Every year we fixate on a handful of players leading up to the season, and rightfully so. Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are a cut above at the most important position. Will Anderson Jr. might be (is) one of the best college football players of all time. Bijan Robinson fits the mold of future NFL star, and the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison packed up and took his talents to Hollywood.
There is nothing wrong with gazing at the brightest stars in the sky, but that can leave you susceptible to missing one shoot by. At season’s end there will assuredly be a new batch of names to join those above as the best players in the sport. Here I will try to identify the breakout players of 2022.
Cam Ward – QB – Washington State
Cameron Ward from Incarnate Word. Good luck saying that five times fast. Well, you don’t have to. After two outstanding seasons with the little known FCS school, Ward transferred to Washington State. He put up huge numbers last season in San Antonio (4,648 yards, 47 TDs, 10 INTs) and will be joined by his former head coach Eric Morris, who will be the Cougars offensive coordinator. At a school known in recent years for Mike Leech’s air raid offense, the former Texas Tech assistant Morris will bring his own version to Pullman. Ward is as fun a QB to watch as there is in the country, and has even drawn comparisons to one of Morris’ former quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes. Obviously a comparison like that needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but when you see the types of throws Ward can make with his lightning quick side-arm release, you can’t help but see the potential. I will be watching a ton of Wazzu this year on late Saturday nights thanks to this exciting quarterback.
Honorable Mention: Will Rogers – QB – Mississippi State
After highlighting the offense of a Mike Leech disciple, we turn to the master himself. There is no denying what the air raid can do for a quarterback’s numbers and Will Rogers is no exception. He has quietly been one of the best in college football (4,739 yards, 36 TDs, 9 INTs in 2021) and is entering his third season under Leech. The Bulldogs have yet another daunting schedule in the SEC West, but if they make a run it will almost certainly be because of Rogers.
Zach Evans – RB – Ole Miss
The new Alabama running back and Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs is going to be a stud this year, but everyone is talking about it. I chose to highlight a back who has been flying a little under the radar and is quickly becoming my favorite breakout candidate of the season. While his hype train has been gaining some steam of late, Zach Evans isn’t getting nearly as much attention as he should be. The former five star prospect who started his career at TCU is now in Oxford and will be toting the rock for a Lane Kiffin led offense. Evans averaged 7.3 yards per carry in two seasons for the Horned Frogs and looked to be breaking out in 2021 before suffering a turf toe injury. He’s healthy and in line for a major workload at Ole Miss. The tape shows an explosive and decisive runner who gets up field and finishes strong. He will also contribute as a pass catcher which will help lead to a monster season.
Honorable Mention: Will Shipley – RB – Clemson
It’s not often a five star running back at a school like Clemson is talked about as little as Will Shipley has been. He has the prototype build and skillset, and will be a key to the Tigers’ chances of turning their offense around this year. While many pundits are predicting an eventual turn to freshman Cade Klubnik at QB, seemingly based solely on the narrative that Clemson did the same thing in 2018, I tend to believe they will end up sticking with DJ Uiagalelei and an offense built around a strong run game.
Konata Mumpfield – WR – Pittsburgh
The Pitt Panthers had a breakout year in 2021 led by first round pick quarterback Kenny Pickett and Biletnikoff Award winning receiver Jordan Addison. Both are gone in 2022, Pickett to the NFL and Addison to USC in the transfer portal. They will look to replicate their success with two transfers of their own. Kedon Slovis has swapped teams with Addison and will be under center, while they look to replace the nation’s top receiver with a relatively unheralded sophomore from the University of Akron named Konata Mumpfield. As a true freshman he put up modest numbers (63 rec, 751 yards, 8 TDs) but flashed skills and potential that could catapult him into stardom if Pitt is able to have the encore they are hoping for. Mumpfield is very similar in profile to his predecessor. He’s listed at 6’1″ and 180 lbs., and has many of the same qualities. From his elite quickness and explosiveness (his tape reminds me of Stefon Diggs) to the way he plucks the ball out of the air with authority, he is almost an Addison clone. It remains to be seen if last year was a flash in the pan or if Pat Narduzzi will be able to carry that success over with new players. Pitt will start out the season in the early game of the week vs. West Virginia on Thursday, a rekindling of the Backyard Brawl rivalry that has not been played since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 after the 2011 season. If Pitt can pick up where it left off and come out hot in a game almost everyone will be watching, Mumpfield has a chance to put his name on the map in a big way and set the tone for a breakout year.
Honorable Mention: Jadon Haselwood – WR – Arkansas
A former five star recruit at Oklahoma, Jadon Haselwood transferred to Arkansas this offseason. A big bodied downfield threat, he will fit in very well in the SEC and with Razorbacks’ quarterback KJ Jefferson. Haselwood scored six touchdowns for the Sooners last year and should see a major increase in targets with Arkansas. I’m expecting Jefferson and this offense to make another leap this season, and the junior receiver should benefit greatly.
Maason Smith – DL – LSU
As yet another former five star on this list, it’s clear that talent wins out in college football, and LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith is no exception. At 6’5″ and 300 lbs., Smith is the prototype for the modern big man. He has incredible power and strength as one would expect, but somehow combines that with great quickness and explosiveness off the ball. He got to the quarterback four times in only seven games last season, a really impressive feat considering he was playing in the SEC as a true freshman. Whispers out of camp are that he is looking even more dominant. You can’t miss him on the field. Along with his size, he stands out by wearing the jersey number zero and a facemask more reminiscent of one a running back might wear. I look forward to getting a live look when I visit Baton Rouge in late October for a sneaky good matchup between LSU and Ole Miss. I truly believe by that time we could be talking about him challenging Jalen Carter as the best interior defensive lineman in the country. Regardless, a huge breakout is on the horizon.
Honorable Mention: Chop Robinson – DL – Penn State
Former Maryland defensive end Chop Robinson will fit in great with his new team in Happy Valley. Penn State has a strong track record of developing well rounded ends and Chop will not be an exception. He is 6’3″ and 242 lbs., and can do a little bit of everything. I think the Nittany Lions are a sleeper in the Big Ten East and they will once again be led by a strong defense with tons help up front from Robinson.
Dallas Turner – LB – Alabama
With just about everyone in the country talking about Will Anderson Jr., it’s easy to forget about Dallas Turner. As if things weren’t already good enough for Alabama, they just keep on getting better. While Anderson is rightfully in the Heisman conversation, Turner should benefit from the attention he gets. As a true freshman he racked up 8.5 sacks in a limited role, and is expected to be a full time player this year for the Tide. Another prototype at his position, Turner stands at 6’4″ and 240 lbs. and has tremendous speed off the edge. He’s in line to be the next great pass rusher at Alabama when Anderson moves on to the NFL, but there is no reason both can’t have dominant seasons in 2022.
Honorable Mention: Eric Gentry – LB – USC
Most of the attention at USC is going towards their flashier transfers. Even at this very same position, Alabama transfer Shane Lee is getting the buzz. If you ask me (nobody did), ASU transfer Eric Gentry is the most intriguing of the Trojan’s new players. In the age of defensive versatility, the 6’6″ 200 lb. sophomore has that in spades from the linebacker position. His freshman numbers were modest for the Sun Devils, but I am expecting an uptick playing next to the aforementioned Lee in Los Angeles.
Cam Smith – DB – South Carolina.
Can you really be a breakout if you’re on just about everyone’s preseason All-America team? Probably not, but when I talk about a breakout for South Carolina corner Cam Smith, I’m talking about superstardom. We’ve learned over the years from the likes of Deion Sanders and Richard Sherman that being a shutdown corner is often as much about attitude as it is skill. The challenge of shadowing the movements of elite receivers is almost an impossible task, and to do it well it helps to have the arrogance of truly believing you’re the best. Cam Smith came out this offseason and said he’s ready to become the best corner in the country and well, I believe him. He can do it all, and rumors are that he will be lining up in the nickel this year to get him more involved in the run game. The Gamecocks are going to sneak up on some people behind what should be an explosive offense led by transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler, but Smith has the talent, and confidence, to hold up the defense’s end of the bargain all by himself.
Honorable Mention: Beanie Bishop – DB – Minnesota
This one is way under the radar as some of my Gopher bias might be shining through. Even so, Bishop is going to be a stud in Minnesota. A 2021 first team All-Conference USA corner and honorable mention All-Conference returner, he should have many chances to make an impact as a part of a strong defensive backfield or on special teams. With 36 career games already under his belt, Bishop has great experience while also bringing two years of eligibility remaining to Minneapolis.
We made it! The 2022 season is here. I will be at the New Mexico State vs Minnesota game on Thursday night and will likely report on it Friday, along with reactions to some of the other games on an interesting weeknight slate (that I’ll be recording). Thanks for reading!
Superior CFB 