Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report's CFB 250 is an annual ranking of the best players in college football, regardless of NFL potential. Through interviews with B/R Experts Matt Miller, Michael Felder, Barrett Sallee and Adam Kramer, authors Brian Leigh and Brian Pedersen have studied, ranked and graded the top athletes in the country, narrowed that list to 250 and sorted by position. Today, we present the Top 250 Overall Players.

CFB 250 Positions

• Pro-Style QBs
• Offensive Linemen 
• Cornerbacks
• Running Backs
• Defensive Ends
• Tight Ends
• Defensive Tackles
• Outside Linebackers
• Safeties
• Inside Linebackers
• Wide Receivers
• Dual Threat QBs 

The previous 12 installments broke down the top 250 players by position. This final installment is the big one. 

The capital-T Top 250.

Remember that these players were graded as college prospects, not as NFL prospects. You'll see markedly different rankings on draft boards. Undersized or "system" players might not project well to the pros, but college performance was all that mattered here.

Actually…not all that mattered. They also had to play enough. If they appeared in half of their team's regular-season games, they were eligible for this list. If they missed more than half of the regular season—e.g., Laremy Tunsil—they were omitted from the rankings.

Sound off at the bottom and let us know what you think! 

Note: If two players finished with the same grade, the authors made a subjective call on which player they prefer.

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

Pass Blocking: 35/45; Run Blocking: 38/45; Lateral Quickness: 7/10

Alex Huettel has started all 54 games (and counting) of his Bowling Green career. This year's Falcons ranked No. 2 in the country in run blocking, per Football Outsiders' adjusted line yards, and Huettel was the biggest reason why. He's a mauler who can slide inside if necessary but does his best work as a pure run-blocking guard.

Power: 21/25; Vision: 19/25; Hands: 19/25; Speed: 22/25

New Iowa State coach Matt Campbell knows well what Mike Warren is capable of, since the freshman had his first career 100-yard game against Campbell's previous team (Toledo) in September. His 1,339 yards in 2015 were more than the Cyclones' top three runners combined the previous season.

Arm Strength: 21/25; Accuracy: 20/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 24/30

Appalachian State has successfully made the transition from FCS to FBS thanks to Taylor Lamb. Though the Mountaineers are a run-first offense, Lamb provides them with a reliable arm to keep defenses honest.

Pass Rush: 32/40; Run Defense: 41/50; Motor: 8/10.

Some days, Montravius Adams can't be blocked. Other days, he's cellophane. He mixes dry spells with bouts of stardom, and for that he's a tough guy to scout. What can't be denied is his upside: Players his size (6'4", 306 lbs) shouldn't penetrate the gap with such quickness. But players his size who penetrate the gap with such quickness also shouldn't post mediocre stats.  

Pass Blocking: 35/45; Run Blocking: 39/45; Lateral Quickness: 7/10.

One of two LSU linemen on this list, Jerald Hawkins has the frame (6'6", 305 lbs) and skills to perform even better than he has. He's played through a minor ankle injury, which might explain his junior year "struggles," but it still feels like he should be so much more. Regardless, he remains a stout run blocker with the strength and footwork to pave big holes on the edge.

Run Defense: 35/40; Pass Rush: 21/30; Coverage: 25/30

For the second straight season, Dominique Alexander led Oklahoma in tackles. His per-game average dropped from last year, but he still earned All-Big 12 honors for his well-rounded contributions. Although he's undersized (6'0", 220 lbs), he makes the most of his frame and flows naturally to the ball. He'll never be the type to shed big blockers, but that's his only real flaw.

Pass Blocking: 38/45; Run Blocking: 37/45; Lateral Quickness: 7/10

Joey Hunt was a three-year starter on TCU's high-powered offense. He missed the final two games of the season with an injury, and the Horned Frogs, who were also missing receiver Josh Doctson, never quite looked the same. It's a shame he couldn't go up against Oklahoma and Baylor, the two best teams on TCU's schedule, but Hunt has proved a lot in his time in Fort Worth. Those who follow closely know how good he's been.

Hands: 25/30; Route Running: 28/35; Speed: 26/30; Blocking: 3/5

While teammates DaeSean Hamilton had a major sophomore slump, Chris Godwin elevated his game by becoming Christian Hackenberg's most called-upon target. He had 100-yard efforts in four of Penn State's last six regular-season games.

Power: 20/25; Vision: 20/25; Hands: 19/25; Speed: 23/25

USC hasn't had a young running back as promising as Ronald Jones since Reggie Bush. Despite not much use in the season's first half, he still led the Trojans in rushing, and with a full offseason to get bigger and stronger, he's poised for a breakout sophomore year.

Hands: 24/30; Route Running: 21/25; Speed: 17/20; Blocking: 20/25

The Wildcats offense lacked any real flair in 2015; it employed more of a methodical attack instead of big plays. Yet on occasion, Northwestern would get frisky, which was when Dan Vitale would end up making his biggest impact.

John Weast/Getty Images

Run Defense: 23/30; Pass Rush: 35/40; Coverage: 24/30

Pete Robertson is the best player on a bad Texas Tech defense. He works his tail off to keep the Red Raiders competitive, even when his teammates let him down. This year, unlike last year, his performance was rewarded with seven wins and a bowl game. One hopes he finds a competent NFL team.

Accuracy: 34/40; Leg Strength: 32/40; Hang Time: 16/20

Like the rest of his team, Drew Kaser started the season hot. Unlike the rest of his team, he stayed that way. His 47.47-yard punting average ranked No. 4 in the country and No. 2 among players with 50 attempts. His departure will put even more pressure on Texas A&M's offense to improve next season.

Power: 20/25; Vision: 20/25; Hands: 22/25; Speed: 20/25

A fifth-year senior who waited for his turn, Tyler Ervin had the biggest single-game rushing performance of the 2015 season when he ran for 300 yards against Fresno State. His 263 yards against New Mexico was the sixth-best tally.

Pass Defense: 32/40; Run Defense: 34/40; Ball Skills: 16/20

Michael Caputo is the leader of an underrated Wisconsin secondary. Rather, he's the leader of an underrated Wisconsin defense. His stats took a dip this season—especially his tackle numbers, which dipped from 7.57 per game to 4.83—but the Badgers still ranked No. 7 in defensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings. Caputo was in the middle of all of that.

Pass Rush: 43/50; Run Defense: 30/40; Motor: 9/10.

Dale Pierson ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 with 8.5 sacks. That number matched an Iowa State record, tying him with Cyclone great Shawn Moorehead. Despite another year of disappointment in the win column, Iowa State got a memorable performance from its defensive leader. That's something fans can take from another lost season.

Pass Blocking: 37/45; Run Blocking: 37/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Mitch Hyatt was a 5-star prospect in the 2015 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and wasted little time proving why. He's not on par with previous breakout freshmen such as Cam Robinson in 2014 and Laremy Tunsil in 2013, but the work he's done on the blind side for the No. 1 team in college football deserves recognition. It's scary to think how good he might be once he adds weight to his frame (6'5", 295 lbs).

Arm Strength: 23/25; Accuracy: 20/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 23/30

The former Notre Dame quarterback never fully grasped Jimbo Fisher's complicated offense, eventually losing his starting job late in the season. His skills weren't able to transfer over to the pro-style system, which completely eliminated his dual-threat tendencies.

Run Defense: 33/40; Pass Rush: 25/30; Coverage: 24/30

Despite its lack of wins, Virginia always fields a solid defense. This year's unit took a step back from 2014, but thanks to Micah Kiser, that step was minimal. With great size (6'2", 240 lbs) and burst, he penetrates holes and contributes all over the field. He led the Cavaliers with 117 tackles and also posted 7.5 sacks.

Pass Rush: 43/50; Run Defense: 31/40; Motor: 8/10.

Marquis Haynes is one of the best pass-rushers in the SEC. He finished No. 3 in the conference with 9.5 sacks this regular season. His run defense is noticeably behind, but he has one elite skill that will translate to the NFL. If he adds weight to his frame (6'3", 220 lbs), he could also theoretically round out his game.

Pass Blocking: 37/45; Run Blocking: 37/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Jake Brendel is the heart and soul of UCLA's offense. His leadership up the middle helped an up-and-down unit coalesce, and his presence helped a true freshman quarterback, Josh Rosen, enjoy a breakout debut season. His raw tools are not much to look at, but he's heady, quick and technically sound in both phases.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Coverage: 40/50; Run Defense: 21/25; Ball Skills: 21/25

KeiVarae Russell took a step back after missing last year on suspension. He still played well and made a number of crucial plays, but his struggles against Pittsburgh and Virginia, which are far from aerial juggernauts, showed how far he has left to develop. The physical tools are there, and the tape from his freshman year is special. He just needs to make a few minor tweaks.

Pass Rush: 33/40; Run Defense: 42/50; Motor: 7/10.

Chris Jones came to college with a boatload of hype. One of the best recruits in Mississippi State history, he ranked No. 18 on 247Sports' composite rankings and No. 2 on its proprietary rankings three years ago. He's been too good to earn the "bust" label, but he's never reached the level most predicted. An inconsistent motor and an awkward fit at tackle have slowed him, even though he has still made an impact.

Run Defense: 35/40; Pass Rush: 21/30; Coverage: 26/30

As a senior, James Burgess produced his third straight quality season. Louisville took a step back on the whole, but Burgess posted a career-high 92 tackles, up from 71 last year and 72 two years ago. He created fewer plays in the backfield and in coverage, which is why he dropped a few points from the preseason list. But leaving him off entirely would have been wrong.

Pass Rush: 43/50; Run Defense: 31/40; Motor: 8/10.

Daeshon Hall emerged across from teammate Myles Garrett, developing into a useful partner in crime. He faded after starting the year on fire, but his four-sack game against Arizona State made a loud-and-clear statement nationally: The Aggies are more than Garrett along the line, which changes how teams can attack them.

Run Defense: 36/40; Pass Rush: 20/30; Coverage: 26/30

For the first time in what feels like forever, West Virginia's defense carried the load this season. Nick Kwiatkoski was at the center of everything, leading the Mountaineers in tackles and organizing teammates with pre-snap reads. Despite the loss of All-American safety Karl Joseph, who tore his ACL in early October, Kwiatkoski helped the defense stay strong.

Pass Rush: 42/50; Run Defense: 32/40; Motor: 8/10.

Kamalei Correa broke out at the end of last season, peaking with two sacks against Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl. His progress stalled in 2015, with just five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, but he's still among the best mid-major players. If his junior slump forces him to stay another year, it would be a blessing for Boise State.

Hands: 25/30; Route Running: 21/25; Speed: 16/20; Blocking: 21/25

In a passing game that was mostly about efficiency and consistency, George Kittle ended up being the big-play guy. Only a junior, he figures to play a more prominent role with the Hawkeyes in 2016.

Pass Blocking: 38/45; Run Blocking: 38/45; Lateral Quickness: 7/10

Buy low on Joe Thuney while you can. He's come on strong in the second half of the season, and it won't be long before NFL draft geeks catch onto him. His future might lie at guard, where he lined up in 2014, but his thin frame (6'5", 295 lbs) has managed just fine in college. NC State will miss him next season.

Pass Defense: 33/40; Run Defense: 33/40; Ball Skills: 17/20

Attrition forced Dominick Sanders, then a true freshman, to play earlier than expected in 2014. He took a while to find his footing, but that experience helped him grow into a star by this season, when he tied the SEC lead with five interceptions. His reward was a spot on the Associated Press All-SEC First Team, and even though this list rates him slightly less favorably, it's not hard to see why. Georgia's defense was not its problem in 2015.  

Run Defense: 25/30; Pass Rush: 34/40; Coverage: 24/30

Cassanova McKinzy is a solid all-around linebacker whose career deserves more credit than it's received. He started for the national runner-up two years ago, recorded 91 tackles last season and had another productive year as a senior. His five sacks in 2015 were impressive, but not as much as his 20 quarterback hurries. He has the size (6'3", 249 lbs) and disruptive tendencies to make an NFL rotation.

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 29/35; Speed: 25/30; Blocking: 3/5

Arkansas' push to be more active through the air wasn't just a product of quarterback Brandon Allen's play. Without Drew Morgan establishing himself as a go-to target in his junior season, finishing with 55 receptions and 10 touchdowns through Arkansas' first 12 games, the Razorbacks' pass attack would have been grounded.

Power: 19/25; Vision: 20/25; Hands: 22/25; Speed: 22/25

The first reason to watch New Mexico State football in years, Larry Rose has rushed for more than 2,700 yards in two seasons despite being on a very bad team. Just 5'11" and 184 pounds, he has four career 200-yard rushing games.

Accuracy: 34/40; Leg Strength: 33/40; Hang Time: 16/20

The main part of Utah's dominant special teams unit, Tom Hackett has won two straight Ray Guy Awards. He earned the second with a 47.95-yard punting average, ranking No. 2 in the country despite attempting more punts than every member of the top eight. Utah contended for a playoff berth in large part because it executed the little things. Punting is rarely sexy, but Hackett turns it into a weapon.  

Arm Strength: 24/25; Accuracy: 20/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 23/30

Though he started the majority of the Buckeyes' games, Jones wasn't able to carry over the success he had from last year's postseason run into 2015. He struggled to make his strong arm also an accurate one.

Hands: 28/30; Route Running: 28/35; Speed: 24/30; Blocking: 3/5

The Pac-12 career receptions leader by a wide margin, Nelson Spruce's 89 catches this year were more than twice the next-highest Colorado player. He had at least five receptions in all 13 games in 2015.

Run Defense: 36/40; Pass Rush: 21/30; Coverage: 26/30

Jared Norris brought the lumber for one of 2015's best defenses. His stats don't jump off the page, but he was always around the ball and played a crucial role in calling pre-snap adjustments. When he missed the USC game with an injury, Utah's defense allowed 42 points and suffered its first defeat of the year. The Utes were just a different team without him.

Hands: 25/30; Route Running: 27/35; Speed: 28/30; Blocking: 3/5

James Washington has 16 touchdowns among his 80 receptions in two seasons with Oklahoma State, and in 2015, he was one of the country's deadliest deep threats. His 20.7 yards-per-catch average was tops among players with at least 40 catches.

Power: 21/25; Vision: 20/25; Hands: 20/25; Speed: 22/25

Quarterback Marquise Williams drove North Carolina's offense into the ACC title game, but if not for Elijah Hood's production, this season wouldn't have been as successful. The sophomore will be the focal point of the Tar Heels attack in 2016.

Coverage: 41/50; Run Defense: 21/25; Ball Skills: 21/25

Jordan Thomas emerged as Oklahoma's best cornerback, surpassing big-play specialist (but run-defense and coverage liability) Zack Sanchez as the season wore on. His signature game against Baylor, when he shut down Bears receiver Corey Coleman, remains one of the best coverage performances of the year. He failed to meet that standard on a weekly basis, but it's not as if he struggled. All in all, he had a very solid year.

Pass Rush: 41/50; Run Defense: 34/40; Motor: 8/10.

Chris Wormley has thrived under head coach Jim Harbaugh, emerging as one of the country's best run-stoppers. He posted 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss on the season, and much of his production came in ways that can't be measured. His size off the edge (6'5", 300 lbs) fits more in an NFL 3-4 defense than a college 3-4 defense. Good luck to any teenagers trying to block him.

Michael Noble Jr./Associated Press

Hands: 25/30; Route Running: 22/25; Speed: 16/20; Blocking: 20/25

Had it not been for a knee injury that knocked him out of four games in late October and early November, Tyler Higbee likely would have led the FBS in catches by a tight end. When he returned in the regular-season finale, he went right back to work with six receptions and two of his eight touchdown catches.

Pass Blocking: 36/45; Run Blocking: 40/45; Lateral Quickness: 7/10

Kansas State's offense has no business being respectable, but Cody Whitehair has helped it get there anyway. Despite losing so many playmakers from last year's unit, his run blocking paved regular holes against defenses stacking the box. He owned Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman when the Wildcats played the Bears in November.

Coverage: 41/50; Run Defense: 22/25; Ball Skills: 20/25

Aarion Penton is a two-year starter on Missouri's world-beating defense. The Tigers allowed 169 passing yards per game, in large part because Penton, along with the rest of their secondary pieces, kept everything in front of them. Penton also chipped in with 59 total tackles.

Arm Strength: 21/25; Accuracy: 22/25; Mobility: 15/20; Intangibles: 25/30

Head coach Mike Leach's pass-happy offense has been a perfect fit for Luke Falk, a former walk-on who threw for a school-record 36 touchdowns this season. The sophomore isn't just prolific; he's also quite accurate, completing 70.7 percent of his throws with only eight interceptions in 591 attempts.

Run Defense: 35/40; Pass Rush: 21/30; Coverage: 27/30

Defense carried Iowa to a 12-0 regular-season record, a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and nearly a trip to the College Football Playoff. The sum of its parts was greater than the whole, but certain parts stood out for their production. Linebacker Josey Jewell was at the top of those standout parts, having finished the regular season with 119 tackles, three interceptions and six pass breakups. His all-around ability helped the Hawkeyes account for losing star defensive end Drew Ott.

Pass Blocking: 36/45; Run Blocking: 40/45; Lateral Quickness: 7/10

Georgia's offense struggled this year, but John Theus played well enough to earn All-SEC first team honors. He's still trying to figure out pass-blocking, which he'll need if he wants to play tackle in the NFL, but he's a mauling run blocker with a big frame (6'6", 303 lbs) and room to fill out. The former blue-chip prospect took a while to find his footing, but once he did, he made an impact for the Bulldogs.

Coverage: 40/50; Run Defense: 21/25; Ball Skills: 22/25

Matthew Harris combines with Northwestern's other star cornerback—whom we'll discuss on a later slide—to give the Wildcats a formidable pass defense. The junior has been a magnet for big plays, recording four interceptions and 12 pass breakups and countless other meaningful highlights. National fans don't know him, but Big Ten fans and coaches know him well.

Pass Rush: 43/50; Run Defense: 32/40; Motor: 8/10.

Ejuan Price was a breakout star for Pittsburgh. He embraced head coach Pat Narduzzi's attacking style en route to 11.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. That latter number ranked No. 2 in the country behind Clemson's Shaq Lawson. He padded those stats with a five-sack, six-tackle-for-loss game against Louisville—one of the saddest offensive lines in college football—but still had a phenomenal year.

Pass Rush: 45/50; Run Defense: 30/40; Motor: 8/10.

Yannick Ngakoue had a great year for a bad team. On a defense replacing most of its front seven, he emerged as a star and helped the Terrapins stay at least competitive on defense. His 13 sacks were tied for No. 2 in the country behind Penn State's Carl Nassib. That's not bad for a player most fans have never heard of.

Arm Strength: 21/25; Accuracy: 21/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 25/30

Western Michigan's rise from a Mid-American doormat to one of its contenders has been mostly credited to head coach P.J. Fleck, but Zach Terrell's play has been just as important. The junior completed 66.8 percent of his passes during the regular season with a career-high 27 touchdowns.

