The most underrated player on each top 25 team

1. 7/4/2018 College football's most underrated player on each top 25 team
http://www.espn.com.au/college-sports/story/_/id/23873069/college-football-most-underrated-player-top-25-team 1/5
The most underrated player on each Top
25 team
8d
Ultimate Draft: Top 25 pro-talent-
producing colleges
12d - ESPN.com staff
Tennessee puts cheerleading coach on
paid leave
2h
Congressman accused of knowing about
abuse
13h
Drake broadcaster Cotlar dies in flash
flooding
3d
Sex abuse inquiry on OSU doc now
includes HS
4d
A&M: Coaches not told of sex assault
allegations
4d - ESPN
2018 NCAA baseball tournament
schedule and results
5d
Freshman pitcher's masterpiece earns
Oregon State the CWS title
5d - Mitch Sherman
Oregon State sails by Arkansas 5-0 to
win CWS
5d - Mitch Sherman
Cal slugger Vaughn takes home Golden
Spikes
5d - Mitch Sherman
Duke baseball coach Pollard gets
extension
6d
OSU's Snyder Big Ten athlete of year
again
6d
Oregon State's ninth-inning magic evens
the CWS
6d - Mitch Sherman
Larnach's blast in 9th helps Beavers
even CWS
6d - Mitch Sherman
Damien Harris has been a steady presence for the Tide each of the past two seasons, but gets overlooked even in his own position
group. John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2018
Each season, new stars emerge on the gridiron. It's often the players who have
been with the program for a while, waiting for a chance, who sneak into starring
roles while no one is looking. Don't sleep on these potential breakout players for
each of the Top 25 teams.
1. Alabama: RB Damien Harris
All Damien Harris has done is rushed for 900 yards or more in each of
the past two seasons, and yet he keeps getting overlooked. There's the
Jalen Hurts-Tua Tagovailoa debate, of course, but it's also Harris'
understudy, Najee Harris, who has captured Bama fans' attention. All Damien
keeps doing is racking up yards. -- Alex Scarborough
2. Clemson: LB Kendall Joseph
Largely overshadowed by Clemson's defensive line and even fellow
linebackers like Dorian O'Daniel last year, Joseph has been a steady
presence for the Tigers. It might surprise some to know Joseph has
collected 222 career tackles, including 18.5 for loss with 30 quarterback hurries.
A third-team All-ACC selection in 2017, Joseph is set up for a strong finish to
his college career. -- Adam Rittenberg
3. Ohio State: S Jordan Fuller
Fuller will be the veteran leader of the Buckeyes' secondary in 2018
after learning from talent-loaded defensive backfields the past two
seasons. The New Jersey native will be a key piece to Ohio State's
The most underrated player on each
Top 25 team

