11 Players Set to Shock the College Football World in 2022

A large part of the college football offseason is about making projections, and while tons of players are getting ample hype, it's not always the guys with the largest-font preseason headlines who go on to make the biggest news.

Casual fans may not yet know some of the players who do, but all that will end when they get on the field.

From a bevy of skill-position players who have the talent to do big things but haven't had an opportunity yet to some defenders every team in the nation will need to scheme around, the next crop of stars is ready to go.

Let's take a look at a handful of guys who'll shock the college football world this season.

Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State Edge-Rusher

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Questions abound for a Penn State program needing to make the leap back to competing for Big Ten titles. If that doesn't happen, head coach James Franklin might find himself in hot water.

Good thing for him he has compiled some terrific recruiting classes full of electric playmakers on both sides of the ball. Now, it's about getting them ready.

There's no bigger concern than both sides of the line of scrimmage. They need some stars to emerge, and incoming 5-star freshman edge-rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton is the ideal candidate.

With Arnold Ebiketie and Jesse Luketa moving on, Penn State needs capable players to get after quarterbacks. The Owings Mills, Maryland, product fits the bill. He is a 6'5", 250-pound force of nature built like a player who can burst onto the scene.

It's not easy for even the nation's top-ranked prospects to make an immediate impact, but Dennis-Sutton's ability combined with the Lions' need means he'll get a heavy look. Even though he won't go through spring drills, he can still make an impact.

Dennis-Sutton has great size and an elite first step, and many people are excited about what he can do. He'll become one of the top young players in the Big Ten right away.

Quinn Ewers, Texas Quarterback

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Texas redshirt freshman quarterback Quinn Ewers has no shortage of hype.

After he flipped from the Longhorns to Ohio State in 2021 and then headed back home in December, everybody is expecting him to be coach Steve Sarkisian's starting signal-caller.

As a matter of fact, last year's starter—Casey Thompson—transferred to Nebraska. He probably saw the writing on the wall, even though Hudson Card stayed and will battle for the job.

Ewers was a 5-star recruit and a 5-star transfer, and he has the full package. But after he failed to beat out C.J. Stroud for Ohio State's starting job, he wasn't going to sit in Columbus and wait his turn when the future could be now back home.

With elite receivers around him such as Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and transfer Isaiah Neyor, as well as running back Bijan Robinson, the weapons are there. Ewers reportedly already has made an impression on coaches, per Orangebloods, and he has a terrific skill set that includes ample size (6'3", 206 lbs), an exceptional arm and athleticism.

Everything is in place for Ewers to have the kind of debut everybody expected when he came out of high school. Just because it's a year later than we thought and it isn't for the team he originally chose doesn't mean he won't be a star.

Justin Flowe, Oregon Linebacker

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Everybody got a chance to see a bit of the flash in Oregon linebacker Justin Flowe a year ago. The redshirt freshman led the Ducks in tackles in the season opener against Fresno State with 14, forced a fumble and had a tackle for a loss.

Then he missed the Ohio State game with a foot injury and never played again.

Now healthy, the 2020 5-star recruit can give the Ducks a duo of inside linebackers who could be the envy of everybody in the nation.

Flowe will team with Noah Sewell, and both could not only be All-Pac 12 players but also All-Americans. With new head coach Dan Lanning in Eugene, his defense has to be excited too. The former Georgia defensive coordinator is a known developer of talent.

And Lanning has plenty to work with after former Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal left terrific recruiting classes.

Flowe has the speed, athletic ability and sideline-to-sideline movement teams look for in an every-down 'backer. Sewell already has proved himself on the big stage, and Flowe is next.

The biggest question is whether he can stay healthy. The 6'2", 235-pound second-level defender has experienced season-ending injuries early in each of his past two campaigns. 

Entering his third year in a collegiate strength-and-conditioning program, Flowe should be ready to go.

Arik Gilbert, Georgia Wide Receiver/Tight End

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Two years ago, LSU freshman tight end Arik Gilbert was a revelation in a COVID-shortened 2020 season. 

The 5-star recruit burst onto the scene with 35 catches for 368 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and 24 of those grabs went for either a first down or a touchdown. When the Tigers needed a big play, they targeted Gilbert.

When he transferred back home following his first year to play for Georgia, it was a huge deal.

Then the Marietta native missed the national championship season a year ago because of personal reasons. He went from being an exciting acquisition to being an afterthought.