Otto Kitsinger/Associated Press

Pass Defense: 34/40; Run Defense: 32/40; Ball Skills: 17/20

Budda Baker flies under the radar because he plays for Washington, and Washington plays in the Pac-12. But when you watch him, you'll see one of college football's best athletes. Prior to the season, B/R's Michael Felder compared his range to that of Earl Thomas. He didn't make the leap some expected, but he showed well for a defense that, despite limited attention, ranked No. 10 on Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings.

Coverage: 41/50; Run Defense: 21/25; Ball Skills: 21/25

William Jackson has taken a star turn in 2015, building on last year's second-team All-AAC season and emerging as a legit NFL prospect. He has great length (6'2", 195 lbs) and knows how to use it both in coverage and making plays in the box. There's nothing he doesn't do well, although he could stand to improve on adjusting to throws in the air.

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 28/35; Speed: 26/30; Blocking: 3/5

Don't let his 5'8” frame fool you: Trent Taylor isn't afraid to go over the middle and sacrifice his body for the ball. That resulted in 89 catches through the regular season, tied for sixth in FBS, along with eight touchdowns.

Run Defense: 35/40; Pass Rush: 23/30; Coverage: 25/30

Josh Forrest has carried his weight—and then some—in trying to turn Kentucky around. It hasn't been successful in the win column, but of all the things to blame for that, he's last. He finished his senior season with 93 tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups and countless miscellaneous impact plays. With great size (6'3", 255 lbs) and production, he'll draw a long look from NFL scouts.

Pass Rush: 34/40; Run Defense: 42/50; Motor: 7/10.

Maliek Collins did his best to hold together a broken Nebraska defense. The stats aren't great, and he still needs to show up more consistently, but when he flashes, he really flashes. Players with his size (6'2", 300 lbs) don't often move so fluidly. He could benefit from another year in college, but there's a chance he declares for the draft.

Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Rush: 31/40; Coverage: 26/30

Unless you're a fan of Wake Forest, you probably don't know much about Brandon Chubb. The Demon Deacons' leading tackler, Georgia running back Nick Chubb's cousin, has quietly owned ACC offenses for three seasons. He's short but well-built (6'1", 245 lbs) and is a monster flowing downhill against the run. Don't let the team he plays for fool you.

Pass Rush: 32/40; Run Defense: 44/50; Motor: 8/10.

Connor Wujciak was one of many Boston College defenders who flew under the radar but deserve recognition for helping to build the ACC's best defense. For his part, Wujciak posted 31 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks for a unit that led the country in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders. His game might never wow you, but he's technically sound and willing to do the dirty work. There's not a defense in the country that couldn't use him.

Hands: 27/30; Route Running: 29/35; Speed: 25/30; Blocking: 3/5

Jordan Westerkamp has made a name for himself with some amazing catches throughout his career, and this season the junior increased his production in catches (63), yards (874) and touchdowns (seven).

Run Defense: 24/30; Pass Rush: 36/40; Coverage: 24/30

One of the most productive players in college football, Antonio Longino led the Pac-12 with 10 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss this regular season. Those numbers didn't translate to the rest of his unit, as Arizona State ranked No. 79 in Football Outsiders' defensive S&P+, but they are too good to be ignored. The Sun Devils might want to rein in their aggressiveness, but for what they do, Longino is perfect.

Hands: 25/30; Route Running: 21/25; Speed: 16/20; Blocking: 22/25

Named a second-team All-American by USA Today, David Morgan is the first player in program history to earn such an honor. His contributions as a fifth-year senior prevented UTSA's rough season from being more dismal.

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Pass Blocking: 36/45; Run Blocking: 41/45; Lateral Quickness: 7/10

Denver Kirkland is a mountain of a man, tipping the scales at 6'5", 340 pounds. Amazingly, that makes him the smaller of Arkansas' tackles—Dan Skipper checks in at 6'10", 331 pounds—but he's been the stronger option this season. The former guard has translated well to tackle and improved with added reps as a pass-blocker. Unless that improvement plateaus, there's an NFL future ahead of him.

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 21/25; Speed: 16/20; Blocking: 21/25

Christian McCaffrey gets all of the headlines for his versatility as a rusher, receiver and return man, but Austin Hooper is almost as versatile in his abilities. When Stanford needs a big play down the field, he tends to be the first person that quarterback Kevin Hogan turns to.

Power: 22/25; Vision: 20/25; Hands: 22/25; Speed: 20/25

One of the most prolific scorers in FBS history, Kenneth Dixon is almost as good a receiver as he is a ball-carrier. The senior had 83 career touchdowns, including 13 via the pass on 82 catches.

Pass Blocking: 36/45; Run Blocking: 40/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Christian Westerman has been around the block. He started his career as a 5-star recruit at Auburn, per 247Sports' composite ratings, before transferring and finding a home in the desert. He slowly progressed for the Sun Devils and emerged this year as one of the Pac-12's best run-blockers. His blend of raw tools and intensity is what great guards are made of.

Run Defense: 25/30; Pass Rush: 34/40; Coverage: 25/30

Jarrad Davis made the leap from role player to star this season. He posted 94 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and six QB hurries, using speed and a wiry frame (6'2", 230 lbs) to bother offenses. He worked well with Florida's defensive line, which excels at the point of attack, to make the most of every gap and finish plays. He'll return for his senior year and will likely earn preseason All-SEC hype.

Pass Defense: 34/40; Run Defense: 34/40; Ball Skills: 16/20.

At times this year it felt like Derrick Kindred, an eventual All-Big 12 first-teamer, was the only healthy player on TCU's defense. He held things together for a unit that lost six starters this offseason and countless more to injury but still finished with a top-30 pass defense, per Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings. He also finished second on the team with 79 regular-season tackles. His presence helped keep TCU competitive.

Hands: 27/30; Route Running: 28/35; Speed: 26/30; Blocking: 3/5

The true freshman quickly established himself as the best player in Alabama's inexperienced receiving corps, taking on the role Amari Cooper had in 2014. His 75 regular-season receptions are a school record for a first-year player.

Run Defense: 25/30; Pass Rush: 36/40; Coverage: 23/30

It took a while to click, but former TCU defensive end Devonte Fields, the 2012 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, lived up to his potential at Louisville. In the final three games of the season, he posted 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. If he performed at that level from the get-go, he would have ranked significantly higher on this list. As it stands, being in the top 15 is nothing to whine about.

Pass Blocking: 38/45; Run Blocking: 38/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Forrest Lamp is a redshirt junior who has started every game of his career. His addition to the lineup coincides, not coincidentally, with Western Kentucky becoming an offensive juggernaut. His frame needs extra bulk (6'4", 300 lbs) and makes him look more like a guard than a tackle, but his technique works fine on the edge.

Arm Strength: 23/25; Accuracy: 21/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 24/30

Mahomes accounted for 42 touchdowns during the regular season in his first season as Texas Tech's full-time starter, pacing one of the top offenses in the country. He made a lot of mistakes but also had enough big plays to negate some of the miscues that come with being a young quarterback.

Todd Bennett/Getty Images

Power: 20/25; Vision: 21/25; Hands: 20/25; Speed: 23/25

Georgia Southern's spread-option run attack gave opponents fits for a second straight year, with Matt Breida leading the way. In two seasons at the FBS level, he's averaged better than eight yards per carry.

Pass Defense: 34/40; Run Defense: 33/40; Ball Skills: 17/20

After struggling to keep his job at cornerback, Eddie Jackson moved to safety this spring and immediately looked better for it. Healthy after last year's ACL injury, he shot from the gates with five interceptions in Alabama's first seven games. He failed to record a pick in the next six games, but he still played solid coverage and stuck his nose in against the run. Teams can no longer pick on Alabama's secondary.

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 21/25; Speed: 17/20; Blocking: 20/25

Having a 6'6" target who can effectively catch the ball is a luxury few teams boast. Jerell Adams provided South Carolina with its only viable alternative to Pharoh Cooper.

Pass Blocking: 38/45; Run Blocking: 38/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Tyrell Crosby is the next—and might eventually become the best—star Oregon tackle. He's a fluid athlete with length to play near the line and wheels to play in space. He fits Oregon's scheme like a glove and will enter next year with All-America love. He won't land outside the top 20 linemen for long.

Hands: 27/30; Route Running: 30/35; Speed: 24/30; Blocking: 3/5

Though Massachusetts struggled as a team, it wasn't because of Tajae Sharpe's contributions. The senior led FBS with 111 receptions, catching at least 11 passes in six of 12 games.

Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Rush: 32/40; Coverage: 26/30

Skai Moore made his name known in the regular-season opener, when he led South Carolina past North Carolina in a game that would, in hindsight, become a major upset. His two interceptions of Marquise Williams were impressive and a sign of things to come. Moore finished the year with four interceptions and led South Carolina with 111 tackles. Even when the ship was sinking, he did all he could to keep it afloat.

Coverage: 40/50; Run Defense: 22/25; Ball Skills: 22/25

Tre'Davious White took a small—emphasis on small—step back as a junior, although he's still one of the SEC's top cornerbacks. The tools are there for him to become a shutdown player, but he's inconsistent in coverage and was toasted in a high-profile matchup against Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell. Regardles, he's one of LSU's best players and a dangerous return man.

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 30/35; Speed: 25/30; Blocking: 3/5

With a true freshman at quarterback, UCLA needed its experienced receivers to help him along. Jordan Payton was valuable in this regard, with 18 of his 19 third-down catches going for first downs.

Pass Blocking: 36/45; Run Blocking: 40/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Matt Skura paves holes for an offense that needs holes desperately. Duke has no semblance of a passing game, but even though opponents know what's coming, Skura ensures the running game moves forward. Nothing he does is sexy, but that's par for the course with centers. His awareness sets him apart.

Pass Rush: 42/50; Run Defense: 34/40; Motor: 8/10.

Florida State's rebuilt front seven needed someone to emerge as a star. DeMarcus Walker took that prompt and ran with it. He led the Seminoles with 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss, closing strong with 2.5 and 3.5, respectively, in the season-ending blowout of Florida. If he returns, the rangy junior (6'3", 281 lbs) will be a sneaky All-America candidate.

Young Kwak/Associated Press

Pass Blocking: 41/45; Run Blocking: 35/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Joe Dahl is the anchor of Washington State's passing game. Quarterback Luke Falk and receiver Gabe Marks post the numbers, but neither would light up the stat sheet without protection. His run blocking is underdeveloped—the result of playing for Mike Leach—but for now, at least, Dahl does something elite on the blind side. That's enough to crack the top 20.

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 29/35; Speed: 26/30; Blocking: 3/5

The top target among Western Kentucky's many great receiving options, Taywan Taylor had more catches (79) this season than in his previous two combined. His 17 touchdowns were second only to Baylor's Corey Coleman's 20.

Pass Rush: 42/50; Run Defense: 34/40; Motor: 8/10.

Nothing he does is sexy, but Charles Tapper gets the job done and then some. He's a three-year starter who proved, after a down 2014 season, that he can still get after the quarterback. Granted, he posted five of his seven sacks against Kansas and Iowa State, with just two in the other 10 games. Despite that, he still had a strong year.

Arm Strength: 24/25; Accuracy: 20/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 24/30

Though still highly regarded for his NFL prospects, Christian Hackenberg's college career seems to have peaked in his first season. He wrapped up a second straight disappointing performance as a junior, though he did cut down on the number of interceptions he threw.

Run Defense: 36/40; Pass Rush: 24/30; Coverage: 24/30

Keith Kelsey led Louisville with 100 regular-season tackles. He's a physical downhill run-stopper who pairs well with teammate James Burgess, more of an all-around linebacker, on the inside of Louisville's defense. Burgess is the leader and mentor, but Kelsey's play has elevated the past season-and-a-half. He is one of many future pros to come through the Cardinals' ranks.

Power: 19/25; Vision: 20/25; Hands: 22/25; Speed: 22/25

A threat as a rusher, receiver and kick returner, Jahad Thomas was a key piece of Temple's best team in more than 35 years. He scored at least one touchdown for the Owls in 11 of 12 regular-season games.

Run Defense: 36/40; Pass Rush: 23/30; Coverage: 25/30

He's not the prototypical LSU linebacker, but Kendell Beckwith has made the most of his abilities and proved himself a capable leader. He's a big-bodied run defender (6'2", 252 lbs) whose instincts need work but whose physical presence sets the tone for a blue-collar unit. Even with the change in defensive coordinator, he kept the Tigers organized and efficient in 2015.

Run Defense: 24/30; Pass Rush: 35/40; Coverage: 26/30

After losing four top-45 draft picks—Danny Shelton, Marcus Peters, Shaq Thompson and Hau'oli Kikaha—Washington needed a new defensive star. Enter Travis Feeney, who used his bouncy frame (6'4", 226 lbs) to terrorize quarterbacks. He posted seven sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in the regular season, wreaking havoc for a defense that finished No. 10 in Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings. Despite losing so many pieces, this defense actually improved.

Pass Rush: 31/40; Run Defense: 46/50; Motor: 8/10.

Ryan Glasgow wasn't Michigan's best defensive player, but he might have been its most important. The defense made that case against Indiana, when with Glasgow on the bench nursing an arm injury, the Hoosiers rushed for 307 yards and pushed the game to overtime. He's not very explosive against the pass, but Glasgow was the heart of Michigan's blue-collar run defense.

Hands: 27/30; Route Running: 29/35; Speed: 26/30; Blocking: 3/5

Keyarris Garrett was a huge beneficiary of Tulsa's offensive upswing in 2015 under first-year coach Philip Montgomery, taking over the top receiver spot after Keevan Lucas was injured. The senior had 1,451 yards during the regular season, second-most in FBS.

John Raoux/Associated Press

Run Defense: 24/30; Pass Rush: 35/40; Coverage: 26/30

Never as productive as he should be, Leonard Floyd still looks like a man among boys in college. His frame is impressive for a 3-4 outside linebacker (6'4", 231 lbs), and he's fluid enough to cover as well as rush the passer. His motor is inconsistent, but it has improved during his tenure in Athens. All things told, he's had a really nice college career.  

Hands: 25/30; Route Running: 23/25; Speed: 17/20; Blocking: 20/25

Before freshman Deon Cain and senior Charone Peake came alive during the second half of the season, Jordan Leggett was Clemson's second-best receiver behind Artavis Scott. He remains an underrated weapon who will only get better.

Run Defense: 25/30; Pass Rush: 35/40; Coverage: 25/30

Kyler Fackrell has had an interesting career arc. He broke out his sophomore season, logging 13 tackles for loss and emerging as a first-round NFL prospect, before tearing his ACL as a junior. Firmly off the national radar, he returned this year and resumed his dominant form, logging 13.5 tackles for loss in the regular season. He has the ideal frame (6'5", 250 lbs) and range for a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Coverage: 42/50; Run Defense: 22/25; Ball Skills: 21/25

Cole Luke is the lesser-known of Notre Dame's cornerbacks, but he outperformed KeiVarae Russell in 2015. Russell made more big plays, but Luke was more consistent in coverage and did a better job executing the little things. He would have ranked higher if not for struggling in the regular-season finale at Stanford. But one bad game does not define his season.

Pass Blocking: 36/45; Run Blocking: 41/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Vadal Alexander is a wrecking ball on LSU's line. He's the perfect blocking tackle for running back Leonard Fournette and a staple of the Tigers' pro-style running game. Like everything associated with LSU's passing game, his pass protection needs work. But when you do one thing this well, it hardly matters.

Pass Defense: 33/40; Run Defense: 36/40; Ball Skills: 16/20

Last year, as a true freshman, Armani Watts started strong but then faded. This year, even though Texas A&M followed the same pattern, Watts stayed strong all season. He led the Aggies and finished tied for third in the SEC with 111 tackles, including 20 against Ole Miss, 14 against Arkansas, 13 against Auburn and 10 apiece against Alabama and Arizona State. Say what you will about Texas A&M's defense, but Watts is both hard-nosed and versatile.

Coverage: 41/50; Run Defense: 22/25; Ball Skills: 22/25

Trae Elston improved his play for a defense that took a step back. He's a playmaker in both run support (66 tackles) and coverage (four interceptions, 12 pass breakups) who contributes as a cover guy, too. A key part of last year's "Landsharks," he became a better leader and helped keep the Rebels defense afloat.

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 30/35; Speed: 26/30; Blocking: 3/5

Leonte Carroo had 10 touchdown catches in just eight games, limited by injuries and a suspension along the way. Despite missing time, the senior had three three-TD games and four 100-yard outings.

Pass Rush: 41/50; Run Defense: 36/40; Motor: 8/10.

Boston College led the country in yards allowed per game, yards allowed per play and touchdowns allowed per game, and Harold Landry was a big reason why. The Eagles also led the country in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders, which is where Landry made his biggest impact. The sophomore has a smallish frame (6'3", 245 lbs) but plays with a high motor and uses his hands like a pro. Keep him circled as a player to watch next season.

Run Defense: 24/30; Pass Rush: 34/40; Coverage: 27/30

The defensive star of last year's College Football Playoff, Darron Lee backed up his production with a strong sophomore season. He looks undersized but isn't (6'2", 235 lbs); it only seems that way because he's lightning-quick off the edge and in coverage. The only thing holding him back is consistency, as it feels like after last year's Sugar Bowl, he should reach that level more often than he does. He's great but not as great as he can be.

Harry How/Getty Images

Arm Strength: 22/25; Accuracy: 22/25; Mobility: 17/20; Intangibles: 24/30

Josh Rosen had one of the best true freshman seasons ever for a quarterback, and he figures to only get better. We've only watched the pilot episode of what figures to be a whale of a long-running series for him at UCLA.

Run Defense: 36/40; Pass Rush: 23/30; Coverage: 26/30

After shredding his knee in the Birmingham Bowl and undergoing multiple offseason surgeries, Antonio Morrison defied biology and returned to play well in 2015. His recovery, leadership and mojo make him an easy player to root for, even if his game needs fine-tuning. What he sometimes lacks in instincts, he makes up for in heart and effort; no one will ever accuse him of playing soft.

Hands: 27/30; Route Running: 31/35; Speed: 24/30; Blocking: 3/5

While Gabe Marks might not have what it takes to succeed in every type of offense, the WSU version fits him perfectly. He's led the Cougars in receptions twice in his career.

Pass Rush: 42/50; Run Defense: 36/40; Motor: 7/10.

Shawn Oakman's upside will tempt some NFL team into making him a first-round draft pick. That's not necessarily a bad thing—at some point, he might look like a steal—but whichever team selects him will be taking a massive risk. He's a can't-miss prospect on paper but an easy-to-miss prospect on tape. Will he ever make the most of his talent?

Arm Strength: 23/25; Accuracy: 21/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 25/30

Notre Dame could be dealing with the same issue in 2016 that Ohio State had this season if Malik Zaire comes back healthy and creates a quarterback controversy. Deshone Kizer did nothing to indicate he won't be given every chance to win the job outright.

Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Rush: 33/40; Coverage: 26/30

Deion Jones enjoyed a breakout year under new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. LSU has always known about Jones' physical tools, but he never became more than a rotation player until this, his senior year. Steele allowed him freedom to rush the passer, use his speed and make plays. Now he's a legitimate NFL prospect.

Pass Blocking: 38/45; Run Blocking: 39/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Ryan Kelly looks good on tape, but his biggest positive traits are intangible. The point Barrett Sallee made above, about how bad Alabama looks without him, is not without merit. He is not Alabama's best player, but you could make the case he is its most important. The splits when he doesn't play are that dramatic.

Arm Strength: 22/25; Accuracy: 21/25; Mobility: 17/20; Intangibles: 25/30

Joshua Dobbs' late-season play in 2013 and 2014 made for great promise in 2015, but he didn't take that next step that Tennessee hoped for. If the Vols want to compete for the SEC East next season, it will be up to him to provide more.

Power: 21/25; Vision: 22/25; Hands: 21/25; Speed: 21/25

Players with a per-carry average of less than five yards aren't usually considered stars at the college level, but in Justin Jackson's case, it makes him the perfect weapon. Northwestern wants to eat up clock but also keep the drive moving; Jackson fits the Wildcats' needs.

Arm Strength: 21/25; Accuracy: 21/25; Mobility: 17/20; Intangibles: 27/30

C.J. Beathard might not be able to start for every other team, but in the confines of what Iowa asked of him, he was as successful as any other quarterback in the country.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Pass Blocking: 39/45; Run Blocking: 39/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

A poor man's version of his brother, Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin, Nick Martin has forged a memorable career in South Bend. He's a two-year offensive captain with the scalable ability to play guard, where he started 10 games in 2014. Center suits him better, however, because it adds to his responsibility. The more he's asked to do for an offense, the better.

Power: 23/25; Vision: 20/25; Hands: 22/25; Speed: 21/25

He's good enough to be playing every down at plenty of other schools, but Jalen Hurd fits a perfect Volunteers role as a reliable clock- and yard-eater who helped them have one of the SEC's best run offenses in 2015.

Arm Strength: 23/25; Accuracy: 22/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 25/30

Mason Rudolph should have this job all to himself next year, which is when we can really see what he's capable of. The early returns are good, but he has to show he can command all aspects of the position.

Run Defense: 27/30; Pass Rush: 34/40; Coverage: 25/30

When he's on, Jordan Jenkins plays like Khalil Mack. He has the same type of build and energy; he just needs to smooth the edges and play with consistency. The quiet heart of the Georgia defense, he has always played second fiddle, at least on a national stage, to position-mate Leonard Floyd. Both are quality players, but Jenkins is the alpha without a doubt.

Power: 19/25; Vision: 21/25; Hands: 23/25; Speed: 23/25

On a team that passes for less than 150 yards per game, Donnel Pumphrey has been a huge weapon. He's shared carries this season with Chase Price but still produced, and if he returns for his senior year, he'll challenge Marshall Faulk's school career rushing record.

Arm Strength: 23/25; Accuracy: 21/25; Mobility: 17/20; Intangibles: 25/30

Jacoby Brissett began his career at Florida, where he didn't get much of a chance to shine. His two seasons at NC State went as well as he could have hoped, enabling Dave Doeren to have success after a rough first year as head coach in 2013.

Power: 22/25; Vision: 21/25; Hands: 21/25; Speed: 22/25

Though a valuable Tigers asset all season, Wayne Gallman was especially huge early, when Clemson was bringing Deshaun Watson along slowly. Now that Watson is running more, it has turned Gallman into someone who can eat up clock but also break off a big play when needed.

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 30/35; Speed: 27/30; Blocking: 3/5

A consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist in 2014, Rashard Higgins had a disappointing junior season in comparison but was still solid from an overall standpoint.

Pass Rush: 33/40; Run Defense: 45/50; Motor: 8/10.

This is what happens when a 5-star recruit goes to East Lansing. McDowell was the No. 32 player in the 2014 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and committed to Sparty despite his parents trying to get him to go elsewhere. Based on his development as an underclassman, he made a smart choice for his career. Michigan State develops talent with the best of them.

Hands: 26/30; Route Running: 22/25; Speed: 16/20; Blocking: 22/25

Only Amara Darboh caught more passes this season for Michigan than Jake Butt, a weapon that head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff pulled out of the heap of last year's team and turned into a top option. Butt is one of the top go-to players at his position in the country.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Arm Strength: 23/25; Accuracy: 22/25; Mobility: 17/20; Intangibles: 24/30

Once Chad Kelly started to stick to the game plan and not freelance, he became a heck of a player. He's set numerous single-season school records, several of which were previously held by Eli Manning.

Pass Rush: 35/40; Run Defense: 43/50; Motor: 8/10.

The loss of Michael Bennett took a toll on Washington's numbers. He's better as a sidekick than a star, so without Bennett soaking up attention, he couldn't get into the backfield as often. Still, he made an impact and raised his level when Ohio State needed him. You'll see him in the NFL next season.

Pass Blocking: 38/45; Run Blocking: 40/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Texas Tech's system makes Le'Raven Clark a hard player to scout. What's clear as day, however, is that he's good. Questions exist as to how good, but there's no denying his impact on Texas Tech's offense. Especially in the running game, where the Red Raiders have quietly excelled, Clark makes his presence felt.

Pass Rush: 41/50; Run Defense: 37/40; Motor: 8/10.

On the surface, the Northwestern defense seems like a group of overachievers—a unit where the whole exceeds the sum of the parts. But Dean Lowry is one of four Wildcats defenders to make this list, and a couple more could have joined them. The defense that shut down Stanford in the season opener, holding the Cardinal to six points and 3.87 yards per play, had more than just the time zone working in its favor. It had athletes such as Lowry putting in work.

Run Defense: 28/30; Pass Rush: 33/40; Coverage: 26/30

Darron Lee stole headlines in the 2015 College Football Playoff, and McMillan was the sexy blue-chip recruit. It's understandable that both—who are both excellent players—earned praise and recognition nationwide. But Perry, whose name fewer people recognize, has been Ohio State's best linebacker the past two seasons. There's a long NFL career ahead of him.

Coverage: 43/50; Run Defense: 21/25; Ball Skills: 22/25

Nick VanHoose flies under the radar, but at Northwestern, that's expected. He's one of many "anonymous" Wildcats to grace the CFB 250. He and Matthew Harris give Northwestern one of the best cornerback tandems in America. There's a reason all its games turn ugly…and only half of that concerns its offense.

Coverage: 41/50; Run Defense: 22/25; Ball Skills: 23/25

The exhaust port in Alabama's Death Star has been its secondary. Opponents have attacked its cornerbacks and hoped for the best. That worked for Ole Miss at the beginning of the season, but as Cyrus Jones and his teammates developed, the exhaust port became harder to target. This defense has inched closer to being impregnable.

Pass Rush: 43/50; Run Defense: 34/40; Motor: 9/10.

If you think Iowa enjoyed a "dream season," consider that it lost its best player—or at the very least one of its best players—in the second game of conference play. Drew Ott was off to the best start of his career before tearing his ACL against Illinois, and his absence, while plastered over, was never quite fixed. Considering Iowa's margin of defeat against Michigan State, it's tempting to think what might have been. But for Hawkeyes fans, it's probably easier not to.

Run Defense: 37/40; Pass Rush: 23/30; Coverage: 27/30

Curtis Grant started for the 2014 Buckeyes, but Raekwon McMillan forced his way onto the field. Then a true freshman, he was too good to waste away on the sideline. This year, with Grant out of the picture, he started and showed flashes of dominance. With Joshua Perry leaving and Darron Lee likely to follow, he will carry an even bigger load next season.

Arm Strength: 22/25; Accuracy: 22/25; Mobility: 17/20; Intangibles: 26/30

The Tar Heels' career leader in total offense, Marquise Williams didn't get much attention earlier in his career because the team wasn't that good. He finally earned his due this season, though he's still relatively underrated compared to other dual-threat passers..

Ed Zurga/Getty Images

Coverage: 42/50; Run Defense: 23/25; Ball Skills: 22/25

Teammate Will Redmond entered the season with more hype, but Taveze Calhoun was Mississippi State's best corner. That was true before Redmond tore his ACL, and it was especially true without Redmond, when the defense sorely needed Calhoun to play at a higher level. Conference media projected the Bulldogs to finish last in the SEC West, overlooking the ragtag core of role players who helped them reach No. 1 in the polls last season. Calhoun was one of the many who proved those projections wrong.

Power: 23/25; Vision: 22/25; Hands: 21/25; Speed: 21/25

When healthy, Jordan Howard was a workhorse Indiana maximized to the fullest. He had six games with at least 20 carries, including 35 against Michigan, but injuries limited him or knocked him out of several other contests.

Run Defense: 37/40; Pass Rush: 24/30; Coverage: 26/30

Blake Martinez played a huge role in Stanford's Pac-12 title and Rose Bowl win. The Cardinal front seven looked nothing like previous units on paper but played well enough to keep the team in games. Martinez's ball-hawk attitude and leadership made a difference behind a thin defensive line. He continued—and in some ways added to—the modern tradition of great Stanford linebackers.

Arm Strength: 22/25; Accuracy: 23/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 26/30

The biggest improvement for any quarterback is between his first and second seasons, and while Brad Kaaya didn't make much of a leap, he also didn't regress. If he's reached his ceiling, it's still pretty high.

Hands: 28/30; Route Running: 31/35; Speed: 25/30; Blocking: 3/5

The single-season receiving-yardage leader at Boise with 1,334 yards, Thomas Sperbeck is on pace to become the school's all-time leader in nearly every wideout category. If he can work on improving his speed, he'll be one of the best in the country next season.

Power: 21/25; Vision: 22/25; Hands: 21/25; Speed: 23/25

A 1,000-yard rusher who saw significant action in only nine games this season, Saquon Barkley appears to have a bright future. What will be key for him and the Nittany Lions is building up his stamina and making him more durable, since injuries were an issue.

Run Defense: 27/30; Pass Rush: 33/40; Coverage: 27/30

Undersized and overlooked, Paul emerged as one of the nation's best playmakers. He's the captain and leader of a Utah defense no team likes playing. He flies to the ball and makes his best plays in big moments of crucial games. The measurables are forgettable, but the production is undeniable.

Arm Strength: 21/25; Accuracy: 23/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 27/30

Brandon Doughty threw for more than 300 yards against an undefeated LSU team in October, one of only two quarterbacks to reach that mark this season. He's as big a reason as anyone why Western Kentucky had its best season since moving up from FCS in 2007.

Power: 21/25; Vision: 21/25; Hands: 22/25; Speed: 23/25

Aaron Green was sometimes a forgotten weapon this season, particularly in games when TCU had to play from behind. When given a chance to perform, though, he helped take pressure off Trevone Boykin and made for a very explosive force.

Hands: 25/30; Route Running: 30/35; Speed: 29/30; Blocking: 3/5

It was a strong debut for Christian Kirk from a numbers standpoint, as his 70 regular-season receptions were the most of any Aggies player in the last three seasons and his 24.36 punt-return-yardage average was tops in FBS. Once he starts doing the little things as well as he does the big ones, he'll be something special.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Coverage: 44/50; Run Defense: 21/25; Ball Skills: 22/25

As a pure cover corner, Cam Sutton excels. If that was the only metric on this ranking, he would have placed higher. The other parts of his game need fine-tuning, but there's reason to believe he can tune them. His whole career has been a story of overachievement.

Pass Blocking: 39/45; Run Blocking: 40/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Shon Coleman has enjoyed a breakout season. That sounds wrong considering how badly Auburn’s offense has struggled, but it’s the truth. His story is as good as his performance—he overcame a 2010 leukemia diagnosis to return after years away from the game—but he’s not here because of sentiment. He’s here because he’s earned it. And he can still be so much better in the future.

Coverage: 41/50; Run Defense: 22/25; Ball Skills: 24/25

William Likely is a player worth rooting for. Size concerns have weighed down his career, causing foolhardy coaches to doubt him at every turn. But at every turn, Likely has excelled, especially the past two years at Maryland. Whenever he declares for the NFL draft, he will inevitably fall two rounds lower than he should (a Maryland tradition of sorts). But whichever team drafts him will get a massive steal.

Pass Blocking: 38/45; Run Blocking: 40/45; Lateral Quickness: 9/10

Indiana had a sneaky-good season and has had a good offense for years. Jason Spriggs has played an integral role in all of that. He's the anchor of a strong offensive line and gives the Hoosiers a chance to score against any defense. Rebuilding once he and quarterback Nate Sudfeld leave will be difficult.

Pass Defense: 34/40; Run Defense: 36/40; Ball Skills: 17/20

Is there a more exciting freshman in college football? If so, this author didn't see him. James ramped his way into action, turning a quiet start into an explosive finish and forging his way onto 2016 Preseason All-America teams. Some of what he does is truly once-in-a-generation.

Arm Strength: 21/25; Accuracy: 24/25; Mobility: 16/20; Intangibles: 26/30

The USC quarterback position is one of the most high-profile gigs in the game, and Cody Kessler has handled it as well as any of the highly decorated players before him. Though he never seemed to get his full due—the coaching turmoil certainly didn't help—he should go down as one of the best in the program's storied quarterback history.

Pass Blocking: 38/45; Run Blocking: 42/45; Lateral Quickness: 7/10

Austin Blythe is an Iowa lineman. That's the best and only way to describe him. He flew under the radar last season, when former teammate Brandon Scherff, the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL draft, stole headlines, but he's been holding this line together for years. The only difference this year was team success.

Pass Blocking: 39/45; Run Blocking: 39/45; Lateral Quickness: 9/10

Tyler Johnstone played a big role in Oregon's strong finish. The offense took off once quarterback Vernon Adams found his rhythm, and a big part of his rhythm was forged by Johnstone and Tyrell Crosby on the line. If he adds strength without sacrificing quickness, Johnstone will play for a long time in the NFL. Even if he doesn't, he's been a heck of a college tackle.

Pass Blocking: 37/45; Run Blocking: 42/45; Lateral Quickness: 8/10

Taylor Decker should be better than he is. He peaked at the end of last season, when he appeared to master his tools and become a complete tackle, but has struggled once again in the passing game. Maybe that has something to do with the change of scheme in Columbus? No one knows. For now, he is mostly one-dimensional, but that one dimension—run blocking—is so good he remains a top-10 lineman.

Pass Rush: 44/50; Run Defense: 35/40; Motor: 8/10.

Although his grade dropped from a preseason 89 to a postseason 87, Derek Barnett is still one of the nation's best underclassmen. His early-season slump was disconcerting, but he came on strong in the back half and looked more like last year's breakout freshman. His all-around skill set and pass-rushing acumen make him a player offenses have to account for. He's one of many things Tennessee fans will feel good about this offseason.

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"Huge hitter. I mean…enormous hitter. He's also good in coverage, but from a run standpoint, you couldn't ask for a better player in that scheme."

—Barrett Sallee

Known before the season as a run defender, Marcus Maye improved and emerged as a viable coverage safety. It helps having Vernon Hargreaves III and Jalen Tabor at cornerback, but Maye provided a safety net behind them. He still needs to work on slot coverage, where the Gators are better served using a nickelback, but he proved he could hold his own after struggling in 2014.   

Maye is a thumper who loves to stick his nose in against the run. He's big but not huge on paper (6'0", 207 lbs), but at times he defends like a linebacker. He also came through against the best teams on Florida's schedule, posting 13 tackles against Tennessee, eight against LSU, seven against Florida State and nine against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. It's nice to have a gamer in the secondary.  

With a compact build and violent athleticism, Maye is an agent of chaos. Offensive players hear him breathing down their necks—and with good reason. He forced four fumbles this regular season, including three in his first four games. He also logged two interceptions and six pass breakups, including three against Florida State.

Maye is Florida's most versatile defender and a big reason for the Gators' success. His improvement in coverage allowed Hargreaves III and Tabor to take chances and create big plays. Combine that with his run defense and you're looking at an All-SEC talent. His name flies under the radar, but he makes play after play on tape.

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"No one makes 100 catches by accident. His ability to manipulate defenders in space is top-notch. Ask Michigan State or Ohio State what it is like trying to track this guy across the formation, tackle him in space or stop him from scooting down the field."

—Michael Felder

With 103 receptions during the regular season, Daniel Braverman was second in FBS and was on the end of more than 40 percent of the completions Western Michigan had this year. Because he's only 5'10”, he didn't do a lot of high-pointing, instead getting in position to cradle the ball and using his body to shield it from defenders.

Western Michigan would line Braverman up in each of its wide receiver slots, crossing the routes close to the line to create a mismatch and throw off defenders. This enabled him to get deep at times, such as on a 55-yard touchdown catch against Ohio State, but he was otherwise mostly the go-to guy over the middle and up the seams.

Braverman needed to get a step on his defenders via footwork and double moves since he didn't have the speed to outrun anyone.

When asked to block, Braverman employed an approach that would best be described as getting in the way.

Though his production tailed off at the end of the season as fellow junior Corey Davis became the focal point of the passing game, Braverman still had at least five catches in all but one regular-season game.

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“He is such an important piece of that puzzle from a run perspective, but he just gets after it. He opens holes the size of the Grand Canyon.”

—Barrett Sallee

Just as Arkansas' passing game has grown, so has Sebastian Tretola's pass blocking. That's impressive considering where he started: allowing zero sacks as a junior in 2013. This year, the Razorbacks asked even more of him, and the 6'5", 334-pounder has been up to the task. Quicker interior rushers can still dart past him, but he's learning how to keep them in check.

This is where Tretola will make a living. He's a run-blocking machine with the strength to dominate inside and surprising skills in space. Any team which adds him becomes immediately formidable on the ground. Pairing him with head coach Bret Bielema, who turned lesser guards into stars at Wisconsin, was perfect for all involved parties.

Tretola might surprise you with his quickness. He won't clock a sub-5.00 40-yard dash, but he's spry when he rumbles down the field. He can pull around the corner and plow the first man he sees on the edge. His quickness doesn't translate as much to the passing game, but even there, he is not a liability.

Tretola broke into the mainstream when he threw a trick-play touchdown last season. He's never matched that moment's virality, but Arkansas fans will remember his weekly dominance more than one amazing pass. After coming to the Razorbacks from community college, he quickly earned his role as a leader and helped them forge a high-powered offense. He'll go down as one of Bielema's finest creations. 

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"He obviously got a lot of chances this year, because people were afraid to throw at Vernon [Hargreaves III], and he took advantage. He's a big, physical guy who's next in line to take over for Vernon."

—Barrett Sallee

Jalen Tabor is not a "lockdown" corner, but he's close. He's good enough that teams should avoid him; they just can't because of whom he plays across from. When he loses in man-to-man coverage, it typically has more to do with breakdowns and mental lapses than physical flaws. If he smooths out the rough edges—which aren't even that rough to begin with—he can become an All-American next season.

Tabor, like the rest of Florida's defense, takes pride in defending the run. He's a big-bodied corner (6'0", 191 lbs) who plays with a noticeable mean streak. That doesn't always result in tackles, but it has helped Florida field an excellent run defense. He won't back down from anyone.

This is where Tabor excels. He finished the regular season with 14 pass breakups, four interceptions and two defensive touchdowns, taking full advantage of how often offenses threw at him. The beauty of Florida's defense is that it puts teams in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Tabor's ball skills are the "damned if you don't" throw at Hargreaves. 

