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Yahoo Sports believes four B1G players have ‘breakout’ potential in 2017
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We all know about the stars that are returning to the B1G this fall. There’s been no shortage of conversations that involve J.T. Barrett, Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley.
But every year, there are a few under-the-radar type of players who emerge on the college football scene. Guys who have that breakout year that nobody expected in the preseason.
Yahoo Sports took a shot at predicting the guys who would have that breakout season though, naming the 15 players primed for a breakout season. Four of the names in the mix came out of the B1G.
Michigan’s Chris Evans (RB) and Rashan Gary (DE) were highest on the list, while Wisconsin’s Bradrick Shaw (RB) and Ohio State CB Kendall Sheffield followed.
While Yahoo provided explanations for each player, the most interesting might be Gary, a guy who everyone is predicting to have a big sophomore season. He was the top recruit of the 2016 class, was on the field for a significant amount of time as a true freshman and is expected to be the leader on a depleted defense.
Here’s what Yahoo Sports had to say about the defensive end:
When you lose as many as the Wolverines, there are going to be a lot of new faces making major contributions. But if you follow recruiting in any capacity, you know the name Rashan Gary. Gary was the No. 1 overall prospect in 2016. He played in every game last season at defensive end, and now he’s ready to thrive. As a reserve, the 6-foot-5, 287-pound Gary totaled 26 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Expect those numbers to skyrocket in 2o17, provided he stays healthy. Gary is a beast.
Check out other names on the list and what Yahoo Sports had to say about the other B1G players here.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB