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Eight college football stars facing most pressure in 2017

J.T. Barrett is a college football star who faces immense pressure in 2017

3. Sam Darnold, quarterback, USC

Darnold has NFL scouts very intrigued. His accuracy is off the charts, and while arm strength isn’t his greatest asset he can still make all the throws.

Head coach Clay Helton absolutely made the right call inserting Darnold into the starting lineup against Utah. Even though the Trojans lost that game, Helton stuck with the redshirt freshman, who went on to rattle off nine straight wins to close out the season with a magnificent victory over Penn State.

Perhaps the most impressive thing Helton was able to do is throw touchdowns at such a high volume while simultaneously keeping interceptions down. He finished the season with a 67.2 completion rate, throwing 31 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

The Trojans have championship aspirations. The only way they’ll meet them is if Darnold continues ascending and becomes a viable Heisman candidate throughout the upcoming campaign. His legacy is on the line, both at the collegiate level and as a potential top pick in the NFL draft.

4. Saquon Barkley, running back, Penn State

Saquon Barkley

Heading into last season, there weren’t a ton of expectations associated with Penn State, though we were very excited to see Barkley in action. Fast forward one year and suddenly the Nittany Lions are expected to do big things, with Barkley as the catalyst behind the team’s offensive success.

Entering his junior campaign, Barkley is being mentioned as a potential Heisman candidate. He also has a chance, if he lives up to those expectations, to follow in the footsteps of Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey as a top draft pick.

Based on his career trajectory, it’s certainly possible Barkley can pull off those feats. He significantly boosted his production last year compared to his freshman season, totaling 1,898 yards and 22 touchdowns from scrimmage.

One of the best things about Barkley is that he gets stronger as the game gets longer. This allows head coach James Franklin to batter defenses into submission late in games. For Penn State to emerge as a playoff team at the end of the year, Barkley must continue to evolve and grow as a player. This means becoming more involved in the passing game and getting into the end zone more often.

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