This offseason we will count down various topics from Monday through Friday, bringing you the top five of the important and definitely some not so important issues in college football. It's the Doc Five, every week until we will thankfully have actual games to discuss.
Last week, in honor of the San Antonio Spurs rebounding from a crushing defeat in 2013 to win the 2014 NBA Finals in triumphant fashion, we decided to focus on the college football players who suffered setbacks last season who are prime candidates to come back strong.
We started with the offensive side of the ball for our countdown last week and included guys like Florida’s Jeff Driskel, Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton and Louisville’s Michael Dyer.
Now we will turn it over to the defensive side of the ball.
TOP FIVE DEFENSIVE PLAYERS POISED FOR A COMEBACK IN 2014
No. 1: Devonte Fields, DE, TCU
After he had one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory in 2012, TCU missed defensive end Devonte Fields in a big way in 2013.
A two-game suspension and a foot injury kept the explosive Fields on the sideline in 2013, but he is ready to get back on the field and wreak havoc for the Horned Frogs again in 2014 – two years after taking the Big 12 by storm as a true freshman.
In his first year on campus, Fields started all 13 games for the Horned Frogs and earned some incredible accolades. He was named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, the AP Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Additionally, the Big 12 coaches and media selected Fields for first-team All-Big 12 honors. On top of that, Fields was named to a handful of Freshman All-American teams.
The numbers were extremely impressive: 53 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception.
How’s that for a freshman campaign?
Not surprisingly, expectations were sky-high for Fields’ sophomore year but he barely saw the field. He received a medical redshirt from the NCAA and is healthy again as a redshirt sophomore in 2014.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Fields looked strong in spring practice and intercepted a pass in TCU’s spring scrimmage -- even after an alleged robbery incident in January. He’ll rejoin a heap of talented young players on the Horned Frogs’ defensive line that could be the strongest unit on a team that is looking to drastically improve upon last year’s disappointing 4-8 finish.
With Fields back in the fold, a defense that 16th in the country in total defense could take its play to another level in 2014.
For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1qk6Or7
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