Image via Complex Original
26.
As the NCAA football season gets underway, it's important to introduce ourselves to the newest batch of Heisman hopefuls who will be blessing our screens over the next few months. Sure, they're still unpaid. And sure, the NCAA in the near future may lose its college football product to any grouping of mega-conferences with more appropriate revenue-sharing structures. But as of right now, the NCAA remains the home of the best "amateur" football product on the planet and is what millions of us will be hypnotized by every Saturday.
This year marks the first year of the much-anticipated College Football Playoff, but with the four-team tournament not set to kick off until January 1, it's best we familiarize ourselves with the players who will be dominating the sport and ESPN's SportsCenter Top Ten highlight packages in the meantime. Wanna know who will be grabbing your attention this season? Check out these 25 College Football Players You Will See On SportsCenter This Year (In GIFs).
25.Duke Johnson
Position: RB
Team: University of Miami
What They're Saying: "You ask Duke to return kicks, he returns kicks. You ask Duke to split out in the slot, he goes in the slot. You throw him a screen, he'll catch a screen. But you don't have to take Duke Johnson out on third down or in pass protection. He's an unselfish kid." - Al Golden, Miami Head Coach
24.Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
Position: CB
Team: University of Oregon
What They're Saying: "He does what normal people don't do. Why did he stay? Because normal people would have gone. That's why they're so great. ... I think Ifo is as complete a football player as I've ever met. No one's ever going to reach perfection but he has the ability to get closer than most guys do." - John Neal, Oregon Secondary Coach
23.Shilique Calhoun
Position: DE
Team: Michigan State University
What They're Saying: "He's an enthusiastic player, so he always has a motor. Even if you come out to practice, he's got a motor. If you see a guy working at the end of practice, it's Shilique Calhoun. If he's outside working by himself, there's Shilique Calhoun. He's motivated. He has that innate hunger." - Mark Dantonio, MSU Head Coach
22.Ty Montgomery
Position: WR
Team: Stanford
What They're Saying: "He's going to be a focal point for the defense, but that's not going to stop us. We have to get him the ball. We have to find different ways to do it. I expect him to be great." - David Shaw, Stanford Head Coach
21.Laquon Treadwell
Position: WR
Team: Ole Miss
What They're Saying: “He’s a guy who wants to play at the next level, period. He plays the game like that. He’s tall. He’s fast. He has good hands. He’s physical. One of the things he does best, people don’t understand, is he’ll block. He’s a special player. We’ve got our work cut out with him.” - Marcel Yates, Boise State Defensive Coordinator
20.Devin Funchess
Position: WR
Team: University of Michigan
What They're Saying: "I feel like he can be as good as he wants to be." - Devin Gardner, Michigan Quarterback
19.Tyler Lockett
Position: WR
Team: Kansas State University
What They're Saying: “Tyler is the ultimate perfectionist. He knows how to beat you with technique, and he is always looking for that extra advantage, no matter how small. He has speed and agility and hands, but everyone at this level has that. He tries to put defensive backs in bad positions with fundamentals. That’s why he’s a special player.” - Jake Waters, K-State Quarterback
18.Nick O'Leary
Position: TE
Team: Florida State University
What They're Saying: "Nick to me is the best tight end in the country. Nick is unstoppable out there." - Jameis Winston, FSU Quarterback
17.Ameer Abdullah
Position: RB
Team: Nebraska
What They're Saying: "He's stronger, he's a little bigger, just probably more explosive than he was. We haven't overused him in camp. I think he's in a great mental state, and I think we need to play well around him to enable him to do what he does." - Bo Pelini, Nebraska Head Coach
16.Jaelen Strong
Position: WR
Team: Arizona State University
What They're Saying: "Things just come really easy for him. When Jaelen sees something, he knows it right away. If he sees something on the board in practice or in the film room, he'll go out and do it — one repetition and he has it memorized." - Taylor Kelly, ASU Quarterback
15.Antwan Goodley
Position: WR
Team: Baylor
What They're Saying: “We’d say, ‘God, he could be so good. How do you tell a kid, no matter what field you’re on, you’re the best guy out there?’” - Trey Watts, Goodley's HS Basketball Coach
14.Mike Davis
Position: RB
Team: University of South Carolina