2. 7/4/2018 College football's most underrated player on each top 25 team
http://www.espn.com.au/college-sports/story/_/id/23873069/college-football-most-underrated-player-top-25-team 2/5
Tennessee honors late 'Voice of the Vols'
Ward
6d - Chris Low
Ex-AD: Baylor used black players as
scapegoats
6d - Paula Lavigne
A&M students meet with admin over
assaults
7d - Paula Lavigne
Arkansas gets to Heimlich in 5th for
Game 1 win
7d - Mitch Sherman
defense even if most of the attention remains focused on the star-studded
defensive line. -- Dan Murphy
4. Georgia: DB J.R. Reed
Of course we all understand that Roquan Smith and Lorenzo Carter
are gone. We get it, Georgia's defense will look different this season.
But don't forget a standout performer from last season: J.R. Reed. All
the sophomore defensive back did was post 79 tackles, two interceptions and six
QB hurries. -- Scarborough
EDITOR'S PICKS
Alabama upends Clemson in post-spring Top 25
The Crimson Tide and Tigers have quarterback battles brewing that will last into the
summer. But the defending national champions will do what Nick Saban has always done:
reload and aim to repeat.
5. Oklahoma: OL/LT Bobby Evans
Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. garnered all the attention and honors
anchoring Oklahoma's offensive line last season. Bookend mate Bobby
Evans, however, was quietly just as dominant on the other side. With
Brown now in the NFL, Evans has flipped to the left side -- and stands to take
over as the headliner of Oklahoma's imposing line. -- Jake Trotter
6. Washington: OL Ryan Bowman
Former walk-on Ryan Bowman was a huge surprise for Washington
last year and is now in line for a starting spot as an outside linebacker
for the Huskies this season. In limited work as a redshirt freshman,
Bowman led the Huskies with 5.5 sacks and was second with 9.5 TFLs. --
Edward Aschoff
7. Wisconsin: WR Danny Davis III
Wisconsin hasn't been known for explosive wide receivers, but things
should change this season thanks to Davis and others. Davis averaged
more than 16 yards per reception as a freshman and tied for second on
the team with five touchdowns, including three against Miami in the Orange
Bowl. Along with Quintez Cephus, A.J. Taylor and others, Davis brings the
dynamic speed element that Wisconsin has lacked. -- Rittenberg
8. Miami: DE Demetrius Jackson
Before a knee injury shut him down midway through the season,
Jackson recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks playing opposite
Joe Jackson on Miami's defensive line. Miami needs depth and
production on a line that lost two tackles to the NFL. Demetrius Jackson's
return, along with those of Joe Jackson and Jonathan Garvin, could be
significant. -- Rittenberg
9. Michigan State: DT Mike Panasiuk
Most of the Spartans' line deserves a bit more credit than it receives.
Panasiuk started 16 straight games. Last year he and fellow tackle
Raequan Williams were the anchor of a revitalized run-stopping
defense. -- Murphy

3. 7/4/2018 College football's most underrated player on each top 25 team
http://www.espn.com.au/college-sports/story/_/id/23873069/college-football-most-underrated-player-top-25-team 3/5
10. Michigan: RB Karan Higdon
The Wolverines' defense will (rightfully) draw a lot of attention again
this year. Higdon, though, is a smart, decisive runner with breakaway
speed. He could be one of the Big Ten's breakout stars if the line in
front of him takes a step forward in 2018. -- Murphy
11. West Virginia: WR Gary Jennings
Though David Sills V was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award last
season, Gary Jennings actually led the Big 12 with 97 receptions. As a
reliable possession option, Jennings is a big reason why the
Mountaineers' passing attack figures to be among the best in the country. --
Trotter
12. Notre Dame: C Sam Mustipher
The guy who lined up next to two top-10 NFL draft picks for the past
couple of years has a chance to step out of their considerable shadow
this season. Mustipher hasn't missed a start in the middle of Notre
Dame's daunting offensive line for the past two years. He'll be the key to making
sure that group remains solid while replacing Mike McGlinchey and Quenton
Nelson. -- Murphy
13. Penn State: LB Koa Farmer
Don't forget the Nittany Lions finished among the top 10 in the nation
in points allowed last year to go with that flashy Saquon Barkley-
centric offense. Farmer's transformation from a high school running
back to a 235-pound linebacker is complete, and as one of the unit's top
returning players, he's primed for a breakout year. -- Murphy
14. Stanford: P Jake Bailey
Special-teamers rarely get the love they deserve, but in a year in which
Stanford's defense enters as an unknown (again), punter Jake Bailey
might be the Cardinal's sneaky secret weapon. Last year, Bailey
ranked seventh nationally with an average punt of 45.4 yards, planted 24 of his
57 kicks inside the 20 and bombed 20 punts of 50-plus yards. -- Aschoff
15. Virginia Tech: OLB/D Mook Reynolds
He played alongside two future first-round picks in Tremaine
Edmunds and Terrell Edmunds, so his accomplishments could easily
be overlooked. But Reynolds has 134 tackles, including 18 for loss, in
the past two seasons and has started 26 games over the past three seasons. He'll
be a more recognizable player this season, as Virginia Tech really needs him to
step up. -- Rittenberg
16. Mississippi State: RB Aeris Williams
Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald gets all the attention, and rightfully so.
What's more, there was a two-year stretch where State just couldn't
seem to run the ball outside of its quarterbacks. But that doesn't mean
Aeris Williams should be completely overlooked, not when he has quietly
racked up 1,829 yards and 23 touchdowns the past two seasons. -- Scarborough

