Lucky_Lefty
Dreams Are Colder Than Death...
13. Louisville
Lamar Jackson, QB, Soph.; James Quick, WR, Sr.; Jamari Staples, WR, Sr.
Even coaches in other leagues are projecting a big season for Jackson, whose running ability shined late in his freshman year. He has an arm, too, throwing eight touchdowns in the team's spring game. "I had no idea he was that freaky," a Power 5 head coach said after recently watching Louisville film.
Staples, a UAB transfer, led the team in receiving (638 yards). The aptly named Quick was just 14 yards behind. There will be many yards and points in Bobby Petrino's offense this fall.
12. Oregon
Travis Jonsen, QB, Fr.; Royce Freeman, RB, Jr.; Charles Nelson, WR, Jr.
Freeman (1,836 yards, 6.5 per carry) rushed for 100-plus yards in all but two of Oregon's games last season, and yet he is often forgotten in a discussion of the country's best backs. With 535 carries the past two seasons, he's a workhorse for the Ducks.
The all-purpose Nelson is a matchup nightmare. He needs to see the ball more than the 23 touches he had last season.
Jonsen, a redshirt freshman who was an Elite 11 finalist in 2014, and FCS transfer Dakota Prukop will duel through the summer.
11. Washington
Jake Browning, QB, Soph.; Myles Gaskin, RB, Soph.; John Ross, WR, Jr.
Christian McCaffrey and Freeman. As a freshman, Gaskin averaged 138.5 yards in the team's final four games (three wins). His improvement helped Browning become more comfortable during a freshman season that was sometimes blissful and sometimes labored.
The sophomore QB will undoubtedly benefit from the return of Ross, a speedster who missed last fall due to a knee injury. Ross immediately reminded fans what he could do in the team's spring game, returning the opening kickoff for a score and then catching a touchdown.
10. Georgia
Jacob Eason, QB, Fr.; Nick Chubb, RB, Jr.; Sony Michel, RB, Jr.
Those close to the program still believe Chubb, recovering from knee surgery, will be ready for the team's opener against North Carolina. In the event that he isn't back to 100 percent, Michel isn't exactly a downgrade. He rushed for 1,161 yards in 2015, most of which came after Chubb's injury.
Eason would certainly benefit from having that 1-2 attack at full strength, presuming the true freshman lands the starting gig. Eason has loads of potential, even if first-year coach Kirby Smart has been slow to put much on his shoulders. That may change, however, as the Bulldogs get closer to fall.
9. Florida State
Deondre Francois, QB, Fr.; Dalvin Cook, RB, Jr.; Travis Rudolph, WR, Jr.
Despite missing pieces of three games, including the entire Syracuse game, Cook managed 1,691 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns last season. His 7.4 yards-per-carry average was well ahead of Leonard Fournette (6.5), McCaffrey (6.0) and Derrick Henry (5.6). If you're looking for an overlooked Heisman guy this fall, Cook is your man.
Rudolph is the most accomplished of the raw-but-capable returning receivers. He pushed 1,000 yards as a sophomore despite up-and-down QB play. A three-TD day against Syracuse was head-turning.
Francois is the glaring wild card. Coach Jimbo Fisher has dropped hints that the redshirt freshman is in the lead, but the race is far from over.
8. Stanford
Keller Chryst, QB, Soph.; Christian McCaffrey, RB, Jr.;Michael Rector, WR, Sr.
McCaffrey could form his own nationally ranked triplet with his production from 2015: the runner (2,019 yards, eight TDs), the receiver (645 yards, five TDs) and the return man (1,200 yards, two TDs).
The 2015 Heisman runner-up is the reason the Cardinal are ranked this high. But Rector, the master of the deep ball, shouldn't be overlooked. As a junior, he recorded at least one catch of 30 or more yards in seven games; five of those were for more than 40 yards.
Chryst is still battling Ryan Burns for the starting job. To some extent, McCaffrey's presence makes the decision moot. Just get him the rock.
7. LSU
Brandon Harris, QB, Jr.; Leonard Fournette, RB, Jr.;Malachi Dupre, WR, Jr.
Fournette is the big-ticket item for the Tigers, and everyone knows it. However, LSU desperately needs Harris to progress to keep defenses honest against the run. Going back to high school, our recruiting analysts noted that Harris had a huge arm; it's simply a matter of comprehension and decision-making, which should be second nature for any competent third-year passer.
Harris isn't lacking in weapons, not with a specimen such as Dupre, who flirted with a breakout season in 2015 (698 yards, six touchdowns). Coaches who recruited him believe he has ability on the level of former Tigers receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry; it's up to Harris to do his part to unlock Dupre's potential.
6. Texas Tech
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Jr.; Justin Stockton, RB, Jr.;Derrick Willies, WR, Jr.
Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury has told ESPN.com that Mahomes could pass for 6,000 yards this fall. Tech's coaches believe Clemson's Deshaun Watson might be the only QB in the country who's better than Mahomes.
Those bold proclamations come after the team's most reliable skill players, DeAndre Washington and Jakeem Grant, both departed for the NFL. So for Kingsbury to be proven correct, or even be close, a group of young-but-promising receivers has to step forward.
The staff has long clamored for some size on the outside, and Willies, a 6-3, 225-pound juco product, provides that element. (A video floating around the Internet shows Willies doing a 60-inch box jump from a seated position.)
