5 breakout players for 2014
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The college football world has been spoiled with a pair of thrilling breakout players over the last two seasons, with Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel busting onto the scene in 2012, and Jameis Winston emerging in 2013.
This year's batch of college football players features a slew of talented prospects ready to make the jump to being household names.
Here are five players poised for breakout seasons in 2014.
Jake Coker, QB, Alabama
It was a tough ride for Coker in Tallahassee, as the former three-star prospect sat behind eventual first-round NFL pick EJ Manuel on the depth chart, then lost out a camp battle with eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.
With only 41 career pass attempts to his credit and entering his final year of college eligibility, Coker finally has an opportunity to show what he can do.
Coker enters a great situation in Tuscaloosa playing under Nick Saban. His offensive coordinator will be Lane Kiffin, whose offensive prowess is proven, even though he may not be able to hold on to a head coaching gig. Coker will also have the support of a deep running back corps, and an elite wide receiver in Amari Cooper.
Karlos Williams, RB, Florida State
In 2013, Karlos Williams was part of a very talented three-headed backfield in Tallahassee that didn't get nearly the respect it deserved with Jameis Winston in town.
The converted safety, who didn't join the offense until after the Seminoles' first game, rushed for 730 yards and 11 touchdowns on only 91 carries in 2013, averaging 8.0 yards per tote. Now, entering his senior season, Williams finds himself atop the depth chart at running back with Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. moving on to the NFL.
With his usage set to increase this season, Williams has seen his name mentioned in discussions for the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award, a great foundation for a breakout season.
Ricky Seals-Jones, WR, Texas A&M
We caught a glimpse of the kind of talent Ricky Seals-Jones has to offer last season, but only a glimpse.
Seals-Jones came to College Station as one of the top high school players in the state of Texas. He made an immediate impact with the Aggies, hauling in three passes for 84 yards in the team's 2013 opener against Rice, but hurt his knee on a 71-yard touchdown reception in that contest.
Johnny Manziel won't be around to throw him the ball, and Mike Evans won't be drawing the focus of opposing defenses, but Kevin Sumlin knows offense, and he'll figure out a way to get the ball into the hands of his ultra-talented receiver.
Markus Golden, DE, Missouri
Missouri might not get the kind of respect that other schools do as a producer of talent, but the team has been churning out defensive lineman with incredible frequency.
First, it was Ziggy Hood in 2009, then Aldon Smith in 2011, then Sheldon Richardson in 2013, and most recently, Michael Sam in 2014. Sam was a breakout player himself in 2013 as an off the board SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
With Sam and fellow defensive end Kony Ealy both moving on to the NFL, the Tigers will need to move some new faces into those spots. Markus Golden is a name to know. Entering his senior season, the former JUCO linebacker has all the physical tools to excel in that spot. He recorded 6.5 sacks and 55 total tackles, 13 for loss, in 2013.
Josh Shaw, CB, USC
It's hard to say that a cornerback that is coming off a season in which he recorded 67 tackles, 5.5 for loss, is in need of a breakout, but Shaw's strong play got lost in the mess that was USC's 2013 season.
In spite of all the noise, USC's secondary graded out as one of the top units in the nation, allowing just 5.8 yards per attempt, and Shaw was a big reason why. With safety Dion Bailey moving on to the NFL, Shaw will be called upon to take on more of a leadership role in the Trojan secondary.
Entering his senior season, expect Shaw to get some more national recognition if he takes another step forward. With the size and athleticism to match up with any of the top receivers in the country, Shaw's draft stock should see a significant bump as well.