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Every year, there are players who tantalize with their talent, only to end up stashed on the bench for far too long — at least for our liking. With the season in the rearview, we’ve been thinking about the players we wish saw more action in 2014. If we get our way, these five players will burst into stardom with increased playing time in 2015.
- RB Adam Lane, Florida: As a freshman, Lane barely saw the field until the bowl game. Once he got his chance, the 5-foot-7 wrecking ball went off, doubling his previous season total for carries and going for 109 yards and a touchdown. Interim head coach D.J. Durkin reportedly told Lane he should have played more as a freshman, and we completely agree. Lane has the power to pound the ball inside, and his short stature will help him evade tacklers behind the line as his workload increases.
- WR Malachi Dupre, LSU: Dupre was one of the top 20 high school players in the country in 2014, and he arrived at LSU with big expectations. When the Tigers threw him the ball, he delivered. The problem was that he got barely any looks as the season went along. He had just three catches in LSU’s final six games as quarterback Anthony Jennings struggled to throw the ball at all. With length, speed and hands, Dupre should be a focal point of the passing offense. LSU will have to find a way to get the ball in his hands in 2015 if they want the passing offense to succeed.
- LB Jonathan Walton, South Carolina: South Carolina’s defense was a mess for most of 2014, but it improved as Walton earned more playing time late in the year. The sophomore, built more like a safety, flew around like one in the final stretch of the year as the Gamecocks tightened up following a Halloween weekend loss to Tennessee. Lorenzo Ward should let Walton loose for the whole season in 2015 to see that improvement continue.
- CB Tony Brown, Alabama: If there was a weak point on Alabama’s defense, it was at the corners, where Cyrus Jones and Eddie Jackson were inconsistent. Brown earned himself a couple of starts over the course of the year, but the former five-star and top-10 national recruit wasn’t on the field consistently as a freshman. He showed the kind of impact he can have when he helped slow down Auburn’s onslaught in the Iron Bowl, but Nick Saban and Kirby Smart didn’t let him loose to terrorize receivers on a regular basis. Brown has the speed and instincts to mirror receivers’ routes, and we’d like to see him get the chance to throw a blanket on the SEC’s best next year.
- RB Boom Williams, Kentucky: Williams was Kentucky’s leading rusher as a freshman, but he didn’t get nearly enough carries to satisfying our craving for his explosive moments — his first three career touchdowns were form 50-plus yards. Williams had fewer than 10 carries in eight games and didn’t play in two others, but when he got the chance he flashed massive potential. In the season finale, he shredded a tough Louisville defense for 126 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry in the process. Williams will be the go-to back in Lexington in the fall and we can’t wait for it.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
