Top College Football Sophomores: Best of the 2015-16 NCAA Season

After going through the trials and tribulations of being a college freshman, second-year players must then face another potential pitfall of college life: the dreaded sophomore slump. Not these following 10 players, though. They should be able to power through any second-year syndrome and surge further into stardom this season.

Let’s take a closer look at each one of these super sophomores and find out what to expect from them this year. And for more lists of the best incoming collegiate players, check out our picks for the best freshmen, juniors and seriors.
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Top 10 Sophomores of the 2015-16 College Football Season

10. JuJu Smuth, WR, USC

[sc:NCAA240banner ]JuJu Smith sure lived up to his billing as a five-star wide receiver in his freshman year at USC. Already a physical specimen at 6-2, 210 lbs., he also displayed the savvy route-running of a senior as he recorded 54 passes for 724 yards and five touchdowns last season.

With Nelson Agholor now off to the NFL, Smith should put up some huge numbers this season as Cody Kessler’s new No. 1 receiver in that explosive Trojans attack.

9. Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

2014 was quite a record-breaking year for Derek Barnett. The freshman pass rusher was a monster in that Vols D-line, as he set new freshman school records for tackles for loss (20.5) and sacks (10). His sack total eclipsed Jadeveon Clowney’s SEC freshman record of eight in 2011.

As good as last season was, 2015 could be an even better year for Barnett. With one of the top freshmen in Khalil McKenzie joining him in an already impressive D-line, opposing O-lines will have an even tougher time keeping the sophomore out of the backfield.

8. Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon

Royce Freeman the freshman played a big part in Oregon’s outstanding campaign last season. Freeman became the first Oregon player to rush for 1,000 yards as a true freshman. He had 1,365 rushing yards, to be exact, and 18 touchdowns.

A lot more is expected from Freeman the sophomore, who will have a much bigger role in the Oregon offense as they get to grips with life after Marcus Mariota. Freeman may not be as naturally talented as the top two backs in this list, but he’s sure to put up some impressive numbers in the Ducks’ high-octane attack.

7. Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s defense did a lot of things wrong last season, but Myles Garrett did a bunch of things right. The young pass rusher shattered Clowney’s SEC freshman record with 11.5 sacks, and added 53 tackles. The go-to caveat is that eight of those sacks came against the Aggies’ lightweight non-SEC part of the schedule, but there’s every reason to believe there’s more growth to come in his second season.

He’s got the size (6-5, 225 lbs.) and the burst of an elite pass rusher, and he’ll have former LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis calling the shots this year for the Aggies defense.

6. Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State

After an injury-shortened 2013, Darron Lee made up for lost time as he had 81 total tackles (16.5 for loss), 7.5 sacks, and two interceptions in his redshirt freshman campaign last season. It’ll be a challenge for Lee to top a season which saw him finish with Freshman All-American honors, not to mention a national championship, but Lee has the talent to do just that.

He’ll also be in an Ohio State defensive system which boasts arguably college football’s best defender (Joey Bosa) and allows Lee to wreak havoc either behind the line or in coverage.

5. Adoree Jackson, USC, DB/WR

Adoree Jackson did a little bit of everything in his true freshman season. He caught 10 passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver, and scored two kick return touchdowns apart from his primary role as a cornerback.

Expect more of the same from Jackson in his sophomore season, as the Trojans look to find as many ways to get such a game-changing playmaker on the field as often as possible.

4. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

Leonard Fournette wasn’t quite the next coming of Adrian Peterson like many people expected, but the LSU tailback was mighty impressive in his own right. Fournette rushed for an LSU freshman record 1,034 yards and had 10 touchdowns, which is more impressive considering that the Tigers had essentially no passing game to speak of.

Unfortunately for Fournette, that’s not going to change this year. But the good news is that he’ll get as many carries as he wants (almost by necessity), and should result in him piling up the yards and the touchdowns in his sophomore year.

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3. JT Barrett , QB, Ohio State

If not for his ill-timed injury in the last regular season game against Michigan, JT Barrett would probably be a national championship-winning quarterback coming into his sophomore year. As a redshirt freshman, Barrett was second only to Marcus Mariota in passer rating (169.8), completing 64.6 percent for 2,834 yards, 34 touchdowns and 10 picks. He also ran 171 times for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Barrett will be the defending champs’ starting quarterback to start this season, and if he can play as well as his +800 odds to win the Heisman indicate, he may very well win that national title this year, possibly undefeated.

2. Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

There’s a lot of hype surrounding Deshaun Watson, a quarterback who started all of five games last season, and is coming off a torn ACL. But the Clemson QB showed enough flashes in his injury-shortened freshman year to suggest that a star is set to be unleashed this season.

Watson completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 1,466 yards with 14 touchdowns and two picks, and ran 63 times for 200 yards and five touchdowns last year. He averaged 10.7 yards per attempt and had a passer rating of 188.6, which were both better than Marcus Mariota’s Heisman-winning numbers.

At +1,500, Watson is one of the big dark horses for this year’s Heisman. If he can stay healthy, the sky’s the limit for the sophomore.

1. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

As a freshman last season, Nick Chubb was the best running back in a Georgia team that featured the No. 10 pick in the NFL draft. Granted, Todd Gurley was suspended – and subsequently injured – for much of the season, but Chubb’s eye-popping numbers (1,547 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 7.06 yards per carry) speak for themselves.

With Gurley gone, Chubb will get the lion’s share of the touches for the Bulldogs right from the start. And after his incredible showing in his rookie year – not to mention four of five starters on the offensive line returning – a 2,000-plus-yard season is definitely on the cards for Chubb, a +1,000 contender for the Heisman.
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