Nearly every year, a player who comes into the year with no hype or expectations has a breakout season. It’s tough to predict, obviously, which is why those players have no hype to begin with, but with the help of some friends, we’re going to try anyway.
Jalin Hyatt had amassed 41 catches for 502 yards and four touchdowns through his first two years at Tennessee. Outside of Knoxville, very few people knew who he was. He was viewed as the second-best receiver on his own team. All Hyatt did was put up 1,267 yards on 67 receptions, scoring 15 touchdowns on his way to winning the Biletnikoff Award and All-American honors.
Throughout the spring on The South Endzone Podcast, we spoke to beat reporters from a number of teams. I asked them all the same question: Which unheralded player(s) did they think have a chance to come out of nowhere and put up big numbers? Some gave one name, and a few identified an offensive player and a defender. Some named skill position players, and a few named linemen. But all of them gave us some players to watch. Here are all of them, plus a couple of my own.
Big 12 Breakout Candidates
Gavin Sawchuk, RB, Oklahoma
Embed from Getty ImagesSawchuk didn’t get much playing time as a true freshman in 2022, only appearing in two games. But one of those games was the Cheez-It Bowl, where he put up 100 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries against a very good Florida State defense. Even with Eric Gray’s departure, he’ll still split carries with Jovontae Barnes and Marcus Major. But Sawchuk will get an opportunity to earn a larger share of carries, and if he shows the same type of elusiveness and toughness that he did against the Seminoles, he’ll do just that.
Treshaun Ward, RB, Kansas State
Speaking of Florida State and that Cheez-It Bowl, Ward had a good game too. He put up 81 yards on just 10 carries, which is a pretty decent representation of his career at FSU. Quietly efficient without a ton of volume. He never exceeded 16 carries in a game in 2021-22 but averaged 6.5 yards per carry over those two years. With Deuce Vaughn off to the NFL, Ward now steps into a situation where he gets to be “the guy”. And he’s doing so behind an offensive line that should be among the best in college football. I think Ward has a real shot at a 1,000-yard season.
ACC Breakout Candidates
Patrick Payton, DE, Florida State
Embed from Getty ImagesFlorida State has some players on their defensive front you may know of, like Jared Verse or Fabien Lovett. Patrick Payton is one you may not be familiar with. But he has a chance to make a real impact this season. If the Seminoles are going to make the playoff run I think they’re capable of, getting a big year from Payton would go a long way in helping. He saw action in 13 games and recorded five sacks, but a big jump in his second year as a starter could be in the cards. As a lighter EDGE player (215 lbs) he’s going to be able to match up his speed and agility against Right Tackles. And with Verse and Lovett on the line, he won’t see any double-teams. Can he get to double-digit sacks?
Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
Williams is a smaller (5’11”, 190) receiver with unreal quickness and agility. He gets separation off the line, gets open, and is a nightmare after the catch. He put up 604 yards and four touchdowns last year, and I expect much better things from Clemson’s offense this season with Garrett Riley running the show. It’s easy to look at some game film of Quentin Johnston at TCU last year and imagine a player like Williams doing similar things. Riley will get him the ball in space and on the move. Look out, ACC.
Pac 12 Breakout Candidates
Elijhah Badger, WR, Arizona State
Embed from Getty ImagesI mentioned Badger specifically in my PAC-12 Win Totals column because I think he’s primed for a big year. He’s a yards-after-catch machine with his speed and shiftiness. The Sun Devils return their top three pass-catchers from last year and have added a few transfers. But even if the receiver room is a little more full, I still expect him to see the ball plenty. There’s no shortage of excellent receivers in the PAC-12 this season, most of whom are getting more hype. But Badger has the skills and potential to put up numbers that rival them.
Shamari Simmons, S, Arizona State
Simmons, who transferred from Austin Peay, will anchor what looks like a quality secondary at ASU. He has prototypical size (6’2″, 215) and a nose for the ball (19 passes defended in his two years at AP). If the Sun Devils are going to make a bowl game in Kenny Dillingham’s first season, they might need to pull off an upset. And the back half of the schedule pits them against a lot of high-flying offenses. Simmons (and the rest of that secondary) will have a chance to make some game-changing plays.
Anthony Gould Jr., WR, Oregon State
Gould is a downfield threat, averaging 16.9 yards per catch last season on the way to 457 yards and three touchdowns. He’s Oregon State’s top returning receiver and their most explosive playmaker in the passing game. The Beavers will likely feature a lot of “12” personnel and some play-action deep shots. With stud RB Damien Martinez commanding attention, Gould won’t see a ton of double-teams in those scenarios. DJ Uiagalelei was dissatisfied with the lack of play-action downfield passing in his time at Clemson, and if Oregon State turns him loose a little more, Gould could be the main beneficiary.
