every game. But Justin Yoon showed as a freshman he can be counted on to rescue a stalled drive, if needed, which in 2016 may allow Notre Dame to take more risks on offense.
Yoon's career with the Fighting Irish started off poorly, missing field goals against Texas and Virginia, including one from 34 yards out in the third quarter against Virginia that could have changed the scope of that contest. But he was automatic after that, making his last 11 tries, including all five in late-season one-score games against Boston College and Stanford.
"If there’s an issue with him pushing a ball or hooking something, he’s a guy that can self-correct on his own, immediately assess it and not let it affect him," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said, per UNHD.com's Scott Janssen.
Yoon's 88.2 percent success rate was sixth in FBS and tops among freshmen last season. Twelve of his kicks came in the red zone, keeping the Irish's 88th-ranked red-zone offense from being worse.
Oklahoma: S Steven Parker
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As explosive as the Oklahoma offense was last season, just as important to the Sooners' Big 12 title and playoff bid was their ability to defend the pass. Their 202.8 yards allowed per game ranked 33rd nationally and best in the conference, yielding 197.6 per game to a lineup of Big 12 foes that included three of the top eight passing attacks in the country.
Oklahoma recorded 20 interceptions in 2015, though none came from Steven Parker. Instead, he spent most of his time deterring quarterbacks from throwing in his direction while the likes of Zack Sanchez, Ahmad Thomas and Jordan Thomas got the picks.
Parker's biggest contribution in 2015 came on a two-point conversion, when he batted away a pass in the end zone that preserved Oklahoma's 30-29 win over TCU. With Sanchez in the NFL and Jordan Thomas' status uncertain following a late-June arrest, Parker's play becomes even more important.
"I think he has to take it to the next level,'' defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said, per Bruce Campbell of EnidNews.com. "He has been a solid player but has to become a dominant safety. He has the capabilities of, and we certainly expect him to take another jump in that direction. He has to be a playmaker for us."
Ohio State: WR Torrance Gibson
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The quarterback-turned-wide receiver process might end up becoming an annual thing at Ohio State if Torrance Gibson is able to replicate what Braxton Miller did in 2015.
For Miller, it was needed because his shoulder could no longer handle being a passer. For Gibson, it's to ensure a player with his immense talent doesn't collect dust on the bench as long as J.T. Barrett is with the Buckeyes.
A 4-star prospect who has begun the switch to wideout, Gibson was redshirted last year with an eye on 2016 as his opportunity to shine. OSU's perilously short on experience at the receiver position, with junior Curtis Samuel the only returning player who had more than seven catches a year ago, and during spring practice, Gibson began his quest to be part of the mix.
"That was on display during Ohio State's spring game, when he hauled in a team-high six catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns," Bleacher Report's David Regimbal wrote. "It was one of his better days in an up-and-down spring camp."
The 6'4”, 215-pound Gibson might not run the ball as frequently as Miller did last year, but he can be called on to throw it if OSU wants to get tricky.
Oregon: TE Pharaoh Brown
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Pharaoh Brown was in the midst of a breakout season in 2014, with six touchdowns in Oregon's first 10 games, when it looked like his career had come to an abrupt end. A devastating leg injury nearly led to amputation and has kept the 6'6”, 250-pound Brown from playing ever since.
That absence from the field looks to be ending in less than a month, as Brown shined during spring practice and is at 100 percent heading into his senior season.
"It's good to be back out there and not watching," Brown told 247Sports' Matt Prehm.
Having Brown available this fall will help the Oregon offense remain spread out. Last year, the tight ends combined for only 21 catches and two TDs.
Stanford: RB Bryce Love
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Christian McCaffrey obliterated the FBS all-purpose yardage record in 2015, doing it not just as Stanford's leading rusher but also as its top receiving option and best return man. He figures to be heavily involved in all those areas again, but the Cardinal don't need to rely on him as much with Bryce Love ready and willing—and pretty able—to handle his own share.
As a freshman last season, Love had 29 carries for 226 yards and two touchdowns, along with 15 catches for 250 yards and a score. He also had a 22-yard kickoff return, giving him an all-purpose yards-per-touch average of 11.1 that was ahead of McCaffrey's 8.9.
The 5'10”, 184-pound Love moves into the No. 2 running back spot with Remound Wright graduating and Barry Sanders Jr. transferring to Oklahoma State. Only McCaffrey has more receptions among returning players, so expect Love to come out of the backfield and use his open-field speed quite often.
Tennessee: S Rashaan Gaulden
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Tennessee will have very few new starters this season thanks to the bulk of 2015's lineup coming back for more, and in the heavily covered SEC, it's difficult for any player to remain much of a secret. Rashaan Gaulden is a known quantity within the league but more because of his inability to parlay standout offseason work into regular-season performance because of injuries.
A broken bone in his foot suffered last August cost him his sophomore year, preventing him from starting as the Volunteers' nickel cornerback. He's since moved to safety and now is poised to be a starter on the back line as Tennessee looks to replace both starters from a season ago.
"Right now I'm trying to prove to them that I haven't lost a step since my injury," the 6'1", 178-pound Gaulden said, per Patrick Brown of the Times Free Press.
USC: DL Rasheem Green
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USC may line up with as few as two defensive linemen this season, a mixture of design and necessity. Clancy Pendergast likes to use a 2-5 front, but the Trojans are also perilously thin on the line because of graduation and injuries.
Rasheem Green is included in that, hurting his elbow earlier this week, according to Shotgun Spratling of the Los Angeles Times. Assuming Green's injury isn't serious, he's in great position for a breakout year as a sophomore.
The 6'5", 280-pound Green has the versatility to play both tackle and end, something he did while appearing in all 14 games in 2015. That has drawn comparisons to former USC standout Leonard Williams, who went sixth overall in the 2015 NFL draft.
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports, unless otherwise noted. All statistics provided by CFBStats, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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