2011 College Football Predictions: USC Trojan Matt Barkley and 10 Breakout Stars
The 2010-2011 college football season ended with the Auburn Tigers riding former Florida Gators quarterback and current Heisman Trophy holder Cam Newton to a BCS national championship.
But now that it is officially the offseason, our focus shifts to next year and 2011 college football predictions.
Guys like Newton, Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson and Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon turned out to be some of the best players in the NCAA this year, but all of them vastly exceeded expectations.
With that in mind, here's an early preview of next season's action and a list of 10 potential breakout stars in college football.
Matt Barkley, QB, USC
1 of 10
Matt Barkley, a former top-ranked recruit, has had a solid-but-unspectacular first two years as a starter.
He was shaky as a freshman and then rebounded last year with a 2,791-yard, 26-TD, 12-INT season for a decent USC team.
That was good enough to make him the 32nd nationally-ranked passer, but not enough to live up to his immense hype.
Barkley's expectations were incredibly high as a freshman, but now with two years under his belt, he should finally show why he was hailed as a future No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
He'll be a Heisman contender next season.
Stephen Garcia, QB, South Carolina
2 of 10
Garcia is another former highly-touted recruit who has played well but hasn't met expectations.
His career has been marked by constant scrutiny and threats of being benched by his ultra-demanding coach, Steve Spurrier, who has never really had full confidence in Garcia as the team's starter.
But Garcia had a fine year in 2010 with over 3,000 yards passing and 20 TD, and as a senior he should be the unquestioned starter. With an offseason of hard work (something Spurrier hasn't exactly praised Garcia for in the past), Garcia should continue to improve and become one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC.
Jordan Wynn, QB, Utah
3 of 10
In just his first year as a starter, Wynn led a Utah team that finished with a 10-3 record in the underrated Mountain West Conference.
He threw for 2,334 yards and 17 TD despite missing three games.
Look for Wynn to potentially emerge as one of the nation's best quarterbacks in the Utes' first season in the Pac-12.
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Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
4 of 10
With John Clay going pro, the 236-pound Ball will have to step up for Wisconsin.
As Clay was phased out late in the season, Ball filled in more than admirably, closing the season with five straight 100-yard games, including three games of over 165 yards.
Wisconsin will always be able to run the ball effectively, and Ball is a guy you're going to hear a lot about next year.
Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
5 of 10
This one comes from the obvious names department, as Richardson is poised to be a Heisman contender next season.
He ran for 6.3 yards per carry this year but was limited to just 700 yards rushing and six touchdowns due to Mark Ingram's presence.
With Ingram out of town (and quarterback Greg McElroy too), Richardson will get a lot more carries despite Alabama's still impressive running back depth.
Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
6 of 10
Nick Foles might be the best college quarterback you've never heard of, ranking 35th in passer rating and topping 3,000 yards through the air.
In Arizona's pass-happy offense (ninth-ranked nationally), Foles will get plenty of opportunities as a senior next year.
If it weren't for him missing almost three entire games, he likely would have neared 4,000 yards passing, something only three quarterbacks accomplished this year.
Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
7 of 10
Robert Griffin is one of the best athletes in the country. At 6'2", 220 pounds, he was the top high-school hurdler in the nation and nearly made the Olympics as a hurdler while at Baylor.
An ACL injury cost him the 2009 season, but he came back with a strong performance this year. He topped 4,000 total yards.
Since next year he will be two years removed from his ACL tear, his athleticism will be back to nearly where it was when he was the Big 12's offensive freshman of the year.
Look for Griffin to put up huge numbers in 2011.
Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia
8 of 10
Playing in college football's toughest conference as a freshman starting quarterback, Murray didn't disappoint.
He was the nation's 26th-ranked passer and threw for over 3,000 yards with 24 TD and just eight INT.
Murray threw interceptions in just five games this season, and now that he has a full year of starting experience under his belt, he'll be a Heisman dark horse next season.
Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern
9 of 10
Playing for a team that isn't exactly a national or even Big Ten powerhouse in Northwestern, Persa doesn't get the credit he deserves.
He had the ninth-best passer rating in the nation, topped 3,000 total yards, had 24 total TD and threw just four interceptions—all while missing his team's final three games.
As long as he recovers fully from his ruptured Achilles tendon (ouch), Persa will challenge Denard Robinson and Terrelle Pryor for the title of best quarterback in the Big Ten.
If he can beat out those two stars, he'll earn some well-deserved Heisman consideration.
Bryant Moniz, QB, Hawaii
10 of 10
Yes, I know he plays in a QB-friendly system.
But he put up (almost) Colt Brennan-esque numbers as a junior this year and was the only player with 5,000 yards passing. His 39 touchdowns also led the nation.
Hawaii isn't going to stop throwing anytime soon and as a senior Moniz will battle fellow system quarterbacks Case Keenum and Brandon Weeden for the passing yards title—and trust me, Moniz is the favorite.
Matt Rudnitsky is a student at the University of Michigan and a Featured Columnist/writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Mattrud.
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