Nobody has a crystal ball when it comes to projecting future success for college football teams or individual college football players. So many factors come into play, including playing time, injuries and off-field issues.
But as part of our look this week at what the next few years hold for college football -- be sure to check out our new ESPN 300, Recruiting Class Rankings and College Football Future Power Rankings -- we thought it would be fun to take a look at the top 10 players who aren't yet stars (many of whom you might not have heard of) but could become household names in the near future.
Keep in mind this is a huge projection, as a couple of guys on this list haven't even made their college choices. Here is my list of the top 10 players who could become college football stars over the next three seasons.
1. Chris Black | WR | Alabama Crimson Tide
With Amari Cooper's emergence as a true freshman, Black figures to be the speedy complement opposite him. Black was injured as a true freshman in 2012 but likely would have seen significant time when Alabama had injuries on offense. Redshirting was likely the best thing to happen to Black and Alabama, as Black is not as big as Cooper and needed time to get healthy and bulk up in the weight room.