Judging which college football player was the best over the past decade can be a tricky endeavor. Do you rank a player that has won a Heisman higher than one that has not? Do you penalize a player if he played in a pass-happy system that allowed him to put up lofty numbers? Do you judge his performance based on the talent around him or the difficulty of his competition? As part of our ongoing Decade Debate series, here is a top 15 ranking of the best college football players of the past decade. Perhaps more than any of our lists in this decade series, this one could be debated the most given the factors that surround it.
15. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
If you want to be entertained, try turning on a Clemson game and watching Spiller for three-plus hours. He’s a terrific runner, an electrifying return man and one of the deadliest weapons in college football. He is the only player besides Reggie Bush to post 2,500 yards rushing, 1,500 yards in kickoff returns, 1,000 yards receiving and 5,000 yards in punt returns. He’s also tied a NCAA record for most kickoff returns for touchdowns with six. If it weren’t for a lackluster junior season, he’d probably rank higher on this list.
14. Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan
If you don’t know who Dan LeFevour is or scoffed at him being ranked on this list, then you haven’t been paying attention to college football the past couple years. LeFevour hasn’t received the attention that Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford have, but he’s posted better numbers than each of the three in almost every category. In 2007, he became only the second player in D-I history to pass for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season (Vince Young was the first). He also is the MAC’s all-time leader in total offense and currently holds the conference record for career completions, attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, total touchdowns and total offensive yards. He has totaled more touchdowns than any player in college football history and is third all-time in total offensive yards. Has he faced the talent that Tebow, McCoy and Bradford have over his career? No. But consider this: He doesn’t have the same talent around him either. Imagine what LeFevour could have accomplished playing with a defense the likes of Florida, Texas or Oklahoma’s.
13. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
Did Crabtree play in a system that allowed him to rack up tons of numbers? Absolutely. But he was always a phenomenal player, one capable of single-handily taking over a game with his skill level. He was a two-time All-American, a two-time Biletnikoff Award winner and a two-time Paul Warfield Trophy winner. He also played a huge role in Texas Tech’ upset over No. 1 Texas two years ago while hauling in 10 receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown – which happened to be the game-winner late in the fourth quarter. Had he played more than just two seasons, he might have topped all other receivers on this list.
12. Pat White, QB, West Virginia
Even though some will argue that he had things easy playing his career in the Big East, nobody can deny what White accomplished on the field. He racked up 6,051 passing yards and 56 passing touchdowns, while also compiling 4,480 yards and 47 rushing touchdowns. He accounted for a whopping 10,531 yards and 103 touchdowns over his career and also finished sixth in the NCAA among the most career victories as a starting quarterback with 34. Along with Steve Slaton, White helped put West Virginia on the map in terms of national title contention.
11. Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State
Smith’s college career didn’t end well, as he completed just four of 14 passes for 35 yards along with an interception, a fumble and five sacks (uh, just to be clear, he was the one being sacked) in an embarrassing 41-14 loss to the Gators in the 2007 national title game. But Smith was a solid college quarterback, racking up 5,720 passing yards and 54 touchdowns over his career. He threw only 13 interceptions and also completed 62.7% of his passes while compiling just under 8,000 total yards and 68 total touchdowns. In 2006, he beat out Darren McFadden and Brady Quinn to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy and even though they lost, he led the Buckeyes to one of their three national title appearances of the decade.
10. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
Peterson’s freshman season at Oklahoma was absolutely phenomenal and was almost good enough to get him on this list on its own. He broke the NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards and also led the nation in carries with 339. He was a finalist for the 2004 Heisman Trophy Award, which was the highest finish ever for a freshman player. Due to an ankle injury, he finished with only 1,208 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2005. A collarbone injury also took away most of his junior season, but he managed to finish with 1,112 rushing yards for a total of 4,045 rushing yards for his career. He finished just 73 yards shy of passing Billy Sims as Oklahoma’s all-time leading rusher.
9. Eric Crouch, QB, Nebraska
Consider this: Since Crouch graduated, no Nebraska team has finished in the top 10. The last of the great Cornhusker option quarterbacks, Crouch finished with a 21-4 record as a starter and helped lead a Nebraska offense that finished as the nation’s best in 2000 and 2001. The 2000 squad still holds the mark for the highest team rushing average of the decade with 349.3 yards per game.
8. Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
Johnson’s Yellow Jackets never contend for any national titles, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t deserving of this ranking. He finished just shy of 3,000 yards for his career with 28 touchdowns, racked up 13 100-yard receiving games, and won the Biletnikoff Award in 2006. He was usually a one-man wrecking crew for GA Tech and virtually impossible to cover one-on-one. Despite facing double and even triple teams at times, he routinely made highlight reel plays and wound up being the highest player ever drafted out of Georgia Tech when the Lions selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2007.
7. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
McFadden was so good at Arkansas that the team essentially didn’t even need to have a quarterback on the field. The original Wildcat back, McFadden rushed for 4,590 yards in his career, which ranks him second all-time in career rushing yards in the SEC behind the great Herschel Walker (Georgia). McFadden also ranks seventh all-time in the SEC for career rushing touchdowns with 41 and holds most of Arkansas’ rushing records. He wound up throwing seven passing touchdowns out of the Wildcat formation and totaled 51 touchdowns in his three-year career. He capped off his collegiate career by helping the Razorbacks beat No. 1 LSU in triple-overtime in 2007.
6. Matt Leinart, QB, USC
Even though the man (Carson Palmer) he replaced was pretty damn good, Leinart is arguably the greatest passer in USC history. For his career, Leinart finished with 807 of his 1,245 pass attempts for a competition percentage of 64.8. He racked up 10,693 passing yards and 99 touchdowns to just 23 interceptions, making him the Trojans’ all-time leader in career touchdown passes and competition percentage. He ranks only second behind Palmer in completions and yardage and averaged nearly 8.6 yards per attempt while compiling an impressive 37-2 record as a starter. Ah yeah, he also won a Heisman Trophy, led USC to a BCS national championship in 2004 and an AP national championship in 2003.
5. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
It would take an hour to list the many records McCoy has set in his career, but here are just a few: He holds UT’s record for most total touchdowns, most touchdown passes in a career, most passing completions in a game, most consecutive passing completions in a game and most career passing yards in a season. He also holds the NCAA’s highest single season completion percentage at 77.6% and most wins by a starting quarterback with 44. McCoy was the runner up in last year’s Heisman race and before it’s all said and done, he might have a national title under his belt as well. Considering who took the snaps before him at Texas, his feats are nothing to scoff at.
4. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pittsburgh
Fitzgerald won the Biletnikoff award for the best receiver in college football in 2003 and was a unanimous All-America selection that year as well. He also came in second for the Heisman in 2003, which was the closest a wideout has come to winning the prestigious award since Desmond Howard won it in 1991. For his career, Fitz caught 161 passes for over 2,600 yards and set a school record with 34 receiving touchdowns. He was also the only player in PITT history to notch consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and he set a NCAA record with at least one touchdown catch in 18 straight games. At times, he was almost un-guardable – much like he is now in the NFL.
3. Reggie Bush, USC
Bush was an absolutely electrifying open-field runner and one of the most dangerous athletes while playing for USC. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2005 by averaging 8.7 yards per carry, while also rushing for over 1,700 yards and scoring 16 total touchdowns. He ranks 10th in college football Division I-A history with 6,551 all-purpose yards and was one of the most thrilling athletes to ever play in the NCAA. During his Heisman season in 2005, he led the nation with more than 220 all-purpose yards per game and was almost unstoppable with the ball in his hands. Unfortunately, his career will also be associated with the possibility that he accepted cash and prizes under the table.
2. Vince Young, QB, Texas
Talk about a winner: Young posted a 30-2 career record while at Texas. His .938 winning percentage as a starting quarterback ranks sixth best in Division I-A history and places him No. 1 in wins by UT signal callers. His 6,040 career passing yards ranks him fifth in school history, while his 44 touchdowns ranks him fourth. His 3,127 rushing yards makes him UT’s all-time leading player in that category and his 37 rushing touchdowns places him fifth. Young will be best known for what many consider to be the greatest performance in Rose Bowl history after he rushed for 200 yards and threw for 267 yards in a thrilling come-from-behind 41-38 victory over USC.
1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Perhaps the greatest thing about Tebow is that he’s more than just records – and yes, he has those too. He holds the SEC record for rushing touchdowns and points scored and was the first player to compile 20-plus touchdowns rushing and passing in the conference’s history. He’s also been apart of two national championship teams, is a two-time Maxwell Award winner, a three-time First-team All-SEC winner, the 2007 Davey O’Brein Award winner and the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner. But on top of that, perhaps no player outside of Vince Young has willed his team to victory this past decade more than Tebow has. He epitomizes what college football is all about: Passion, pride and determination. He might not make a great NFL quarterback some day, but he has been one hell of a college football player this past decade.
