College Football 2016: 25 bold predictions

18. Myles Gaskin emerges as a national star

The Washington Huskies are getting a ton of preseason hype in Chris Petersen’s third season in charge. If the team is able to live up to expectations and challenge for a Pac-12 title, Gaskin will be a household name by the end of the year.

Following a tremendous career at Boise State, Petersen took over prior to the 2014 campaign and turned in an 8-6 season. The Huskies lost a lot of NFL-caliber talent the following offseason, and regressed to seven wins in 2015.

Still, the team showed some promise late in the year as some exciting young players began to emerge. The stellar defense and quarterback Jake Browning received plenty of national attention, but Gaskin quietly turned in a terrific season as a true freshman running back.

Gaskin exceeded all expectations by racking up 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns on 227 carries despite not really getting going until October with a stretch of seven 100-yard games over a nine-week period. . The Huskies check in at No. 14 in the preseason poll, and Gaskin’s potential for a huge season is a big reason why.

The nation is loaded with star running backs to overshadow someone like Gaskin, but look for him to join the ranks of the elite by the end of the season.

Next: 17. Jim Mora and UCLA turn in another disappointing season