5 Pac-12 Players Who Are Must-See TV
5 Pac-12 Players Who Are Must-See TV
With five new coaches, including UCLA’s Chip Kelly, and a league jam-packed with playmakers, there will be plenty to keep your eye on this season.
The Pac-12 may well be the most wide open of the Power 5 conferences this season, so those late night games should be well worth your time—even at the expense of some sleep.
With five new coaches, including UCLA’s Chip Kelly, and a league jam-packed with playmakers, there will be plenty to keep your eye on.
Here are five players, in particular, who warrant your undivided attention.
Khalil Tate, QB, Arizona
This dual-threat quarterback out of Inglewood, Calif., had his breakout year as a sophomore last season—especially during the second half of the year. He threw for 1,591 yards and 14 scores while picking up a whopping 1,411 yards with his legs.
Tate did throw nine picks, however. That’s a touchdown/interception ratio that’ll obviously need to be improved, and the ‘Cats’ new head coach Kevin Sumlin will help with that. On top of Tate’s flashy play, Arizona also has a fun non-conference schedule, as they host BYU and travel to Houston to play the Cougars.
Whether it’s with his arm or his legs, look for Tate to show out during his junior year in Tucson.
Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
Who didn’t want to see Bryce Love return for his senior year? The guy’s an absolute animal. Last year, he ran for 2,118 yards and 19 trips to pay dirt, all while averaging 8.1 (!!) yards per carry.
The Cardinal boast nine returning offensive starters, including 6-4 320-pound guard Nate Herbig, who will be sure to keep those running lanes open for Love. Furthermore, KJ Costello is a quarterback that is continuing to develop, so you can rest assured Love isn’t getting anything less in terms of carries this upcoming season. If he’s not on your Heisman watchlist, you may need to reevaluate.
Myles Gaskin, RB, Washington
Myles Gaskin has to be one of the most elusive athletes in the nation. Entering his senior year in Seattle, he’s tallied 4,055 yards on the ground and 45 scores. 21 of those scores came last year as a junior, setting him up for a monster final season.
Oh, by the way, those 4,055 career yards grant him the honor of being the nation’s top returning rusher. Now with Jake Browning’s favorite target Dante Pettis moving on to the NFL, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Gaskin’s carries increase. Although, he will be sharing time with Salvon Ahmed, another great back.
Nonetheless, you won’t want to miss what Gaskin has in store.
Jake Browning, QB, Washington
Despite his lackluster junior year, we couldn’t leave Jake Browning out of the discussion. His sophomore season was nothing short of magnificent. He threw for 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns.
However, it was quickly overridden by last season, where he threw for 700 fewer yards and less than half the touchdowns.
Now, as he enters his senior year, he looks to leave his name behind in Pac-12 glory with other great quarterbacks who have recently moved on like Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold and Luke Falk. Browning is a must-watch player as he seeks to rebound from last season and bring the Huskies back to what they’re capable of.
Soso Jamabo, RB, UCLA
Soso Jamabo came to UCLA as a five-star recruit out of Plano, Texas. However, he has yet to live up to his potential, leaving him without much outside attention as he enters his senior year.
With Chip Kelly coming into the mix, everything potentially changes. Kelly made a name for himself at Oregon with his high-powered rushing attacks, which led the conference all six years he was in Eugene. If that offense is as successful in Los Angeles as it was in Eugene, you better believe Jamabo will play a huge role.
Put Jamabo in space with the ball in his hands under the offensive guru Kelly. That’s the kind of situation we’ll be tuning in for.