The return of Carl Lawson should really help Auburn’s defensive front. (John Reed-USA TODAY Sports)
College football is drawing near so Lindy’s Sports will begin to release its picks, rankings and predictions for the upcoming season. Today, we start with Comeback Players, or players returning after missing most or all of last season with injuries.
With that said, here are our top 15 Comeback Players for the 2015 season.
Bralon Addison, WR, Oregon — The Ducks made it all the way to the national championship game after being without one of their top playmakers all season. The speedy Addison suffered a torn ACL in the spring of 2014, on the heels of a sophomore season in which he caught 61 passes for 890 yards and seven touchdowns. This spring, he shed plenty of rust.
Kenny Bigelow, DT, USC — He was a top-10 recruit in 2013, then redshirted, then tore an ACL last summer during a voluntary workout. Bigelow, expected to be in the rotation in USC’s three-man front, was limited to individual work this spring but looked fit at a trimmer 285 pounds. Not everyone can follow his diet, though. He said he lost three pounds just by cutting off his dreadlocks.
Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Kenyan Drake (17) carries the ball for the Crimson team during the annual A-Day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. (Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports)
Kenyan Drake, RB, Alabama — If you search “Kenyan Drake injury,” you’ll be directed to a YouTube video that comes with this caution: “WARNING: graphic footage.” Yeah. It’s not pretty. That gruesome broken leg, suffered Oct. 4 against Ole Miss, cost him the rest of the season, but he was well on his way back to 100 percent in the spring. He’s a much-needed second-stringer to Derrick Henry and/or a wideout for Lane Kiffin to use as he sees fit.
Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn — A Freshman All-American in 2013, he suffered a torn ACL last spring and sat out the 2014 season. He was back in a big way this spring for new coordinator Will Muschamp, playing the Buck position, a play-making hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker spot. Basically, the former No. 1-rated high school defensive end will be this year’s college football version of Dante Fowler Jr., who manned the Buck for Muschamp last season at Florida. The Tigers’ pass rush needs Lawson in a huge way, too; they had a mere 21 sacks last year.
Luther Maddy, DT, Virginia Tech — He played in just the first four games, with nine tackles (and, whoa, still earned honorable mention All-ACC honors from the coaches), but underwent two knee surgeries, the first for torn meniscus. He was third-team All-ACC in 2013, and his return helps give the Hokies perhaps the saltiest defense in the league.
Braxton Miller, WR/HB, Ohio State — The Buckeyes showed last season that they don’t necessarily need Braxton Miller. But, coach Urban Meyer said all offseason that he wanted the former quarterback back for his final season after he was cleared to resume throwing activities in the summer. Well Miller is back, but he is changing positions due to Ohio State’s wealth of talent at quarterback. There’s no questioning Miller’s athletic ability, but it will be interesting to see if he can make the transition from passer to receiver/blocker.
Jamal Palmer’s return should bolster a tough Bears defensive front. Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Jamal Palmer, DE, Baylor — He played in five games last season before an ACL tear wiped out the rest of his season. The senior, a former honorable mention All -Big 12 pick, is healthy and ready to rejoin a loaded Bears front wall that ranks as Lindy’s No. 3 defensive line in America.
Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan — Heck of a departing gift left by Brady Hoke. Rated as the No. 3 prospect in the 2014 class by 247Sports, Peppers played in three games last season before injuries piled up and he was forced to take a redshirt. Jim Harbaugh will use him all over the field and in the backfield as a multipurpose weapon, and the coach offered the highest praise at the end of the spring, saying, “He’s been A-plus.”
Michael Rose-Ivey, LB, Nebraska — He set a school freshman record with 66 tackles in 2013, including 49 in the final five games, but a knee injury in fall camp kept him on the sideline all of last season. He’s working at an outside spot for coordinator Mark Banker, one of the best in the business.
Clemson needs to keep QB Deshaun Watson healthy for a season. (Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports)
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson — The college football world is his. We only got a peek at what he could do before an ACL tear shut him down … but that peek was spectacular. He completed 67.9 percent of his passes (93 of 137) for 1,466 yards, with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. He added five touchdowns on the ground.
Laquon Treadwell is back with the Rebels and ready to go. (Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports)
Laquon Treadwell, WR; Denzel Nkemdiche, LB; Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss — Treadwell’s goal-line leg fracture was gruesome; Nkemdiche played in just seven games because of a broken ankle; Tunsil suffered a fractured leg in the bowl game. When healthy, all three are among the best in the nation at their positions.
Alex Kozan, OG, Auburn — Kozan missed the entire 2014 season due to a back injury suffered while lifting weights, but he’s back with the Tigers after a limited spring and could be a huge ingredient to Auburn’s success this season. Kozan, a mauler in the run game, started every game as a redshirt freshman in 2013 and played a key role in the Tigers becoming the first SEC team in history to lead the nation in rushing.
