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30 college football players with big shoes to fill in 2017

By Brad Weiss

Apr 9, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Kelly Bryant (2) after faking the pass during the first quarter of the spring game at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Kelly Bryant (2) after faking the pass during the first quarter of the spring game at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 24, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive end Dylan Jackson (97) celebrates after defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (66) sacks UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) during the second half at Rose Bowl. The Stanford Cardinal won 22-13. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive end Dylan Jackson (97) celebrates after defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (66) sacks UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) during the second half at Rose Bowl. The Stanford Cardinal won 22-13. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
15

Dylan Jackson

Defensive Lineman, Stanford

Coming into the 2017 season, many believed the Stanford Cardinal would challenge for a Pac-12 title. With star running back Christian McCaffrey back, the Cardinal offense should have been a juggernaut, but instead stumbled out of the gate. Once McCaffrey got going, Stanford took off, reeling off six straight victories, before closing out the season with a nice win against the University of North Carolina in their bowl game.

One constant on the team throughout the season was Solomon Thomas, who was a devastating presence along the defensive line. Thomas is a rare breed, as someone who can not only clog up the middle of the line, but also get the edge. Stanford is going to have to find a suitable replacement for him if they want to be a contender in the Pac-12 this season, and Dylan Jackson just may be the man to do so.

Jackson is another solid defensive lineman, who has the athleticism to play all over the defensive front. While Stanford has a bunch of question marks heading into next season, Jackson is going to be the defensive end, while Harrison Phillips should be at the defensive tackle position. The rest of the line is up for grabs, which means Jackson will have to be super-productive if the Cardinal hope to stop some of those explosive Pac-12 offenses in 2017.

Losing both Thomas and McCaffrey is going to be tough on Stanford, as both players went within the top-10 picks of the 2017 NFL Draft. While Bryce Love should be able to soften the blow left by McCaffrey leaving, Jackson has a taller order, as he did not play as much as Love did last season. He is going to be a good one, but in a Pac-12 that is going to be offense-heavy, he may see his fair share of double-teams.

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