Bill Connelly ranks “The most important players in CFB in 2020”

Interesting article. I think the basic idea is to rank the guys who could affect their team’s performance the most, whether it be in a negative or positive way. It’s all guys who are either unproven or moving into a bigger role.

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1. QB JT Daniels or Dwan Mathis

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Now at Georgia, Daniels could be the guy to push the Dawgs out of last year's "all-world defense, terribly limited offense" imbalance. But first he has to be cleared for competition.

His ongoing recovery from injury has opened the door for Mathis, who spent 2019 on the sideline after having a cyst removed from his brain. Mathis has apparently impressed head coach Kirby Smart and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

It doesn't really matter who ends up starting here; it only matters that whomever it is thrives. Georgia will start 2020 with the most proven defense in college football, and while the offense could use another top skill-corps player, it still has a couple of proven linemen in receiver George Pickens, running backs Zamir White and James Cook and a new batch of blue-chippers. With great quarterback play, the Dawgs go from SEC East co-favorites to, potentially, national title co-favorites. Sounds like the QB of choice is the most important player in the country to me.

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2. QB Bo Nix, Auburn

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The Tigers mostly ended Oregon's national title hopes in Week 1 last year and officially ended Alabama's in the Iron Bowl. Nix was at the helm for both, but for Auburn to contend, Nix has to be far more consistent than he was in 2019, and must do so with a new offensive line. The defense will help, but he needs to make more plays. Can he?

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3. QB Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma
4. QB Myles Brennan, LSU

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Brennan's predecessor put together maybe the most impressive single-season passing performance in the sport's history last year. Almost anything he does will pale in comparison. But if he's ready for the spotlight, LSU still has top-five potential.

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5. QB Tyler Shough, Oregon
6. QB Joe Milton, Michigan
7. QB Sean Clifford, Penn State
8. WR Terrace Marshall, LSU

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The junior caught 13 touchdown passes last year and averaged 10 yards per target. But with both Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase gone, Marshall has huge standards to live up to as the new No. 1 guy.

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9. WR Jalen Preston or Caleb Chapman, Texas A&M

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The Aggies' offense stunk on passing downs last year, and no returning wideout caught more than three passes in 2019. Preston and Chapman are "veterans" as sophomores ... but they could be really good sophomores.

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10. WR Trevon Grimes, Florida

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Grimes is the only returning Florida wideout who caught more than 21 passes last year, and his per-target rates (10.7 yards per target, 67% success rate) suggest he could be ready for a senior-year leap.

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11. OT Jackson Carman, Clemson
12. QB Kenny Pickett, Pitt
13. QB KJ Costello, Mississippi State

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Mike Leach's first MSU squad will feature an enormous receiving corps and former blue-chip quarterback who threw for 3,540 yards in a much different Stanford offense in 2018. This chemistry experiment won't produce a contender, but it could absolutely produce an upset or two.

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14. LB Brandon Smith, Penn State
15. LB Owen Pappoe, Auburn

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Speaking of Swiss Army knives, Pappoe had a pressure rate of 24% last year and allowed just 6.4 adjusted yards per attempt in primary pass coverage. He might be Auburn's best blitzer and best nickel coverage guy

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16. DB Chris Adimora, Texas
17. DE DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M

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The Aggies are basically a star pass-rusher away from a top-10 D, and after holding his own in the trenches as a true freshman, Leal could explode in 2020. He's a 290-pounder with the pass-rush potential of a 260-pounder.

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18. CB Mykael Wright, Oregon
19. OLB Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

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Nick Saban signs approximately 113 blue-chip freshmen every year, but we've rarely heard more fall-camp raves about a guy than we've heard about this freshman from Hampton, Georgia, who's already listed as a starter.

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20. LB Palaie Gaoteote IV, USC
21. DT Taron Vincent, Ohio State
22. CB Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson
23. OLB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
24. WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

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He scored return touchdowns in Bama's two biggest games last year and already has over 1,400 receiving yards despite being the No. 4 passing option. Now, alongside DeVonta Smith, he's a go-to guy. Look out

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25. OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas