The 50 most important college players in Texas in 2017 — No. 27: UTSA's Dalton Sturm

The importance of a player is not always defined by their skill level. The most important player on a team or in a unit 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 2017 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:50 – Lamar DE Daniel Crosley / 49 – TCU WR KaVontae Turpin / 48 – UTEP QB Ryan Metz47 – UMHB RB Markeith Miller / 46 – Sam Houston State DE PJ Hall / 45 – Baylor WR Blake Lynch44 – Texas Tech WR Jonathan Giles (transferred) / 43 – Texas Tech RB Justin Stockton42 – PVAMU WR Joshua Simmons / 41 – Rice RB Samuel Stewart / 40 – UNT WR Jalen Guyton39 – Texas RB Chris Warren / 38 – Rice OL Trey Martin / 37 – Texas A&M Commerce QB Luis Perez36 – Baylor DL K.J. Smith / 35 – Texas State LB Gabe Loyd / 34 – Texas State WR Thurman Morbley33 – Houston DB Khalil Williams / 32 – Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks / 31 – SFA DL John Franklin30 – SMU DE Justin Lawler / 29 – Texas State QB Damian Williams / 28 – ACU QB Dallas SealeyThe History Transitioning from a small walk-on quarterback from Goliad High School to a physical leader with 20 consecutive starts for the Roadrunners, Dalton Sturm has beaten the odds over and over since stepping foot on the UTSA campus. After getting into just one game as a freshman back in 2014, Sturm won the starting job (due, in part, to attrition in the UTSA QB ranks) during his sophomore season and threw for 1,354 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 361 yards on the ground. But he improved dramatically in just about every category while starting every game last year, finishing with 2,483 total yards and 24 touchdowns to lead UTSA to a bowl game under first-year head coach Frank Wilson. Sturm was a multi-sport star at Goliad before joining UTSA as a walk-on, earning all-state honors as a quarterback while also shining in both basketball and track. The Skillset Sturm’s work ethic and UTSA’s strength and conditioning program have transformed him into a much different quarterback heading into his senior year. The San Antonio Express-News reported that Sturm plans to play at 215 lbs. this season, which means he’ll be up 45 pounds from his days as a freshman walk-on. Those numbers reflect the way Sturm now attacks opposing defenses as a runner, and he certainly isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to pick up a few extra yards. That kind of play is inspiring to a team and has helped Sturm develop into a leader for the Roadrunners. His accuracy can be inconsistent at times though, as Sturm went from an efficient start to the season last year to a completion percentage of just 49 percent over the last six games. The Impact Wilson worked in Jared Johnson a lot last year, especially down the stretch of the season when Sturm was struggling. But Sturm is the only option with real college experience heading into his senior year, making another jump in production that much more important to the Roadrunners offense this season. UTSA will have to improve on both the offensive line and in the running game to give Sturm some support. But with an extremely talented recruiting class coming in alongside an already improved group, Sturm should have the pieces around him to have a big senior year as the Roadrunners look to build off a promising 2016.

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