6. Wisconsin Badgers – Jonathan Taylor, RB
The Wisconsin Badgers were only one game away from their first ever trip to the College Football Playoff last season, and this season they return enough starters to make the dream a reality. When it comes to the Badgers, always expect a strong run game with a suffocating defense.
This will be no different in 2018.
The defense didn’t lose too many pieces to the draft, so that group will be deep this season. The offensive line is full of studs, but if one were to go down, the rest of the line can mask deficiencies. Alex Hornibrook had an up and down year, but many fans point to his success against Miami in the Orange Bowl as an indicator of improvement.
However, he hasn’t shown enough to be the most valuable player on the roster. That leaves Jonathan Taylor as the most valuable player to Wisconsin this fall. Taylor accumulated 1977 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground in 2017 while managing 6.6 yards per carry. Not to mention, Taylor did all of this as a true freshman for the Badgers.
It’s hard to replicate production, but it’s fair to assume Taylor will continue to grow as a sophomore. If the offense truly wants to hang with the better teams in 2018, Taylor is key to their success.