In his absence, Brock Bowers became an instant-impact star, and Darnell Washington proved to be a capable blocker and a good No. 2 tight end. 

Now Gilbert is reportedly back with the Dawgs and readying for spring practice, per UGA Wire. He also has a new position, preparing to work out at wide receiver. He's athletic enough for the position, and he's probably a better fit there, considering he wasn't a great in-line blocker.

With Jermaine Burton off to Alabama, UGA needs some star receivers alongside Adonai Mitchell and Ladd McConkey. Gilbert is just the guy.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State Wide Receiver

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There's a new Harrison on the block: Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison's son, Marvin Jr., and he's about to get his own time in the spotlight.

The Ohio State Buckeyes sophomore will get plenty of reps after Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave left for the NFL. It's also a huge deal for Harrison that the Buckeyes get to deploy college football's top returning receiver opposite him, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba is sure to draw tons of attention from defenders.

A year ago, he played in five games and had 11 catches for 139 yards and three touchdowns, including a six-catch, 71-yard, three-touchdown breakout in the Rose Bowl against Utah. That's the game in which Smith-Njigba went off for 347 yards receiving, so it proves with C.J. Stroud at quarterback, there are yards to be had.

Harrison was a prep standout in Philadelphia, and at 6'3", 205 pounds, he is a little bigger than his father (6'0", 185 lbs) and has the type of athleticism and route-running ability to be a college star. 

Look for him to team with Julian Fleming and be options 2A and 2B for Stroud, and with TreVeyon Henderson running the ball, there's a lot to like about the Buckeyes offense. Harrison will be a breakout playmaker this year and could flirt with 1,000 yards.

Haynes King, Texas A&M Quarterback

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Last year was always going to be a reload season for Texas A&M after the Aggies had to replace quarterback Kellen Mond. Even with plenty of talent, you've got to have a signal-caller to run the show.

Haynes King beat out Zach Calzada in the preseason and then threw for nearly 300 yards in the season-opening win over Kent State.

Then a fractured ankle cost him the rest of his campaign. While Calzada went on to help the Aggies upset Alabama, he had an uneven year, and A&M went 8-4. 

With Calzada transferred to Auburn, there is plenty of competition. LSU transfer Max Johnson is in College Station after starting much of the year in Baton Rouge. Incoming freshman Conner Weigman is there too.

But King has special ability. Not only does he have a great arm and good field presence, but one of the main reasons he was a marquee recruit is his athletic ability. Case in point: This offseason, he was one of just three Aggies to exceed a maximum speed of 22 miles per hour in offseason testing, per Texas A&M's Aggie Football Network (h/t Jeff Tarpley of Gigem247), and he was timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash as a prospect.

That's some wheels for a quarterback, especially one who is 6'3" and 200 pounds. King has exciting, elite ability. He also has four seasons of remaining eligibility.

If he figures things out, the Aggies might have a star.

Alton McCaskill, Houston Running Back

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You might not know Alton McCaskill's name. After all, he was only a freshman running back a season ago for AAC program Houston. And even if you did know a little about the Cougars, quarterback Clayton Tune got most of the publicity.

Houston's a possible Group of Five surprise, so head coach Dana Holgorsen's team can make some noise.

And as a matter of fact, the explosive McCaskill looked like a budding star a season ago.

He finished 2021 with 961 yards, a 5.1-yard average and 16 touchdowns. The 6'1", 200-pound Texas native has an upright running style, but he is nimble, powerful and should only improve with another year in a college program. He's the perfect candidate to have a second-year breakout.

With Tune running the show as a veteran signal-caller looking to rise draft boards and with Doug Belk's defense looking like a machine on the other side, the Cougars will be fun to watch. Though McCaskill posted a shade under 1,000 yards a season ago, he'll eclipse the mark in '22.

With the balance and vision to rival his size, he has the chance to be one of the country's top backs as Holgorsen strives for offensive balance.

Clark Phillips III, Utah Cornerback

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Several guys from Utah's quality 2020 recruiting class helped form the nucleus for last year's Pac-12 champions, and the star of that group was a 5'10" cornerback from California named Clark Phillips III. He was the nation's sixth-rated corner and was all set to play for Ohio State when head coach Kyle Whittingham flipped him as part of a late recruiting push.

He's been an absolute star in Salt Lake City. 

Last year, he was a force on the back end and wound up with second-team All-Pac-12 honors as a freshman.

