25 NCAA players that could appear on a future Madden NFL cover
By Roje Smith
8. JuJu Smith-Schuster – WR – USC Trojans
Over the past three years, the USC football program has produced some promising NFL receivers including Marqise Lee and Nelson Agholor. JuJu Smith-Schuster is the now the latest prospect in that line, and he may be the best one of them all.
As a true freshman in 2014, Smith-Schuster had an impressive debut, finishing the season with 54 receptions for 724 yards and five TDs. His play landed him a spot on the All-Pac-12 second team. He was also named to the Sporting News Freshman All-American first team.
Due to Nelson Agholor being the primary option in USC’s offense that year, it was expected that JuJu would produce better numbers for 2015. He turned the expectation into reality by finishing with 89 catches for 1,454 yards and 10 TDs, earning him a spot on both the All-Pac-12 first team and a consensus nod as a second team All-American.
Despite being limited in his first game of this season by Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey, JuJu is still favored to be a Biletnikoff Award finalist — a bigger and stronger combination of Agholor and Lee. As a result, he’s projected to be a first-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft should he decide to enter.
The edge and competitiveness that he plays with draws comparison to Dallas Cowboys star WR Dez Bryant, who himself has a realistic shot of appearing on a future Madden cover. If JuJu can develop into a similar pro, he has a great chance to appear on one as well. It would him the first Trojan to grace the cover since Troy Polamalu on Madden NFL 10.
Next: 7. The next great dual-threat QB