Honorable Mention: Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii; Graham Harrell, QB Texas Tech; LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, TCU; Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma, Carson Palmer, QB, USC; David Pollack, DE, Georgia; Ken Dorsey, QB, Miami; Eric Berry, S, Tennessee; A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State; Ed Reed, S, Miami; Andre Johnson, WR, Miami; Jamar Fletcher, CB, Wisconsin; Terrence Newman, CB, Kansas State; Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma; Jason White, QB, Oklahoma, Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska.
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Awesome list – tough call between Young and Tebow for the top spot. Watching Young beat USC, I thought he was the best college football player I’d ever scene. Then Tebow comes along.
Terrible list. Apparently you have to be a QB, RB or WR to be a great player. Same group think mentality that keeps defensive players from winning the Heisman more than once a century. Look, when it comes to offense, 95% of the stats come from the QB, RB or WR. The TE contributes here and there. But just because offensive lineman don’t get stats, doesn’t mean they aren’t incredible players. Jake Long comes to mind.
And there are plenty of other greats on defense to consider, Terrence Cody, Glenn Dorsey…I think too many people get caught up in numbers and stats and let that determine someone’s skill level.
And Tim Tebow didn’t make Tim Tebow number one…his defense did. If Charlie Strong weren’t there, Florida would never have finished a season with more than 9 wins in Tebow’s tenure.
Tebow’s defense made Tebow? You must be joking. I’m not a fan of his but he was a dominant player.
Glenn Dorsey is a good suggestion. He was very tough. But keep in mind this is 15 players over a 10-year period.
I love when people feel it’s necessary to go over the top with trashing someone’s work just so they can prove a point.
Cafeteria – you could have made your point about the defensive players without deeming the entire list “terrible.”
Apparently you have to be a QB, RB or WR to be a great player.
I must have missed where I wrote that. I considered Jamar Fletcher, Terrence Newman, David Pollack and a host of others, but in the end they didn’t compare to the 15 I chose.
We’ve complied these lists in efforts to spark fun debate. If you want to have an objective discussion then I, and everyone else is all for it. If not, I have no problem writing you off as just another commenter that is angry that his opinion isn’t being heard and goes to great lengths in efforts to voice it.
You say the list is terrible. Ok, well what is your list? What is your ranking? Who would you pull off of my list and put on yours? Who do I have ranked too high, who is too low? Don’t just pull a hit and run – let’s have a discussion. Based on your comments, the only thing you have a problem with is that I didn’t include defensive players in the top 15. Yet the entire list is terrible. Explain.
where is ken dorsey he had like 3 losses his whole career?
This post is garbage, you failed to mention a single player from one of the most dominant teams ever in college football, the 2001 Hurricanes. Dorsey, Gore, Portis, Reed, Taylor any of these guys could have been considered for this list, but passed up for Eric Crouch. This hurts my feelings considering Eric Crouch is still hiding from the NFL because The players mentioned above made it and he didn’t. (Though admittedly Dorsey was better in college than in the pros)
Brian,
A Miami fan is upset because there are no Miami players in this ranking. Shocking.
So, you would take Crouch off the list. Do you realize how dominant Crouch was at Nebraska? This isn’t a list about “Great College Players that Succeed as a Pro,” it was just about great college players. You might have missed that if you didn’t read the entire piece. I agree, Crouch was a crybaby as soon as he got to the NFL. But that’s inconsequential in terms of this list.
Gore’s career numbers just don’t stack up and while stats aren’t everything, they hold value when it comes to rankings like this.
Reed was outstanding, no argument there. But who would you take off this list in order to replace him? And if you say Crouch, you better have a better reason than the one you gave.
The fact that CJ Spiller makes this list over the likes of Jason White (2 time heisman finalist, one time winner)Eli Mannings, Phillip Rivers, and Ladanian Tomlinson is flat out a joke. Plus you dont have any Defensive players? What about Paul Posluzsny? 2 time bednarik winner.
Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska, deserves to be at least on the honorable mention list. But overall a great list. Tim Tebow is the epitome of what a leader in college football is supposed to be. He’s a class act on and off the field. And this is coming from an LSU alum!
