10 College Football Players Who Could Be Headed for Sophomore Slumps

The concept of a sophomore slump is hardly a new one in college football, or college sports in general. A freshman emerges onto the scene as a talented player and is feted with accolades, attention and a higher profile. And it goes to their head. They ease up a bit, more film gets out on them and opponents adjust. A slump happens. Maybe it isn’t their fault (a new coaching staff arrives, or the talent around them dips), but the concept remains the same, and their production falls off from the highs they reached as freshmen. Here is a group of players who could be facing sophomore slumps in 2015. Last August, Derek Barnett wasn’t widely known in college football circles, but that changed quickly once Tennessee started its season. The freshman defensive end had an excellent season, setting Tennessee records for sacks (10) and tackles for loss (20.5) and excelling against talented competition. Barnett’s work ethic is excellent, and he has a great motor. However, he is coming off offseason shoulder surgery that hampered him last fall, forcing him to sit out spring practice and perhaps slow his development. SEC offensive coordinators now have a year’s worth of film to study on Barnett, allowing them to better game-plan for him. He isn’t a secret anymore, which could cause his stats to slide in 2015. Remember last August, when Ohio State’s offense was thrown into chaos by Braxton Miller’s season-ending shoulder surgery? J.T. Barrett made sure you didn’t. …

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