30 college football players with the biggest shoes to fill in 2018

Shoes to Fill: Bradley Chubb

Most of the players on our list include backups that didn’t see much playing time in 2017. Most of the newcomers will be expected to step up and fill the shoes of talented veteran players who blocked them on the depth chart.

Darian Roseboro doesn’t fit those criteria. Roseboro has played in 39 games in his first three seasons at N.C. State, and emerged as a key contributor to what was one of the most talented defensive lines in the country in 2017. With his help, the Wolfpack posted a 9-4 record last season, which included a 6-2 mark in ACC play. N.C. State rose to No. 14 in the AP Top 25 in 2017, its highest point since 2003, and finished No. 23 – the first final ranking for the program since 2010.

After splitting time with Kentavius Street in the end spot opposite Bradley Chubb each of the last two seasons, the 6-foot-4, 287-pound rising senior should be a full-time starter next year. And, given the production he’s had in limited action to date, he will surely be the focus of many opposing offensive coordinator’s game plans.

Roseboro recorded 33 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a junior. As a sophomore, he ranked second to Chubb with seven sacks and recorded 11 tackles for loss. Overall, he has tallied 23 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks spread across three seasons, and intercepted a pass he returned for a touchdown in 2015.

Though he would have likely been drafted after his junior season had he decided to turn pro, Roseboro opted instead to stay at N.C. State and finish his degree. It was a promise he made to his late father, who passed away last October.