Sophomores who could break out in 2017

After offering hints of their potential last season, look for sophomores like Michigan's Rashan Gary, Ole Miss's Van Jefferson and Oregon's Justin Herbert to shine this fall.

It’s fair to begin to expect players to live up to their potential by their sophomore seasons. As they enter their second (or third, in the case of redshirts) seasons of college, the excuses of youth and time for development are over; it’s time for them to prove they are worthy of the hype that brought them into their respective programs in the first place.

So far this season, we’ve already looked at the redshirt freshman who could break out, but now let’s turn to the core of college football stars in the making. These players have bided their time and offered glimpses of their capabilities. Now it’s time to deliver.

This list looks for players who haven’t already emerged in their true freshman or redshirt freshman seasons. So while sophomores like USC quarterback Sam Darnold and Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts may top the early Heisman Trophy odds, let’s identify some players who could break out and become national names this fall.