Ryan – glaring omission on my part. I’ve added Suh.
Justin – fair point about White, who I battled with at the No. 15 spot actually. I know you’re upset, but be objective about what Spiller brings to the field. He’s one of those rare players that can almost single-handily lift his team to victory. In the end, that’s why I went with him over White.
Really… not a single defensive player. Today SI came out with it’s all decade team in several sports. They highlighted one player for each team as the best player of the decade, and it was a defensive player for the all-decade college football team. Ndamukong Suh.
This list is a Joke, Ken Dorsey was 31-2 and the ohio state loss was a BS. His only real loss was the Washington game his sophmore year and he almost bought the team back on that one but time ran out.
Thanks for sharing, RobertC.
Many people feel I slighted Dorsey here.
Anthony S: I can’t believe you didn’t pick Ken Dorsey! What were you thinking?!? And where is Brady Quinn? This list is absurd and what about Neil Buckosh, the TE from the 2000 Kent State Team! I want my money back!
Outstanding list! I hate to say it but I totally agree with the Teebo pick, I’m glad you made the decision between Teebo and Young… That’s a tough pick… Apparently no one knows who Eric Crouch is so you people need to check out google before you whine like little bitches about shit! BOOHOO! I have no Canes on the list… Get over yourselves!
Haha – thanks Jay G!
College fans are rabid, which can be a positive and a negative thing. They grow accustomed to the players on their favorite teams, because they know those players are going to leave in 3-4 years. And when you’re only watching one team or one conference every week, you become jaded into thinking that those players, teams, conferences, etc, on the absolute best. The same thing happens in the NFL, but on a much, much smaller scale because there are less teams and people can still get a wider scope with SNF and MNF games.
That said, I respect people’s opinions and obviously several people thought I screwed Dorsey on this list. I do regret not ranking some defenders, but this is a list that comprises the entire decade, so in the end I settled on these 15 players.
Where in the hell is colt brennan who shattered many qb records while at Hawaii..i mean who is Eric Crouch a qb that posted fluke like numbers while at Nebraska and still won the heisman when others deserved it more..who ever wrote this list definately doesnt know about football fukkin lame..!!!USC TROJANS baby Carson palmer keyshawn johnson matt leinart reggie bush dwayne jarrett where are they at huh??
D-Mun,
Reggie Bush is No. 3, Matt Leinart is No. 6, Keyshawn Johnson didn’t play in this decade and Colt Brennan and Carson Palmer are listed in the honorable mention section. (I’d still take LeFevour over Brennan by the way.)
If I were you, I’d strongly consider changing my handle from $$$DMONEY$$$ to $$$DOESNTKNOWHOWTOREAD$$$. But that’s just me.
In my opinion I would have had VY at 1, Bush at 2, and Tebow at 3 but thats why its an opinion. Very good list otherwise. Dorsey would be a name to think about but he had so much talent around him he didn’t have to do a lot to be successful.
man like the list but PLEASE take off dan lafevour and put in a sam bradford or something, and i DO think that your list is just about OFFENSIVE PLAYERS, THERE WERE A LOT OF GREAT DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THIS PAST DECADE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND JUST BECAUSE THEIR STATS AND NUMBERS ARE LESS FLASHY DOESN’T MEAN THEY’RE LESS GOOD 😛 I MEAN COME ON: ERIC BERRY-NDAMUNKONG SUH-GLENN DORSEY-ED REED-JULIUS PEPPERS-TERENCE NEWMAN-ROY WILLIAMS….. I COULD GO ON AND ON…. like your list but just saying don’t “favorotise” offensive players just because when you watch them on TV they’re perhaps more exciting and have flashier stats, that’s just dumb….otherwise….good list
This list is okay but you left some GREAT players off even in the Honorable mention category. Omar Jacobs from Bowling Green was 10x the QB of Lefevour (if you want to have a MAC guy on the list). Carson Palmers SUCKED for three years before his Heisman. Andre Johnson only had ONE 1,000 yard season at Miami, definite talent but not one of the best college players of the decade. Mike Doss, EJ Henderson, Patrick Willis…where are these guys?
Most of list I agree with most of your list but I’m surprised knowshon mereno of GA. Jamarcuss Russell of lsu Cutler of Vandy Sam Bradford okl. Jason Allen Tenn. Didn’t make list or at least honorable mention