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College Football: 25 breakout players to watch in 2016

By John Buhler

Nov 27, 2015; Lincoln, NE, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King (14) enters the field before the game at Memorial Stadium for the contest against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. King has been suspended from the first quarter of play due to a team violation. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Lincoln, NE, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King (14) enters the field before the game at Memorial Stadium for the contest against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. King has been suspended from the first quarter of play due to a team violation. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 26, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) on the sidelines. The Tar Heels defeated the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens 41-14 at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) on the sidelines. The Tar Heels defeated the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens 41-14 at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Don’t sleep on the North Carolina Tar Heels to potentially come out of the ACC this year. The Tar Heels did win the ACC Coastal Division last fall and should be one of the two teams along with the Miami Hurricanes to vie for a trip to Charlotte in the ACC Championship Game.

Head coach Larry Fedora has done a remarkable job of helping get the Tar Heels football program back to being one of the better teams in the ACC. While he does lose last year’s starting quarterback Marquise Williams to the Green Bay Packers, Fedora does have a more than capable replacement under center in junior Mitch Trubisky.

Trubisky has seen the field 18 times for the Tar Heels the last two seasons as Williams’ backup. To date, he has completed 82 of 125 pass attempts at a 65.6% clip for 1,014 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions for 156.4 combined quarterback rating.

As the full-time starter in 2016, Trubisky will have the luxury of a great tailback in Elijah Hood and what should be a strong North Carolina defense under defensive coordinator Gene Chizik to lean on.

Having teams on their season slate like the Georgia Bulldogs and the Miami Hurricanes won’t be easy for North Carolina, but if Trubisky is the real deal, he might ascend to that upper echelon of elite ACC quarterbacks with the likes of Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Miami’s Brad Kaaya, and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.

Next: 14. Zach Banner.

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