College Football Bowls 2016: 10 potential breakout players

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Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Derrius Guice (5) runs as Mississippi Rebels defensive back Myles Hartsfield (15) pursues during the first quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

If you’re the LSU Tigers, you have to be excited for the future even with Leonard Fournette leaving for the NFL after the 2016 campaign. Sophomore running back Derrius Guice doesn’t get the type of recognition that Fournette does, but believe me when I say this, he’s every bit as exciting.

The second-year player from Baton Rouge didn’t have the biggest sample size as a freshman, rushing for 436 yards and three touchdowns on 8.5 yards per carry. Playing in the shadows of Fournette can’t be easy, but he has embraced it and it’s led to even more playing time this season in place of the oft-injured back.

Guice leads the team in rushing this season, if you can believe that, but Fournette is the back everyone seems to talk about. The sophomore has 1,249 yards and 14 touchdowns on 8.0 yards per touch.

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On the season, he has five games with at least 100 rushing yards and two games with at least 200. In the final three games of the year, he has rushed for 620 yards and seven touchdowns with two, 200-yard performances — nearly hitting the 300-yard mark in the season finale.

LSU faces off against Louisville in yet another underrated matchup on Dec. 31 for the Citrus Bowl. This could be everyone’s chance to see him post video game-like numbers.

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