College Football Teams and Players Poised for Huge Bounceback Years in 2017
A lot of college football teams and players wish they could erase the 2016 season from their minds, but only a handful will have the kind of year in 2017 that will make it a reality.
For some players, injuries derailed promising careers temporarily a year ago. For others, schematic mismatches or down years were enough to make them want to put last season in the rearview mirror.
Many teams around the country want to do the same.
There's no way Gary Patterson at TCU or Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern can be happy about the way things transpired, especially considering the seasons they're used to having. Some teams like Oregon even changed coaches in the offseason to help quicken the process.
Even powerhouse programs whose seasons didn't live up to expectations are looking to rebound, and they made big-time assistant hires to help.
From all corners of the Power Five, there are stars looking to soar again during the upcoming football season. Many programs are poised to do the same.
Let's look at 10 players and teams who'll rebound with huge turnarounds in '17 that will make everybody forget about the subpar season in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of college football.
Florida State Seminoles
1 of 10
2016 issues: A 10-3 campaign with an Orange Bowl win over Michigan is far from a down year. But head coach Jimbo Fisher expects championships, and those didn't come in '16 due to serious defensive issues that put plenty of heat on coordinator Charles Kelly. Breaking in a freshman quarterback in Deondre Francois and a lot of new offensive linemen wasn't easy, either.
What's changed: The Seminoles defense has its biggest stud back in safety Derwin James, as well as talent and depth everywhere, so Kelly should field a better unit. Francois is a year older, and while do-it-all tailback Dalvin Cook is gone, there are a bunch of studs ready to carry the torch, starting with freshman Cam Akers. Running behind a line that had a year to jell will be beneficial.
2017 outlook: With the players Fisher stockpiled, the Seminoles need to open the season with a huge win against Alabama. If that happens, the Seminoles have the ability to win the national championship. It should possibly even be expected; FSU has that level of talent.
J.T. Barrett, Ohio State Quarterback
2 of 10
2016 issues: The final few games of the Tim Beck era were forgettable, as Urban Meyer had his eye toward a coordinator change. Quarterback J.T. Barrett's lack of development was a huge issue as he went from a Heisman Trophy contender to someone who failed to eclipse 130 passing yards in any of the Buckeyes' final three games.
What's changed: Meyer made one of the most dynamic hires of the offseason in getting former Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson to enhance his offense. Barrett will benefit from a coach who has a history of tailoring his unit to his stars' skill sets. "Right now we're running our stuff and running it with some great players," Wilson told ESPN.com's Austin Ward this spring.
2017 outlook: Barrett hasn't been the same since the Cardale Jones experiment. But he wasn't awful last year. With a new, inventive coordinator, Barrett will shine. He has the kind of dual-threat talent that can make OSU a national title contender. The Buckeyes will go as far as Barrett takes them. With Wilson around, that should be far.
Georgia Bulldogs
3 of 10
2016 issues: An inconsistent offensive line and talented-but-enigmatic freshman quarterback Jacob Eason led to mixed reviews in head coach Kirby Smart's first season. The Bulldogs struggled more offensively a season ago, but Mel Tucker's defense wasn't without blemish. UGA suffered through normal growing pains in rebranding former coach Mark Richt's program.
What's changed: Most importantly, the Bulldogs return running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel more than a year removed from injuries. Chubb, especially, should benefit in his second season back from a gruesome knee injury. They will help Eason's development, as will an offensive line that was rebuilt through Smart's stellar recruiting.
2017 outlook: Year Two of the Smart regime will see UGA as the SEC East favorites, and for good reason. Eason is as talented as any quarterback in the country, and when things click, he's going to be tough. The senior duo at running back has the chance to be the nation's best, and with all those stars Georgia brought in through recruiting (No. 2 class, per Scout.com), 2016's holes should be filled.
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Will Grier, West Virginia Quarterback
4 of 10
2016 issues: As far as on-field issues, there were none. That's because Will Grier never saw the field, sitting out after transferring from Florida to West Virginia. His Gators career was marred by a one-year suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He'll try to put that behind him in Mountaineer country.
What's changed: Grier should be on the field, even though that isn't set in stone. The Mountaineers are still awaiting official word on the signal-caller's eligibility following the suspension, but WVU coach Dana Holgorsen remains confident, according to SBNation's Michael Miller. If Grier plays, his strong arm mixed with talented playmakers in Holgorsen's wide-open offense is intriguing.
2017 outlook: The last we saw of Grier, he was flinging darts for the Gators and looking like the next great Florida quarterback before the bizarre season-ending suspension in 2015. Marrying him with Holgorsen's offense should produce even bigger numbers than the Mountaineers enjoyed in a 10-win 2016 behind Skyler Howard. If Grier is cleared, WVU is a dark-horse candidate to win the Big 12.
Northwestern Wildcats
5 of 10
2016 issues: Somebody forgot to wake the Wildcats up and tell them the 2016 season started. A year after a 10-3 season in '15, coach Pat Fitzgerald's team started 1-3, including a shocking 9-7 loss to Football Championship Subdivision opponent Illinois State. The passing game, at times, was an atrocity.
What's changed: Not much, and that's actually a good thing in this case. The Wildcats return 16 starters, led by stud running back Justin Jackson, who is one of the nation's best players. They rebounded to beat Iowa and Michigan State and take Ohio State to the wire late in the year before beating Pittsburgh in the Pinstripe Bowl. With Nevada, Duke and Bowling Green as the first three opponents, the Wildcats should start 3-0.