Tabor is a really exciting prospect. He showed well as a true freshman in 2014, and then he made big strides as a sophomore. Next year, as a true junior, he will likely be the No. 1 cornerback. That will be a different challenge, but based on what he's shown so far in Gainesville, it's a challenge he is definitely up for.

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"I really like him. He can be a little lazy, but I think he's a great nose tackle. He moves really well and has a really good motor when engaged."

—Matt Miller

After posting one sack in each of his first two seasons, Austin Johnson emerged with 5.5 sacks this season. He finished second on the team behind FBS sack leader Carl Nassib, who may not have reached 15.5 sacks without the attention Johnson commanded. Johnson's rare combination of size (6'4", 323 lbs), quickness and footwork make him a dangerous interior matchup.  

Johnson stacks blocks in the running game and does a good job in passive support. He's a heavy load who likes to throw his weight around but also shoots the gap to make plays. He leads Penn State with 7.5 non-sack tackles for loss and is third with 70 tackles. Those numbers are almost unprecedented for someone at his position.

Johnson lacks the motor of the top names on this list. Matt Miller said he can "be a little lazy," and while that makes the issue sound worse than it actually is, he has a point. Johnson still earns an eight because those lazy spells are few and far between. The next step is getting rid of them. 

Anthony Zettel broke out last season, recording eight sacks and 17 tackles for loss, but much of his production could be traced back to Johnson absorbing blocks. Nassib overshadowed him again this season, but Johnson got his own and posted huge numbers for a defensive tackle. Crazy as it sounds after Nassib won the Lombardi Award, he was not Penn State's best defensive lineman. That would be the big man in the middle.

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"I think he is held down by the system, but the way they spread the ball out, to have a scatback like that, he's great. He's always kind of jumping off the screen."

—Adam Kramer

Texas Tech's offense is all about finesse and athleticism, but DeAndre Washington packs a decent punch for a 5'8" running back. Though he benefits from defenses' not expecting the run, as well as wide offensive line splits, he isn't taken down on first contact all the time.

Both as a ball-carrier and a receiver, Washington often has space to work with. Once he gets into a crowd, though, he isn't as effective.

The Red Raiders' run game has been deceptively productive under Washington, who swallows the ball into his body on handoffs and keeps it well protected. He's a great outlet as a receiver as well with 117 career catches.

Even with big gaps to work with, Washington still has to be fast enough to split defenders at the line. He does this almost every carry, resulting in an impressive 6.52 yards-per-carry average during his senior season.

Back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons hadn't happened for a Texas Tech back since the mid-1990s. The system has impacted this, but Washington wasn't just in there to keep defenses honest.

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“Tremendous run-blocker. He’s a little compact, but that’s OK with a guard. He’s like a boxer: He’s just gonna stand there and punch, and he’s usually gonna win.”

—Matt Miller

Pat Elflein is a good but not great pass-blocker. He gets the job done, but that’s not why he’s in there. His frame (6’3”, 300 lbs) allows him to hold off defensive and nose tackles, although he sometimes stands too straight and gets pushed back. His motor, however, will never be questioned.

Elflein was the star of last year’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game, springing many of Ezekiel Elliott’s long runs. He’s carried that over into 2015, when he’s played, once again, like one of the two best run-blockers in America. His strength and understanding of leverage allow him to bounce linemen off their spots and pave massive chasms for Elliott.

Elflein is better in the short area than in space, but he’s comfortable wherever you put him. His attitude and motor make him dangerous at the second level, where his appetite for contact outweighs any athletic drawbacks. He outplayed Penn State defensive tackle Anthony Zettel, a converted defensive end and one of the quickest interior rushers in the country, when the Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions this season.

Elflein is an OSU favorite—and with good reason. He’s the type of player fans love to rally around. His toughness at the line is as important to the Buckeyes running game as Elliott’s speed and vision, and he always brings his best in big games.

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"Early in the year, I could not believe the hype. But since he's come back from that broken finger, he looks really good. His decision-making since the injury has improved by a few clicks. I wish we could see him one more year."

—Matt Miller

A broken finger on his throwing hand proved such an issue for Vernon Adams early in the 2015 season he had to be shut down for several weeks. He couldn't get anything on the ball until it healed, but once he was no longer hampered, he regularly zipped throws like the one against Oregon State in which his leg was being pulled on by a defender.

While the arm strength came back right away, Adams needed a little longer to show the efficiency he'd exhibited at FCS Eastern Washington. Over his final three regular-season games, though, Adams was 58-of-75 (77.3 percent).

Because Oregon's backfield had no shortage of capable ball-carriers, Adams didn't run very much for yardage. Instead, he used his shiftiness and lateral quickness to extend plays, giving receivers more time to get open.

Adams didn't arrive at Oregon until August, forced to learn a very complicated offense on the fly. His experience and instincts kept him afloat before he caught on down the stretch, though overall he proved to be a team leader despite the limited time with the Ducks.

Adams arrived at the FBS level with a lot of hype, and after early struggles, he ended up as the top-rated passer in the country entering the bowl season. His success has paved the way for other lower-division quarterbacks to attempt a jump to the big leagues.

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"He's a dynamic wide receiver who had tremendous deep-threat ability, he's a weapon in space and he's physical enough to be a tremendous possession receiver. He's a big reason for Deshaun Watson's success in 2015."

—Barrett Sallee

After having some notable drops during his freshman season, Artavis Scott showed great improvement in this area during a critical year in which he had to become Clemson's go-to wide receiver. Though his technique isn't textbook, often because he waits too long to bring his hands together on a catch, his ability to cradle the ball against his body made up for it.

Scott's 84 receptions were more than any two other Tigers players combined, and they came in every manner imaginable. In some games, he was the deep man; in others, he stayed close to the line and looked to create on screens and jet sweeps.

Because he operated more in the middle and on the edges than downfield this season, Scott's speed manifested most in his ability to change direction or make a cut without losing momentum. If needed, though, he could still outrace most defenders.

When Clemson ran to the outside, either with Wayne Gallman or quarterback Deshaun Watson, it tended not to head toward Scott's side of the field.

Scott took on a much bigger role this year after Mike Williams suffered a season-ending neck injury during the first game. Scott's ability to handle assignments all over the field enabled Watson to grow as a passer.

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"I don't think he'll be a great NFL guy because of his lower body; he doesn't bend very well. But he's a heck of a college player. He reminds of Margus Hunt at SMU." 

—Matt Miller

Carl Nassib led the FBS with 15.5 sacks this regular season. No other player had more than 13. On top of that, Nassib missed most of the last two games with an injury, playing only four total snaps against Michigan and Michigan State. So he outpaced the field by even more than the numbers suggest. 

Although he doesn't struggle in run defense, Nassib still has room for improvement. It is clearly the weaker of his two defensive phases. He often plays straight up and generates little power from his lower body. He has the size and frame (6'7", 272 lbs) to be better against the run than he is.

Cliche as it sounds, Nassib plays with a walk-on attitude. He's transformed his body in the weight room and brings that same energy and commitment to the field. Despite his aforementioned lack of flexibility, he finds ways to bend the edge into the pocket. His motor could power a cruise liner.  

Nassib won the Ted Hendricks Award as the best defensive end in college football. This list is a little less bullish on him, but it's hard not to be impressed with his performance. Prior to this season, he had never been a starter—not even in high school. Now he's an All-America candidate. 

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"This is a guy who was recruited as a safety but played as a receiver, and now he's the featured running back. He's like a spark plug to me. It's staggering how natural it all looks to him."

—Adam Kramer

C.J. Prosise spent his first two seasons at Notre Dame as a slot receiver, but his 6'1", 220-pound frame made him a perfect candidate to cross-train at running back. This paid off when the Fighting Irish got thin in the backfield, though Prosise excelled more because of his athleticism than through the strength you'd normally expect from a runner his size.

This is still a work-in-progress area for Prosise, though his experience playing in space paid off by being able to anticipate what's coming up ahead. On the outside he rarely took the wrong angle, though on interior runs he showed his inexperience.

One of the great benefits of converting a receiver into a ball-carrier is he comes with a built-in set of soft hands. Prosise fumbled five times this season, which tied for the second-most of any running back in FBS (per TeamRankings.com), but that came on 183 touches, including 26 receptions.

Slot receivers aren't normally the type that blow past defenders, but Prosise has a gear that's unlike most players of his ilk. He showed off this skill quite a bit out of the backfield, resulting in 37 carries that went for at least 10 yards, thanks to his ability to get to full speed before getting past the line of scrimmage.

Not having Prosise at full strength over the regular season's final month had a major impact on Notre Dame's offense. He proved a weapon that few other teams have, blending the skills of both a running back and a receiver into one package.

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"I still think there's a lot out there for him. He's still one of the best deep threats in the country. He'll become the complete wide receiver they need him to be [in 2016]."

—Adam Kramer

KD Cannon maintained his status as one of the most dangerous stretch-the-field players in college football, much as he was as a freshman last season. However, he did get a little more involved in the short and intermediate passing game where he could better show off a solid catch radius.

Many of Cannon's biggest plays came when he turned on the jets and got behind a defender, though he was capable of some fancy footwork to help create separation as well. A 59-yard touchdown catch against Oklahoma State came because of his ability to sell a short route and then burst ahead without missing a step.

If Cannon wasn't the fastest receiver on Baylor, he was a close second to Corey Coleman. Part of the Bears' ability to score quickly was because Cannon could get down the field in such little time to catch a long pass.

He possesses rudimentary blocking skills on run plays, but like many of Baylor's wideouts, he's best in this area when shielding off defenders during bubble screens.

Cannon's numbers dipped from his freshman campaign, but that was more because of Coleman's monster year. The team's No. 1 receiver spot is his to take in 2016.

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“I think he's just a gamer, a guy that's probably never going to look great in practice, but when the lights come on, here's there. He's gotten a lot better this year.”

—Matt Miller

Coaches aren't going to teach their players to throw like Kevin Hogan, whose delivery could best be described as a mix between a shot put and a sidearm sling. He can't go very deep, often underthrowing long routes, but Stanford didn't take that approach enough to make it an issue.

The Cardinal became an offensive juggernaut over the course of this season, and a big part of that rise was Hogan's ability to have some amazingly efficient games. He completed at least 70 percent passes in six of his 12 starts during the regular season, five of which involved at least 21 attempts.

The most underrated part of Hogan's game is his running ability. He's far from a dual-threat passer, but he's quite mobile for a 6'4” guy. When Stanford's run game slowed down, he'd get things going with a perfectly timed carry—most notably during the Cardinal's come-from-behind win at Washington State on Halloween, when he ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

Hogan's numbers will never jump off the page, but when the game is over, you'll know he was key to the win. He made major improvement this year in the red zone—an area of major concern in his past—and during the regular season, he threw 14 touchdown passes on 35 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard lines.

The successor to Andrew Luck, Hogan has faced that comparison throughout his career. Ultimately, though, he'll finish his time at Stanford as the school's winningest quarterback.

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"Moving Peppers from a corner to a safety/star/big nickel spot was one of the best things this staff did upon arrival in Ann Arbor."

—Michael Felder

Jabrill Peppers holds his own in coverage, although he's nowhere near reaching his potential. An athlete of his caliber with smooth hips and quick feet should be better. But that's nitpicking because, for a normal redshirt freshman safety, he was excellent in the slot this season. He'll never be moved back to cornerback, where he struggled before missing most of last year with an injury, but he covers pretty well for a safety.

Peppers is a weapon in run support. The numbers may not show it, but his speed makes an impact on film. He's also a willing tackler who can wrap up or bring the lumber. As he gains more weight (6'1", 205 lbs) and learns to disengage blockers in space, he should improve from very good to great. 

This is where Peppers excels. Beyond his 10 pass breakups and return skills, Michigan used him on offense and actually, toward the end of the season, relied on him for more than just gadget plays. He had nine offensive touches against Ohio State, and although he never broke one, he racked up 54 hard-earned yards. There's a reason he's been compared to Charles Woodson.  

After taking a medical redshirt in 2014, Peppers returned with a vengeance and won Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Jim Harbaugh's staff made the wise decision to move him from cornerback, where he struggled to find his footing, to a playmaking hybrid safety role that complements his skills and instincts. He needs to be more consistent and welcome a leadership role next season, but you can see why he came to Michigan with so much hype.

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"People don't talk about him, but he's the best player on that defense—and it's actually a really good defense! [Vanderbilt head coach] Derek Mason likes athletic linebackers who can move, so he and Cunningham are a perfect marriage."

—Barrett Sallee

Zach Cunningham led Vanderbilt with 103 tackles, including 12 non-sack tackles for loss. He started the year with nine tackles in three games, but from there, he flipped a switch and averaged more than 10 tackles per game. Built long and skinny like an outside linebacker (6'4", 230 lbs), Cunningham excels on the inside of Vanderbilt's aggressive 3-4 scheme. His burst through the gap and speed to the edge make him perfect for that role.

When he's on, Cunningham looks like an expert pass-rusher. The aforementioned length helps him disengage blockers, as he did in logging four sacks against SEC opponents—Ole Miss, South Carolina, Florida and Texas A&M—and one half-sack against Houston in 2015. However, he failed to record any sacks or QB hurries outside of those stats just listed. If he shows up each week and learns to dominate inferior opponents, he could post giant numbers next season.

Used more in the pass rush than most inside linebackers, Cunningham still features often in coverage. He is still finding his feet and learning how to read quarterbacks' eyes and tight ends' routes, but the size, length and speed allow him to recover and alleviate mistakes. Here more than other phases, he is still a work in progress. But based on his performance, that's a compliment.

Despite a banal offense, Vanderbilt's defense showed great promise in 2015. The Commodores finished 2-6 in conference, but Cunningham earned—and rightfully so—a spot on the All-SEC first team. His improvement mirrored that of his entire unit, and his future looks bright under head coach/defensive guru Derek Mason. You may have missed his impact this fall, but there's a good chance you hear his name this summer when the Preseason All-American hype begins.

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“I think he's incredibly underrated. He's done really great things with that team. I am enamored with him. To me, he's required weekly viewing.”

—Adam Kramer

A broken hip knocked Matt Johnson out for nearly the entire 2014 season and also forced him to have to relearn how to walk and step into throws. That affected his ability to put his entire body into the throw, so he instead now relies more on the release, which is among the best in the country.

With as much as Bowling Green throws, the fact that Johnson is so precise with his targeting has made the team's offensive attack more deadly. The system, which is an offshoot of what Baylor runs under head coach Art Briles, is as much about anticipating where a receiver will be as it is getting the ball to that spot.

Johnson gets the ball out so quickly that scrambling hasn't often been necessary. But when faced with pressure, he's agile enough to sidestep and then effectively get back into position to throw.

Quick thinking is key in an uptempo system, and Johnson's injury might have made him even better at this. Because he couldn't play past the 2014 opener, the senior spent his time on the sidelines, analyzing the defense and coming up with how he'd attack it. The fruits of that effort were evident this year.

Bowling Green had one of the best passing attacks in the country this year, and while it's a system that figures to put up good numbers no matter what, Johnson exceeded all benchmarks. He might have challenged the FBS single-season passing record had the Falcons not thoroughly blown out so many opponents, thus causing them to ease off the gas in the fourth quarter.

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"He's showing more of who he is this year; what he's been asked to do has grown. He's a complete back. He's not just a slasher, although that's his forte. That bodes well for his future because there were some concerns for his durability."

—Barrett Sallee

Alex Collins was considered the lightning to Jonathan Williams' thunder last year in Arkansas' backfield, but Williams' preseason foot injury put the bulk of the work on Collins in 2015. He responded better than expected, showing the ability to run inside when that wasn't asked of him during his first two seasons.

No longer able to rely on being the change-of-pace back, Collins became more dependent on his line to help create holes for him to run through. He struggled with this at times but eventually developed a knack for predicting how defenders would approach him.

For as much as Arkansas' passing game improved this year, this didn't translate to increased involvement for the running back. Collins has only 27 career receptions in three seasons, but that might also be due to fumble issues that became more prevalent this year with increased carries.

Collins didn't look as fast when he wasn't being compared to another Arkansas rusher, so he's been downgraded a bit in this area. His best attribute in this area is in being able to change direction without much of an effort.

Given the chance to be the featured back, Collins enhanced his reputation as a more complete player. He has far less wear on his body for a junior, which could either make for a big senior year or an enticing draft choice depending on which direction he takes.

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"The kid is a tackling machine. He sees the play happen and gets on his horse from the inside out to go get the ball-carrier down."

—Michael Felder

Anthony Walker anchored the middle of Northwestern's run defense, raising his game and leading the Wildcats to an unexpected 10-win season. He led the team with 113 tackles and made a living in the offensive backfield, posting an absurd 16.5 non-sack tackles for loss. His instincts are off the charts for a redshirt sophomore, and he also has the speed to finish plays. That's a hard combination to teach.

Walker chipped in with four sacks this season, and all four came against Power Five opponents. Those are respectable numbers, but Walker still has room to grow. His instincts diagnosing protections lag behind his instincts in run support. If and when those click and he can calculate the best route to the quarterback, his explosiveness could make him a terror.

Here's another spot where Walker's speed can make him special. He has size (6'1", 235 lbs) to cover tight ends and wheels to track them deep or across the middle. He can also shoot to the flat and wreck a screen pass or a checkdown. He intercepted one pass this season, and as a freshman, he picked off Penn State's Christian Hackenberg and (at the time) Notre Dame's Everett Golson.

Of all Pat Fitzgerald's creations, Walker might be the best. The former two-time Bednarik Award winner, College Football Hall of Famer and Northwestern head coach has mentored his newest protege into a wrecking ball. Like Fitzgerald, Walker plays with his heart on his sleeve and personifies an overachieving unit. No matter where you look, he's making plays.

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"An amazing deep threat, but I think he's getting killed in that offense."

—Adam Kramer

Michael Thomas had about as good a year as could be expected with the way Ohio State kept tinkering with the offense. His ability to adapt to the throwing style (and velocity) of two different quarterbacks was key to many of his best catches, particularly when tiptoeing along the sideline.

The Buckeyes' play-calling this year bordered on mind-boggling, and that included not sending Thomas deep very often. His routes tended to be simplistic, with one cut and then settling into a spot, though when he was given an out or fly route, he almost always beat his defender.

Thomas has good speed, but it's not great. However, he doesn't need to be very fast because he has such great control of his 6'3”, 210-pound frame. He can extend plays through physicality rather than outrunning people.

Ohio State's tendency to get fancy with reverses and other trick plays required Thomas to be aware of where the ball was headed when it wasn't coming his way. He could handle blocks at the line and up the field, depending on what was called for.

Thomas was Ohio State's leading receiver (in terms of catches) for the second year in a row, though the overall struggles with the passing game kept him from having the monster season many predicted coming into 2015.

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

"He has more range than most strong safeties, but his big worth is his willingness to be a secondary run defender and good tackler."

—Michael Felder

Quin Blanding is an average pass defender with room to become great. He has a long frame (6'2", 205 lbs) and superior athleticism to cover ground and make plays. He also has fluid hips, although he's not great at mirroring in man. One area he could really stand to improve is his pass rush, as he has one sack and zero QB hurries in 24 career games.

