There is no athlete in college football more dangerous than the one that can take the ball to the house every single time they touch it. Whether it’s lined up as a wide receiver or running back on offense of as a kick or punt returner on special teams these burners have all of the tools to make opponents pay every single time they are involved. Here is a look at the top five big play threats in college football heading in to the 2017 season.
WR: James Washington, Oklahoma State
Washington is exactly the type of wide receiver that can find the end zone every single time he lines up for a play. The 6’1’’, 205-pound beast averaged over 19 yards per catch for the second year in a row last season, finishing with 71 receptions for 1,380 yards and 10 touchdowns. Washington has the perfect combination of size, speed, hands and elusiveness in the open field and there is no reason to expect his production to slow down at Oklahoma State in 2017. The Pokes are expected to have one of the most explosive passing games in 2017 and Washington is one of the main reasons. With another good year, he’s going to wind up being one of the top picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.
WR: Anthony Miller, Memphis
Miller shattered expectations at Memphis last season when he set program records with 95 receptions for 1,434 yards and 14 touchdowns. The scary part is that he has the potential to put up even better numbers in 2017 with Riley Ferguson back at the quarterback position. Miller is a little shorter than Washington but his speed and quickness make up for it as one of the most explosive big play threats in college football.
RB: Derrius Guice, LSU
Leonard Fournette’s graduation to the NFL will mean LSU turns the page at the running back position and it’s scary to think they might actually have a better overall option in Guice. While Fournette’s physicality will be missed, Guice’s explosiveness and big play ability will more than make up for it. Guice led the SEC in with an average of 7.6 yards per carry in his sophomore season. With a full year to showcase his skills, it won’t be a shock if he leads the SEC in yards and touchdowns in 2017.
The issue for the Tigers is how good will their passing game be? The Tigers have struggled to pass the ball for almost a decade and that has cost them in SEC play. It’s held them back from being a next-level team and that’s what ended up costing Les Miles his job. If the Tigers aren’t able to pass the ball any better than they have been able to in the past, Guice is going to have a tough time finding running lanes. He’s going to run wild against the weaker competition in non-conference and in SEC, but he’ll struggle against the Alabama’s of the world when they load up the box.
WR: Cody Thompson, Toledo
Toledo will have an excellent opportunity to challenge for top spot in the MAC next season with a dynamic offense led by one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the country in Thompson. The junior’s 19.8-yard average ranked ninth in the country as he registered 64 catches for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. Thompson, who has already topped the 100-yard receiving mark 10 times in his career, should absolutely dominate in the MAC this coming season.
WR: Richie James, Middle Tennessee
When it comes to big play potential there is nobody with a greater chance to improve on what they did overall last season than James. No returning player had more catches of 10-, 20-, 30-, or 40-plus yards last season and a little more consistency out of the Middle Tennessee offense could mean better overall numbers from James in 2017. The dynamic receiver has 213 catches for 2,971 yards and 20 touchdowns through his first two college seasons and while he is No. 5 on this list there is no doubt he has the potential to challenge for the best numbers in the country at his position as one of the most talented big play threats in college football.
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