4. 7/4/2018 College football's most underrated player on each top 25 team
http://www.espn.com.au/college-sports/story/_/id/23873069/college-football-most-underrated-player-top-25-team 4/5
17. USC: C Toa Lobendahn
There's no question that USC's offensive line was a major weak spot in
2017. Now, Toa Lobendahn returns as arguably the most important
player up front. He's the most experienced member of the line and has
played guard, tackle and center, where he'll return this fall after playing left
tackle last year. Injuries have plagued him, and the Trojans absolutely need him
to be healthy this fall. -- Aschoff
18. UCF: WR Dredrick Snelson
Milton received most of the attention along with wideout Tre'Quan
Smith and others, but Snelson had a solid sophomore season,
recording 46 receptions for 695 yards and eight touchdowns. After
averaging 15.1 yards per catch, he steps into a featured role as he enters his
second season as a starter. -- Rittenberg
19. Auburn: DL Dontavius Russell
You'd think a 6-foot-3, 320-pound lineman with the quickness of
Dontavius Russell would get more attention, but to be fair Auburn's
defensive line is loaded. Still, the senior nose guard deserves credit
not just for anchoring one of the best lines in the country, but also doing his fair
share of getting after it with 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last season. --
Scarborough
20. TCU: S Niko Small
Niko Small has been overshadowed the past two years playing
alongside All-Big 12 safety Nick Orr. But over 23 starts, Small has
been a reliable player for Gary Patterson's defensive backfield. With
Orr no longer around, Small is set to take over as the linchpin of the TCU
secondary. -- Trotter
21. Boise State: RB Alexander Mattison
Running back Alexander Mattison has proved to be the perfect
complement to quarterback Brett Rypien, with the ability to bury
opposing defenses on his own. Mattison rushed for 242 yards against
Colorado State last year, the third-highest total in Boise State history. In
Mattison and Rypien, the Broncos boast a dynamic backfield. -- Trotter
22. Texas: DE Breckyn Hager
Though he's been yanked around to different positions along the
Texas defensive front, Breckyn Hager has been a consistent pass-
rushing threat over his 34 career games. Now locked in as a starter at
defensive end, Hager is positioned to potentially cap his career with a standout
senior season. -- Trotter
23. Texas A&M: LB Tyrel Dodson

5. 7/4/2018 College football's most underrated player on each top 25 team
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The Aggies' defense gets a bad rap. And, frankly, the overall numbers don't say
otherwise. But dig down and you'll find at least one player who has done his
part: linebacker Tyrel Dodson. Last season he not only ranked seventh in the
SEC with 96 tackles, he also had six sacks, six passes defended and three
interceptions. -- Scarborough
24. Oregon: RB Tony Brooks-James
Filling Royce Freeman's historic shoes at running back won't be easy,
but don't sleep on senior Tony Brooks-James. He was Oregon's
offensive MVP in 2016 and he has legit track team speed. Health has
always been an issue with him, but the 185-pound Brooks-James rushed for
nearly 500 yards last year and will be the head of the Ducks' running back
committee this fall. -- Aschoff
25. South Carolina: WR Bryan Edwards
A lot of people are going to be excited about the return of Deebo
Samuel to the Gamecocks' receiver corps, and they should be. But
don't sleep on Bryan Edwards. He's caught 103 passes and eight
touchdowns the past two seasons, after all. -- Scarborough