Whatever Blanding lacks in coverage, he makes up for—and then some—in run defense. He's a tackling machine who, despite never making a conference championship or bowl game, has posted 238 tackles in two seasons (9.9 per game). His range, physicality and tackling make him a force coming downhill or buzzing inside-out.

Blanding made fewer plays as a sophomore, when he logged one interception and three pass breakups, than as a freshman, when he logged three interceptions and six pass breakups. That drop-off can be attributed to teams throwing away from him, but it's true he also needs to work on ball skills. His size makes him capable in jump-ball scenarios, but he doesn't jump many routes or stick his hand on enough passes.

If he played for a better team, Blanding would be a household name. Recruiting junkies know him well—he was the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2014 class, per 247Sports' composite ratings—but his impact has been anonymous outside ACC circles. That, however, does not mean he hasn't been excellent. Despite his team's lack of success, he's on track to become a high draft pick in 2017.

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"For what they wanted to do, he runs it perfectly. To put up the kind of numbers that he has, it's remarkable. I'm not sure I've seen someone orchestrate it better."

—Adam Kramer

Keenan Reynolds was a master of Navy's triple-option run attack, but that dominance did not carry over to the passing game. At 5'11" and 205 pounds, he doesn't have the strength to get behind deep throws, and the touch was missing on many passes.

Reynolds attempted just 98 passes during the regular season, completing only 53.1 percent. He was actually more precise in the second half, when most of Navy's passing was the result of playing from behind, but not to a level where he could be counted on.

With three 1,000-yard seasons and an FBS-record 88 career rushing touchdowns, there's no denying that Reynolds was perfect for the option. Making the right read was essential, but Reynolds possessed some of the best open-field moves of any quarterback in recent memory.

An option quarterback has to know when to go with the dive, pitch to the out man or keep it himself. Reynolds called his own number most of the time, and that resulted in a rushing offense that averaged more than 300 yards per game each of the past three seasons.

What Reynolds does, he does it better than anyone else. His skills wouldn't translate successfully to most other teams, but there's no question he's why Navy has been so successful of late.

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"The NFL isn't that big on Baylor running backs, but he's the best of that bunch they've had. He's very versatile. He's a three-down back. The biggest question will be durability. Being short can be helpful, but I worry about his frame."

—Matt Miller

At 5'9" and 200 pounds, Shock Linwood is one of the strongest little rushers in the game, but it's not something he relies heavily on. Baylor's offensive scheme is meant to create space for the running backs, which lessens Linwood's need to bang around and push through piles.

With opponents so concerned about the Bears' passing attack, the holes were always there for Linwood to get his first few yards without much effort. After that, though, it was on him to anticipate the moves of the second level, resulting in a spectacular 6.78 yards-per-carry average.

Baylor receivers are rarely thrown the ball because there are plenty of better options, so Linwood hasn't had the chance to show his skills as a pass-catcher. He rarely fumbled on handoffs, though.

Linwood had the luxury of being able to build up speed, thanks to the space he had to run with at the line, but his quickness was most evident in the ability to make a quick shift to one side or the other that would put a defender off balance. His career-long 79-yard touchdown run against Texas Tech was a perfect example.

He started to wear down late in the year, and the injuries began to pile up, but when at full strength, Linwood was on pace to set the single-season school rushing record. A big bowl game could make him the all-time Baylor rushing leader.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

"Apple plays on such a talent-laden defense that he does not get discussed nearly enough as a quality corner. His length is outstanding, he has good speed down the field and he breaks quickly, allowing him to use his length to break up passes and make it difficult for receivers."

—Michael Felder

Eli Apple is a nice fit in Chris Ash's pass defense. He excels in zone and aggressive press-man coverage, which Ohio State dials up with frequency. His size (6'1", 200 lbs) and fluid hips give him a rare combination of traits and allow him to cover all types of receivers. He and Gareon Conley, who barely missed this list, form one of the best cover tandems in the country.

Apple grew up at the end of 2014, recording 13 solo tackles against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon in the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff. He parlayed that strong finish into another strong year against the run, although it didn't always show up on the stat sheet. Regardless, his size and physicality are evident on tape and appreciated by his linebackers and safeties. 

Ball skills are a big part of what makes Apple special. The height-weight-speed thing is more common than most people think, but what separates pure athletic freaks from top-notch cornerbacks is the latter's ability to finish plays. Apple finishes plays with the best of them, demonstrating great body control, hands and coordination. He is more than just a violent athlete.

Apple flies under the radar on a defense with countless superstars. Offenses can (and often do) avoid him, which gives him fewer opportunities than Joey Bosa, Vonn Bell, Raekwon McMillan, etc. to post stats and record highlights. But any of those players, along with any Ohio State fans, would tell you how crucial Apple is to this defense. He's an upgrade on former teammates Bradley Roby and Doran Grant. 

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"Hunter is a better blocker than people give him credit for. He's a mismatch up the seam for [quarterback] Brandon Allen. It's impossible to take into account everything they do with him because he does everything well."

—Barrett Sallee

Few teams use the tight end more in the receiving game than Arkansas, and a big reason for that is how adept Hunter Henry is at hauling in passes. He's great at pulling the ball quickly into his 6'5", 253-pound body and securing it well enough to keep moving down the field.

Henry will spend as much time split out wide as he does on the edge of the line, but regardless of where he starts, he gets into position to make a catch. He's not the normal outlet you'd expect from a tight end, and he doesn't stick to just seam routes.

Because of his size, opponents tend to put a linebacker on him to try to body up to Henry. That's a mistake. Since he doesn't run like a 250-pounder, he gets up the field much quicker.

The pass became a much bigger part of Arkansas' repertoire this season, but running the ball was still the bread-and-butter play. Despite being more of a receiving threat, Henry rarely left the field because he can handle edge-blocking assignments as well as any tight end in the country.

Henry has become more involved in Arkansas' game plan with each passing season in Fayetteville. He was the team's second-leading receiver for a third year in a row, and his reliability near the line of scrimmage and at the second level helped open up the deep routes for wide receivers.

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"You'd be hard-pressed to find five guys who mean more to their team than him. We saw what happened when he didn't play. A guy who can punish you."

—Adam Kramer

Though he was recruited to Houston as a quarterback, Greg Ward Jr.'s arm isn't on the level of most top passers, and that led to his brief move to wide receiver. First-year coach Tom Herman put together a game plan that minimized the need for arm strength.

A 68.1 percent completion rate in 2015 was due as much to Ward's running ability as his own precision. Many of his passes were to wide-open targets who were given plenty of space by defenders keeping one eye on the backfield.

Ward's 1,041 rushing yards during the regular season trailed only Navy's Keenan Reynolds among quarterbacks. He scored 19 times on the ground and averaged nearly six yards per carry, but he still was sacked 25 times.

Houston was a different team when Ward was injured and missed most of two games in November. The Cougars rallied in his absence in the first game, but they were a completely different team in their lone loss to Connecticut.

Herman managed to turn Ward into a less polished version of J.T. Barrett, focusing more on the running than the passing. With better technique throwing the ball, he can be the complete package in 2016.

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"His first step is really, really good. I think that's why he's able to win some of those matchups he wins. He doesn't have great length, but he's the first guy off the ball every play."

—Matt Miller

Wisconsin was one of four FBS teams, along with Alabama, Boston College and Akron, to allow fewer than 100 rushing yards per game in the regular season. A good part of that credit goes to Joe Schobert, who finished second on the team with 76 tackles, including nine non-sack tackles for loss. Even when he didn't make the tackle, his presence in the backfield threw running plays off their intended courses. Disruption is the name of the game.

Schobert led Wisconsin with 9.5 sacks and 14 QB hurries this regular season. His first step might be the quickest in college football, as he always seems to beat offensive tackles off the snap, forcing them to play on their heels. He also has the length (6'2", 236 lbs) and strength to rip and disengage. He might not look like a dominant pass-rusher, but he is one.  

Schobert holds his own in coverage, although he's not often asked to participate. He's more valuable rushing the quarterback, especially on passing downs. Regardless, Wisconsin trusts him to drop in zone and cover uncomplicated routes from Big Ten skill players. He made his first career interception against Minnesota in the regular-season finale.  

Most weeks, Schobert is good. Other weeks, he's great. His performance in a 10-6 loss to Iowa—eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and five QB hurries—remains one of the best a defender submitted all season. He and Vince Biegel give Wisconsin a pair of playmaking outside linebackers. That's perfect for coordinator Dave Aranda's attacking defense.

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"His rapport with Corey Coleman was unbelievable. He certainly exceeded my expectations. Saying that's the sole reason, that [Baylor quarterbacks] are just products of the coach and system, is a knock."

—Adam Kramer

Seth Russell showed off a surprisingly strong arm in his seven games before sustaining a season-ending neck injury. He was best with the deep ball, but on shorter routes he wasn't able to let up on the power, and that resulted in some overthrows.

It's scary to think how much more explosive Baylor's offense would have been had Russell been able to throw more precisely. He completed just 59.5 percent of his passes, with six interceptions in 200 attempts, though the Bears' quick-strike ability made it possible for him to take risks.

While freshman Jarrett Stidham was known more for his running ability, it was Russell who managed to achieve plenty with his legs in 2015. He's not super quick, but on those rare occasions when Baylor couldn't get a receiver open, he was able to pick up big chunks on the ground.

Two seasons of mopping up (and occasionally filling in) for Bryce Petty paid off for Russell, who was on pace to destroy Petty's 2013 and 2014 numbers had he not gotten hurt. Nearly one-quarter of his 119 completions this year went for touchdowns.

Russell's neck injury began the Bears' injury-fueled downfall. We can only hope he's able to return at full strength, though Stidham's play in his place might make winning his job back difficult.

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"I like him. I don't know where the heck he'll play in the NFL, but I love that you can line him up anywhere. He'll play defensive end, he'll play defensive tackle—he doesn't care. He just wants to play."

—Matt Miller

Sheldon Rankins doesn't look like a pass-rusher. He sports a hefty, defensive tackle-type frame (6'2", 303 lbs) and seems as if he wouldn't have any burst. But flick on the tape, and you'll see why Louisville plays him at end and why ACC teams have so much trouble with him. He transfers speed to power and gets after the quarterback often. 

As a pass-rusher, Rankins is better than he looks. As a run defender, he's exactly as good as he looks—but that's a good thing. He's a tank on the edge for offensive tackles used to blocking pure speed rushers. And because he's so stocky and powerful, he can win with leverage and move blockers wherever he wants. 

Like the rest of the Louisville defense, Rankins plays with a chip on his shoulder. He knows his offense struggles and that it needs the defense to dominate to win. That didn't always happen this season, when the Cardinals regressed to 7-5, but the defense, for the most part, held its own. Rankins and his peers still carried the load.

Everyone I know who has closely watched Rankins thinks highly of him. He's an easy player to root for: an oversized end with deceptive athleticism and a mean streak. Even in a down year for Louisville, he posted strong tape and finished with six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He'll leave behind a void when he graduates this offseason.

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"He has probably the best balance in the country. He manages to keep his feet. For such a big back, it's shocking to see."

—Adam Kramer

You aren't going to find many running backs who dish out as much at the point of contact as Samaje Perine. On several occasions this season he put a defender on his back and kept going, and when met with multiple tacklers, his thick, powerful legs enabled him to keep moving.

He set the single-game FBS rushing record in November 2014, rushing for 427 yards against Kansas and rarely getting touched. Oklahoma's move back to the Air Raid drastically lessened his use this year, but at times that made him more productive because he had more space to work with.

Lincoln Riley's offense involved the running backs a fair amount, but not Perine. He had only 13 catches when on the field in passing situations, as Joe Mixon was trusted more as a receiver.

Perine's speed is derived from his ability to run downhill and put power behind his strides. He can be chased down from behind but often will still outrun defenders because they don't expect him to move that quickly.

Perine was the unfortunate victim of a major change in offensive scheme—one that paid off big for the Sooners as a team but not when it came to the sophomore's production. He might have been the country's most untapped offensive resource through much of 2015.

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"Heavy hitter, smart, knows how teams are trying to attack. He's not the biggest guy in the world, but he plays bigger than he looks."

—Barrett Sallee

Jamal Adams is the next great LSU safety, and his coverage is a big reason why. He can dip into the slot but does his best work on the back end, patrolling deep zones and covering over the top. Despite a weaker pass rush than usual, the Tigers ranked No. 12 in the country in pass defense, per Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings. All he needs to add is some pass rushing.  

Like most LSU safeties, Adams does great work in the box. He's still growing into his frame (6'1", 211 lbs) but can already get downhill and lay the wood on opposing running backs. It's scary to think how good he might be if he adds another 5-10 pounds. His two-game stretch against Western Kentucky and Alabama, when he posted 21 tackles (20 solo!), was among the best a safety played all season.

Ball skills take Adams from very good to great. He notched four interceptions in the regular season, including two against quarterbacks with top-10 national efficiency ratings (Brandon Allen and Brandon Doughty). He flies around the field and showed soft hands to finish plays. He's not and never will be Tyrann Mathieu, but he might be the next best thing.

As a true freshman, Adams showed promise, especially late in the year. The hype slowly built this offseason, which often leads to disappointment, but Adams came through and lived up to it. He's not elite in any one area, but he's strong across the board. There's nothing LSU won't ask him to do.

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

"People were slow to warm up to him, because he sort of got lost in the wash behind [former teammate] A.J. Johnson. But he's been Tennessee's best linebacker for two seasons."

—Barrett Sallee

Tennessee finished the regular season with the nation's 25th-best run defense, per Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings. The key to that success was Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who organized a young group of teammates and always found his way to the ball. His 99 tackles led the Vols by more than 30, and eight went for non-sack tackles for loss. Behind the line, at the line or past the line, JRM used his range to finish plays.

After posting two sacks as a sophomore, Reeves-Maybin racked up five in 2015. Three of those sacks came in SEC play (including one against Alabama), and the others came against Bowling Green and Oklahoma—two of college football's best offenses. When Curt Maggitt went down with a hip injury, someone new needed to slide into his place and rush the passer across from Derek Barnett. Reeves-Maybin will never be Maggitt, but he did an admirable job replacing him.   

Reeves-Maybin is built like a safety (6'0", 225 lbs) and covers like one, too. You can stick him in the slot and feel confident he'll do his job. He also has decent ball skills, having broken up four passes this regular season. He knows when to sink in zone but doesn't let that affect his aggressiveness. 

Sometimes he's flashy, and sometimes he's not, but Reeves-Maybin is always spectacular. His size and wiry frame will rub certain NFL scouts the wrong way, but Tennessee fans are OK with that. If there's a chance it keeps him in school one more season—when the Vols expect to finally turn the corner from good to great—his underrated career has been a blessing.

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“He’s been inconsistent at times this year, but most of that has been due to health. He hasn’t reached his peak yet. As a junior [next season], he has a chance to be the best tackle in the country.”

—Barrett Sallee

Cam Robinson has struggled in pass protection. He improved in the second half of the season, helping quarterback Jake Coker grow more comfortable, but that early-season tape still exists. The size (6'6", 326 lbs), length and quickness are there, and you can see it come together in spots, but he needs to become a technician and make fewer mental mistakes.

No sight in college football frightens defenses more than Derrick Henry on the edge with Robinson lead blocking. If Henry wins the Heisman Trophy, he should saw off an appendage for Robinson's trophy case. It's crazy to think a sophomore can be this physically dominant, but Robinson is. He's a monster blocking down in the short area.

Robinson moves well for a player his size. He does his best work near the line of scrimmage but can rumble to the next level and connect with safeties and linebackers. His struggles against the pass have had more to do with mental lapses and technique than a lack of quickness, too.

Robinson was the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2014 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He started from Day 1 as a freshman and has lived up to expectations, although it still feels like he hasn't reached his ceiling. He never made that leap from his first year to his second, which is fine because of how good he was as a freshman. But more will be expected next season.

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"To be that big and have the ability to move and track the ball—it's scary. He's 6'5" and a legit 4.4 kid. You just don't see that."

—Matt Miller

After two years of flashing upside but inconsistency, Jayron Kearse emerged as a star in Clemson's secondary. His size (6'5", 220 lbs), speed and length allow him to patrol the back third like a Gold Glove center fielder, covering more ground than any safety in the country. As a team, Clemson ranks No. 3 in pass defense, per Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings, and Kearse has played a big role in that.  

With the frame of an outside linebacker, Kearse comes down and adds a big body to run support. He posted 52 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss this regular season, and he's also unselfish in passive run defense, handling blockers and freeing up lanes for his teammates. It's nice when a player with Kearse's raw tools is willing to do the dirty work, too. He's a consummate team player.  

Kearse's length allows him to cover any type of pass-catcher. No matter who he's guarding, he can adjust and win at the catch point. Teams know better than to target him, but he still ended up with six pass breakups and one interception this regular season. His ball skills are not elite, but they are close.

Kearse was a pleasant surprise this season, when he finally patched his raw tools into a cohesive, week-to-week star. He and cornerback Mackenzie Alexander were the rocks of one of the nation's best secondaries. After barely missing our preseason Top 250, he consistently made us look dumb for omitting him. Those flashes he showed as a sophomore became the norm in 2015.

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"Kid is just about one of the smartest centers we've seen on the interior of a line. He makes his calls, he gets his guys set and then once the ball is snapped, he blends his technical skill with his power and athleticism to just root defenders out of their spots."

—Michael Felder

Jack Allen is the captain of Michigan State’s offensive line. He’s not the most talented player—more on that to come—but his pre-snap reads and leadership define MSU’s protection and keep quarterback Connor Cook clean. He plays bigger than his size (6’2”, 296 lbs) against power-rushers and is mobile enough to fend off twists and stunts. All in all, he’s crucial to MSU’s passing game.

It’s hard to quantify, but even harder to overstate, the impact Allen has on Michigan State’s running game. He is tough and plays with leverage in the A-gap, which allows him to open holes against stronger defensive tackles, even if he doesn’t overwhelm them. You won’t see him bury defenders like pancakes, but you also won’t see him get pushed back off the line. You will see him pull and spring running backs.

Allen plays well in space, although you probably don’t need us to tell you that. He proved it in the spring game and the regular-season finale against Penn State, when he lined up in the backfield, sprinted through a hole and scored a rushing touchdown. That speed translates to his regular position, as he seeks and destroys defenders at the second level. It also allows him to mirror and stay in front of speed-rushing tackles.

It’s hard to scout Allen without reciting tired cliches. You see him and want to call him “tough” and “scrappy” and “blue-collar” and “a leader.” Try as you might to avoid those buzzwords, they’ll keep coming up in Allen’s profile—but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. He really is a tough, scrappy, blue-collar leader. What team doesn’t need one of those at center?

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"He's a really good college quarterback at this point. I haven't really seen the accuracy, though. He took a pretty big step back this year. I was really disappointed by his play."

—Matt Miller

J.T. Barrett has a good arm, but it looked average at times compared to those of teammates Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller (before injuring his shoulder). This is a sensitive area for the sophomore, causing him to go on a rant about his arm strength in October, per Austin Ward of ESPN.com.

