20 college football players who should be highly paid in 2017

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Sam Darnold No. 14 of the USC Trojans looks to pass the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 09: Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (90) celebrates asAlabama Crimson Tide defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson (54) looks on during the College Football Playoff National Championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers on January 9, 2017, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. Clemson won the game 35-31. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

7. Dexter Lawrence, DL, Clemson

Even the nation’s top recruits aren’t supposed to come in and dominate right away, but Lawrence has already emerged as a pass rushing force heading into his sophomore season.

Lawrence came out of college as a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect in the class of 2016, narrowly trailing only Gary. The Tigers beat out the likes of Alabama and Ohio State on the recruiting trail for Lawrence, who ended up being an important part of their run to the national title.

Despite featuring stars like Carlos Watkins and Christian Wilkins on a stacked defensive line, Lawrence cracked the rotation and started contributing right away. Lawrence stuffed the stat sheet with 62 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 23 quarterback pressures and 6.5 sacks en route to being named a freshman All-American and second team All-ACC in his first collegiate season.

At 6-foot-5, 340 pounds, Lawrence is an imposing figure in the middle of the defensive line, and has excellent quickness for his massive size. As his freshman stats indicate, Lawrence is effective against both the pass and run, and will only get better with more experience.

A few of the top players from Clemson’s defense are gone this season, so the Tigers will be relying heavily on Lawrence to be even more productive. A truly elite defensive tackle should earn $16 million in 2017, a comparable mark to NFL stars Kawann Short and Marcell Dareus.

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