10 Hyped Young Stars Who Have A Lot to Prove
Off the field, Ezekiel Elliott has been involved in offseason controversy. On the field, the hype is still real.
Pundits have dubbed him a pro-ready back who will flourish behind the Dallas Cowboys' talented offensive line and rush his way to the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Performing well in college and the preseason will do that—set the bar high, that is. And yet, the former Ohio State standout has yet to play a down in a professional game that counts.
Elliott is not the only young athlete getting a lot of hype right now. Recent college grad Jimmy Vesey had NHL teams clamoring for his services in August, and 22-year-old UFC fighter Paige VanZant has achieved fame beyond her years.
What do these and the other seven athletes on this list have in common? 1. They are the subjects of big-time hype in their sports, and... 2. They haven't had the opportunity or sufficient time to prove themselves yet. Some have yet to play in a professional game, and others are simply young talents without a lot of experience under their belts.
As any sports fan knows, hype is one thing, and execution is another. Will all 10 of these athletes soar to great heights? Will they meet or exceed the surging expectations that have been placed upon them?
Time will tell.
Yoan Moncada
1 of 10
The Boston Red Sox signed the Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada, 21, for $31.5 million in 2015, and the hype has only grown. In July, he nabbed the top spot on Baseball America's midseason list of top 100 prospects and was named MVP of the MLB All-Star Futures Game.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports called him "the closest thing to [Mike] Trout I've seen" (via Bleacher Report's Bill Speros).
Moncada was called up in early September and promptly went 4-for-9 in his first two games. Seven straight strikeouts later, and his first slump has already happened.
Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said, per Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald: "I would find very few guys that get to the big leagues that aren't going to go through a significant learning curve at the major league level."
It just goes to show making it big in the majors is a process, and even No. 1 prospects take time to prove themselves.
Joel Embiid
2 of 10
The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Joel Embiid at No. 3 overall in 2014, but he has yet to play in an actual NBA game. Injuries have forced the former Kansas center to sit the past two seasons.
Leading into 2016-17, however, 22-year-old Embiid is reportedly healthy and ready to contribute to the 76ers' attempted resurgence. Hype is building for the talented young player, helped along by impressive workout videos posted to social media.
Kyle Neubeck of Liberty Ballers wrote:
"Embiid has a chance to be something the Sixers haven't had in earnest since the early 80's. Great as Allen Iverson was, his skill-set and size (and predisposition to gamble for steals) put a limit on his impact on the defensive end. There are very few players in the history of the Sixers franchise who can claim to be legitimate game-changers on both ends of the court.
"
Two-plus years after he was drafted, the former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year should finally get his shot to show what he's made of.
Auston Matthews
3 of 10
Months before the NHL entry draft in June, most hockey fans suspected Auston Matthews would be the No. 1 overall pick.
In December, ESPN's Craig Custance called the center "the best player in the world not playing in the NHL."
And Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Considered a rare combination of size, skill, scoring ability and hockey sense, Matthews was a consensus No. 1 pick."
Despite his young age (18), Matthews has racked up a wealth of experience internationally. He played professional hockey in Switzerland in 2015-16, performed well in the IIHF World Championship and was named to Team North America's roster for the World Cup of Hockey.
Matthews was indeed selected at No. 1 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team with one playoff appearance in the past 11 seasons. Toronto head coach Mike Babcock said, per Jonas Siegel of the Canadian Press (via CBC Sports): "Obviously we got a lot better."
Matthews will soon get a chance to prove if that's true.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Dak Prescott
4 of 10
The Dallas Cowboys took former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft. Sure, he would play behind veteran QB Tony Romo, but perhaps he could develop into the Cowboys' QB of the future.
Fast forward to August: Romo broke a vertebra during a preseason game and was initially expected to miss six to 10 weeks. Prescott, 23, was thrust into the spotlight as his temporary replacement and now, Week 1 starter.
Prescott's stellar preseason—39-of-50 passing with five touchdowns and no interceptions in three games—has really got the hype flowing. There is even talk of getting Romo possibly getting Bledsoed (you know, that time Drew Bledsoe had the misfortune of getting injured and replaced by a young Tom Brady).
And yet, CBS analyst Rich Gannon said, per Justin Terranova of the New York Post: "I am always amazed people say 'he's looked so good' this preseason, but that's against two fronts and two zones, very vanilla. Wait until this thing gets rolling and he's seeing different coverages and overloads and exotics. I am curious to see how he’ll handle himself."
Paige VanZant
5 of 10
Paige VanZant made her UFC debut in 2014 and has since recorded four wins and one loss. She is currently ranked No. 8 in the strawweight division and won her last fight by technical knockout over Bec Rawlings in August. Her coach, Justin Buchholz, described her as having "limitless potential" on MMAJunkie Radio, via Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie.
VanZant's fame has skyrocketed, an ascent aided by her appearance on Dancing With the Stars. The 22-year-old also revealed on SportsCenter she has turned down film and WWE offers to focus on UFC, per Ken Pishna of MMAWeekly.
