Every year, a new wave of talent emerges and leaves their memorable mark on the college football season as breakout players. Last year, we saw the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook breakout as they burst onto the scene. This year, there’s a new crew of players that are on the cusp of breaking out but aren’t household names yet.
The 2016 season will be no different and we have identified a small group of players that we feel will have the biggest impacts in those roles. Here is a look at the top breakout players to look out for in 2016.
QB: Lamar Jackson, Louisville
The talented dual-threat quarterback out of Louisville has the potential to shine in 2016 with the perfect combination of skill, situation and a strong cast of weapons around him. What we know is that head coach Bobby Petrino is great at churning out quality quarterbacks and this appears to be his latest project. Jackson appears to be on the cusp of big things.
Jackson showed flashes of his elite skill set as a freshman last season when he threw for 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 960 yards and 11 scores. Bobby Petrino has talked on numerous occasions about Jackson’s potential and the quarterback has worked hard this offseason to put on an additional 20 pounds while maintaining his speed and agility. The Cardinals have the potential to be a dark horse threat in the ACC this season and Jackson is a big reason for it.
LB: Arden Key, LSU
The Tigers will need some playmakers to emerge at key positions in order to deliver as legitimate contenders in the SEC West. Key is one player that could help fill that role as a potential breakout star on the defense. The 6’6’’, 231-pound sophomore had 41 tackles and five sacks in his debut season and he should benefit from the switch to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Dave Aranda. Aranda is known for getting creative in order to generate pressure up front and Key should among those that benefit the most as a breakout player in the Tigers’ defense this season.
DE: Sam Hubbard, Ohio State
Ohio State will have a number of important holes to fill on both sides of the football including at the defensive end position, where they will have to replace the third-overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft in Joey Bosa. The Buckeyes will turn to Hubbard to fill that gap after he registered 6.5 sacks and 28 tackles last season. Hubbard is expected to make a major jump heading in his sophomore season as a 6’5’’, 266-pound end that has a great first step with both the strength and technique to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. Hubbard has all of the necessary skills to be a star at the defensive end position and OSU will rely on his production to help set the tone up front for their defense in 2016.
QB: Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina
Trubisky performed at a high level when called upon last season and there is every reason to expect his skill set to shine through as the starting quarterback at North Carolina this season. Similarly to Jackson, Trubisky is paired with a head coach who really does a great job at churning out quarterback talent. Trubisky is set to step in as the signal caller for one of the top offenses in the country. He’ll have an excellent opportunity to put up some huge numbers. North Carolina was one of the highest scoring teams in the nation last year and given the lack of quality defenses in the ACC (outside of Clemson and Florida State), he should do quite well.
Trubisky will benefit from another year of experience heading in to his junior year and he will have the opportunity to build on his numbers from a year ago when he completed 85.1-percent of his passes for 555 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions. Trubisky is among the biggest reasons for the considerable hype surrounding the Tar Heels heading in to this season and he should emerges as a breakout star in 2016.