How solid is Phillips? He has the physical traits and the smooth backpedal to shut down an entire side of the field. It's not out of the question he could blossom into the nation's top cover corner, and he still has three years of eligibility remaining.

It's doubtful he'll use all that, but the Utes should be glad to have him for as long as he'll be around. If he builds on last year's 63 tackles and 13 pass breakups, he'll be an All-American. Jaxon Smith-Njigba's Rose Bowl performance probably didn't leave him with the best taste, but that's just the type of thing that can fuel a breakout.

Phillips will take that chip on his shoulder and run.

Will Shipley, Clemson Running Back

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Running back Will Shipley was a major recruiting coup for Clemson before last season, and the 5-star made the immediate impact everybody thought he might.

But the Tigers offense was so bad, he didn't get a lot of national attention.

With this year expected to be much better now that 5-star quarterback Cade Klubnik is on campus to push DJ Uiagalelei, Clemson's offense could be primed for a big rebound under new coordinator Brandon Streeter. That means Shipley could go from being a good back to a great one.

The 5'11", 205-pound North Carolina native had two touchdowns in four separate games, finishing with 11. Splitting time with Kobe Pace, he ran for 739 yards and was third in the ACC in rushing touchdowns among running backs. But he can do so much more, and it wouldn't be a shocker if he doubled his yardage total in 2022.

One minor setback for Shipley (and Pace, who's out with a toe ailment) is he will miss spring practice while nursing a foot injury. Still, head coach Dabo Swinney didn't seem worried, telling 247Sports' Will Backus that Shipley "looks great" and "that guy loves every ounce of everything, but he's in a good spot with his rehab."

The work ethic and knowledge of the game Shipley has shown since arriving on campus are exciting when coupled with his ability. If the Tigers can find a way to get things going in the passing game, it will open things up for him to have a big year.

Dallas Turner, Alabama Edge-Rusher

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When you have a once-in-a-lifetime star on one side of the line of scrimmage such as Alabama's Will Anderson Jr., he tends to garner most of the attention.

That's not a shocker considering the junior might be the most productive edge-rusher in years after he led everyone with an unbelievable 141 quarterback pressures over the last two seasons, per Pro Football Focus.

Opponents had better not forget about the other side, though. The Crimson Tide will have a serious Aidan Hutchinson-David Ojabo effect in 2022. As a matter of fact, they had one a year ago, thanks to Dallas Turner's exceptional true freshman year.

The 6'4", 240-pound edge-rusher from Florida was an immediate force, finishing the year with 30 tackles and 8.5 sacks.

It's not a shocker head coach Nick Saban knows how to recruit and develop elite prospects into stars. But having a pair of outside linebackers as good as Anderson and Turner isn't fair. There's almost no way to pay enough on-field attention to both of them.

The scary thing for SEC teams is Turner still had plenty to learn last year. The more he bends Anderson's ear, watches game tape and picks up nuances, the better he'll be. This will be Anderson's final year before he makes millions, and Turner will follow soon after.

He has All-American potential right now.

Cameron Ward, Washington State Quarterback

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Maybe the most exciting, intriguing player to watch for the 2022 season is Washington State transfer quarterback Cameron Ward.

The Texas native starred for two seasons at FCS Incarnate Word, where he showed a strong arm and massive talent. At 6'3", 220 pounds, Ward is a big-time athlete who looks like he has the potential to become a great quarterback, even if he's raw.

He followed Eric Morris to Pullman after the former Incarnate Word head coach left to become a Power Five offensive coordinator. Ward chose the Cougars over an odd group of schools including Ole Miss, Prairie View A&M and Houston.

As a freshman in 2020, Ward threw for 2,260 yards, 24 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he followed it up with a massive '21 season in which he completed 61 percent of his passes for 4,648 yards, 47 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

With Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Jayden de Laura off to Arizona, the Cougs are Ward's team, and he and Morris will combine to lead the "Coug Raid" attack. Look for big numbers to follow.

"He fits the offense to the quarterback's style," Ward said of Morris, according to KREM2 TV's Brenna Greene. "He doesn't want to over-coach quarterbacks. He coaches them to their strong suits. I like the offense that he has because it's a true progression offense. From left to right or right to left, it's not just a pick a side, either chuck the ball or run. The offense is a quarterback-led offense."

With Ward leading the way, Washington State will be exciting.

     

All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference. Player and recruiting class rankings courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.