20 college football players who should be highly paid in 2017

4. Jake Browning, QB, Washington 

While perhaps just a tier behind the likes of Sam Darnold and Lamar Jackson, Browning has proven to be a very valuable piece by leading the Washington’s return to national relevancy.

Browning rewrote the national high school records books with 229 career touchdown passes before joining the Huskies as a four-star recruit from the class of 2015. The Huskies named Browning the first-string quarterback just days before the start of the regular season, and went on to start 12 of 13 games as a true freshman.

There were growing pains to be sure, but Browning came on strong by the end of the season and finished with 2,955 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. Many expected a major breakout in 2016, and Browning responded by winning the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year Award with 3,430 passing yards and 43 touchdowns to just nine interceptions to lead the Huskies to the College Football Playoff.

Browning struggled through a shoulder injury in late-season games against Colorado and Alabama, so there’s potential for him to even better if he fully recovers from a January surgery. While Browning doesn’t have the biggest arm and is not the most athletic quarterback in the nation his outstanding accuracy and decision-making led to huge numbers in 2016.

With speedy receiver John Ross plus a number of defensive stars off to the NFL, the Huskies will need Browning to take the next step forward for a repeat playoff run. Browning might not be a first-team All-American, but he would get paid like an elite quarterback to the tune of $20 million, just beneath the annual salary of Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco.