Every college football team has that one star player they simply can’t afford to lose. He’s talented, productive and unique to the team in a way that makes him irreplaceable. The Pac-12 has seen a number of those players perform at the highest level over the last decade. So whose turn is it now to continue that long list of talented stars in that conference? Here is a look at the most indispensable players in the Pac-12 right now.
RB: Christian McCaffrey
Stanford Cardinal
McCaffrey is one of the biggest reasons why Stanford enters this season as a legitimate contender to win the Pac-12 and make this year’s College Football Playoff. The versatile running back emerged as a superstar in 2015 when he led the nation in all-purpose yardage and all eyes will be on him to see what he has in store for an encore. McCaffrey ran for 2,019 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while also leading the Cardinal with 645 receiving yards on 45 receptions with an additional five scores. McCaffrey will be that much more important to Stanford this year following the graduation of quarterback Kevin Hogan and as long as he stays healthy he should be a Heisman contender as one of the most explosive offensive players in the entire country.
QB: Josh Rosen
UCLA Bruins
Rosen thrived as a true freshman quarterback last season when he threw for 3,669 yards and 23 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He topped the 300-yard mark in six of his 13 starts and showed improved poise and decision-making as the season progressed. Rosen will look to pick up from where he left off as the Bruins’ most important piece on either side of the football and they will only go as far as he can take them. The main issue that he’ll have to overcome is consistency. He had some rough outings against some of the better teams in the Pac-12, like his two-interception effort against USC in the finale. He also threw two interceptions against Stanford, two in the bowl game to Nebraska and three against BYU. UCLA slipped to 8-5 last year following back-to-back 10-win seasons, and it’s easy to see the correlation between his performance and the team’s success. In the team’s eight wins, he had just four interceptions. In the team’s five losses, he had seven interceptions. If he sharpens up a little bit – especially versus the elite teams – the Bruins should bounce back as a legitimate contender to win the Pac-12 this year with Rosen leading the way under center.
CB: Adoree’ Jackson
USC Trojans
Jackson will be extremely important to the Trojans on the defensive side of the football but that won’t be the only area where he provides his team with a spark. The junior cornerback was moved all over the field a year ago and he thrived both in the defensive secondary and on offense at the wide receiver position. Jackson had 27 catches for 414 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver with an additional two punt returns for touchdowns while also making 35 tackles with an interception on defense. His speed, quickness and elusiveness in the open field make him one of the most dangerous players in college football and he will be the ultimate weapon for the Trojans once again next season.
RB: Royce Freeman
Oregon Ducks
Dakota Prukop will try to mirror the success Vernon Adams had at Oregon, but Freeman is perhaps the more important piece as the catalyst of the Ducks’ rushing attack. Freeman ran for 1,836 yards and 17 touchdowns a year ago with an additional 348 yards and two scores on 26 receptions. He will have every opportunity to top those numbers in 2016. The Ducks had a rough go of things on offense early on last season but with Freeman headlining in the backfield, they should have a smoother start to the year. He has outstanding speed, power and leverage and there is no doubt that if he stays healthy he will be one of the nation’s top running backs this season.
