On 3 September, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic takes place at the Aviva between Boston College and Georgia Tech. These are two serious college football teams, with a number of future NFL stars on display.
The brilliant thing about college football is that it provides a unique opportunity to watch the NFL studs of tomorrow on display today. With this in mind, we decided to present for you 5 current college football players who are likely to be NFL studs in five years time.
Ricky Jeune (WR, Georgia Tech)
Georgia Tech has produced a number of studs at wide receiver over the years, namely Demaryius Thomas of the Denver Broncos. Only a redshirt sophomore last season, Jeune led the Yellow Jackets in receptions, yards and touchdowns last season. He's the Georgia Tech player most likely to find his way into your fantasy NFL teams five years from now. His high school highlights prove what a raw talent he is.
Connor Strachan (LB, Boston College)
Boston College surprised many so-called college football experts last season with their amazing defense. BC's defense was the third best in America for team defensive stats. A surprising wildcard in that defense was young Connor Strachan, a linebacker from Massachusetts who was EVERYWHERE for the Eagles during his freshman season. As Strachan grows, it is highly likely he'll stake his claim beside other BC grads who've made it in the NFL, such as Luke Kuechly of the Panthers and BJ Raji of the Green Bay Packers.
Christian McCaffrey (RB, Stanford)
Nineteen-year-old Christian McCaffrey shocked many in college football with his breakout 2015 season. Son of former Giants and Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey, Christian was expected to have a decent start to his football career, but McCaffrey absolutely lit up the NCAA last year to finish second in Heisman Trophy voting. The running back/return specialist is a livewire and we are counting the days before he can appear in the NFL.
Deshaun Watson (QB, Clemson)
Fans of Boston College and Georgia Tech will be familiar with Deshaun Watson, Clemson's star quarterback. Under his watchful gaze, the often mediocre Clemson Tigers became ACC champs and national title contenders. Watson was brilliant last year in leading Clemson to the national championship game - which they lost to Alabama - and has already been installed as favourite for the 2016 Heisman trophy.
Leonard Fournette (RB, LSU)
Fournette is another name that fantasy NFL players are watching very closely. The LSU running back was one of the most exciting players in the NCAA last year. He ran for nearly 2000 yards and broke the 200-yard mark in three consecutive games. Fournette is so good that there was talk he might sit out the next NCAA season in order to avoid injury. He'll be one of the first names off the board in the 2017 Draft, that's for sure.
Tickets for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic go on sale on Wednesday 6 April at 9am. You can buy them here.
