College Football: 25 breakout players to watch in 2016

By John Buhler | Aug 19, 2016

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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Nov 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans offensive tackle Zach Banner (73) celebrates during an NCAA football game against the UCLA Bruins at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive line is not a position group to normally get overly excited about in the college game, but the USC Trojans have themselves one fine offensive tackle in senior Zach Banner. At 6’9″, 360 pounds, Banner has the body type to set the edge on an NFL offensive line for years. With that size, could he be the next Jonathan Ogden to come out of the Pac-12?

Banner does have NFL pedigree on his side, as his father is three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders and Washington Huskies legend Lincoln Kennedy. Banner did play a year of college basketball and his athleticism should shine again as part of the 2016 Trojans team under head coach Clay Helton.

USC will have elite offensive weapons in 2016, but will face a brutal slate of games. The Trojans will be talented, but might have a hard time doing better than 8-4 during the 2016 NCAA regular season.

USC will get better as the year progresses, but will have to make the most of Banner’s time with the team. From the looks of it, he’s bound to be a first-round pick by some NFL team in desperate need to improve their offensive line in the 2017 NFL Draft.

His big body makes sense in a traditional man blocking scheme, but his athleticism stemming from his pedigree and days on the hardwood could make the compelling case that Banner might actually be best suited in a speed-based zone blocking scheme.

While both the Stanford Cardinal and the Utah Utes might have the best offensive lines in the Pac-12 this year, Banner feels like the best talent in the Power 5 conference at that position group. Banner should be first-team All-Pac-12 and will be one of the first 32 players taken in next spring’s NFL Draft.

Next: 13. Patrick Mahomes.

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