Every FCS player has a chip on their shoulder when it comes to playing FBS opponents. Whether it was because they were an inch too short, a step too slow, developed late in high school or they simply chose an FCS scholarship over an FBS walk-on opportunity, they are out to prove something.
Pro prospects can be found all across the FCS. One of the most important pieces of film is how they performed against the top-level guys.
There have been some unbelievable individual performances in the past that have put some players on the map and left the opposing coaches wondering how they slipped through the cracks.
Here are 10 guys to keep your eye on when they take the field against the FBS:
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MORE FCS VS. FBS
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Northern Arizona WR Emmanuel Butler vs. UTEP (Sept. 1)
Last FBS Performance: 2017 vs. Arizona – 5 catches, 87 yards
Butler is going to be itching to get back in game action after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury two games into the 2017 season. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound preseason All-American is a dominant presence and ranked the sixth best wide receiver in the 2019 NFL Draft. Quarterback Case Cookus is going to look Butler's way early and often against UTEP, who went 0-12 last year and allowed 212.3 passing yards a game.
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UC Davis WR Keelan Doss vs. Stanford (Sept. 15)
Last FBS Performance: 2017 vs. San Diego State – 8 catches, 181 yards, 1 TD
Doss could have declared for the 2018 NFL Draft and likely would have been selected. He's going to get his in the season-opener versus San Jose State, but scouts are going to put more stock in his performance against a stronger Stanford team. Doss is 6-foot-3, 209 pounds with good speed. He led all of Division I with 1,499 yards receiving and 10.5 catches per game last season. He ended the year with 115 catches and seven touchdowns.
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Nicholls QB Chase Fourcade vs. Kansas (Sept. 1)
Last FBS Performance: 2017 vs. Texas A&M – 13-25, 264 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
Nicholls has a team loaded with experience in 2018. The Colonels almost knocked off Georgia two years ago and Texas A&M last season. A lot of this year's upperclassmen played in those games as freshmen and sophomores, including Fourcade. Kansas ranked 117th last year in total defense, allowing 468.3 yards a game. Fourcade has all his weapons back. This has FCS upset … scratch that … this has FCS win written all over it.
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UT Martin RB Ladarius Galloway vs. Missouri (Sept. 1)
Last FBS Performance: 2017 vs. Ole Miss – 24 carries, 188 yards, 1 TD
Galloway gashed an SEC defense last year and looks to do it again in 2018. "I really came into the Ole Miss game with a chip on my shoulder and I wanted to show I could play in the SEC," Galloway told HERO Sports last year. He'll face a tougher run defense this time around against Missouri. But Galloway has a great opportunity to show his height at 5-foot-9 doesn't diminish his talent on the field.
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Eastern Washington QB Gage Gubrud vs. Washington State (Sept. 15)
Last FBS Performance: 2017 vs. Texas Tech – 22-34, 207 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
It'd be great to be in the room when Washington State began prep work for EWU. "Gage Gubrud. Why does that name sound familiar?" Probably because he changed Martin Stadium to Gage Gubrud Stadium on Sept. 3, 2016, when he went 34-of-40 passing for 474 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-42 EWU win. The Eagles return to the scene of the crime two years later. Gubrud is now a senior with an experienced and explosive offense.
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Samford QB Devlin Hodges vs. Florida State (Sept. 8)
Last FBS Performance: 2017 vs. Georgia – 26-35, 227 yards, 2 TDs
Hodges is looked at as a top quarterback in the FCS and is our preseason First Team All-American. He raised eyebrows last year, shredding the defense of No. 13 Georgia. With his top target Kelvin McKnight back, expect huge numbers again. The Seminoles return just 46 percent of its defensive production from last year. With a new Florida State defensive coordinator and a younger secondary, Hodges has a good chance to catch some eyes of NFL scouts.
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Albany RB Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks vs. Pittsburgh (Sept. 1)
Last FBS Performance: 2016 vs. Buffalo – 23 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD
Ibitokun-Hanks has had knee problems since the end of the 2016 season when he tore his ACL and at the start of 2017 as he recovered. He was sidelined after just one game last year because of the nagging injury. It now appears he's fully ready to go with fresh legs and looks to replicate his 2016 season when he rushed for 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns. Pittsburgh was decent against the run last year, finishing 41st with 142.4 yards allowed per game. Albany won't be shy about letting Ibitokun-Hanks carry the load, though.
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New Hampshire QB Trevor Knight vs. Colorado (Sept. 15)
Last FBS Performance: 2017 vs. Georgia Southern – 13-22, 129 yards, 2 TDs, 9 rushes, 66 yards
Knight creates a lot of problems for defenses with his arm and ability to make plays with his feet when he needs to. Most of his weapons are back, including 1,300-yard receiver Neil O'Connor, as UNH fields an experienced team. Last year, Knight threw for 3,433 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Colorado loses almost half of last year's defensive production and finished 94th in the FBS with 242.6 passing yards allowed per game.
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James Madison CB Rashad Robinson vs. North Carolina State (Sept. 1)
Last FBS Performance: 2017 vs. East Carolina – 3 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 2 INT.
Ranked the 11th best cornerback for the 2019 NFL Draft, Robinson is going to be able to show his stuff against NC State. Quarterback Ryan Finley and three of his top four targets are back after averaging 275.4 passing yards a game, ranking 29th in the nation. Robinson had seven interceptions last year, is a preseason First Team All-American and one of the top FCS to NFL prospects. He'll probably get the most action to his side all season, so this is a performance worth watching.
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South Dakota State LB Christian Rozeboom vs. Iowa State (Sept. 1)
Last FBS Performance: 2016 vs. TCU – 8 tackles, 3 solo, 5 assisted
Rozeboom made his college debut two seasons ago at TCU. He held his own in the middle of SDSU's defense and finished second on the team with eight tackles. He's gone on to become one of the best linebackers in the FCS, finishing 2016 with 132 total tackles and last year with 127. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound hard-hitter is going to meet up with David Montgomery quite a bit after the All-American and First Team All-Big 12 running back ran for 1,146 yards last season.
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NEXT: The Best Traditions in the FCS
MORE: Preseason FCS All-American Team
