Nine college football players who will blow your mind this season

Jalen Hurd, WR, Baylor

Hurd is perhaps the most intriguing story of the 2018 season: Once an NFL-ready running back at Tennessee, he decided to switch positions (and schools) to potentially prolong his career. This, of course, is the kind of thing that causes NFL scouts to freak out. But if Hurd makes the transition successfully — and given his ability to jettison defenders, there’s good reason to believe he can — he may become a pioneer.

Kyler Murray, quarterback, Oklahoma

Enjoy him while you can, because Murray will play one season at Oklahoma before he shuttles off to some faraway destination in the Oakland Athletics’ farm system. But given what little we’ve seen of Murray’s Johnny Manziel-ish skills at quarterback, it may be one hell of a year.

Miles Sanders, running back, Penn State

I, too, am still recovering from the loss of Saquon Barkley, who may have been the most dynamic college running back since Barry Sanders. And hey, Miles is not Barry and is not related to Barry. (He does, however, have a brother named Kobe.) But given Penn State’s improved offensive line — and given his ability to bounce off defenders — Sanders may wind up raising a few eyebrows himself.

Tyree Jackson, quarterback, Buffalo

Perhaps you are seeking that non-Power Five quarterback who could potentially rocket up draft boards by next spring — then is unjustifiably condemned as “overrated” after the combine by scouts who would prefer him to slip to the second round? Jackson may be your man. He’s big (6-foot-7), strong (245 pounds), mobile, and accurate — and if he improves over the course of the season, he may be the next Mid-American Conference quarterback to become an NFL starter.

Dylan Moses, linebacker, Alabama

Enough with Alabama’s quarterbacks. We get it, man. The thing is, how often over the past several years have the Crimson Tide won games with their defense — games where they could have fielded a circus clown at quarterback and it wouldn’t have mattered? If you’re seeking a dude to watch as the Crimson Tide inevitably hurl opposing quarterbacks into a crevasse, look no further than Moses, who seems destined to become the next great Bama linebacking fixture.

Dwayne Haskins, quarterback, Ohio State

Now that J.T. Barrett has exhausted his ninth year of eligibility, the Buckeyes will likely turn to Haskins, who helped Ohio State come back to beat Michigan last year. Thing is, Haskins may be better and more explosive than most of the other quarterbacks Urban Meyer’s had at Ohio State— which means the Buckeyes will likely be lurking on the playoff periphery once again.

Tee Higgins, wide receiver, Clemson

Higgins stirred up some internet trolling when he posed in front of an expensive car this summer, which proves — in case you were uncertain — that the "college football internet" is still capable of titanic idiocy. Never mind that Higgins may wind up earning one of those cars in a year or two, because it’s very possible he’ll be the centerpiece of Clemson’s offense this season — and he’s capable of making a series of highlight-reel catches along the way.

Cam Akers, running back, Florida State

Imagine this: a Florida State running back who, after one season, appears to have NFL potential. A stretch, I know, but Akers actually eclipsed his predecessor Dalvin Cook’s freshman rushing record last year, and he is capable of doing a lot more this year. Here he is running very fast. He seems quite good at it.

Hunter Bryant, tight end, Washington

What’s a tight end — let alone a Pac-12 tight end — doing on this list? Are tight ends even permitted to play in the Pac-12? The answer is that Hunter Bryant was a freshman All-American last season and that Washington may be the best hope the conference has to field a playoff contender this year— which means Bryant may be the closest thing to a must-watch at tight end you’ll find anywhere in the country.

UPDATE: Knee surgery could keep Bryant out for the majority of the 2018 season. 

Dillon Stoner, wide receiver, Oklahoma State

Here is what we know: Oklahoma State is going to throw the football. A lot. It is mandated by its conference affiliation and the whims of its mulleted head coach. SO…someone has to catch those balls, and Stoner (who made some pretty excellent catches last season) seems like a good bet to catch a lot of them. Plus he’s got the kind of name that will no doubt resonate with a college-aged demographic. But maybe that’s just, like, my opinion, man.