The 50 most important college players in Texas in 2016 — No. 41: Prairie View A&M's DeVohn Reed

[caption id="attachment_23203" align="alignright" width="250"]player_95_REED Courtesy Prairie View A&M Athletics[/caption] The importance of a player is not always defined by their skill. The most important player on a team is not always the best player on a team. This list is designed to breakdown the 50 most important players in Texas college football for the 2016 season. It is not a ranking of the 50 best college football players in the state. Importance can be defined by position, need, skill or leadership. We’ll count down the list through the summer, all the way to No. 1.Previously — 42: Texas State WR Demun Mercer // 43: UTEP S Devin Cockrell // 44: UNT DT Bryce English // 45: Texas OL Connor Williams // 46: Texas Tech DT Breiden Fehoko // 47: Houston DT B.J. Singleton // 48: Texas A&M DT Daylon Mack // 49: TCU S Denzel Johnson  // 50: Baylor S Chance WazNo. 41 – Prairie View A&M defensive end DeVohn ReedThe History Reed flew under many recruiting radars exiting Elsik and he ended up at Prairie View A&M in the 2013 class after a senior season which included seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He was an all-district performer with 71 tackles. He redshirted in 2013 and was steady as a redshirt freshman before blossoming last season. A two-time second-team All-SWAC selection entering his junior season, Reed enters 2016 as one of the most decorated non-seniors in the state of Texas. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end took his game to a new level in 2015. He became a playmaker in the backfield, recording 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries to go with 44 tackles. As a redshirt freshman in 2014, Reed was solid, but not as impactful. He recorded 36 tackles, seven for loss, and two sacks. The Skillset The ability to create explosive plays was Reed’s question in recruiting. He didn’t have the frame to add 40 more pounds and play defense end, so college scouts were unsure if Reed could make an impact off the edge on non-rushing downs. Those questions became Prairie View A&M’s gain. Reed showed flashes of his ability in high school, but he was raw. A redshirt season did him well and he was an instant contributor, earning second-team all-conference honors in 2014. Despite a solid first year as a college player, Reed needed more out of his game. Less than a fifth of his tackles came behind the line of scrimmage. He registered only two sacks and didn’t recover or cause a fumble. Reed erased all questions in his sophomore campaign. He raised his tackle for loss percentage to over one-fourth of his tackles and created six more sacks. He also helped cause or recover four fumbles. His impact grew because he became a well-rounded player. Reed is a certified three-down defensive end entering his junior season. The Impact SWAC football is a high-flying affair built around offense. Guys like Reed are rare in the conference and he gives the Panthers a weapon on the edge. Reed has ample opportunities to reach double-digit sack numbers as a junior. Prairie View A&M is one of the three or four favorites to win the SWAC and Reed’s ability to get to the quarterback, or at least demand double teams on passing downs, will determine the success of the defense. Trey Green and the offense will put up points. It is up to Reed and his defensive teammates to force a few big plays a game.

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