The 50 most important college players in Texas in 2016 — No. 40: Sam Houston's Corey Avery

[caption id="attachment_23225" align="alignright" width="300"]3U9A3163 Photo by Mark Flanagan[/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 — 41: Prairie View A&M DE DeVohn Reed // 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. 40 – Sam Houston State running back Corey AveryThe History Corey Avery took his talents to Kansas after a standout high school career as a running back for Dallas Carter. He was the district player of the year as a senior, gaining 4-star status at ESPN after gaining 1,667 yards on the ground and adding 18 touchdowns. He was a three-star prospect at Scout and Rivals and had offers from numerous P5 programs. Avery chose Kansas and was an impact player for the Jayhawks as a freshman in 2014. He rushed for 631 yards and five touchdowns, including a 100-yard game against Iowa State. Avery looked for a fresh start following the 2014 season due to coaching changes at Kansas. He found a home at one of the best FCS programs in the nation, Sam Houston State. Avery wasn’t forced to sit out a year by the NCAA since he transferred down a division. Again, he was an instant contributor. As a sophomore in 2015, Avery earned first-team All-Southland Conference honors after rushing for 1,483 yards, which is third all-time in Sam Houston State history. He was second in the conference in scoring and rushing yards per game. He rushed for a season-high 197 yards in a playoff victory over Colgate. The Skillset Avery possesses Big 12 talent and he’s using that talent to shred defenses in the Southland Conference. He nearly averaged 100 yards rushing per game and went over the 100-yard mark in six games in 2015. He’s just now reaching upperclassman level, which should scare the rest of the competition. Sam Houston State has one of the best offensive lines and running schemes in the country. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Avery is the perfect fit. He’s a one-cut runner with the quickness to make defenders miss in the hole, the power to gain tough yards on the third down and the speed to take any carry for a touchdown. He had a 78-yard touchdown run as a sophomore, proving his big-play ability. The Impact Quarterbacks are taking over modern football, but there is still something to be said for a strong and consistent running game. Avery gives Sam Houston State a player to build an offense around. Defenses must load the box to slow him down and that allows a lot of room for the quarterback to run or pass. Even when he isn’t carrying the ball, Avery might be the best decoy in the Southland Conference. Avery has a solid chance to leave Sam Houston State as the all-time leading rusher in school history and it wouldn’t shock anyone to see him approach the single-season record at the school as a junior.

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