Top 150 Returning College Football Players for the 2009 Season

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

As the first Saturday of the 2009 college football season is nearly upon us, the excitement level couldn't be any higher.

Besides the preseason polls and All-American teams, the hype building up to the kickoff of college football is unreal.

Here are my top 150 returning college football players for the 2009 season rankings. This is not an NFL Draft Big Board, and is based off potential and success at the collegiate level as opposed to a player's status as a pro prospect.

This list will not contain offensive linemen, as there are no stats or anything to go by in terms of ranking them accurately.

This list will only contain returning players—no incoming freshmen, transfers, and I will also not be including players who are out with season-ending injuries.  It pains me to see players like Mark Herzlich, Nate Irving, Darren Evans, James Starks, and any other players in college football go down prematurely due to injury. 

I haven't tampered with the rankings or comments since before yesterday's games, so none of yesterday's games affected these rankings.  Seeing how LeGarrette Blount is now suspended for the year, I find the comment I had wrote for him to be hilarious.

Love it or hate it, leave a comment and let me know what you think.  For those interested, player No. 151 would have been wide receiver Phillip Livas from Louisiana Tech.

1. QB Tim Tebow, Sr. – Florida: Tebow returns this year as undoubtedly the most accomplished player still playing college football.

2. S Eric Berry, Jr. – Tennessee: Berry is the most exciting player in college football. Call it a fact. 

3. QB Colt McCoy, Sr. – Texas: No other player in college football this year will be watched as much as McCoy. 

4. QB Sam Bradford, Jr. – Oklahoma: You know college football is stacked with talent when the Heisman winner returns and isn’t the best player.

5. WR Dez Bryant, Jr. – Oklahoma State: Easily the best wide receiver in college football, to put it simply.  

6. S Taylor Mays, Sr. – USC: The reason most receivers would rather not cut across the field against USC.

7. LB Brandon Spikes, Sr. – Florida: Anchors the defending National Champions' defense that just so happens to return all eleven starters.

8. DT Ndamukong Suh, Sr. – Nebraska: It’s harder to slip past Suh than it is to pronounce his name.

9. RB Jahvid Best, Jr. – California: Electrifying all-purpose back has emerged as the consensus top running back in college football.

10. DE Jerry Hughes, Sr. – TCU: Returns as college football’s defending sack champ and to help TCU challenge Utah for the Mountain West title.

11. DT Gerald MCoy, Jr. – Oklahoma: An intimidating defender who has jumped into the top five in some 2010 NFL mock drafts.

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