Five Players with the Most to Gain in 2015-16 College Football Season
The 2015 college football season will be remembered for the inaugural College Football Playoff. But it will also be remembered for Ohio State’s third-string quarterback Cardale Jones coming out of nowhere to lead the Buckeyes to the national championship.
2016 will be an even bigger year personally for Jones, who must now prove that his magical run in the College Football Playoff was no fluke. Jones leads this list of five players who could dramatically improve their stock in the 2016 draft with some stellar play in this upcoming season.
1. Cardale Jones
Jones could’ve ridden the wave of his national championship triumph into the NFL draft, but he wisely chose to stay in school and is presumably on pole in the race to be starting quarterback at Columbus. Scouts love his big arm and even bigger body, and a full season worth of solid performances could propel him to the top of draft boards.
2. Trevone Boykin
The landscape has shifted for college football, as odds on who will win the 2015-16 NCAA championship have moved significantly as key players moved on to the NFL. That shift has opened the door for TCU to become legit championship contenders. And if the Horned Frogs are to make good on that potential, senior quarterback Trevone Boykin will be a big reason why.
NFL teams may have cooled on dual-threat quarterbacks like Boykin, but if he puts up the types of numbers he did during his junior year and leads TCU to the national title, then teams may have no choice but to take notice.
3. Ezekiel Elliot
Jones may have been the big story in last year’s playoffs, but Elliot was the Buckeyes’ MVP with a couple of truly monstrous games. After seeing two running backs get drafted within the first 15 picks in 2015, Elliot should fancy his chances of going in the high first round if he makes good on his undoubted Heisman potential.
4. Dak Prescott
Prescott could’ve declared after garnering some Heisman buzz in leading Mississippi State to a surprisingly good 2015, but he chose to return for his senior season. Prescott projects as a much better pro prospect than the player he’s often compared to (Tim Tebow) and with more improvement, Prescott could yet climb up in draft boards.
5. Laremy Tunsil
Tunsil’s draft stock took a hit after he broke his leg during last year’s Peach Bowl, and he’ll need to rebuild that back up in his junior season. The Ole Miss left tackle is an elite talent, and if he shows he’s fully recovered from the injury, he could be a top-five pick.
