Sam Hubbard, defensive end, Ohio State
Hubbard is extremely talented and many believe that he could be one of the best players in college football heading into 2017.
As a freshman, he certainly appeared to fit the bill. In 13 games played, he notched 6.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and an interception. It was a major standout season for the former four-star athlete and it seemed to put him on the map.
But while 2016 was a solid year for Hubbard, he regressed production-wise. He still played in 13 games and he notched a half tackle-for-loss more than his freshman season, but his sacks went down to 3.5 and he didn’t notch any takeaways. Sure it can be argued that he more than made up for that by nearly doubling his total tackles. But without a doubt, his impact plays took a hit during his sophomore season.
Heading into an all-important junior year, Hubbard certainly has the talent to live up to his freshman season big-play production. Whether he does still remains a question.