Despite growing popularity and progression in the Octagon, VanZant has yet to reach the upper echelons of her sport.
Bleacher Report's Mike Chiappetta wrote:
"This is a recurring issue for UFC matchmakers. Some youngster gets signed, makes a big splash and garners an inordinate amount of media attention in a small amount of time. What do you do next? Take your time with that talent in cultivating them, or shoot them up the ladder toward a title shot and see how they handle the push?
"
Whenever VanZant's next fight occurs, she'll have an opportunity to prove even more of that potential her coach was talking about.
Gary Sanchez
6 of 10
The New York Yankees called up rookie Gary Sanchez, 23, in early August, and to say he came out with a bang would be an understatement.
It took the young catcher just 23 games to smack his first 11 home runs, the fastest any player has achieved that mark, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. He took home MLB player and rookie of the month honors in August, and Emma Baccellieri of Deadspin called him "more or less Babe Ruth right now."
Outside demand is there for Sanchez, as well. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported (via Brendon Kuty of NJ.com) that Sanchez’s name came up during trade talks with the Chicago White Sox involving pitcher Chris Sale.
A major hot streak is one way drum up hype, but it's also a way to ensure heightened expectations. One good month does not a lifelong major leaguer make, and Sanchez has already started to cool in September. (His last home run was August 27.)
Ken Davidoff of the New York Post wrote: "Sanchez has quite the head start...Although we all know those who finish the best get remembered the most fondly."
Ben Simmons
7 of 10
Few top draft picks experience the level of hype Ben Simmons did.
When the former LSU forward declared for the draft, John Buhler of Fansided wrote: "This was absolutely expected, as almost no incoming freshman since Kevin Durant played at Texas had the hype entering college since Simmons arrived in Baton Rouge."
So of course, it came as no surprise when the Philadelphia 76ers took Simmons No. 1 overall in June. Since then, Simmons has signed shoe deal with Nike and worked out with LeBron James. His jersey sales have already cracked the top 10, according to Fanatics.com (via Philly.com's Suzette Parmley).
As if expectations weren't high enough, the woeful 76ers, a team that won 10 games in 2015-16, drafted the 20-year-old. Shaun Powell of NBA.com wrote: "He plays as though he fully accepts the responsibility and burden of being a savior for a franchise that has essentially tanked just to get a player like him, someone with star qualities."
He is an uber-hyped draft pick whom many see as a catalyst for a new, winning era in Philadelphia...all before his first NBA game.
Carson Wentz
8 of 10
The Philadelphia Eagles gave up five draft picks, including two first-rounders, to trade up and grab Carson Wentz, 23, at No. 2 overall in the 2016 NFL draft.
Many considered the quarterback out of North Dakota State to be one of the draft's top QBs, along with Jared Goff out of Cal.
Despite an injury-shortened preseason, the Eagles named Wentz their Week 1 starter. The team also traded veteran QB Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings, trimming the backup plan options in case Wentz falters.
And yet, head coach Doug Pederson said, per Dieter Kurtenbach of Fox Sports: "Everybody feels like this kid is ready to go. We drafted him to take on the reins. It's something now that we're prepared to do. He's such a special guy. This stage is not too big for him."
The Eagles appear to be putting a lot of faith in the young rookie—time will tell if he can live up to it.
Jimmy Vesey
9 of 10
The Nashville Predators drafted Jimmy Vesey in 2012, but the left winger elected to finish out his college playing days at Harvard. He went on to win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player in 2016.
Vesey, 23, neglected to sign with the Predators after graduation and ultimately became a highly sought-after unrestricted free agent. Eight teams were in the running the sign the phenom, but he ultimately chose the New York Rangers.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Willis wrote: "Virtually everything about Vesey's deal with the Rangers was controversial: his decision to go to free agency, the length of time he took to make up his mind and the amount of attention drawn by an unproven player."
The hype surrounding Vesey's decision was mega, but the fact is, he has yet to prove himself worthy of such hoopla. Pete Judge of the Hockey Writers pointed a slightly lackluster senior season (despite the Hobey Baker) in which he finished eighth in points per game and offered: "Vesey's hype far exceeds his stature as a hockey player at this point."
Ezekiel Elliott
10 of 10
The Dallas Cowboys selected running back Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He ran for 1,821 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior at Ohio State in 2015.
The 21-year-old has not played in an NFL game, but the hype is real. A strong preseason showing against the Seattle Seahawks—seven carries for 48 yards, including five runs of at least five yards—only intensified expectations.
Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News wrote: "The Ezekiel Elliott Express has left the station. If healthy, it shouldn't stop until he runs away with Offensive Rookie of the Year."
Dave Richard of CBS Sports added: "Ezekiel Elliott is a first-round pick in fantasy football. If you don't think he is, that's your problem."
Elliott is talented—there is no disputing that. He looked strong against the Seahawks, and he will have the opportunity to run behind a stellar offensive line. And yet, when folks are saying things such as "Offensive Rookie of the Year" in conjunction with a player, well, that player has a lot to prove.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
