UMass Football: Will Adam Breneman break out in 2017?

After retiring from football in 2015, Adam Breneman found new life with UMass football last season. Could he finally reach his five-star potential in 2017?

Adam Breneman's path to college football stardom has been unconventional to say the least.

After graduating with honors from Cider Cliff High School in 2012, the top ranked tight end in the 2013 recruiting class was in high demand.

Breneman, a native of Harrisburg, Penn., received no less than 30 scholarship offers from FBS heavyweights like Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State, before ultimately deciding to stay close to home and play for Bill O'Brien at Penn State.

In his first year as a Nittany Lion, Breneman became a favorite target for then quarterback Christian Hackenberg. While he ended up only catching 15 passes for 186 yards, Adam did catch three touchdowns down the stretch and looked primed to become a fixture of Penn State's offense for years to come.

But unfortunately, some things just aren't meant to be.

Breneman went on to miss his entire sophomore season after suffering a knee injury during the preseason. After extensive rehabilitation, Adam was deemed healthy enough to return to practice, but again was unable to turn in a full season due to his problematic knee. Breneman only appeared in two games for the Lions in 2015, but failed to catch a single pass in either outing.

After losing yet another season to injury, he decided against preparing for the 2016 season, and instead chose to retire from football to focus on his other passions. In an open letter published through Penn Live, Breneman lamented his 2014 knee injury and after consulting with doctors, friends and family he decided that continuing his football career was not worth the risk.

Upon graduating from PSU in the winter of 2015, Breneman became the campaign manager for future Pennsylvania state senator Mike Regan.

But alas, he couldn't stay away.

After consulting with his trainers and doctors, Adam began the process of getting himself back into football shape, and recommitting to the game.

He reached out to current Penn State coach James Franklin to discuss a possible return to Penn State, but the duo ultimately decided against a reunion in Happy Valley. While a scholarship was still on the table for him at Penn State, he instead chose to take his talents to the University of Massachusetts as a graduate transfer student.

UMass, and its independent college football program, offered Breneman not only a fresh start on the field, but also a sense of familiarity off it. His high school quarterback Andrew Ford recently transferred from Virginia Tech to UMass, and so did Breneman's college roommate Andrew Whipple (whose dad is also the team's head coach). The conditions looked right for Adam to finally have the breakout season that had eluded him since high school.

And break out he did.

Breneman appeared in all 12 games for the 2016 Minuteman and caught 70 passes (the most of any tight end in college football) for 808 yards and eight touchdowns. His impressive stat line drew not only the admiration of Minutemen faithful, but also the watchful eyes of the NFL.

While Breneman's draft stock was unclear due to his near-chronic knee injuries, he decided to forgo the NFL's draft evaluation process and instead opted to return for his senior season in Hadley.

Even if his knee ultimately prevents him from becoming one of the NFL's all-time great tight ends, knowing that he was able to finally reach his potential in college should serve as a fine consolation prize.

Whipple's Minutemen are returning six of their 11 offensive starters this season, so the potential for Breneman to finally have his first 1,000-yard season is incredibly high. His familiarity with the school's pro-style offense and relationship with returning quarterback Andrew Ford should set up 2017 to be his year.

If Adam Breneman is able to remain healthy during his senior season he very well could be the best tight end in college football, something he has been preparing for since 2012.