The 50 most important college players in Texas in 2016 — No. 35: Abilene Christian's Sam Denmark

[caption id="attachment_23405" align="alignright" width="232"]Sam Denmark ACU ACU Sports Info[/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 — 36: Houston Baptist RB Terrance Peters // 37: Rice DE Graysen Schantz // 38: UTEP DE Alvin Jones // 39: SMU RB Xavier Jones // 40: Sam Houston RB Corey Avery // 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. 35 – Abilene Christian linebacker Sam DenmarkThe History One of the most productive defenders in the state goes to a college we rarely discuss. Linebacker Sam Denmark, originally from New Mexico, is turning into a tackling machine. As a true freshman in 2014, Denmark moved into the starting lineup in the second game of the year and cemented himself into that position for the next nine games. He finished his true freshman campaign with 77 tackles, eight in conference and first among freshmen. He entered his sophomore season as a preseason second-team all-conference selection and far surpassed those expectations. Denmark finished the 2015 campaign with 138 tackles, which was 62 more tackles than the second-leading tackler on the squad. He added two sacks, a pass breakup and a pas defended. Denmark had more solo tackles (90) than anyone had on his team total. As a prep star in New Mexico, Denmark won a state championship in basketball and football. He recorded 155 tackles and eight sacks as a senior at La Cruces High School and only lost two games in his two-year span on varsity. Las Cruces won the state championship in both seasons. He was the New Mexico Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2013, as named by USA Today. The Skillset The 6-foot-1, 230-pound maniac of production slipped past recruiting radars of college head coaches and recruiting services. No one doubted his dedication to the game or his technique or drive. It was simply a matter of athleticism, or lack thereof in the eyes of most, that kept Denmark away from the spotlight as a prep senior. New Mexico is an under recruited part of the country as it is, but the concerns over Denmark were about his ability to keep up at the next level. His nose for the football is unmatched and his tackle numbers show it. A play ends with a tackle when Denmark arrives at the ball and that is the best quality a linebacker possesses. Denmark does the little things right and it adds up to big production. The Impact A look at the statistics is all that’s needed to realize Denmark’s impact. He nearly recorded twice as many tackles as the next player on the roster and he still has two years left of eligibility. He can play sideline-to-sideline at the Southland level and he also gets in the backfield for tackles for loss and sacks. Adding more negative plays like sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions are his next step. Denmark is solid, if not explosive, and he’ll need to be more of a playmaker in 2016 for Abilene Christian. He’s always excelled at making the correct play. Now, in order to emerge as the conference’s best linebacker, Denmark must make the big play.

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