In devy leagues, we are all looking for not only the generational talents at the collegiate level that will be NFL stars when they go pro, but we are also looking for the hidden gems that go under the radar but will be league winners someday. While generational talents like Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and Ja’Marr Chase are all well known in the fantasy community this article will try to determine breakout players who can be attained in future devy drafts based on their on-field play and analytical profiles.
Though it was a vastly different season than we expected, we still got to witness amazing individual performances on Saturdays this season. On September 14, 2020, heading into a delayed start to the season, there were 151 players who had opted out of the season. It was unfortunate that all of these players opted out either due to health concerns or protecting the draft stock that they had already built during their collegiate career, and it was unfortunate to not get the season that we were looking forward to. However, many of these opt-outs opened the door for younger players to have the opportunity to see the field that they would not have had otherwise. In this article I will take you through the breakout players of the college football season, focusing on the underclassmen and less well-known players amongst the devy community.
The All-Sophomore Breakout Team
For this segment, we will be focusing on true sophomores only. A true sophomore this season means it is a player who stepped onto campus for the first time last fall, meaning they graduated high school and enrolled in college in 2019. This of course means that we are including redshirt freshman players; by rule, these players will be eligible for the 2022 NFL draft at the earliest. This also means for the redshirt freshman that they have an additional year of eligibility. In devy leagues, it is always wise to value players that are closer to reaching the NFL sooner, because it divests the risk on the player.
Before we get started, here is a list of the sophomores who broke out in their freshman season, thus making them ineligible to be mentioned in this piece.
QBs: Sam Howell, Kedon Slovis, and Jayden Daniels.
RBs: Sincere McCormick, Re’Mahn Davis, Isaiah Spiller, Breece Hall, George Holani, Zach Charbonnet, Zonovan Knight, Jerrion Ealy, Aaron Young, Tyler Goodson, and King Doerue.
WRs: Ahmarean Brown, Cameron Ross, Zakhari Franklin, Jacob Cowing, George Pickens, and David Bell.
TEs: Jalen Wydermyer, and Joshua Simon.
Quarterback
QB1
Spencer Rattler was by far the most impressive player who did not already breakout the year prior. He led Oklahoma to a Big 12 championship and brought a Cotton Bowl victory back to Norman. Rattler led Oklahoma to a 9-2 record and really developed throughout the year. He completed 67.5% of his passes for 3,031 yards and 28 TDs with only seven INTs. He finished second in all major quarterback categories to Sam Howell, and it will likely be a battle between those two to see who earns the first quarterback drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Honorable mention: Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina
Running Back
RB1
Kevin Harris put on a show for South Carolina in his sophomore season, he finished with 1,138 yards and 15 TDs on just 185 attempts. He also showed that he can be a threat out of the backfield with 21 catches that went for 159 yards and one TD. He totaled 1,297 scrimmage yards which was 10th in the nation among all running backs (and second among Harris’s). His 16 offensive TDs were also seventh in the nation matching what top-two running back in the upcoming draft Travis Etienne accomplished. Harris had a dominator rating of 33% which was fourth in the nation, and he did this while handling barely over 50% of the team’s rush attempts. He finished the season with 2.43 adjusted yards per play which was also seventh-best in the nation.
RB2
Kyren Williams led Notre Dame’s power rushing attack this season, earning the redshirt freshman the second running back slot in the 2020 sophomore breakout team. Williams finished with 1,125 rushing yards and 13 TDs on 211 attempts. However, he was even more impressive as a receiver where he showed the fluidity of making the catch and turning upfield while bouncing off would-be tacklers. Williams had 35 catches for 313 yards and one TD. Williams finished seventh in the nation with 1,438 scrimmage yards. He finished the year with a 22% dominator rating as well as 1.97 adjusted yards per play.
RB3
Eric Gray is the final sophomore to gain over 1,000 yards from scrimmage for Tennessee. In nine games he rushed for 772 yards and four TDs. He also showed that he was a threat out of the backfield with 30 catches that he took for 254 yards and another two TDs, bringing his total yards from scrimmage to 1,026. His lack of TD scoring is what is going to drive down his advanced metrics, but he did make up over 29% of Tennessee’s offensive yardage. Gray finished with a dominator rating of 20% and 1.79 adjusted yards per play.