The early victim of Ohio State's odd quarterback situation, Barrett only attempted 10 or more passes in six of the Buckeyes' 12 regular-season games. He finished with at least a 60 percent completion rate in three of those, but those came in his first starts and when the Buckeyes made a concerted attempt to tap into his skills as an accurate passer.

You wouldn't be able to tell that Barrett suffered a broken ankle last November since he was again able to scramble for yards whenever he needed to. Once OSU gave him more touches in mid-October, he responded with 11 rushing touchdowns in 86 attempts.

Once OSU made him the featured passer, its offense clicked much better than under Jones. That was due to Barrett's command of the offense and impressive maturity for a young player, and had he had the gig all along, the 2015 season might have gone differently.

Barrett's sophomore season saw him mostly maintain the levels he established the year before instead of make improvement. Not all of that was because of how he was used, though it did play a major role in his development.

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"He has good hands; he has agility in space. Really good vision, probably the thing that stands out about him the most. He's got that Frank Gore thing; he always falls forward, doesn't lose yards."

—Matt Miller

Paul Perkins put on extra bulk during the offseason, which translated into a stronger push through tacklers at the line. His rushing numbers were down this year, but that was more because of a change in the offensive scheme than his ability. When it came time for a bruiser near the goal line, Perkins was the best option.

After having to deal with a porous offensive line in 2014, Perkins learned to find his own openings rather than rely on the blockers. His vision on stretch plays was impressive, particularly when he'd alter his footwork just enough to throw off defenders' timing.

Perkins' use as a receiver seemed to depend on the game this season, though when asked to haul in a pass out in the flat, he's usually able to get yards.

Not previously known as much of a long-distance runner, Perkins showed off improved speed in 2015 that enabled him to outrun defenders. It only took him a few steps on an 82-yard touchdown run against Colorado to get to where he was racing past cornerbacks and safeties.

Having Perkins there to carry the load when needed heavily added freshman quarterback Josh Rosen's development. He was banged up at times in 2015 but still put together another solid season.

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"I have no idea where he'll play in the NFL, but I love that he's kind of a utility weapon. I've seen him dominate [my favorite team] Texas for four years."

—Matt Miller

Eric Striker posted 61 regular-season tackles, but 8.5 were non-sack tackles for loss. He's a big-play run defender whose best work is done near the line, where his speed, timing, instincts and nose for the football stand out. His size limitations (6'0", 222 lbs) are an obvious detriment, as he can't take on blocks or set the edge. But, all things considered, he does a good job.

This is where Striker excels. He posted 7.5 sacks and 11 QB hurries this regular season—a slight drop in sacks from last year but still great production for a linebacker. His dip move and speed are too much for offensive tackles to handle. When he blitzes, the offense has problems.

Striker is a disciplined coverage linebacker who excels in zone but also holds up in man. Because of his size, he must focus on this area of his game, which will prove even more vital at the next level. Right now, he's active and fluid enough to shadow basic routes from tight ends, running back and receivers. If needed, he could probably play safety.

Striker made his name in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, when he recorded three sacks, including the game-clinching strip-sack, against Alabama. He's never reached those single-game heights as an upperclassman, but he's dominated weekly and become Oklahoma's defensive leader. The gestalt of his game might rub NFL scouts the wrong way, but it's hard to imagine the league has no place for him. He has a nose for the ball like a bloodhound. 

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"He's a do-it-all free safety. He rushes the passer, he stops the run, he has great range over the top. I'm just a huge, huge fan of his."

—Matt Miller

Darian Thompson plays single-high safety, using instincts and range to prevent teams from throwing over the top. He's sort of like a sweeper in soccer—the ultimate last line of defense. He's less advanced in man coverage, but his size (6'2", 212 lbs) allows him to hang with tight ends up the seam.  

Thompson plays angry and likes to mix things up against the run. He'll crash into a blocker when needed but does his best work using speed in open space. He also gets downhill and posted 6.5 non-sack tackles for loss this regular season. Even in a down year for the Broncos, they finished top-15 in S&P+ run defense.

Thompson is one of the nation's best playmakers. He's the Mountain West leader in career interceptions, having just passed Eric Weddle—formerly of Utah, now with the San Diego Chargers—with his 19th against UNLV in October. He reads quarterbacks' eyes and has the reaction time, speed and hands to make them pay for that. It's advisable to never throw in his direction.     

There's not much to criticize with Thompson. He's a four-year contributor for one of the nation's best programs, and he's steadily improved each season. His rise from average recruit to NFL draft prospect is typical for modern Broncos, and his words inspire all non-blue-chip players. "If you want something, just go get it," he told Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman. "No matter what anybody else says."

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“I always thought he was a good quarterback…but I didn't think [offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach] Dan Enos could turn him into the college football version of Tom Brady. You can make a legitimate case he's the first-team All-SEC quarterback this season.”

—Barrett Sallee

Brandon Allen has the kind of passing motion that makes it possible for him to hit any receiver on the field from any spot, but this year he finally harnessed that power to the point where he was hitting teammates' chests and hands with the ball instead of having it sail over their heads. Not surprisingly, this translated into Arkansas transitioning from a smashmouth run team to one that had one of the most potent passing games around by the end of 2015.

By being able to focus on his aim, Allen elevated his play as a senior. His 65.1 percent completion rate was a huge improvement from his previous two seasons. Had he not sputtered in the middle of the 2015 campaign, Allen might have challenged Arkansas' single-season passing record.

Thanks to an NFL-sized offensive line protecting him, Allen hasn't had to worry about scrambling much. He's not a robot, but he isn't going to do much with his legs and thus has never put much effort into this part of his game.

Arkansas had two 1,000-yard rushers in 2014, but injuries depleted the backfield this season, putting more pressure on Allen to be a leader both statistically and with his actions. He responded masterfully, helping turn the Razorbacks into an offensive juggernaut down the stretch.

Allen was often looked at as a liability earlier in his career, but he put everything together during his final season. Not counting Dak Prescott, he was the most dangerous quarterback in the SEC this fall.

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"He's everything that South Carolina needed because he at least provided a threat. While he might not have had the kind of season that some people expected, he was the only option on a team with no options."

—Barrett Sallee

Pharoh Cooper's hands were such a valuable asset to South Carolina that it again attempted to get the ball into them as often as possible. For the third straight year, he accounted for touchdowns as a receiver, running back and quarterback, finishing with 10 total TDs to give him 26 for his career.

Considering he was the Gamecocks' only significant receiving option, Cooper had to work hard to get open by throwing in as many dukes, fakes and stutter steps as possible. Even with opponents blanketing his routes, he still managed to catch 66 passes with at least four catches in nine different games.

Cooper somehow never got tired despite having to expend more energy than any of his offensive teammates. His speed stayed at an above-average level throughout the game.

He was limited to some downfield blocking when one of South Carolina's quarterbacks would take off on a scramble. This wasn't a major part of Cooper's repertoire.

As bad as the Gamecocks were in 2015, they would have been in far worse shape without Cooper's abilities. He was one of those players who had to be accounted for on every play, and there didn't seem to be anything he wasn't capable of.

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"He's labeled as a space-eater, but that's not really what he is. He's more of a guy who can move around the defensive line, and that's what makes Alabama so special. He's made himself some money coming back [for his senior season]."

—Barrett Sallee

Jarran Reed is not a high-volume pass-rusher. He posted only one sack this regular season, and that sack came against Louisiana-Monroe. However, he makes an impact in the passing game by occupying blockers, driving them off their lines and freeing up space for his teammates. Alabama finished No. 2 in the country in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders, and getting there was a consummate team effort.

Alabama also finished No. 3 in the country in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders—and on that front, Reed was even more responsible. His size (6'4", 313 lbs) is simply too much for exterior linemen to handle. He's such a gifted athlete that playing him outside is not playing out of position. That makes him a matchup nightmare for just about everyone he faces.

The scariest thing about Alabama's defensive line—and there's a lot to be scared of—is how hard everyone plays. Not content with being great athletes, the Tide imagine a chip on their shoulder and play with it. Reed is at the center of most of that, helping nose guard A'Shawn Robinson set the tone for the nation's best position group. He's big, quick and angry.  

The stats don't reflect it, but Reed is one of Alabama's best players. His impact against the run can be seen in his 53 tackles, but that same impact is undersold by his 3.5 non-sack tackles for loss. Against Ole Miss, for example, he recorded five tackles and zero tackles for loss—but all five of those tackles went for no gain. He's a monster at the line of scrimmage. 

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“He's a surprising athlete for his size. He just has a knack for making plays. He attacks down the field really well with an ability to force the ball down the field and make something happen.”

—Matt Miller

Paxton Lynch's 6'7”, 245-pound frame makes him look like a lanky quarterback, but then he shows off an arm that has no limitations. The deep ball is his speciality, resulting in four games this season where he averaged better than 10 yards per pass attempt.

By towering over his offensive line, Lynch can see the whole field and thus makes the most of checking out all of his options. This has led to great efficiency, as he completed more than 60 percent of his passes in every game this season. He only had three interceptions in 407 attempts, going without a pick until the sixth game of 2015.

Lynch has 17 career rushing touchdowns, 13 of which came in 2014 as a sophomore. He was less willing to take off and scramble for yards this year but still managed to avoid too many negative plays. In three seasons, he's taken only 55 sacks, including 15 this season.

Lynch's development under head coach Justin Fuente—who prior to coming to Memphis turned Andy Dalton into a star at TCU—has been stellar from his freshman year to now. His decision-making was seen regularly in leading the Tigers to a 15-game win streak that included an 8-0 start this season.

Memphis wouldn't have spent much of this season in the headlines if not for Lynch, an example of a quarterback who has seemed to improve on a game-by-game basis. He looked significantly better at the end of 2015 than at the beginning.

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

"This guy is one of the best unknowns, on the national stage, at any position. He is exceptional in zone looks, something Iowa uses plenty. He matches patterns well, is efficient in his movement, sees through the wide receiver to the quarterback and doesn't waste steps in his breaks. Guy has the 'it' to succeed."

—Michael Felder

Desmond King is a zone-coverage specialist. He gains good depth and keeps his eyes on the quarterback, at which point he plays on instinct and covers a ton of ground. He's solid but not as good in man coverage, although he's still one of the Big Ten's best. All in all, he's a terrific cover cornerback. 

King plays an active role in Iowa's run defense, which has been one of the nation's best. He is physical off the edge and has posted an impressive 67 tackles in 13 games. He's also unselfish and disciplined, setting a hard edge on outside runs to funnel plays inside. Like all Iowa prospects, what he does is unspectacular but impressive.  

Few make better plays on the ball than King. He ranks second in the nation with eight interceptions, and he buoyed them with 12 pass breakups. Those numbers are slightly inflated since Greg Mabin, Iowa's other cornerback, is also very good and prevents quarterbacks from avoiding one side of the field. But still, most of that production is on King.

The CFB 250 has always been high on King. Michael Felder included him two years ago, and although he didn't make it after 2014, he slid back into the rankings this preseason. It felt like vindication when he enjoyed a career junior year. After flying under the radar as an underclassman, he finally made people acknowledge his contributions.

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“I love him. He’s really powerful in the run game. Great leverage, low center of gravity. He’s one of the best guards I’ve seen all year.”

—Matt Miller

Landon Turner has gotten better as a pass-blocker, although it’s obviously where his game still needs work—if any work is needed. He has power to handle bull-rushers and quickness to handle speed-rushers but occasionally drops his hands. Still, he has gotten much better, and North Carolina, as a team, allowed just 1.08 sacks per game during the regular season. Turner was a big reason why.

Here is where Turner excels. Like former teammate Jonathan Cooper, across from whom he started two years ago, he’s a road-grading blocker who can toss around linemen or get to the second level and bulldoze linebackers. His squat but powerful frame (6’4”, 325 lbs) makes him the ideal interior run-blocker, especially when combined with his footwork. His attitude and technique don’t hurt, either.

Turner is not a speedster, but he’s nimble for a player his size. He fires off the line and takes the action to his opponent, which prevents quicker linemen from darting past him. He is scary when he gets to the second level, and he’s barreling toward opponents like a boulder rolling down a mountain. Good luck trying to get in front of that.

You may not have heard of Turner, but that makes him the fitting symbol of UNC’s season. He deserved more attention before the year and deserved even more attention during the year but never really earned it because he plays an unsexy position for an ACC Coastal team that typically kicks off at noon. But even if the county wasn’t watching, NFL scouts were. He won’t go as high as Cooper, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2013 draft, but he’ll threaten to crack the top 50.

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"With all the injuries they've had [at UCLA], he's been fantastic. He just does everything: quick off the ball, really good power, and he has that ability to convert."

—Matt Miller

After notching one sack in 2013 and none in 2014, Kenny Clark broke out with five sacks in 2015. He did so despite the loss of teammate Eddie Vanderdoes, an attention-grabbing defensive end, to injury in the season opener. Where he used to contribute by eating space and freeing lanes for his teammates, he proved this year that he could also make plays for himself. Not many people saw that coming.  

Clark is one of the most productive nose tackles in college football. He posted 57 tackles last season and finished second on the team with 64 tackles in the 2015 regular season. Those are incredible numbers for a player whose main job is clogging gaps. Clark has the size (6'3", 310 lbs) and strength to do that—and he does—but also disengages and makes his own tackles.

When Vanderdoes and linebacker Myles Jack went down with season-ending injuries, UCLA could have folded. It says a lot about Clark's motor that his production went up in their absence. Without his two best teammates, Clark became an even bigger leader for the Bruins. He loves to do the dirty work in the trenches. 

Clark kept the Bruins afloat despite injury attrition. Their raw numbers don't look great, but without Clark, those numbers would look abysmal. He's a big ball of energy in the middle of the line and surprisingly athletic for his size. Bleacher Report's NFL draft guru, Matt Miller, said Clark might crack his top 15 overall prospects in the 2016 draft class.

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“I like him more [than I did in the preseason]. I think he’s had a better year. He’s one of the more athletic big guys I’ve seen this year and does everything that’s asked in that scheme.”

—Matt Miller

Spencer Drango protects the blind side in Baylor’s vertical offense, which is vital for obvious reasons. The Bears throw deep early and often, and throwing deep requires protection. Even with his gunslinger tendencies, head coach Art Briles would rein things in if he didn’t trust his line to hold up. Drango is the key to Baylor’s line being trusted to hold up.

Drango has played with a mean streak this season, and Baylor’s whole offense has followed. The Bears don’t mind playing physical and ramming the ball down opponents’ throats, and Drango is one of the keys to that effort. He is built like an oversized guard with a thick frame (6’6”, 320 lbs) and stocky arms, which helps him control defenders in the running game.

Drango is a fluid athlete with natural quickness. His kickslide is the key to his pass blocking, as he fires out of his stance and gains great depth against speed-rushers. He might not always reach linebackers as soon as he should, but for the most part, he checks out as an athlete.

Drango turned B/R’s Matt Miller—and, one assumes, plenty of other NFL draft scouts—into a bigger believer this season. He proved he could play mean and finish reps with toughness, which, along with his obvious pass-blocking skills, makes him a hard player to criticize. The secret of Baylor’s offense is that the line is, and always has been, the lynchpin. Drango is the lynchpin of the line, and therefore the engine that makes Baylor’s offense go.

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“He reminds me a lot of Teddy Bridgewater in that he moves so well in the pocket, and he makes decisions so quickly. He's almost unfazeable.”

—Matt Miller

California's Bear Raid offense calls for both quick, short passes but also deep shots when the opportunity presents itself. Jared Goff can sling it wherever its needed thanks to one of the strongest arms in the game, one that gets plenty of use. The junior has attempted more than 1,500 passes in 36 career games.

Considering he's averaged 42.5 passes per game over his career, having a completion rate above 60 percent is quite impressive. Goff is great at hitting the spot where his receiver is going to be, not just where he currently is, which also means when the target makes the wrong cut, it affects his accuracy numbers.

If Goff takes off beyond the line of scrimmage, it's a last resort, but that doesn't mean he's a statue. Rather, he's constantly keeping his feet in motion in order to avoid pressure when the pocket collapses. In Cal's season finale against Arizona State, Goff showed just how elusive he can be during a massive second-half comeback.

Goff had a five-interception game this season at the start of a four-game losing streak, and he was sacked 25 times. Yet not once during the year did he show much frustration in Cal's struggles. If anything, the lack of team success drove Goff to keep fighting harder, leading to a career-best 542 yards in what might be his final college game.

Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller has long had Goff as the top player on his 2016 big board, and the signal-caller solidified this spot following a third straight lights-out season. The only thing that might keep him from being the No. 1 pick in the spring would be the needs of the team holding that selection.

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"He plays in an offense that's perfect for him, from an every-touch, stop-what-you're doing guy, oh-my-goodness standpoint. He is so shifty."

—Adam Kramer

Since he's only 5'7" and 168 pounds, Jakeem Grant's hands aren't the size of a normal receiver's, though you wouldn't guess that from how careful he is with the ball. If it's thrown his way, he tends to haul it in, even if it's not originally intended for him.

“Shifty,” as Kramer noted above, is a perfect way to describe how Grant operates on the field. It's hard to pinpoint where he's going and where he'll end up, which enables him to slip through gaps and find himself wide-open quite often.

In addition to catching 80 passes with seven touchdowns in the regular season, Grant also had a pair of rushing TDs—including one where he “hid” behind a victory formation and then ran for a 40-yard TD against Texas—and he twice returned kickoffs for scores. Texas Tech used the senior's lightning speed in every way imaginable.

Tech running back DeAndre Washington often would scamper outside if a hole didn't exist in the middle, and Grant did his best to hold off defenders despite being the smallest guy on the field.

Grant was responsible for 31 touchdowns during his Texas Tech career, proving that size doesn't really matter when going up against drive and desire. In his senior year, he was good for at least one highlight-reel moment per game.

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"Relentless is how I'd describe him. He's all over the field and does that dual-threat, running back-linebacker thing where he's always making plays. He's probably one of my 10 favorite players to watch."

—Matt Miller

Nick Vigil finished No. 2 in the country and No. 1 among inside linebackers with 144 tackles this season. Add that to his 123 tackles from last season, and it's clear what type of animal we're dealing with. He moonlights at running back and understands how to read blocks and holes, which gives him a tactical advantage on the ground. He also has that running back speed to track plays in open space.

Vigil posted bigger stats last season, when he recorded seven sacks and six QB hurries, than he did in 2015. His numbers regressed to three sacks and four QB hurries, but much of that concerns how Utah State used him. With edge-rusher Kyler Fackrell back from injury, Vigil focused more on guarding the middle of the field than attacking the quarterback. But that doesn't mean he forgot how to attack.

That he moonlights on offense says a lot about Vigil's comfort in space. He is good in man coverage and has the size (6'2", 235 lbs) and speed to track all types of targets. He is less advanced in zone coverage, where his instincts and technique need refinement. There's a chance he never learns those things, in which case there's a ceiling on his potential, but in any case, he is not a liability.

Buried, like all Group of Five prospects, on the periphery of the national radar, Vigil has enjoyed two dominant seasons. He's the Mountain West version of Myles Jack—a two-way star who only plays offense when necessary. But even when he doesn't carry the football, his running back instincts play a key role in his performance. It's always good to know your enemy.

