It’s easy to forget at this point that Iowa posted a perfect 8-0 record in conference play a year ago en route to a Big Ten West division title. The Hawkeyes were blown away in their Rose Bowl game against Stanford, but they return looking to take care of unfinished business in their own conference with a legitimate chance to be a major player on the national stage. First up, Iowa will need to get out of its own division but they have an impressive cast of talent looking to leave its mark. That’s why one of their stars is at the top of our list. Here is a look at the four best preseason candidates to be the MVP in the Big Ten West.
CB: Desmong King
Iowa Hawkeyes
King would have been a lock as a first round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft but the Jim Thorpe Award winner opted to return to Iowa for his senior season. He has a focus on taking care of unfinished business, but he might also end up costing himself some money. As a sure-fire first-round pick already, he might not have much to gain – other than college accolades – but could have plenty to lose if he puts forth a disappointing season.
King is an absolutely dominant shutdown cornerback and his presence will provide a huge boost for a Hawkeyes’ defense that has the potential to be one of the best in the Big Ten once again. It’s their calling card as they’ll be grinding out games once again. King will also contribute on special teams as the primary kick and punt returner, which allows him to make an even bigger impact for Iowa. The Hawkeyes are legitimate Big Ten championship contenders and King is among the biggest reasons for it.
QB: Tommy Armstrong Jr.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska lost five games by five points or fewer in 2015, so the odds are that they will show marked improvement with an improved roster and a little more luck. The Huskers will also need a big season from their starting quarterback. Armstrong Jr. struggled in his junior year as he threw for 3,030 yards and 22 touchdowns but also had 16 interceptions. Every time he looked like he was able to play like one of the lite quarterbacks in the Big Ten, he would throw a costly pick.
Another year of experience and maturation should help when it comes to cutting down on the turnovers and with a strong cast of weapons around him at the skill positions, Armstrong Jr. could be primed for a very productive season as the leader of the Nebraska offense.
RB: Corey Clement
Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin’s ground game wasn’t as dominant in 2015 as it was in past years as the Badgers managed just 150.3 rushing yards per game to rank 10th in the Big Ten in that department. Maybe they miss Bret Bielema? Second-year head coach Paul Chryst will definitely place more emphasis on the rushing attack in 2016 and it will be on Clement to deliver. Sports hernia injuries limited Clement to just 48 carries in four games a year ago but he ran for 949 yards as a backup in 2014 but he has the potential to top 1,500 rushing yards if he can stay healthy in 2016. Wisconsin will be breaking in a new starting quarterback this season, so they will need to rely on Clement’s ability to consistently move the football on the ground.
LB: Anthony Walker
Northwestern Wildcats
Defense was the key to Northwestern’s success a year ago when they ranked 12th in the entire nation with an average of just 18.6 points allowed per game. The Wildcats will rely on their stop units to lead the way once again in 2016 and Walker will be their most important piece. Their star middle linebacker made plays all over the field a year ago when he finished with a team-high 120 tackles. Walker will be one of six returning starters on the Northwestern defense. This is a unit that isn’t the best in the Big Ten but it keeps them in games. Walker is one of the main reasons why.