Stockton is a dual-threat burner who reminds opposing coaches of someone who could fit well into Oregon's offense. He could double the 708 total yards he produced in 2015. Six of his 11 TDs last season came through the air.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Soph.; James Quick, WR, Sr.; Jamari Staples, WR, Sr.
Even coaches in other leagues are projecting a big season for Jackson, whose running ability shined late in his freshman year. He has an arm, too, throwing eight touchdowns in the team's spring game. "I had no idea he was that freaky," a Power 5 head coach said after recently watching Louisville film.
Staples, a UAB transfer, led the team in receiving (638 yards). The aptly named Quick was just 14 yards behind. There will be many yards and points in Bobby Petrino's offense this fall.
Travis Jonsen, QB, Fr.; Royce Freeman, RB, Jr.; Charles Nelson, WR, Jr.
Freeman (1,836 yards, 6.5 per carry) rushed for 100-plus yards in all but two of Oregon's games last season, and yet he is often forgotten in a discussion of the country's best backs. With 535 carries the past two seasons, he's a workhorse for the Ducks.
The all-purpose Nelson is a matchup nightmare. He needs to see the ball more than the 23 touches he had last season.
Jonsen, a redshirt freshman who was an Elite 11 finalist in 2014, and FCS transfer Dakota Prukop will duel through the summer.
Jake Browning, QB, Soph.; Myles Gaskin, RB, Soph.; John Ross, WR, Jr.
Christian McCaffrey and Freeman. As a freshman, Gaskin averaged 138.5 yards in the team's final four games (three wins). His improvement helped Browning become more comfortable during a freshman season that was sometimes blissful and sometimes labored.
The sophomore QB will undoubtedly benefit from the return of Ross, a speedster who missed last fall due to a knee injury. Ross immediately reminded fans what he could do in the team's spring game, returning the opening kickoff for a score and then catching a touchdown.
Jacob Eason, QB, Fr.; Nick Chubb, RB, Jr.; Sony Michel, RB, Jr.
Those close to the program still believe Chubb, recovering from knee surgery, will be ready for the team's opener against North Carolina. In the event that he isn't back to 100 percent, Michel isn't exactly a downgrade. He rushed for 1,161 yards in 2015, most of which came after Chubb's injury.
Eason would certainly benefit from having that 1-2 attack at full strength, presuming the true freshman lands the starting gig. Eason has loads of potential, even if first-year coach Kirby Smart has been slow to put much on his shoulders. That may change, however, as the Bulldogs get closer to fall.
Deondre Francois, QB, Fr.; Dalvin Cook, RB, Jr.; Travis Rudolph, WR, Jr.
Despite missing pieces of three games, including the entire Syracuse game, Cook managed 1,691 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns last season. His 7.4 yards-per-carry average was well ahead of Leonard Fournette (6.5), McCaffrey (6.0) and Derrick Henry (5.6). If you're looking for an overlooked Heisman guy this fall, Cook is your man.
Rudolph is the most accomplished of the raw-but-capable returning receivers. He pushed 1,000 yards as a sophomore despite up-and-down QB play. A three-TD day against Syracuse was head-turning.
Francois is the glaring wild card. Coach Jimbo Fisher has dropped hints that the redshirt freshman is in the lead, but the race is far from over.
Keller Chryst, QB, Soph.; Christian McCaffrey, RB, Jr.;Michael Rector, WR, Sr.
McCaffrey could form his own nationally ranked triplet with his production from 2015: the runner (2,019 yards, eight TDs), the receiver (645 yards, five TDs) and the return man (1,200 yards, two TDs).
The 2015 Heisman runner-up is the reason the Cardinal are ranked this high. But Rector, the master of the deep ball, shouldn't be overlooked. As a junior, he recorded at least one catch of 30 or more yards in seven games; five of those were for more than 40 yards.
Chryst is still battling Ryan Burns for the starting job. To some extent, McCaffrey's presence makes the decision moot. Just get him the rock.
Brandon Harris, QB, Jr.; Leonard Fournette, RB, Jr.;Malachi Dupre, WR, Jr.
Fournette is the big-ticket item for the Tigers, and everyone knows it. However, LSU desperately needs Harris to progress to keep defenses honest against the run. Going back to high school, our recruiting analysts noted that Harris had a huge arm; it's simply a matter of comprehension and decision-making, which should be second nature for any competent third-year passer.
Harris isn't lacking in weapons, not with a specimen such as Dupre, who flirted with a breakout season in 2015 (698 yards, six touchdowns). Coaches who recruited him believe he has ability on the level of former Tigers receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry; it's up to Harris to do his part to unlock Dupre's potential.
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Jr.; Justin Stockton, RB, Jr.;Derrick Willies, WR, Jr.
Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury has told ESPN.com that Mahomes could pass for 6,000 yards this fall. Tech's coaches believe Clemson's Deshaun Watson might be the only QB in the country who's better than Mahomes.
Those bold proclamations come after the team's most reliable skill players, DeAndre Washington and Jakeem Grant, both departed for the NFL. So for Kingsbury to be proven correct, or even be close, a group of young-but-promising receivers has to step forward.
The staff has long clamored for some size on the outside, and Willies, a 6-3, 225-pound juco product, provides that element. (A video floating around the Internet shows Willies doing a 60-inch box jump from a seated position.)
Stockton is a dual-threat burner who reminds opposing coaches of someone who could fit well into Oregon's offense. He could double the 708 total yards he produced in 2015. Six of his 11 TDs last season came through the air.
U really got Dwyer on your team nikka?
thsts disrespectful
