I love college footballs, however, it’s impossible to keep up with all 128 FBS football programs. I think my head would explode. I try my best to keep up to date with all the Pac-12 teams because my squad, the University of Washington Huskies, reside in that conference, yet I find myself failing more often than not. Although, I do have a handful of players across America I will be keeping a close eye on this season due to their skill, game changing ability or expected position in the 2017 NFL draft.

DeShaun Watson (Clemson)-He is the most exciting player in college football today. Let this sink in for a second, DeShaun Watson is the only college QB to ever throw for 4000 yards AND rush for 1000 yards in the same season. What a remarkable feat to accomplish. I’m still shocked he did not win the Heisman trophy. I have a feeling he will be adding that to his trophy case in the near future.

Leonard Fournette (Louisiana State University)-It’s fun to watch greatness. His 3-game span rushing for over 200 yards (228, 244, 233) was quite impressive and put him on my radar, as well as boost his profile nationally. For the 1st half of the season he had the Heisman all but wrapped up but his poor performance (19 carries for 31 yards & 1 TD) against Nick Saban’s Alabama defense dashed those hopes. I’m very much looking forwards to their November 5th match-up at Tiger Stadium. This feels like the Todd Gurley saga all over again. Fournette could play in the NFL today, but NCAA rules force him to play in college for 3 years. I just pray he doesn’t get hurt, like Gurley did, and mess up his draft stock.

Calvin Ridley (Alabama)-Following in the mold of other great Alabama WR’s (Julio Jones, Amari Cooper) Ridley will only build upon a strong freshman campaign when he amassed 89 receptions, 1045 yards & 7 TD’s. This guy will be the next great Crimson Tide WR to go high in the draft.

Luke Falk (Washington State University)-This one is for all my Cougar friends. I’ve always been very intrigued by Mike Leach dating back to his Texas Tech days with Graham Harrell & Michael Crabtree as the centerpieces. His pass 1st, 2nd & 3rd offense is certainly unique and one-of-a-kind. It’s wild to watch a team pass on almost every down. Last season, Falk led the country in pass completions (447) & pass attempts (644) and 4th in passing yards (4561) & passing TD’s (38). Coming off a 9-4 season, capped off with a win in the Sun Bowl, I suspect Leach’s Cougars and Chris Petersen’s Huskies will be battling all season for the Pac-12 North crown.

Royce Freeman (Oregon)-I loathe to add a Duck to this list, but I cannot deny Freeman’s explosive talent. I’m still in awe of his performance against WSU, where he ran 27 times for 246 yards and 2 TD’s, he also caught 3 passes for 46 yards and 1 TD. Amazingly, Oregon lost that game. I think there will be a great season long battle between Freeman, Christian McCaffrey and Myles Gaskin as to who will lead the Pac-12 in rushing.

Myles Garrett (Texas A&M)-He, quite possibly, could be the top selection in the 2017 NFL draft. With the NFL being such a passing league, DE’s who can rush the passer AND defend the run are especially coveted. At 6ft, 5in and 260 lbs he has the size and strength to play in the NFL right now. He will see double teams on almost every play this season, so it will be fun to see how he adjusts.

Jabrill Peppers (Michigan)-He is one of those all-around pure athletes who can be lined up on offense, defense or special teams. Out of everyone on this list he might be the most intriguing because of his versatility and ability to play the hybrid safety/linebacker position, called “moneybacker” or “big nickel.” He reminds me a lot of Deone Bucannon.

Budda Baker (Washington)-The preseason hype has drenched Montlake and the Chris Petersen-led Husky program. All the pieces are in place for a breakthrough season and Baker will be a catalyst. He will anchor the secondary as an Earl Thomas-type of safety who will use his amazing athleticism & smarts to make plays across the field and he’s unafraid to throw his body around.

Christian McCaffrey (Stanford)-I’m still sick from his awesome dual performance against UW. He finished that game with 23 rushes for 109 yards and 1 TD, while also catching 5 passes for 112 yards and 1 TD. This was the week after he slaughtered UCLA’s defense for 243 rush yards and 4 TD’s. It will be interesting to watch how David Shaw uses his talented RB as he will be the focus of opposing defense’s.

Adoree Jackson (University of Southern California)-As you may have already figured out I’m a huge fan of players who are multi-dimensional. Jackson certainly fits the description. On defense, he is a CB with immense ball-hawking skills, who can come up and use his athletic ability to stop WR/RB screens. On offense, he can be used as a slot receiver, a RB flexing out of the backfield or an outside WR to blow the top off of the defense. On special teams, he has the ability to flip field position in the blink of an eye, either as a kick or punt returner. Finding the position where he can make the biggest impact will be the hard part for USC coach Clay Helton, as Jackson has the ability to produce spectacular, game-changing play’s from anywhere on the field.

Bonus Player: Travis Rudolph (Florida State University)-The world can be a dark and scary place at times. This week Travis Rudolph showed us even a small gesture, like eating lunch, can bring a sense of normalcy and joy to a young autistic boy & his mother. It just goes to show you don’t need to make some big, grand gesture to change someone’s day, it’s the small things that count. I’m a Travis Rudolph fan for life.