Five who sat out in 2015 ready to stand out in 2016
Pittsburgh running back James Conner’s return to the field Saturday is sure to be one of the best moments of college football’s full opening weekend, but he’s not the only player back after missing all or most of 2015.
Conner’s absence stands out because of its life-threatening nature and because he is an elite player. But other teams are counting on their potentially elite players to excel in their returns from absences caused by severe injuries or other reasons. In the offseason and preseason, those teams have been given reason to think that will happen.
You won’t see Wisconsin running back Corey Clement, Georgia running back Nick Chubb or Baylor quarterback Seth Russell on this list — it is reserved for those who played very little or not at all.
One player who would fit the bill and comes with all-conference and even All-America potential is Michigan State linebacker Ed Davis, a 2014 allBig Ten performer who missed 2015 because of a knee injury. But Davis’ appeal for a sixth year of eligibility has not been granted, so his return is uncertain. These players’ returns are not: MIKE WILLIAMS, WR, CLEMSON Williams has been a go-to player for the Tigers since arriving on campus and has the school record for receiving yards by a sophomore (1,030). He scored a touchdown on his lone drive of 2015, one that ended with him crashing into the goalpost and breaking a bone in his neck. Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s vision helps him get the ball to every playmaker on the field, and he’s getting an elite 6-3 target back to add to the mix. MATTHEW THOMAS, LB, FLORIDA STATE Like UCLA’s Eddie Vanderdoes, Thomas was a five-star recruit, but shoulder injuries cost him part of the 2013 season and all of 2015. This preseason he’s shown his elite qualities, particular his speed and reaction time. “What I like, he’s triggering downhill, reading, making good, disciplined reads inside,” Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said Tuesday. “When we’re playing and all of sudden he’ll go make that play that others don’t — run guys down in space and track them. Really good cover skills, athletic — I mean, he’s just playing good football right now.” EDDIE VANDERDOES, DT, UCLA When healthy, Vanderdoes has been extremely productive at his position, ranking eighth on the team in tackles as a freshman and making eight — including two for losses — in the Bruins’ 2015 opener at Virginia before tearing a knee ligament in the third quarter. UCLA’s defense, ransacked by injury in 2015, won’t open this season at full strength, either, but the return of Vanderdoes will do wonders. JAMES MCFARLAND, DE, TCU The last time McFarland appeared in a game, he won defensive MVP honors in the Peach Bowl. That was at the end of the 2014 season, one in which he led the Horned Frogs in sacks. McFarland’s broken toe before the 2015 season was one of a stunning number to projected starters on TCU’s defense, but he’s back to full strength. How did McFarland, a preseason all-Big 12 honoree, become such a good pass rusher? At West Monroe (La.) High, he went toe-to-toe with future Alabama tackle Cam Robinson in practice. TRAVONTE VALENTINE, DT, LSU Valentine’s absence from Football Bowl Subdivision competition last season was self-induced, not injury-induced. Lately Valentine has been inducing amazed reactions from his teammates and coaches. By all accounts, the one- time No. 2 defensive tackle recruit in the country has rectified himself academically, behaviorally and physically, and he pairs with Davon Godchaux to give the Tigers two all- Southeastern Conference-caliber defensive tackles.