College Football Players to Watch in 2018 (Part 1 of 5)

Just like last season, I will be doing a five-part series of posts, each post featuring five players to watch for this fall. Some players on this list are so obvious that you don't need a reminder to watch them, some could be busts, and there will certainly be players outside of these 25 that will have impactful seasons. Also, I must add that the order in which these players are listed is not a ranking system. Without further ado, part one of five:


Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Bulldogs


After the way he stepped up to the starting position at Georgia last year, Jake Fromm is a household name entering his sophomore season. In 2017, the true freshman led the Georgia Bulldogs to a win over Auburn in the SEC Championship, a College Football Playoff victory over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, and was this close to taking down the force that we know as Nick Saban and his Tide in the National Championship game. For the majority of the season, Georgia was viewed as a team consisting of a great defense and a great run game (which were both true). To many, all Fromm had to do was not mess up. Kind of like when Brian Chavez told Mike Winchell, "All you gotta do is exist between the snap, and you getting Boobie the ball." But instead, Fromm showed that he was a viable asset to the Bulldog machine.

Fromm finished the 2017 season with 2,615 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, and also three rushing touchdowns for what it's worth. Fromm was obviously surrounded by an amazing cast, but it's still wildly impressive for a true freshman to take over and tally wins over Notre Dame, Auburn (when it really counted) and Oklahoma. I'm very interested to see if Fromm has any form of a sophomore slump, which I sure hope isn't the case because watching another SEC team challenge 'Bama is something everybody can get on board with. Fromm doesn't have the lethal duo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to fall back on this year, but the tremendous level of experience that he gained in 2017 will be a safety net in its own sense. Jake Fromm has proven that he doesn't cower in the spotlight, which is a trait that restrains many talented quarterbacks from optimizing their skillset.

Fromm's 2017 passing numbers were certainly nowhere near the best in the country, but his ability to step up when necessary is what truly makes him special. I mean, when you have the backfield that Georgia boasted last year, you're going to utilize them as much as possible, taking more opportunities to shine away from the QB. But the poise that Fromm displayed at certain points, along with pure talent, leads me to believe that this kid is something special.

Bryce Love, RB, Stanford Cardinal


Stanford's Bryce Love enters his senior season with sky-high expectations after finishing second in Heisman voting behind Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 NFL draft pick this past spring. If that doesn't tell you enough about Love's talent, just simply watch the tape. The only way to describe Bryce Love highlights is mystical. Usually the term used for a running back is "hitting" the hole created by the offensive line. But Bryce Love doesn't hit the hole. He's a Stanford man, he's classier and more elegant than that. This kid smoothly glides through holes. He glides right through and accelerates with the ease of a bike cruising downhill. Much like the Tinder girl you accidentally
swiped left on during your one-night vacation, once Bryce Love has gotten away, that man is gone for good.

The Stanford running back was faced with the difficult task of filling the exciting, play-making, head-turning void that Christian McCaffrey left after being drafted by the Carolina Panthers. Now I don't want to sit here and make you think Bryce Love fully lived up to McCaffrey-level hype, as he hasn't been as valuable of a receiver/returner as his predecessor; but Love's career rushing stats aren't far off from McCaffrey's. In McCaffrey's three seasons at Stanford, he rushed for 3,922 yards and 21 touchdowns on 632 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per rush. In his time with the Cardinal, Love has tallied up 3,126 yards and 24 touchdowns on 403 carries, averaging 7.8 yards per rush. So when it comes to the run game, Stanford hasn't really lost a step in transitioning to Bryce Love, who should put on quite the show for college football fans all over this fall.

The Entire Clemson Defensive Line

All four of Clemson's starting defensive linemen from 2017 have returned to Death Valley for 2018, and every single offense that has to face them should be shaking enough to record a measurement on the Richter Scale. This monstrous group of four is made up of redshirt junior Clelin Ferrell (6 foot 5, 260 pounds), senior Christian Wilkins (6 foot 4, 300 pounds), junior Dexter Lawrence (6 foot 4, 340 pounds), and senior Austin Bryant (6 foot 5, 260 pounds). Three of these four earned All-American honors last year.

Not that a mock draft one year in advance really holds any actual weight, it's most certainly worth noting that the CBS Sports' 2019 NFL mock draft has all four of the Tigers' defensive linemen going in the first round after this season is all said and done. This unit led the country last year in sacks and held opponents to less than two touchdowns per game last season. The fact that this four-headed beast is returning in full for the 2018 season means two things: we as college football fans are unbelievably lucky, and it's truly "championship or bust" in Tiger Town these days. These men surely are on a mission, and I feel bad for any offensive line that tries to obstruct their path.

Added in to the mix of these established studs are five-star freshmen defensive ends KJ Henry and Xavier Thomas.

As if Henry and Thomas (pictured respectively) weren't talented enough to begin with, they have the best defensive line in the country to learn from. Not only will these two be able to rotate in when the older guys need a breather, but they'll be causing a ruckus in the ACC for years to come.

Will Grier, QB, West Virginia Mountaineers

(Highlights)
After transferring from Florida and having to sit out a year, Will Grier had a tremendous debut season in Morgantown, WV. Whether it was his ability to air the ball out in the truest Big 12 fashion, Grier's luscious locks of flow, the sleek West Virginia uniforms, or a combo of all the above, one thing is for certain: Will Grier slinging the ball in 2017 was a thing of beauty.

In 2017, Grier tossed the pigskin for  a total of 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns, with a passer rating of 162.7. He ranked at No. 20 in the country for passing yards, No. 8 in the country for passing touchdowns, and No. 5 in passer rating last season. Luckily Grier has his most dependable weapon, David Sills, returning for 2018. This duo will continue to do substantial damage to opposing defenses. Grier's catapult of an arm pairs nicely with his ability to roll out of the pocket, making for a very entertaining show. I have a good feeling West Virginia will do some damage this year in the Big 12, and the season-openener against Tennessee will allow them to make some noise from the get-go.

Shea Patterson, QB, Michigan Wolverines


Former Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson will be the starting QB for Michigan in his junior season. Patterson left Oxford, MS due to the football program becoming a disaster after getting busted for NCAA violations. Can't blame him there. And what better place to go than a storied program whose alleged sole need is a talented quarterback?

There are two major reasons to be interested in watching Shea Patterson play this fall. The easy reason is that this kid plays the game in an electric manner. Many people have compared his style of play to Johnny Manziel. Patterson has two inches on Manziel, but his mobility and his ability to get the ball out under pressure are strongly resembling of good old Johnny Football in his glory days. Patterson is extremely fun to watch, and I'm excited to see his transition from SEC defenses to the BIG 10.

Another reason to be enamored with the success or failure of Shea Patterson is the fact that he is supposedly the one missing piece to Jim Harbaugh getting over the hump. "What hump is that?" one might ask. You know, the multiple humps of Ohio State and Michigan State. The hump of third place in the BIG 10 East. Harbaugh's tenure at Michigan has been nothing short of overwhelming, and the clock is now ticking for him to show some sort of improvement. I think Shea Patterson will be great, but I'm still not convinced that all this team needs is a quarterback to be a contender. In 2016, I absolutely believe that was the case. Michigan's defense that year was a force to be reckoned with; stacked with NFL talent that were all Brady Hoke's recruits. I don't think this Michigan roster is as complete, and the BIG 10 in general is on the upswing. So for Shea Patterson to be the guy that brings Michigan back to glory, as planned by Harbaugh, he needs to have an incredible season.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for parts 2-5 coming soon.