2017 outlook: The Wildcats must play Wisconsin, Penn State and Nebraska, but that's the extent of their schedule difficulty. With Clayton Thorson entering his junior year, the quarterback should do enough to balance Jackson's running prowess. Considering Northwestern's defense is usually tough, that lines up for a strong season. Now they just have to follow through.
Derwin James, Florida State Safety
6 of 10
2016 issues: A knee injury cost Derwin James all but two games of the 2016 season, and his absence didn't help matters when it came to all the defensive issues the Seminoles suffered. It's no coincidence he left right before Louisville rolled up 63 points against FSU.
What's changed: All that experience gained by players in James' absence took the Seminoles to "another level" this spring, he told the Orlando Sentinel's Safid Deen. The big-hitting, uber-talented defender is healthy now and shaking off the rust during spring drills. He should be an All-American when he's healthy.
2017 outlook: The sky is the limit for James, who may be the most physically gifted defensive player in the entire country. Former FSU defender and Super Bowl winner Bryant McFadden said to Deen an NFL executive told him James could be better than the late, great Sean Taylor.
With all that talent around him, offenses won't be able to throw away from James; he'll make them pay with a season that could wind up with him at the Heisman Trophy ceremony. He's that good.
Oregon Ducks
7 of 10
2016 issues: A foundation that was showing fissures long before last year finally cracked and shifted, ending former coach Mark Helfrich's tenure with a forgettable 4-8 season. Though the offense was far from its dominant self, the defense was atrocious, finishing 126th (out of 128 teams) in total defense and scoring defense.
What's changed: The Ducks brought new head coach Willie Taggart in from South Florida, where he had turned the Bulls into a dominant mid-major. He'll have a jewel around which to build his offense with running back Royce Freeman returning (healthy) for his senior season. Taggart also lured defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt from Colorado, making him the Pac-12's highest-paid coordinator, according to ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy.
2017 outlook: The ingredients are in place for a huge turnaround with Freeman returning and quarterback Justin Herbert entering his sophomore season. It's a complete defensive rebuilding effort, but Leavitt has a track record of producing. The North division should be tough with Washington, Stanford and Washington State. But the Ducks won't be a pushover and should finish the year ranked.
Skai Moore, South Carolina Linebacker
8 of 10
2016 issues: In the first year of head coach Will Muschamp's tenure, South Carolina drastically improved its defense that was putrid in the final couple of years of the Steve Spurrier regime. The Gamecocks did so without their leader, as All-SEC linebacker Skai Moore sat out the entire season after recovering from surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck.
What's changed: The 6'2", 221-pound tackling machine is back on the field after missing an entire season, electing to return to Columbia for his senior year. He'll return to a rejuvenated group that has taken on Muschamp's defensive mentality and really responded to coordinator Travaris Robinson. The fast, aggressive style fits Moore's skill set.
2017 outlook: Moore decided to come back and team with Bryson Allen-Williams to give USC a dynamic linebacking duo capable of all-conference honors. He's taking advantage of a chance to become the first Carolina player to lead the team in tackles for four seasons. He's also three interceptions off the school record. Moore is an elite player with an NFL future, and he'll be a next-level player for a budding Gamecocks team in '17.
TCU Horned Frogs
9 of 10
2016 issues: There was no thrill for quarterback Kenny Hill and Co. in a 6-7 2016 season that saw the Horned Frogs plagued by turnovers, penalties, poor wide receiver play and, as offensive coordinator Doug Meacham told the Fort Worth Star Telegram's Carlos Mendez, a lack of toughness. "Offensively, we had a lot of drive-killers with penalties,” running back Kyle Hicks said. "[And] we had some key injuries."
What's changed: TCU coach Gary Patterson said he wants Hill to regain his confidence, per ESPN.com's Jake Trotter. The Horned Frogs return 13 upperclassmen at receiver along with highly rated recruits Jalen Reagor and Omar Manning, so they've got plenty of options. Somebody will emerge, and TCU will rebound.
2017 outlook: If the Frogs can put together a full season, they'll be fine. Hill will have another year in the books, and last year's struggles will help him grow. Though they have a difficult schedule with games at Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and home games against Texas, Oklahoma and West Virginia, the Frogs can still split those and have a strong season. They should do that and rebound nicely.
Josh Rosen, UCLA Quarterback
10 of 10
2016 issues: After a slow start to 2016 with a loss against Texas A&M, UCLA star quarterback Josh Rosen was injured in the Bruins' 23-20 loss to Arizona State and had to get shoulder surgery on his throwing arm. With him out of the lineup, UCLA spiraled out of control, finishing 4-8. The Bruins looked lost.
What's changed: Rosen is back this spring and working out the kinks from the injury that cost him much of his sophomore season. "He's doing fantastic," UCLA coach Jim Mora Jr. told PFT Live, according to NBCSports.com's Michael David Smith. Mora also praised his quarterback's growing maturity, and there already are no physical limitations to a healthy Rosen.
2017 outlook: With new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch being lured away from Michigan, where he excelled as a quarterbacks coach, Rosen will get plenty of hands-on assistance. He'll also have more time to throw with right tackle Kolton Miller returning from injury. With playmakers around him, Rosen will shine. He'll have the kind of season that helps him leap a year early to the NFL draft.
All stats gathered on CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruit rankings and information courtesy of Scout unless otherwise noted.
Brad Shepard covers college football for Bleacher Report.
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