My Fab Five for 2016 Big Ten football
IOWA CITY, Iowa – This column lists in order five Big Ten football players who I believe will have the biggest impact for their teams this fall.
To say that picking just five was more difficult than expected would be a huge understatement.
Picking 10 would be hard enough. But picking five felt hopeless at times because there were so many worthy candidates.
My five are certainly cause for debate, which helps to pass the time during the summer grind, which is just beginning.
The five players listed aren’t necessarily the best players in terms of NFL potential, but rather the five players who will have the biggest impact in terms of wins and losses and statistics.
So it should come as no surprise that three of the five players are quarterbacks, and that only one plays defense.
The fact that Iowa has two players on the list might suggest that I’m a homer, and maybe so. But it’s hard to overlook what both players accomplished last season, whether you cheer for Iowa or not.
My Fab Five:
1. J.T. Barrett, 6-1, 223, Jr., quarterback, Ohio State – The Texas native is the perfect fit for Urban Meyer’s offense as a dual-threat quarterback with considerable throwing accuracy. Barrett’s talent combined with the talent surrounding him is a recipe for dominance. He set 19 school records as a freshman starter in 2014, including 3,774 total yards, while leading the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record.
He was injured late in the 2014 season and then watched from the sideline as backup Cardale Jones led Ohio State to the 2014 national title.
Barrett played backup to Jones until the eighth game of last season against Rutgers when Meyer made Barrett the starter again.
Jones decided to skip his senior season and has since moved on to the NFL where he was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Though it’s true that Ohio State only has six starters returning – three on both offense and defense – few teams can match the Buckeyes in terms of physical talent. A rebuilding season at Ohio State is different than what occurs at most other programs.
Barrett heads the list because he will have the ball in his hands most of the time as a dual-threat quarterback and because the offense will rely on him to make plays, perhaps even more than usual while the new starters adjust to their new roles.
Barrett has Heisman Trophy candidate written all over him. Now it’s just a matter of staying healthy, producing and winning.
2. C.J. Beathard, 6-2, 215, Sr., quarterback, Iowa – Hawkeye fans had begged for him to be the starter and they finally got their wish last season.
It quickly turned into a miracle season as Beathard led Iowa to a 12-0 regular-season mark, setting a school record for most wins in a single season.
Beathard beat defenses with his arm, legs and his wit. He also showed a high tolerance for pain while playing through several injuries, including one that required sports hernia surgery in January.
Beathard isn’t a dual-threat quarterback and that partly is why Barrett has the slight edge. But Beathard, when healthy, hardly is a statue, either. He rushed for 237 net yards last season, including a 57-yard scramble against Iowa State that shifted field position and the momentum. Beathard showed an uncanny ability to convert on third-down last season, either by running or throwing.
He also passed for 2,809 yards and 17 touchdowns, completing 61.6 percent of his throws with just five interceptions.
3. Tommy Armstrong Jr., 6-1, 220, Sr., quarterback, Nebraska – The Cibolo, Texas native already ranks statistically as one of the greatest quarterbacks in school history.
He just hasn’t won enough games to earn such praise, caused mostly by his inconsistency.
Armstrong can look spectacular on one play as a dual-threat quarterback and then confused on another.
But one thing is certain; he will have the ball in his hands as much, if not more, than any Big Ten player this coming season.
Armstrong also has momentum after being named the Most Valuable Player of the Foster Farms Bowl in which Nebraska defeated UCLA. He ranks second in school history with 7,998 total yards and has passed for at least 250 yards in a school record 12 games.
4. Corey Clement, 5-11, 217, Sr., running back, Wisconsin – Big things were expected from him last season as the heir apparent to Melvin Gordon.
But it never materialized because of a groin injury that limited Clement to just two games last season.
When healthy, Clement is a force in Wisconsin’s run-heavy offense. The New Jersey native has rushed for 1,512 yards and scored 16 touchdowns as a Badger despite mostly being a backup to this point.
Clement certainly talked the talked heading into last season, saying his goal was to rush for 2,000 yards as the new featured running back.
Expect Clement to average at least 20 to 25 carries per game this fall. And if you combine that with his career average of 6.91 yards per carry, Clement could realistically average 150 rushing yards per game in 2016.
5. Desmond King, 5-11, 203, Sr., cornerback, Iowa – This was a close call over Michigan do-everything defensive back Jabrill Peppers.
King gets the nod because it is reasonable to think that quarterbacks will go out of their way to not throw to his side of the field after what he accomplished last fall, which included tying a school-record with eight interceptions. That wouldn’t help King with regard to statistics, but his impact by neutralizing one side of the field would be incredible.
This marks the first time that a Jim Thorpe Award winner has returned to college in its three decades of recognizing the nation’s top defensive back. So King is venturing into uncharted territory after winning the award last season.
The Detroit native is also a dangerous punt and kick returner to match the bigger and more athletic Peppers, who plays safety and cornerback for Michigan.