Five SFA football players primed for a breakout season in 2017

The Southland Conference Media Day is in the books and the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin were voted sixth in the league's preseason poll. Obviously, head coach Clint Conque and his team of assistants have higher ambitions than the mediocrity they faced a year ago amidst a bloodbath of injuries.

If they hope to out-perform the preseason expectations in a very tough Southland Conference this year, SFA will be relying on a host of young players to fill key roles on both sides of the ball. New stars from a year ago, guys like Tamrick Pace, need to resume their playmaking from 2016 - but it won't be enough if a few new faces, ones you may not yet be familiar with, don't join them in the mouths of SFA fans as household names.

So with that in mind, let's review a few names. Here are the SFA players poised to explode - our best candidates to have a breakout season in 2017:

1. Trey Ramos, Sophomore, Defensive Back

The DB group a year ago had a few fine moments and plenty of bad ones. Former UT-Martin defensive coordinator Jeff Byrd has taken over the reigns of SFA's defense in 2017 in part because of secondary play in 2016. Playing in a scheme now riddled with zone looks to prevent big plays, guys like safety Trey Ramos could make a big leap this fall.

Ramos saw more action than he probably should have as a true freshman. It wasn't the fault of anyone but the football gods and their curse on the health of SFA, but that game experience will probably prove valuable nonetheless. Ramos shined through the spring with improved pass coverage that should couple well with the run-stopping ability we saw in '16.

Driving methodically on SFA might be an easier task this season than last - a trade Conque & Co. will gladly accept for reduction in big passing plays - but expect more than the 13 total interceptions this team caught then. Keep an eye on Trey Ramos and his background as a receiver (Trey was a two-way player in high school) to be considered a factor in that total.

2. Romello Bentley, Junior, Wide Receiver

Tamrick Pace is the undisputed top pass catcher on this team. Frank Iheanacho has a chance to be an immediate contributor as a transfer from Texas A&M as does Terian Goree from North Texas. Those guys, and most others on the roster, have something in common, though: they're long, tall athletes who can go up and make contested catches. It's the Clint Conque style - he loves big receivers - but there's an important role on this team for another kind of wideout, too.

Enter Romello Bentley. At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, the transfer from Sierra Community College is one of the shortest members of this football team but he's a burner who has had a lot of success in the slot. We know SFA loves the bubble screen, seen in some ways as an extension of the running game, and Bentley could definitely break some big plays this season if he's given that opportunity.

Even with his smaller size, Bentley used speed at the junior college level to make plays down the field. Senior Trae Hart, a transfer last season from Purdue, will get plenty of inside looks as well, but don't be shocked if Bentley becomes somewhat of a fan favorite over the next couple years. He's an exciting player with incredible hands and a knack for making the big ones.

3. Josh McGowen, RS Freshman, Running Back

His eligibility is fully intact after sitting out last season with a redshirt. Now, in 2017, McGowen could be poised to have a monster season even in a very deep backfield. Throughout the spring football season, nobody on this team stood out like McGowen and even without seeing him play in a single meaningful college snap, it seems likely that he'll have every opportunity to contribute in game action this fall.

There are some other factors to consider too, though. First, McGowen hasn't played with full contact since high school. Will ball security be an issue? How will he handle pass protection and blitz pickups? Those are probably not answers we'll have until we see a game kick off in Dallas on September 2nd, but if they do end being an issue, there might be a fairly short leash on Josh with plenty of other running options on this roster.

On the other hand, if he does what the coaching staff seems to expect he can, McGowen could be a center piece of a running offense that lifts SFA back into the FCS playoff picture. The best part? He'll still have three more years to dominate when this season is over.

4. Rayshad Nichols, RS Freshman, Defensive End

Rayshad is an intriguing player because physically it would seem his natural position is probably more of an inside defensive lineman. With an odd-man front and lots of speed in the defensive backfield, it really might not matter where he lines up though. Nichols is a very large man and a run stuffer who shined on the scout team a year ago as a true freshman and in the spring with John Franklin and Jack Martin nursing injuries.

With four full years remaining, Nichols will likely join a deep rotation in the trenches with the aforementioned players, Gary Sampson, and a handful of other tackles and ends looking to make a splash.

Is it a year too early to call Nichols a potential breakout star? It's possible. There are more experienced players right now that might see the bulk of the playing time. But certainly, if the opportunity presents itself, Nichols has the physical characteristics of a disruptive force on either side of the defensive line. With linebacker remaining a question mark on this team, it'll be the play of the guys in Nichols' unit to make their jobs easier.

5. Spencer Choka, RS Sophomore, Linebacker

Speaking of linebacker, Choka is one of two young players who will probably be entrusted to a large portion of the snaps just behind the defensive line. It's a very immature position group from an experience standpoint, but along with fellow sophomore Teddy Britton and junior transfer Terrance Potts, they'll try to replace the production of last year's defensive leader George Stone.

Choka is a big man but can move faster than you'd think. His 6-foot-even, 230 pound frame has the ability to run laterally or get noses dirty inside. He played in all 11 games last year from the bench and had a few nice moments, including a half-sack against West Alabama. Choka becoming a star in 2017 isn't necessarily a prediction, but it's a need if this defense is going to achieve what it intends to.

Head coach Clint Conque said shortly after the spring game that the linebacker position was going to be "all about maturity" this fall. The physical assets for all three of the presumed first-team players are definitely there. Any of them - Choka, Britton, or Potts - could be that breakout guy, in fact. We're going with Choka based on observations during the spring season, but one of them, any of them, all of them, are keys to unlocking the potential of SFA's football team in 2017.