College football 2018: Top 30 breakout players to watch

Wisconsin finished the 2017 season 13-1 with a win over Miami in the Orange Bowl.

In 2018, they’ll bring back almost everyone from a dominant offense, most notably sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor, who ran for 1,977 yards, and most of his offensive line. The defense will be solid again and the Badgers will likely look much like they did in 2018, playing a physical brand of football and pounding the ball between the tackles.

Aaron Cruickshank, a 5’9″, 160-pound freshman who enrolled early and joined the team in the spring, isn’t someone who fits the typical Wisconsin style of play. He’s obviously undersized and as a product of Erasmus High School in Brooklyn where he played quarterback, receiver and ran track, he is a long way from home. But in Cruickshank, the Badgers have a potential X-factor, a player with upper-echelon SEC speed.

It was assumed that he would at least see action in the return game as a freshman but after his performance in the spring, it may be hard for Wisconsin coaches to keep him off the field. Not only did he show what he could do as a punt and kick returner, but he also made big play after big play in the passing game, catching short passes in the slot then turning up the field and leaving everyone in the dust.

We’ll have to wait and see how much of a chance he gets aside of special teams this fall but when he’s on the field, keep an eye on him. Cruickshank is a big play waiting to happen.