Small school Sophomore to look out for: De’Montre Tuggle, RB, Ohio
Tuggle rushed for 403 yards and six TDs in just three games for Ohio. In his small sample size he led all sophomores with a 34% dominator rating and 3.09 adjusted yards per team play.
Wide Receiver
WR1
Garrett Wilson played a major role in bringing Ohio State to the National Championship. Wilson finished the year with 43 catches for 723 yards and six TDs. Chris Olave is leaving for the NFL Draft so the 2021 season will likely be the C.J. Stroud and Garrett Wilson show in Columbus. Playing alongside a potential first round wide receiver in Olave, Wilson still managed to post a 30% dominator rating, 3.21 yards per team pass attempt and 1.59 adjusted yards per team play. Wilson will battle it out with David Bell, George Pickens, and a returning Justyn Ross for 2022’s top receiver.
WR2
While David Bell’s 43% dominator rating for the 2020 season could not be beaten among sophomores, Treylon Burks was able to come within spitting range. The Arkansas sophomore finished the season with 51 catches for 820 yards and seven TDs in what was an unimpressive Arkansas offense outside of the gifted sophomore. Burks used his size and strength to win individual matchups, and then he showed off his game-changing speed after the catch making up more than a third of Arkansas’ passing offense. He finished with a 34% dominator rating to go with 2.88 yards per team pass attempt, and 1.52 adjusted yards per play. While there may be a tier break above Burks in this wide receiver class, he will certainly be unlocked playing alongside NFL level talent when he does reach the league.
WR3
John Metchie had to fill enormous shoes when he was asked to replace Jaylen Waddle who went down with a broken foot early in the season. At that point, Waddle was clearly the top option in the passing game. Well, we all know what DeVonta Smith did with the increased opportunities, but Metchie was also very impressive. He led all Power Five sophomore receivers with 916 yards, which he was able to create on 55 catches. He also found the end zone six times for the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide. With Smith and Najee Harris making up most of the offense, Metchie’s dominator rating was only 16%. However, despite Smith and Harris’s production, he managed to maintain 2.15 yards per team pass attempt and 1.14 adjusted yards per play. With Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris, and Jaylen Waddle all heading to the NFL next year will be the Bryce Young and John Metchie show.
Honorable mention: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Small school Sophomore to look out for: Tahj Washington, WR, Memphis
Tahj Washington earned his way on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List this season. He led all non-Power Five sophomore receivers with 743 yards on 43 catches. He was also able to find the end zone six times on the season. He finished with a 20% dominator rating, 1.75 yards per team pass attempt, and 1.09 adjusted yards per team play.
Tight Ends
TE1
Isaiah Rex was a pleasant surprise for BYU during Zach Wilson’s breakout season. Rex hauled in 37 catches for 429 yards and an insane 12 TDs. He scored on 32% of the times that he touched the ball. Making up 35% of Wilson’s touchdown throws buoyed his dominator rating to 23%. His other advanced metrics were not as impressive as he averaged 1.14 yards per team pass attempt and just 0.84 adjusted yards per play. His 12 TDs tied the unanimous TD1 in the upcoming draft Kyle Pitts for the third-most in the nation. It is very rare for tight ends to meet the requirements for a breakout season, and this redshirt freshman is definitely one to monitor going forward.
Honorable mention: Hudson Henry, TE, Arkansas (brother of Hunter Henry)
The Sophomore Breakout Team
QB: Spencer Rattler
RB1: Kevin Harris
RB2: Kyren Williams
RB3: Eric Gray
WR1: Garrett Wilson
WR2: Treylon Burks
WR3: John Metchie
TE: Isaiah Rex
Reserves
QB: Grayson McCall
RB: Rhamondre Stevenson
RB: De’Montre Tuggle
WR: Zay Flowers
WR: Tahj Washington
TE: Hudson Henry
Thank you for reading my article! If you enjoyed it, keep an eye out for my future articles. You can also follow me on Twitter @DynastyDiagnos1 and reach out with any questions, comments, or ideas you’d like me to explore for a new article.
