There are few seniors from the Big Ten that have had some struggles through the first half of the season, but Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner and Wisconsin running back Corey Clement are two of the most notable.

NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter put together a list of 10 seniors most in need of a strong second half to the 2016 season, and both Leidner and Clement are in it.

Five players on the list are from the SEC; the ACC and Pac-12 have one representative each:

1. Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss

2. Devonte Fields, OLB, Louisville

3. Zach Banner, OT, USC

4. Joshua Dobbs, QB, Tennessee

5. Corey Clement, RB, Wisconsin

The Badgers currently rank 78th in the country in rushing, partially because Clement hasn’t been his explosive self due to injuries. Wisconsin is coming out of a bye week to face Ohio State; if Clement can move laterally to find space and accelerate quickly into the open field against the Buckeyes (and Iowa and Nebraska in their next two games), he’ll prove to scouts that he’s back from the injuries that have hampered him. Reminding everyone of the talent he showed off as Melvin Gordon’s backup in 2013 and 2014 will earn him a strong top-100 look in a potentially loaded running back class.

6. Travil Dural, WR, LSU

7. Mitch Leidner, QB, Minnesota

There was quite a bit of talk heading into the season about Leidner being a sleeper early round pick in the 2017 draft, but the results don’t portend that sort of stock. He has just five touchdowns to go against four interceptions, has completed less than 58 percent of his passes, and is merely 68th in the country with just over 200 passing yards a game. The Gophers don’t have Ohio State or Michigan on the schedule, but road games at Nebraska and Wisconsin won’t be easy for him. While he possesses some of the physical traits coaches desire in a signal-caller, he’ll need to be much more accurate than he was against Iowa last weekend if he wants to make the case as a top-100 selection.

8. Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama

9. Cole Luke, CB, Notre Dame

10. Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee

 

Tyler Waddell is a news desk writer for Saturday Tradition. For tips or questions, send him an e-mail at [email protected] and give him a follow on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).