10 best college football players returning from injury in 2017
Florida State safety Derwin James was supposed to carry his fantastic freshman season into a projected All-America sophomore campaign in 2016. Then came the knee injury. Instead of leading FSU back to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference, James’ sophomore season saw the former five-star recruit play in just two games.
But he’s back in 2017. As are dozens of other all-conference contenders bouncing back from injury-marred 2016 seasons — and in some cases, from missing each of the past two years.
This week’s top 10 list takes a look at those players looking to turn the page on injuries and regain their stride in starring roles. James is one. UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is another. Here’s the list, beginning with the two future NFL standouts:
1. Florida State S Derwin James
Pound for pound, there might not be a better player in college football. An absolute wonder as a true freshman, when he made 91 tackles from his spot at safety, James played in only two games in 2016 before a meniscus tear ended his season. Back at full capacity, James is set for an All-America junior year.
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2. UCLA QB Josh Rosen
Rosen played quite a bit in 2016, unlike most names on this list, making six starts of middling effectiveness for the Bruins before being shut down with a shoulder injury in early October. When at full strength, there might not be a more polished quarterback in college football; Rosen makes NFL talent evaluators drool in projecting his ability to the next level. If a healthy season is one concern, that Rosen is playing under his third position coach in as many years is another.
3. LSU DT Christian LaCouture
The NFL will wait one more year for the LSU senior, a multiple-year starter who returns in 2017 after tearing his ACL during the Tigers’ preseason camp last fall. While LSU’s defensive front features a nice blend of senior leadership and underclassmen talent, the health of the entire unit hinges on LaCouture playing near or at an all-conference level.
4. South Carolina LB Skai Moore
That South Carolina’s defense ranked around the middle of the SEC in Will Muschamp’s first season is made more impressive by the fact that Moore, the team’s leading tackler during the previous three years, missed all of last fall with a neck injury. Look for Moore to again pace the Gamecocks in stops and be a dark-horse awards candidate as a senior.
5. Iowa WR Matt VandeBerg
Iowa’s top target in 2015, VandeBerg kicked off last season on a tear — with 19 grabs for 284 yards in his first four games — before being lost for the season with a foot injury just one game into Big Ten play. While the same injury has limited VandeBerg thus far this offseason, he’s expected to be back at full strength by the early summer.
6. Illinois WR Mike Dudek
After leading Illinois with 76 receptions for 1,038 yards as a true freshman in 2014, Dudek suffered a season-ending ACL tear to his right knee during spring drills of his sophomore year. A year later, he suffered the same injury — in the same right knee — and missed all of last season. If healthy, he’ll be the focal point of an offense that remains a work in progress.
7. Oklahoma RB Rodney Anderson
Though he’ll have to prove himself able to remain healthy after missing nearly all of his first two years on campus, Anderson has the speed, size and strength to help OU’s running game survive without Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. If healthy, this is an enviable situation: Anderson will line up behind one of the nation’s best players in quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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8. Southern California OL Toa Lobendahn
The ability to play multiple positions along the offensive line makes Lobendahn an invaluable cog as the Trojans attempt to replace three starters from a season ago. But he’ll have to remain upright. A standout as a true freshman in 2014, Lobendahn missed the second half of the 2015 season and all but the first few quarters of last fall with knee injuries.
9. Mississippi CB Ken Webster
The Rebels will look toward a healthy Webster to solidify a secondary otherwise lacking in adequate experience. He was expected to challenge for all-conference honors last fall, but suffered a season-ending injury in the opener against Florida State. One year later, Webster will provide an enormous boost for the Rebels’ defense.
10. Notre Dame CB Shaun Crawford
Crawford was expected to contribute as Notre Dame’s fifth defensive back as a true freshman in 2015 before a knee injury ended his season in fall camp. A year ago, he seemed destined for a breakout campaign before suffering an Achilles tear in September. While that setback has lingered this offseason, limiting the third-year player from grabbing a role in new coordinator Mike Elko’s scheme, Crawford will be at worst a key part of the Irish’s defensive backfield in 2017 — if he’s healthy.
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