25 NCAA players that could appear on a future Madden NFL cover

17. Royce Freeman – RB – Oregon Ducks

This year’s crop of NFL RB prospects is a loaded one. Most people that follow college football already know about LSU‘s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. However, another name that should be added to that list is Oregon’s Royce Freeman, whose achievements should not be overlooked.

As a freshman in 2014, Freeman was in a loaded backfield with Byron Marshall and Thomas Tyner. Still, he provided an element of power that was missing from the program since Jonathan Stewart in 2008. As a result, Freeman received the bulk of the carries and took full advantage of it, finishing that year with 1,365 rushing yards and 18 TDs — both freshman records for his school.

Last season, Freeman didn’t miss a beat as he rushed for 1,836 yards and 17 TDs, clearly establishing himself as one of the best backs in the country. Additionally, he will most likely be a Doak Walker award finalist. Some may disagree, but Royce has all the makings of a future first-round pick in the NFL Draft.

Oregon players tend to produce gaudy numbers, but it has rarely translated well in the NFL. This is especially true for RBs except — save perhaps for Stewart. However, Freeman’s size, vision, and balance projects very well for the pro game, where he seems capable of producing on Sundays in the same way  he does now. It’s more than possible for him to become the first Oregon Duck to be on a Madden cover. Assuming Marcus Mariota doesn’t beat him to it.

Next: 16. Climbing the Ladder