Rutgers Football: 5 Players Poised to Break Out in 2012

Chas Dodd and the rest of Rutgers’ offense is going to break out in 2012. The loss of Mohamed Sanu will lead to Brandon Coleman and Mark Harrison taking over in 2012.  

The Scarlet Knights have an experienced, dominant defense and will win 10 games and the Big East in 2012. Here are the five most likely breakout players for next season.

Chas Dodd is going to lock down the starting quarterback position in 2012.  Dodd is a much more qualified quarterback than his competitor, Gary Nova. Dodd threw for more yards, had a better touchdown-to-interception ratio and completed more passes.

Once Dodd secures the starting spot, the rest of the offense will break out as well.  There will be more continuity in the offense, and the running backs and receivers will benefit.  

Look for Dodd to throw for 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns as the offense drastically improves.  

Brandon Coleman is going to benefit the most from the loss of Mohamed Sanu as he will get his first opportunity to move into a starting role. Coleman is a huge receiver and a proven playmaker.

Coleman caught 17 balls for 552 yards and six touchdowns last year. This season, expect him to catch at least 60 balls for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.  

Mark Harrison will slide into the No. 2 wide receiver position opposite Brandon Coleman. Another big wideout, Harrison will serve as the possession receiver for the offense. He's posted solid stats before, catching 44 balls for over 800 yards and nine touchdowns, and will play a significant role in 2012.

Harrison will likely catch 50 to 55 balls for 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. He won't post the impressive stats that Coleman will, but he will be much more integral to the offense moving the chains. 

Savon Huggins split time in 2011 and will continue to do so this year.  However, he will receive a much more even split of the carries. Huggins posted average stats last season, taking 56 carries for 146 yards and scoring five touchdowns.

Huggins will serve as the goal line back for the Scarlet Knights. He's much bigger than Jawan Jamison and will use this advantage inside the red zone. Huggins won't have a huge yards per carry average, but look for him to score double-digit touchdowns in 2012. 

Kyle Federico is the starting kicker following spring ball, and as a true freshman he's obviously going to break out. The Rutgers offense is going to be much improved with both the passing game and rushing attack making a leap forward, and Federico will reap the rewards. 

Federico is a 3-star recruit according to both Scout and ESPN. He has a strong leg and handled the spring game well as an early enrollee. Expect him to make at least 25 field goals while converting at least 75 percent of his kicks.