The Tropical Bowl Will Feature Plenty Of Home Run Hitters On Offense
The Tropical Bowl Will Feature Plenty Of Home Run Hitters On Offense
Six offensive skill players to watch during the Tropical Bowl, including Oregon's Charles Nelson and former Jayhawk LaQuvionte Gonzalez.
Whether you’re in the mood for proven game breakers or stories of redemption, the offensive skill players in this year’s Tropical Bowl have it all covered.
Here are some key players to watch out for on Sunday in Daytona Beach, FL.
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Chris Robinson, RB, Delta State
Robinson arrived at Delta State by way of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College with two years of eligibility to spare — but that’s all it took for Robinson to tie a school record with 44 touchdowns.
As a senior, he rushed for 1,324 yards and 18 touchdowns — which led the Gulf South Conference in both categories — and looked the part of a third-down back, hauling in 30 passes for 197 yards and two scores. All of that was good for his second consecutive selection to the AFCA All-America team.
Charles Nelson, WR, Oregon
Plenty of eyes will be on Oregon’s Charles Nelson this week. Track speed? Check. Demonstrated reliability as a returner? Yep. Durability? No skill player at Oregon logged more than Nelson’s 814 plays in 2015. Versatility? Allow us to introduce you to the only Duck to score a touchdown receiving, rushing, and passing this season.
In 2015, he started the final eight games of the year at safety. In 2016, he led the team in receptions. Oh, and he’s also Oregon’s career leader in return yards. Along the way, Nelson earned a first-team Pac-12 All-Conference selection, a second-team selection, and two honorable mention nods.
Ryan Green, RB, Florida State
Green was a four-star prospect out of St. Petersburg Catholic (FL) High School who was consistently rated among the top 50 players in the country prior to signing with Florida State.
After Green flashed some elite ability as a rusher and otherwise contributing on special teams as a true freshman, injuries derailed his career arc at Florida State. He missed significant time in 2014 and all of 2015 — with a move from running back to cornerback mixed in. Green was back at running back in 2016-17, but Dalvin Cook, Cam Akers, and Jacques Patrick combined to log over 600 carries during that span.
Without much film to work with, Green will have an opportunity to show that he was a victim of circumstance, with fresh legs, and huge upside.
Larry Rose III, RB, New Mexico State
Pop quiz: Of every returning running back in the country this season, who was the best in 2016? If you guessed Larry Rose III, well, you’re adept at using context clues. Congrats on that.
No returning running backs in college football did it better than these three in 2016. pic.twitter.com/noIZoN8K4J
— PFF College Football (@PFF_College) June 13, 2017
Rose actually had the least productive year of his career at New Mexico State last year and still earned that grade from Pro Football Focus. This season, he racked up 1,471 yards of offense and a dozen touchdowns. As a sophomore, Rose led the Sun Belt Conference with 1,651 rushing yards, scored 14 times, and grabbed a spot in the Associated Press All-America third team.
LaQuvionte Gonzalez, WR, Southeastern
The journey of LaQuvionte Gonzalez, from four-star prospect at Cedar Hill (Texas) High School to the Tropical Bowl in Daytona Beach, FL, has been anything but conventional.
Gonzalez was viewed as a huge signing when he inked with Texas A&M — and things started as you might expect, with the highly touted freshman playing in all 13 games during his first fall in College Station. But, after catching just five passes in 2014, Gonzalez transferred to Kansas.
In his first year of eligibility at KU, Gonzalez was outstanding, starting 11 games and hauling in 62 passes for 729 yards and three scores. He also racked up 601 kick return yards, including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and received All-Big 12 honorable mention for newcomer of the year.
But, just one day into 2017 fall camp, Jayhawks head coach David Beaty dismissed his leading returning receiver for a violation of team rules. Gonzalez landed at NAIA program Southeastern and — predictably — erupted for 1,018 yards and 10 touchdowns in just eight games.
Allenzae Staggers, Wide Receiver, Southern Miss
Blink and you might've missed him during the Netflix series "Last Chance U," but it had nothing to do with his on-field performance.
Staggers was outstanding for East Mississippi Community College, vaulting himself into a starring role at Southern Miss in 2016. Staggers led the Golden Eagles in receptions (63), receiving yards (1,165), yards per catch (18.5) and touchdowns (7) during his junior season — including a six-catch, 292-yard, three-touchdown performance against Rice.
This season, the focus in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson's offense shifted to wide receiver Korey Robertson, but Staggers remained impressive in a relatively reduced role. At 6-1, 190 pounds, with speed to burn, Staggers is a legit NFL prospect.