What They're Saying: "Mike Davis, if he has a big year, he's going to go pro. We're going to tell him to go pro. The lifespan of a running back is only a certain number of years. If one of our players is ready to go after three years, we're going to shake his hand and let him go." - Steve Spurrier, USC Head Coach
13.Nick Marshall
Position: QB
Team: Auburn
What They're Saying: "He can make every throw because I've seen it. I remember watching SEC games and thinking Nick can pass better than this guy. Nick could make the throw when other SEC QBs could not." - Mark Ledford, Head Coach at Wilcox County
12.Myles Jack
Position: RB / LB
Team: UCLA
What They're Saying: "Whether he's earned this attention isn't for me to decide. It is what it is. Personally, I think all hype is overblown myself. But he's the first player in conference history -- maybe national history -- to win offensive and defensive freshman of the year. With that comes some hype." - Jim Mora, UCLA Head Coach
11.Nelson Agholor
Position: WR
Team: University of Southern California
What They're Saying: “I know where he's going to be every time on the field and, no matter what route it is, I know which way he's going to run it." - Cody Kessler, USC Quarterback
10.Melvin Gordon
Position: RB
Team: University of Wisconsin
What They're Saying: "I think he's the best [running back in the country]. Melvin has done everything we've asked him to do, and I believe he's got a tremendous future in this game for many, many years." - Gary Andersen, Wisconsin Head Coach
9.T.J. Yeldon
Position: RB
Team: University of Alabama
What They're Saying: “(Yeldon) doesn’t say very much, doesn’t ever ask, ‘How are you going to utilize me? What different plays are we going to do?’ He just goes to work. … You watch him in the offseason and now that we’re out there practicing, the guy goes as hard as anybody on the team. He just wants to be great. He just wants to learn.” - Lane Kiffin, Alabama Offensive Coordinator
8.Brett Hundley
Position: QB
Team: UCLA
What They're Saying: "Hundley is the guy, Sports Illustrated, Heisman Trophy candidate, almost 8,000 total yards. He is a guy who is really as good as advertised." - Mike London, UVA Head Coach
7.Landon Collins
Position: Safety
Team: University of Alabama
What They're Saying: "I see a guy who's really hungry for this season, a guy who goes out and gets better and better every day. There's no slacking with him, it's full every day." - Jarrick Williams, Alabama Safety
6.Bryce Petty
Position: QB
Team: Baylor
What They're Saying: "If you wanted him to go to 250 and make him a defensive end so he was chasing quarterbacks, he could do it. If you wanted to make him that old-school, over-the-tight end outside linebacker, he could do it. If you wanted to make him a tight end, he could easily do it. He can do all that." - Kaz Kazadi, Baylor Director for Athletic Performance
5.Amari Cooper
Position: WR
Team: University of Alabama
What They're Saying: "His mind-set is to be the best player he can be, be that top-notch receiver, catch every ball and try to score. That's his mind-set. If it's in the air, he's going to get it. He won't let any ball that's within reach get away from him. That's what I love about Cooper. He makes all of us a better player." - Landon Collins, Alabama Safety
4.Marcus Mariota
Position: QB
Team: University of Oregon
What They're Saying: “He’s 100 percent true. He’s 100 percent dedicated to the team. He’s 100 percent credible. A lot of guys talk a good game. Everything that guy does is gospel. If I’m the backup guard and I see that guy forgo what he could have made ... that’s huge. I think it speaks to the type of guy he is.” - Mark Helfrich, Oregon Head Coach
3.Todd Gurley
Position: RB
Team: University of Georgia
What They're Saying: “People don’t want to tackle this guy. They definitely don’t want to tackle him up high. Everybody starts going low on the guy because they just don’t want to get run over, they don’t want to get trucked. This guy’s got speed, power, agility; he’s got a great stiff arm. He’s got great vision. He’s really a super back.” - Mark Richt, Georgia Head Coach
2.Vic Beasley
Position: DE
Team: Clemson University
What They're Saying: "He's a very dynamic player. He gives you a lot of disruption and experience and playmaking ability. Anytime you have an experienced guy who brings those intangibles to the table --- obviously you're exciting." - Brent Venables, Clemson Defensive Coordinator
1.Jameis Winston
Position: QB
Team: Florida State University
What They're Saying: “No matter who you are on the team, if you’re not having a good day … he demands the best out of all of his players, even some coaches. If the coach messes up on something, he’s going to call the coach out. That’s the personality that Jameis Winston has.” - Tre' Jackson, FSU Offensive Lineman