I know this is a PSU board, but Noah Adams seems like the most deserving of this particular award. He went from a 19-15 record to 32-0 and ranked 2nd in the nation. Honestly, was he on anyone's radar at the start of the season to even be an AA, let alone a legit title threat?
RBY had a fantastic season, but most already had him in the top 4 to start the year. No real surprises with RBY's progression.