Week 14 marks the arrival of college football championship weekend, meaning a national spotlight for some of the nation’s best players to make an impression on the NFL or further ambitions for individual hardware—if not both.
Some of the bigger names in college football such as D’Onta Foreman and Jabrill Peppers won’t play for conference titles for various reasons. Those in the hunt, though, more than make up for noticeable absences and help make this look like one of best week of the year yet again.
Let’s take a look at 10 notable stars to watch.
Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma
The Heisman Trophy usually goes to a running back or quarterback, though Dede Westbrook of the Oklahoma Sooners may have something to say about that tradition.
Westbrook, 6’0″ and 175 pounds, has his eye on the Heisman and NFL with 70 catches for 1,354 yards and 15 scores on the season. The senior has 100 yards or more in seven games on the year, which he hopes to make eight against No. 10 Oklahoma State this Saturday. He’ll become harder and harder to ignore in Heisman talk should he put the Sooners on his back.
O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
A tight end won’t win the Heisman, but O.J. Howard knows this and has other things on the mind—such as being a top-20 pick in the NFL draft.
At 6’6″ and 251 pounds, Howard is just what the NFL looks for in a tight end. His 35 catches for 404 yards and two scores don’t jump off the page, but Alabama’s offense doesn’t defer to the big senior often. But if it does on a national stage when Alabama takes on Florida, Howard won’t be a secret any longer.
Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
Though he plays for a smaller school, Donnel Pumphrey out of San Diego State probably has a better shot at the Heisman because of his position.
Not to discredit the senior—Pumphrey has a ridiculous 1,908 yards and 15 scores on a workmanlike 305 carries this year. A true workhorse, there is little doubt Pumphrey will put on a show while trying to carry San Diego State to a win against Wyoming.
Jake Browning ,QB, Washington
Washington plays Friday, but it would be borderline irresponsible to pass on mentioning quarterback Jake Browning.
Browning is arguably the best quarterback in the nation this year, sitting on a 65.0 completion percentage with 40 touchdowns to seven interceptions. As ESPN Stats & Info pointed out, Browning is right there with other recent NFL products:
Jake Browning: 3rd player in Pac-12 history with 40 Passing TD in a single season. The other two were Jared Goff & Marcus Mariota
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 26, 2016
Browning has to focus on the Heisman for now, which doesn’t seem too outlandish. If he puts on a show against Colorado, the stock simply rises further.
Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
Quincy Wilson isn’t much of a household name yet, but the junior is well on his way.
At 6’1″ and 213 pounds, Wilson has the size and ball skills the NFL covets. As Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller pointed out, the globe continues to catch on to Wilson’s pro upside:
My Thorpe Award finalists would be:
Jamal Adams, LSU
Desmond King, Iowa
Quincy Wilson, Florida— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) November 21, 2016
Gifted with a national stage against the No. 1 team in the nation, Wilson has a chance to shove his name into the mindshare of fans and the NFL.
Ryan Ramczyk, OL, Wisconsin
When it comes to the Big Ten title game, one could focus on Wisconsin running back Corey Clement.
How about a guy who looks like the next Joe Thomas instead? Ryan Ramczyk, big No. 65 at 6’6″ and 314 pounds, is a freak of an athlete making the Badgers’ ground game possible. Pro Football Focus explained the junior’s dominance well:
Ramczyk’s rise has been stunning and immediate, as he has been at or near the top of our tackle grades the entire season despite this being his first taste of FBS action. Through 12 games he has given up no sacks and just three QB hits, and his 83.2 run block grade is tied for fourth-best in the nation.
Should Ramczyk help Wisconsin take down Penn State, he’ll do much to become a household (hard to spell) name deserving of individual hardware and plenty of NFL draft stock.
Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama
Moving back to the SEC, it is always worthwhile to keep an eye on Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts doesn’t look like a freshman by any means, a graph by Saturday Down South helping to drive the point home:
https://twitter.com/SDS/status/804680123672887296
A special player with a bright future, Hurts might not reel in the Heisman this year. But he is well on his way to contending for more than one and absolutely worth watching in the SEC title game.
Ryan Anderson, Edge, Alabama
College football fans know the drill—Alabama is a factory of potential NFL stars.
On the defensive side of things, it is worth keeping a close eye on edge rusher Ryan Anderson. The senior has been a force for Nick Saban’s defense all year, flawlessly stepping into the role other current NFL stars left empty.
Anderson will be responsible for disrupting a strong Florida offense before thinking about the NFL, making him a player to examine.
John Ross, WR, Washington
Like Browning, it would be silly to ignore Washington wideout John Ross.
The junior has 72 grabs this year for 1,071 yards and 16 touchdowns. Thanks to his size (5’11”, 190 pounds) and 14.9 yards per catch, Ross looks like a typical NFL slot receiver ready to take the pros by storm.
Ross has a silly five games with two or more scores this year. He does that again, he’ll be the talk of championship week.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Who could forget about Deshaun Watson?
The Clemson quarterback has another typical year for himself so far, having completed 67.6 percent of his passes with 3,626 yards and 34 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Don’t forget the 444 yards and four scores on the ground, either.
A Heisman favorite, Watson simply has to take care of business against Virginia Tech to perhaps have his team competing for a title while he remains a frontrunner for awards.
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