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"Speed is the name of Calhoun's game as he uses his quickness off the ball and pure speed to get around the edge of tackles. While his future may be as a stand-up OLB in a 3-4, at Michigan State he has handled playing hands-down DE very well."

—Michael Felder

Shilique Calhoun is a nightmare for offensive tackles. He was built in a lab to rush quarterbacks, possessing long arms on an NFL frame (6'5", 250 lbs) and enough speed to play standing up. He's that classic sort of 'tweener who can play 4-3 end or 3-4 outside linebacker. Michigan State lets him play with his hand down, and he's rewarded it with 26 sacks in three years. 

Calhoun lacks the size of previous (and even current) Michigan State ends. But what he lacks in girth and gap-plugging, he makes up for in quickness and savvy. He's a hand-to-hand technician who can sidestep blockers, free himself and make plays near the line or in the backfield. In addition to those 26 sacks, he's posted 15 non-sack tackles for loss the past three seasons.

You'd like to see someone with Calhoun's physical upside show up more often. He plays well on big stages, most notably in the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa, but is also sometimes quiet for weeks at a time. It's unclear if that has to do with "motor," but it's a bad look any way you swing it. He's shown he can play with fire; he just needs to strike the match every Saturday.    

Calhoun is the face of the Michigan State defense and has been since breaking out two years ago. He wasn't the best player on the "No Fly Zone" unit—that would be defensive back Darqueze Dennard—but he did play a key role in leading MSU to a Rose Bowl win. This year, he has led it to even greater heights: a spot in the College Football Playoff. The breadth of his career has made him a legend in East Lansing.

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"I think he's a classic overproducer, and at the next level, that always scares me. He's always in the right place at the right time, but I'm not as in love with him as other people."

—Matt Miller

Numbers do the talking for Tyler Matakevich, who just recorded his fourth straight 100-tackle season. Crazy as it sounds, that sentence actually undersells his impact, as two of those seasons, including this past one, featured more than 135 tackles. Stats aren't everything, but in this case, they highlight a rare nose for the football on running plays. Like a basketball player who can tell which way a rebound will bounce off the rim, Matakevich intuits the best route to the running back.

After posting 2.5 sacks in his first three seasons, Matakevich nearly doubled that number with 4.5 sacks as a senior. Those numbers are inflated by a three-sack game against Penn State in the season opener, but that's still nice for an inside linebacker. He lacks the burst needed to rush consistently off the edge, but he's slippery and has the motor to cause problems up the middle.

Coverage was a question before the season, but Matakevich improved on a down-to-down basis and as a playmaker. He intercepted five passes in Temple's first eight games, showing instincts and ball skills he lacked in previous years. When he does allow a catch, he is always, predictably, in position to minimize the damage with a tackle. He might be too clunky to play on NFL passing downs, but in college, he got the job done and then some.

Since tackles became official in 2005, only two FBS players have recorded more than Matakevich. One of those two, Luke Kuechly, is the best inside linebacker in the world right now; the other, Marcus McGraw, failed to play an NFL down. Accordingly, Matakevich will draw a sharp line on NFL draft boards, but no one can deny his college production. And that's what this list is about.

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"He can make plays all over the field. Super, super productive is the first thing I think of with him. He absolutely looks the part."

—Matt Miller

The uptempo offense that Bowling Green rode to the Mid-American Conference title (and helped Dino Babers land the Syracuse job) required the quarterback's precision and accuracy but also the receivers' great hands. Roger Lewis was the best of the lot—a sophomore who had 15 touchdowns and 55 first downs among his 82 receptions during the regular season.

The Falcons' quick-strike pass attack would flood the secondary with varying routes, though the tougher ones often went to Lewis. He excelled at turning his defender in the wrong direction just as he'd make a cut, creating large pockets of space.

The 6'2”, 199-pound Lewis isn't a blazer, though he's fast enough to maintain his lead and occasionally lengthen it if he gets a good first step.

Bowling Green had an underrated run game that was aided by the blocking of Lewis and other receivers. He could also help clear space for others after the catch by keeping with a defender upfield.

With 155 receptions and 2,569 yards in his first 27 games, Lewis has had one of the most productive starts in MAC history. If Bowling Green continues on the same pace offensively, he'll end up No. 1 in both categories before his career is over.

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"To me, he's just a tackling machine. He always has a nose for the football. He's potentially one of the most underrated players we've ever seen in the SEC."

—Barrett Sallee

Kentrell Brothers led the country with 152 regular-season tackles. That's 12.67 tackles per game! And it's not like he padded stats because Missouri had no other run defenders; the Tigers ranked No. 12 in the country in run defense, per Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings. Brothers' downhill excellence, which included 9.5 non-sack tackles for loss, was the biggest reason why. 

Although he posted modest pass-rush numbers—2.5 sacks in 12 games—Brothers earned positive marks. He played a passive role drawing attention away from teammates and occasionally pressuring quarterbacks on his own. Missouri ranked No. 5 in the country in front-seven havoc rate, per Football Outsiders, and Brothers played a big role in helping the Tigers get in the backfield. 

Brothers is a shutdown coverage linebacker. He's a smooth athlete with sound instincts who rarely gets caught on his heels. Despite a stocky frame (6'1", 235 lbs), he is nimble and athletic enough to hang with tight ends up the seam. You can trust him in dime situations. 

After back-to-back SEC East titles—both of which Brothers played a big role in winning—Missouri failed to make a bowl game in 2015. But don't let that confuse you into thinking any less of the Tigers defense. Brothers posted huge numbers for a team that needed all of them. What an awesome career he's enjoyed.

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"Certainly not the fastest guy and not a guy that's talked about much, but [quarterback Connor Cook] really relies on him."

—Adam Kramer

The Big Ten's leading receiver, Aaron Burbridge had as many receptions during the 2015 regular season as he had in his first three years at Michigan State combined. He worked best in traffic, being able to high-point the ball in a crowd or shield off his defender and look the ball into his chest.

Burbridge tended to always have a step on his defender, thanks to deceptive footwork early in the route that turned the corner or safety the wrong way and gave him an edge. This resulted in Burbridge having 21 catches of at least 20 yards, which tied for fourth-best in FBS entering bowl season.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio described it perfectly when he said Burbridge has “good long speed," per Chris Solari of the Lansing State Journal. That quality made him able to outlast defenders via stamina rather than outright swiftness.

Most of Burbridge's best plays in this area came further down the field, where after a teammate caught a short pass, he was there to clear a path for extra yardage.

The Spartans needed a receiver to emerge from a relatively unproven group, and Burbridge did so from the opening game. He had seven 100-yard outings and six games with at least eight receptions.

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"Alexander really only suffers from having redshirted in the year when guys like Vernon Hargreaves and Tre'Davious White made their freshman debut. He is every bit as good as the other top corners nationally, and his willingness to let receivers know he shut them down makes watching him work even more of a treat."

—Michael Felder

Mackensie Alexander has earned the "island" treatment where quarterbacks refuse to target him. So while his stats—21 tackles, four pass breakups, no interceptions—might look pedestrian, the context behind them is anything but. The truth is that Alexander, a former 5-star recruit on 247Sports' composite rankings, has lived up to the billing and then some. He's one of the best cover corners in America.

You'd like to see him post more tackles, but Alexander's run defense, just like his pass defense, does not always translate to the box score. He flows to the ball and is willing to put his head down, take on a block and enable another player to make the tackle. 

For the third time in as many categories: Ignore what you see on the stat sheet. Alexander doesn't make many plays, but that has more to do with teams avoiding him than a deficiency in his game. Despite the fact that he's never intercepted a college pass, his ball skills are just fine. His recovery speed, in particular, allows him to get in position and make plays.

Alexander has been a pleasure to watch develop. Clemson took its time and let him heal through an injury two years ago, giving him a redshirt while his fellow 5-star classmates became stars, and that patience has worked out for both parties. He'll need to improve his technique (just a little) in man coverage, but everything else about Alexander screams No. 1 cornerback. 

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"He's small, but he's always around the football. He tracks the ball well, whether that's inside or outside the tackles, and he doesn't get moved off his spot, which really surprised me."

—Matt Miller

Boston College finished with the No. 2 run defense in college football, per Football Outsiders' S&P+ ratings. No player did more to get it there than Steven Daniels, whose 82 tackles included 10 non-sack tackles for loss and whose impact extended far beyond the box score. With impressive bulk (6'0", 243 lbs) and power, Daniels plays the hammer as well as any college linebacker, taking on blocks and executing run fits to set up his teammates for tackles.

Daniels posted six sacks in 12 games, including five in conference play. His burst off the line and leverage became an issue for offensive linemen, who couldn't seem to stop him from shooting gaps. He lacks the bounce and range of pass-rushing outside linebackers, but he's great for an interior rusher.

The weakest part of Daniels' game—though not necessarily a "weakness"—is coverage. He has stiff hips and is not the most fluid athlete. This limits him from covering angle and drag routes, which are crucial for an inside linebacker. He holds his own despite that and showed up with a couple of big pass breakups, but he'll never be a standout nickel or dime 'backer.

Of all Boston College's breakout defenders (and there were a lot), none impressed more than Daniels in 2015. He couldn't drag the Eagles to a bowl game, but he gave them a unit worth fearing. NFL scouts might doubt him because he's short and won't run well at the scouting combine, but tape speaks louder than measurables. He won't get drafted early, but he'll stick on an NFL roster.

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"I think he's probably one of the most physically impressive wideouts I've seen. What Amari Cooper became, I think he can become that guy. He's a physical freak. The most impressive young receiver we have."

—Adam Kramer

JuJu Smith-Schuster wasn't USC's overwhelming leader in receptions (85), yards (1,389) and touchdowns (10) this season just because he was a big target. The 6'2”, 215-pound sophomore swallowed the ball when it came his way, hauling in 33 catches in the five games after he had hand surgery.

It's one thing for Smith-Schuster to do what's necessary to get open, but even more impressive for him is what happens after the catch. Stanford's secondary had no chance after he caught a 15-yard pass and then turned on the moves machine en route to a 54-yard TD.

Fast enough to get behind the defense without much effort, Smith-Schuster uses his speed to wiggle and juke while not slowing down.

USC became more invested in the run as the 2015 season moved on, though Smith-Schuster didn't play that big of a role in this. Look for head coach Clay Helton to turn to him and the other receivers more as blockers in 2016.

Smith-Schuster has done enough in his first two seasons at USC to ensure he'll be considered among the best receivers the school has produced. If he continues to progress, he could end up being close to the top of that list.

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"He just gets loose. I don't think he's this great athlete, but he just always gets it done. My comparison for him is [Carolina Panthers defensive end] Kony Ealy—and that's meant as a compliment."

—Matt Miller

Shaq Lawson isn't Vic Beasley, but he's pretty much the next-best thing. He posted 9.5 sacks in 13 games, including six in the second half of the season. Although he's not the fastest player, he has great size (6'3", 270 lbs) and an even greater work rate. He forces opposing tackles to match his power.  

This is where Lawson excels. His burst off the edge makes him close to unblockable, especially when combined with his bull rush. He led the country with 22.5 tackles for loss before bowl games, exceeding everyone else by at three TFL. Clemson also ranked No. 4 in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders, so it's not as if his stats ring hollow. 

Even more than power, motor might be Lawson's best quality. He's an Energizer Bunny who just keeps going until the whistle. He fires off the line and tracks the ball like a heat-seeking missile. He's the heartbeat of the Clemson defense.

Clemson lost a ton of production from last year's defensive line. Beasley and seniors Grady Jarrett, DeShawn Williams, Corey Crawford and Tavaris Barnes all departed. Lawson was the main key returnee, and the fate of Clemson's season rested on how he and the young guys would develop. Suffice it to say they've done well.

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“He’s meaner than I’m used to seeing from Stanford guys. Sometimes they’re finesse blockers, but he’s really not. I think he has that mean streak in him that some of his predecessors lacked.”

—Matt Miller

Joshua Garnett does a solid job in pass protection. He collaborates with center Graham Shuler to stuff the interior rush and keep quarterback Kevin Hogan clean. His headiness and strength make him difficult to surprise or bull rush up the middle. Improved technique would push him over the edge from very good to great as a pass-blocker.

Garnett is one of the best run-blockers—if not the single best run-blocker—in college football. A large part of Christian McCaffrey’s record-breaking output came as a result of holes Garnett plowed open. He is big (6’5”, 321 lbs), strong and meaner than previous Stanford offensive linemen: the type who likes to brawl in the trenches. Watching him emerge as a senior has been a pleasure.

Garnett is quick for a guard and moves well enough to contribute down the field. He won’t be mistaken for an Oregon offensive lineman—the type specifically molded to play in space—but he’s a capable enough athlete. Sprightly defensive tackles and linebackers can exploit him, but those instances are rare.

Garnett played well in 12 of 13 games this season, struggling only against Oregon, when defensive end DeForest Buckner ate his lunch. But Buckner ate just about every lineman’s lunch this season, and Garnett returned the favor against every other defense Stanford played. He and Buckner were seniors in 2015, but there’s a good chance they see each other again. Both should be high NFL draft picks.

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"He's the first stud defensive end in Alabama's new-look system. He's a guy with great speed who can go east-west—the first in a new wave of guys [head coach] Nick Saban wants who can help Alabama defend exotic offenses." 

—Barrett Sallee

Jonathan Allen led Alabama with 10 sacks this regular season—the most by an Alabama player since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa. His production came in spurts, but those spurts came against quality competition: two sacks against Wisconsin, two against Texas A&M and three against Mississippi State. His length (6'3", 283 lbs) and speed make him a nightmare for pass-blocking tackles.

Allen is an Alabama lineman, which is to say he dominates on the ground. He's the pass-rusher among Alabama's three starters, but he's good enough against the run to start instead of entering on passing downs. His frame is a little light for a 3-4 end, but his functional strength and slipperiness make up for that.

Allen works hard most downs and refuses to give up on plays. The shining example of his motor took place two years ago, when he chased down Auburn running back Tre Mason, a future Heisman finalist, from behind in the open field. Reminder: This guy is 6'3", 283 pounds!

Allen is one of three Alabama defensive linemen ranked in our Top 60. The unit has been that good. Together with Jarran Reed, he gives the Tide two bookend linemen with long NFL futures ahead of them. Combine that with nose guard A'Shawn Robinson, and this is easily college football's best unit.

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"On the intermediate and short routes, he has always been good, but he's become very adept at hitting his receivers in stride down the field. It's not a case of the system working in his favor; he's just developed into a really good quarterback."

—Barrett Sallee

Dak Prescott began his career at Mississippi State as a mobile passer who preferred to run instead of make the difficult throws, but over time his arm became just as much of a weapon. He was powerful enough to get zip on the ball even when he was about to get hit or while he was off balance.

The rise in completion rate from 58.4 percent during his sophomore year to 66.9 percent this season—on a career-high 36.3 attempts per game—was a product of Prescott's unflappable work ethic. Mississippi State didn't have a run game to lean on in 2015, and he responded by throwing only four interceptions in 435 attempts.

Prescott ran far less this season than in the previous two years, trying to focus more on his passing, and this resulted in a career-high 32 sacks taken. He still managed to score 10 times on the ground, though, and at 6'2" and 230 pounds, he was almost a lock to pick up the first down on short-yardage plays.

Since becoming the full-time starter late in his sophomore year, Prescott has been the unquestioned leader of Mississippi State's team. Every other player followed his example, and over time, the team took on his personality of constantly fighting and never giving up. For a team without a rushing attack, he kept the Bulldogs from being one-dimensional.

With more than 10,000 yards of total offense and more than 100 total touchdowns, Prescott is arguably the greatest player in program history. There's no doubt he was a huge part of the Bulldogs' strong two-year run that included a 9-0 start and No. 1 national ranking in 2014.

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"He's just a beast. That low center of gravity is such a blessing because you can't get any leverage against him. It's impossible."

—Matt Miller

Andrew Billings is a heavy load for pass-blockers. His size (6'2", 310 lbs) and low center of gravity make him a bull-rushing expert, and he probably gets the best push off the line in the country. His 5.5 sacks are good for a defensive tackle but only hint at his production in the passing game. The way he collapses the pocket is more important.

Baylor's front four does its job against the run, ranking No. 16 in the country in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders. Billings is at the heart of that effort, as he throws blockers into the backfield to knock runners off their lines. He also has surprising quickness for a big guy and posted 8.5 non-sack tackles for loss. 

There's a very short list of players who outwork Billings. He carries the load for an otherwise streaky defense and sets the tone both physically and emotionally. He also never quits on a play, as he proved last season when he chased down a Kansas running back from behind. What else could one ask for from a defensive tackle? 

It's fair to doubt Baylor's defense. It's fair, at times, to say the Bears are soft. But it's never fair to think those things of Billings. Shawn Oakman has the tighter body and flashier name, but Billings is Baylor's best lineman and has been for multiple years. It took until this season for people to notice, but Billings has been instrumental in Baylor's success.

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"I think he's become a much more complete wide receiver. In terms of a deep threat, I don't think there's anybody you'd want more. I like the fact that he's coming back, because I think there's a lot more for him."

—Adam Kramer

Though he dipped in overall numbers from a year ago, Will Fuller's impact on this season was far greater because of how and when he'd catch the ball. The relationship between him and freshman quarterback DeShone Kizer was cultivated thanks to Fuller's ability to make his hands into a giant basket on deep passes.

Still one of the best deep threats in the country, Fuller became more adept this season at catching the ball over the middle and serving as a short option. Now, there's no route he hasn't mastered.

With one-fourth of his regular-season catches going for at least 30 yards, Fuller gets behind the defense as well as almost anyone else in FBS. That speed allowed him to turn short routes into big gains with his knack for quickly turning upfield and getting to full maximum velocity.

The offense used Fuller more often to draw a safety away from the middle of the field than to stay close to the line and block. When kept in, though, he handled his blocking assignments well.

The choice to return for his senior year should be a boon for Notre Dame in 2016 while also giving Fuller a chance to raise his stock even more. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller had Fuller as the No. 31 pick in the upcoming draft had he declared early.

UPDATE: Fuller declared for the draft on Jan. 3.

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"People don't talk about him enough. He's so aggressive and so consistent for a team with so much roster turnover up front. Even though Mizzou went 5-7, that defense was pretty awesome."

—Barrett Sallee

Charles Harris is not his predecessors. He doesn't rush the passer as well as Shane Ray, Markus Golden, Michael Sam and Kony Ealy. But it's not as if he struggles to rush the quarterback, having logged seven sacks and 10 QB hurries this season. His most impressive tool is his hand usage.   

On the ground, Harris dominates. Missouri ranked No. 6 in the country in stuff rate, per Football Outsiders, and Harris was a big reason why. He posted 11.5 non-sack tackles for loss and made his presence felt down after down. He's built like a speed rusher (6'3", 235 lbs) but disengages so well from blockers that he rarely gets tied up or pancaked.       

Harris plays with the maniac quality that typifies so many great defenders. His style could be defined as "controlled chaos," which is just how defensive coordinator-turned-head coach Barry Odom wants his linemen to play. Watching Harris fire off the ball or explode through a spin move forces defenses to account for him every snap. 