Big Ten Breakout Candidates
Gabe Ervin Jr., RB, Nebraska
Embed from Getty ImagesGabe Ervin Jr. became the first true freshman RB to start a season opener in Nebraska history in 2021. He missed most of that season with injury, and only made it into eight games in 2022. Through two years he has 57 carries for 218 yards. On the surface, uninspiring. So why am I high on him? Well, for starters, I think Nebraska’s offensive line will be better (plus Matt Rhule is reinstituting a Cornhusker staple: The Fullback). Provided he’s healthy, I think he’s their most talented back and will get the most carries. Oh yeah, this guy also looks like he was built in a lab. Tackling him appears to be one of the more unenjoyable football-related activities one could partake in. I think Rhule gets the Huskers to a bowl game in 2023, and I think Ervin will be a big reason why.
SEC Breakout Candidates
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Kayshon Boutte has received most of the attention the last two seasons in Baton Rouge, but Nabers has been the better player. It may be cheating a little bit to include him here, he’s not exactly an unknown. But did you know he had 1,000 yards last year and has averaged over 14 yards per catch the last two seasons? There’s a very real chance he’s the best WR in the conference this year. With Boutte and Jaray Jenkins gone, he’ll be the focal point. So he’ll see a lot of double-teams, but it may not matter. We’re probably looking at a 1,000 yards season regardless.
Chris Braswell, EDGE, Alabama
Embed from Getty ImagesThe top item on Nick Saban’s defensive To-Do list is figuring out how you replace Will Anderson Jr.’s production. The reality is, you’re not likely to do that with one player. Dallas Turner will be a big part of that. But so will Chris Braswell, who got pretty consistent pressure when he was on the field, even if it didn’t result in a ton of sacks (2.5). If Alabama is going to end its two-year title drought, and trust me when I say it feels longer than that for Tide fans, the defense will need to be better. Particularly up front. Braswell is on the leaner side for an EDGE player, much like Payton. But he’s an explosive athlete and a high-motor guy. He won’t replicate Anderson’s 2021 17.5-sack season, but he and Turner should both get into the 8-11 range.
Isaiah Bond, WR, Alabama
Alabama averaged 41 points a game in 2022, despite getting receiver play that could be best described as “uneven”. They had a handful of reliable pass catchers but no real game-breaking threat. Enter Bond, who saw action as a true freshman and averaged just under 13 yards per reception. He has the home-run speed and after-the-catch ability to make life for Alabama’s new quarterback, whoever it ends up being, much more comfortable. He may even be a factor in the return game; he’s the type of player that they’ll want to get the ball in his hands as much as possible.
Jeremiah Wright, OL, Auburn
Wright is one of the few holdovers up front for the Tigers, who lost four starters and two backups from last year’s unit. They brought in a number of transfers with starting experience, albeit at G5 schools. Wright is an enormous human being (6’6″, 345), plays with a bit of a mean streak, and has a chance to be the best of the bunch. Auburn was solid running the ball last year for the most part (206 yards/game, 5.1 yards/carry). They’ll need to at least repeat that level of production if they want to post a winning season for the first time in three years.
Camron Jackson, DL, Florida
Jackson will be the man in the middle for a revamped Gator D-Line, anchoring the run defense. And with one of the country’s toughest schedules, Florida is going to have to be very good against the run. Jackson was a stud at Memphis and drew pretty consistent double-teams. If he’s able to draw a lot of double-teams and/or win one-on-one matchups, Florida has a chance to be pretty good up front. And in the SEC, if you’re not good up front you’re in trouble. He won’t put up huge sack numbers but if the Gators can improve on their 175 rush yards/game allowed, he’ll be a big reason why.
…And a Couple of Breakout Candidates From Everybody’s Favorite Independent
Tobias Merriweather, WR, Notre Dame
Embed from Getty ImagesBryan Driskell of IrishBreakdown.com hit me with this name in early April. I had never heard of Tobias Merriweather. But the more I look into him, the more I think he could have a big, big year. He’s got size (6’4″, 200), speed (sub-11 second 100-yard dash in high school), and good hands. It’s a bit confusing why he wasn’t utilized more last season (One catch, a 41-yard touchdown vs. Stanford). But with improved QB play and three of last year’s top four pass-catchers gone, there will be opportunities aplenty for Merriweather to have a breakout season.
Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
A converted wide receiver, Watts will be a central figure in an Irish secondary that lost three starters from last year. A part-time starter in 2022, he had 39 tackles and broke up three passes. With a larger role, I expect he’ll put those ball skills leftover from his receiver days to good use. Look for this guy to make a lot of plays for the Irish, who should field a top-15 type defense.
Which one of these guys will have the big breakout year? Who knows? It’s entirely possible (likely, even) that someone NOT on this list does the best Jalin Hyatt impersonation. But the fun is in watching and finding out, which is what I’m looking forward to.
Eric Mulhair is the Co-Host of The South Endzone Podcast and a contributing writer for Belly Up Sports covering College Football. You can follow him on Twitter for the most up-to-date info on Podcast/Article releases, or even just to argue about College Football.