Missouri was a train wreck on offense this season, but Harris and the defense made the Tigers a team opponents feared playing. He's the latest in a long line of great Missouri defensive ends, having learned under the four players listed earlier. He's only a redshirt sophomore, too, which means he might return next season. If he does, he will be an All-America favorite.

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"He reminds me a lot of Doug Martin when he was coming out of Boise State. He's just such a good receiver, just understands where to be. He catches the ball really cleanly."

—Matt Miller

As far and away Utah's most reliable offensive option, Devontae Booker spent nearly all of his two seasons with the Utes taking constant punishment from defenses that were geared to slow him down. He logged 560 carries in 23 games, yet his 5'11", 212-pound frame managed to power through all that work until he needed knee surgery in mid-November.

Booker's eye for what's ahead of him stood out best when he was catching passes. When in the backfield he wasn't as skilled at finding a hole, with most of his yards coming more from pushing through than finding space.

As Utah's best pass-catcher, Booker served as quarterback Travis Wilson's perfect safety valve when Wilson couldn't find an open man downfield. He caught 79 passes in two years—more than all but one other Utes player during that time span.

Booker's between-the-tackles running style didn't call for much speed, but as a receiver he would surprise defenders by how quickly he could turn upfield and get some momentum.

Utah averaged 33.4 points per game before Booker was injured, and without him it scored 29 total points in two contests. His 30.5 offensive touches per game were the most of any player in the country in 2015.

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"Just get him in the middle of the field and let him make a play. That vision on the go is something that he definitely has going for him."

—Matt Miller

Sterling Shepard reaches for the ball the same way no matter what situation he's in, which results in a high efficiency when he's targeted. Oklahoma spread the ball all over this year with the move to the Air Raid, and late in the season when the throws were bigger, it was the senior who was on the receiving end of the biggest ones.

Because he's only 5'10", Shepard has to use his moves and footwork to get open rather than just find a spot and leap. If a defender can't bump him early, he's going to find space and create.

Shepard is best used in traffic and on the edges rather than trying to stretch the defense. He can beat his man off the line but doesn't go deep a lot.

Though the pass game became more prevalent this season for the Sooners, Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon still excelled because receivers such as Shepard kept cornerbacks from breaking free to make a tackle.

After a pair of injury-plagued seasons, Shepard made it through the year without getting hurt, which led to his best performance yet. The senior established career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

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"I love him. He's a hitter who can play in the box, but he can also play in the back. I think you can build a secondary around his skill set."

—Matt Miller

Vonn Bell is a versatile safety whose ability to move around sets the tone for Ohio State's defense. He can cover from the slot or in an intermediate zone, but he can also drop and blanket a deep-third. The only thing he lacks is a pass-rush presence, having logged zero sacks or QB hurries in the regular season. But when someone can cover so many different positions, what's the point of asking him to blitz?  

Bell is a strong downhill safety who plays bigger than his size (5'11", 205 lbs) in run support. He sifts through blockers, fills alleys and sticks his head down to finish plays. He posted 63 tackles this regular season—a small downgrade from last year's stats, but some of that had to do with inside linebacker Raekwon McMillan stealing tackles. Bell still made an impact beyond the box score.

Bell first showed his ball skills in the 2014 Orange Bowl, when he leaped to make a one-handed red-zone interception. That was the highlight of his true freshman season, but he's only gotten better the past two years. He logged six interceptions and six pass breakups as a sophomore and two picks with nine pass breakups this regular season. He has the instincts teams covet in free safeties.    

Ohio State's front seven has bigger names and earns more publicity, but the secondary is the key to its defense. Bell is the anchor of that secondary and the key to its ranking No. 4 in Football Outsiders' pass defense S&P+. The former 5-star recruit, per 247Sports' composite ratings, has gone from role player to star to superstar over three seasons. His career has gone according to plan…and then some.

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"Florida needed someone to step up and say, 'This is my defensive line. My defensive front. I'm owning it,' and Bullard did that. That allowed [defensive coordinator] Geoff Collins to get creative with how he used his pieces." 

—Barrett Sallee

Jonathan Bullard is not a natural pass-rusher. He struggled before this season but committed himself to improving as a senior. The results were immediately encouraging: After posting 2.5 sacks as a junior, he accumulated three in his first three games and 6.5 total in 2015. He won't beat many tackles off the edge, but he can get into the backfield with power. 

Speaking of Bullard's power: It's insane. He's built like a defensive tackle (6'3", 283 lbs), which makes him too much for most tackles to handle. He drives blockers off their anchors and plugs gaps on almost every single rushing play, but he also has sneaky quickness to disrupt behind the line of scrimmage. His 11 non-sack tackles for loss set the tone for Florida's run defense.   

Bullard attacks the offense like a bull in a china shop. He's in great shape for a player his size, which allows him to maintain energy and mount pressure on opposing linemen. He also played his tail off against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, posting eight tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. That's nice to see from a lineman on such a big stage.

After losing Dante Fowler Jr. to the NFL draft last offseason, Florida needed a new star to emerge. Bullard came to the rescue, emerged as a leader and played like an All-American. Even when Florida's offense failed to produce, Bullard and the defense kept things close. He might be the nation's best run-stopper. 

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"He's gotten so much better, and I love when they use him in the passing game. He's not Marshall Faulk, but he's got great hands. Every single game he has meaningful contributions."

—Adam Kramer

One of the most physical runners in the country, Royce Freeman takes on defenders head on and just pushes right through them. When approaching contact he doesn't brace for impact but rather prepares to attack it so he can keep his momentum going forward.

When Oregon was without quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. for several games, the only thing that kept its offense going was the run game. Freeman was facing stacked boxes, yet he had some of his biggest games, thanks to the ability to find the tiny hole or the best angle. Going for 246 yards (against Washington State) doesn't happen without vision.

The care Freeman takes with the ball on handoffs carried over to the receiving game this season, resulting in nine games with at least two catches.

Oregon has faster running backs it turned to as a change of pace all season, leaving the more physical running to Freeman. But when he needed to turn on the burners, he displayed great agility and quickness for a 230-pound runner.

After setting the school freshman rushing record a year ago, Freeman can break LaMichael James' single-season mark in Oregon's bowl game. His workload went way up this season and so did his production, showing he's getting better as time passes.

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“I think he just has really good poise. You can tell he's experienced; you're not going to rattle him. He's got that game manager thing down. He's going to run the system as well as anyone.”

—Matt Miller

Connor Cook can make all the throws, something he's shown during three seasons as Michigan State's starter. He won't make them all look pretty, but he gets the ball to his target regardless of the distance. One of his best attributes is the ability to cock back and fire deep without a pronounced windup, making it difficult to anticipate where he's going.

For a player who's had as much success as Cook, he throws a lot of incomplete passes. All three of his seasons as starter have seen him complete fewer than 60 percent of his throws, but the vast majority of those misses are to places where no defender can get the ball. He threw just five picks in 369 attempts this season, the third-fewest of any quarterback with at least that many passing attempts.

Cook isn't going to run for many yards, nor is he going to run away from defenders. Instead, he uses his mobility to slip away from pressure, which often leads to him throwing on the run (and more accurately than normal).

Despite the accuracy issues, Cook always seems to make key throws in clutch situations. When Michigan State's youthful backfield needed propping, he responded with four straight 300-yard games. A shoulder injury kept him out of the Spartans' win over defending national champion Ohio State, but he was still there to mentor the younger quarterbacks who played in his place (Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry).

Michigan State has sent several quarterbacks to the NFL in the past decade, including Kirk Cousins, Brian Hoyer and Drew Stanton. Cook is similar to his predecessors in his ability to win and show the traits that make him desirable.

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"I think Tyler Boyd is one of the best yards-after-catch receivers in this draft [class]. He just has a knack for finding space."

—Matt Miller

Tyler Boyd was forced into more of a possession receiver role this season, with Pittsburgh having no other reliable targets and without its workhorse running back (James Conner) from a year ago. This worked out well, since Boyd tends to catch anything that comes his way and thrives in traffic, though his five fumbles were most among FBS receivers, per Team Rankings.

Because the Panthers were lacking in other receiving options, Boyd lined up all over the field in order to get the ball. He went from being a field-stretcher in 2014 to splitting time between the slot, coming out of the backfield and lining up wide, and wherever he started from, he usually found himself open.

Boyd has bulked up over the past few years, going from 185 pounds as a freshman to 200 this season, but he's maintained the same speed level throughout.

When he lined up inside, Boyd made for an effective blocker on run plays because he was capable of faking the block if needed. This prevented defenders from trying to overpower him.

Statistically, Boyd didn't have a great season in comparison to the previous two. But in terms of his overall value and his ability to adapt to what the game plan called for, he raised his stock tremendously.

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"I think he needs to get better in coverage, but as far as strong safeties go, he's one of the best. He plays the run incredibly well."

—Matt Miller

Jeremy Cash makes the most of his abilities in coverage. He is not an Ed Reed-type athlete or a natural center fielder, but he protects his deep-third or half in zone and can cover the slot in man. He is also a capable pass-rusher who posted eight sacks and 13 QB hurries the past two seasons.

Against the run, Cash functions like an extra linebacker—and a good one at that. He's been amazingly consistent with his numbers, posting 8.64 tackles per game as a sophomore, 8.54 as a junior and 8.42 as a senior. If that sounds like a slight dip in production, consider that his tackles for loss rose from 9.5 to 10.5 to 18.0 over the same period. He's the nation's best in-the-box safety.    

Cash plays the ball more with his helmet than his hands. He failed to record an interception this season, but he forced multiple fumbles for the third straight year. He also has a nose for pass breakups (15 the past three seasons) and has the size (6'2", 210 lbs) to challenge jump balls. He may not be a ball hawk, but he's a still a decent playmaker.

Cash was at the center of Duke's resurgence the past three seasons. Short of head coach David Cutcliffe, he was probably its most important figure. What's crazy is that he transferred to the Blue Devils from Ohio State, where he played his freshman season. Imagine him and Vonn Bell starting together!

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"More than just a really fierce hitter. He's great against the run but fast enough to hang with tight ends—even quicker than some of his predecessors. He's really just an all-around monster."

—Barrett Sallee

Reggie Ragland patrols the middle of the nation's best run defense. That is not a coincidence. His football instincts are high, as he picks the right gap and does the dirty work to free up teammates. He is also built like a rock (6'2", 252 lbs) and gets downhill to fill lanes or make plays on his own. He's not the fastest inside linebacker but has underrated speed to track the edge.

After hardly rushing the passer in 2014, Ragland made an impact this season. He worked on his edge rushing and finished with 2.5 sacks and six QB hurries in 13 games. Those are modest but impressive numbers for an Alabama pass rush that improved on the whole this season. It helped having a wrecking ball who could rush from the inside or out.

He might look stiff in pads, but Ragland moves well in coverage. He's a deceptively awesome athlete who can swivel his hips and chase tight ends up the seam. He held up against Hunter Henry and Evan Engram, two NFL-quality tight ends, during conference play this season. His six regular-season pass breakups were a testament to his improvement in coverage.

After losing C.J. Mosley to the NFL draft, Alabama needed a new star inside linebacker. Ragland didn't fill that void immediately, but he improved throughout the season in 2014, carried that momentum into the offseason and came back ready to dominate in 2015. By winning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, he etched his name onto a list of special players. He's earned the right to be called one, as well.

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"I really love his character and motor. I wish everyone played the way he does. I have no idea [what position] he'll play in the NFL, but he's one of those guys you just want on your team."

—Matt Miller

After posting 3.5 sacks in his first 35 games, Sheldon Day posted four as a senior. That's a solid number for a 3-4 defensive tackle, especially in addition to 13 quarterback hurries. Day's improvement against the pass has moved him from "a very good" defensive tackle to "one of the best." It rounded out his previously lopsided game. 

Why was Day's game lopsided? Because even though he played fine against the pass, he played great against the run. That second part stayed true this season, when Day posted 41 tackles and 10.5 non-sack tackles for loss. He's small for a nose tackle (6'2", 285 lbs) but wins with leverage, technique and quickness.

Day sets the tone along Notre Dame's defensive line. He's a high-motor player who gets the most from his undersized frame. His work ethic is his defining characteristic; he's like a 6'7" power forward who grabs 10-12 rebounds per game. Think of him as college football's Kenneth Faried. 

Watching Day develop has been a pleasure. He made an impact for the national runner-up in 2012 and improved each subsequent year. Before Day's junior season, head coach Brian Kelly said Day "can be the best defensive linemen we've had [at Notre Dame]" per Thayer Evans and Pete Thamel of SI.com. He might not have reached that ceiling, but he came closer than one might think.

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"He can run you over, and he's a legitimate track star. He was playing in an offense that was sort of one-dimensional by necessity, which speaks to how good he is because of the success he had. If he comes back 100 percent, he'll be one of the best running backs in the country."

—Barrett Sallee

What Nick Chubb lacked in overall size, he made up for in strength, running like a bowling ball straight into defenders and knocking them in all directions. Before he went down with a season-ending knee injury, Chubb was among the FBS leaders in yards gained per rush after contact (per ESPN).

A very patient runner who would wait for the hole to open before heading upfield, Chubb also had the ability to create his own space by spying the upcoming defenders. This came out most often when he'd turn a corner and get around it with an angle that prevented those upfield from getting a bead on him.

Chubb only caught four passes in his six games this season, used even less out of the backfield than as a freshman. Sony Michel had 13 receptions after taking over the starting job, indicating pass-catching wasn't Chubb's specialty.

This is an area that could be greatly affected by Chubb's knee injury. As a high school track star, his ability to cut and run was one of his best traits, and if he can't come back to full speed, it will show when trying to get around the edge.

There's little doubt Chubb would have been right out in front in the Heisman discussion had he not been hurt. Georgia might not have made a coaching change either. He'd been on a string of 13 straight 100-yard games before the injury, and we can only hope he's able to return healthy enough to start a new streak in 2016.

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"Very rarely can a player be elite at whatever position he chooses to line up. Jackson is that player. He can be a big-time NFL prospect at wide receiver if he sticks to that spot, but the same can be said about him as a corner."

—Michael Felder

Adoree' Jackson is not a coverage specialist. That's not where he will make his living. But he still covers well enough to be trusted as a No. 1 cornerback, in large part because of his speed. Even if he's beaten, he can make up ground with the ball in the air and force an incompletion. His technique is not bad and should improve as he earns more defensive reps.

Jackson's game is more finesse than blue-collar, but he's not unwilling to bang. He has solid run-defense instincts and can chase plays down from behind or side-to-side. He needs to add more muscle (5'11", 185 lbs) to shed more blocks on the outside, but for the most part he gets the job done.

Of the 250 players on this list, only one earned a perfect score in any category. That player is Jackson, and that category is ball skills. He's the most explosive college player since former Trojan Reggie Bush. Through 26 career games, he has five offensive touchdowns (all receiving), one defensive touchdown, two punt-return touchdowns and two kickoff-return touchdowns. And honestly, those numbers undersell him.

Watching Jackson play is breathtaking. It literally leaves you tired and gasping for air. He's a threat to score on any given play, and that includes when he lines up at cornerback. If he limits the big gains against him—a problem that has plagued USC's entire defense—he can take the next step from one of the 40 best players in college football to maybe the best.

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"His stats didn't show how important he was as a sophomore, but I think the world finally saw as a junior, especially in the Alabama game, where he basically made a living in the backfield."

—Barrett Sallee

He only has three sacks, but Robert Nkemdiche makes his presence felt in the passing game. For the most part, the only times he's not double-blocked are on plays on which he's triple-blocked. That attention frees up his teammates but doesn't always necessarily slow him down. His bull rush is a constant source of interior pressure.

Again, Nkemdiche outperforms the box score. He's single-blocked as often against the run as he is against the pass—i.e., almost never. He lacks the size of a nose tackle (6'4", 296 lbs) but has more than enough strength to hold his ground and stand firm in the hole. He also has the speed of a part-time running back, which allows him to make plays in the backfield. 

Although he plays better than his numbers, Nkemdiche should still make more of a tangible impact than he does. He doesn't wake up and dominate lesser opponents to the extent that he should. He balances that by bringing his best stuff against marquee opponents—Alabama, anyone?—but needs to channel that energy more often.

Nkemdiche has had an interesting career. He was the No. 1 overall player in the 2013 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, which made many college football fans expect monster numbers. The truth is he is not Jadeveon Clowney—the last top-ranked defensive lineman—and doesn't need to be. He's a tackle who does his best work away from the ball. For Ole Miss fans, that's perfectly fine.

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"This kid is strong, and he is quick, both of which help him get to the quarterback. He is still working out his technique and consistency, but when he's on, he's as disruptive as anyone in the country."

—Michael Felder

Emmanuel Ogbah led the Big 12 with 13 sacks this season. He finished second in the conference with 11 sacks last season, giving him 24 sacks in two years. Those numbers reflect what Ogbah shows on tape: an explosive first step and the ability to keep tackles off balance. He's scary when he gets "that look" in his eyes.     

Ogbah has improved in run support, progressing to the point where it is more of a strength than a weakness. He's stocky but chiseled (6'4", 275 lbs) and able to drive defenders back and set the edge. He's also able to knife through small holes and make tackles in the backfield. The only thing he lacks is a consistent willingness to plug interior holes. He needs to do more for his linebackers.  

Ogbah shows great flashes but doesn't always sustain them. He earns this grade because those flashes are remarkable—again, we'll refer to "that look"—but every once in a while, he disappears. Bellicose linemen who initiate the action can slow him. Based on Ogbah's ceiling, that should never be the case. 

Oklahoma State did not have a playoff-quality defense. The only thing keeping it afloat, and the main reason it stayed alive so long in the playoff race, was its star defensive end. Ogbah broke out at the start of last season with a pair of sacks against Florida State. When he reaches the level he showed against Jameis Winston—which he has more often than he hasn't—he's one of the best defensive players in America.

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“I love Jack Conklin. High-character guy, very smart and tough as hell playing through injuries this year. He’s one of those guys who if he busts [in the NFL], I’ll be shocked.”

—Matt Miller

Jack Conklin is one of the best pass-blockers in America. As a freshman in 2013, he famously allowed zero sacks, and he’s continued to protect Connor Cook these past two seasons. He is smart, sound and tough on the blind side, which is, in many ways, the key to Michigan State’s offense. It’s hard to say where MSU would be without him.

Conklin has come a long way in the running game. As a former walk-on freshman, he was slightly undersized, but he now checks in 6’6”, 325 pounds, and he uses that strength to own the line of scrimmage and drive defensive ends backward. He finishes with authority and makes plays at the second level for an offense that, despite its all-world quarterback, prefers to run a balanced, pro-style system.

Conklin is not an “elite” athlete, but he’s close. He moves better than a 325-pounder should, which is impressive considering how new the extra weight is on his frame. That he mixes speed with power is what makes him such a versatile pass-blocker. He has really great footwork and mirroring skills.

Football fans are trained to watch the quarterback. Cook is the star of the team, the face at the head of everything, so he of course receives all the credit. But Conklin is at his best when the broadcast doesn’t mention him—the sign of a great offensive lineman. It’s hard to say whether he or Cook is the “best” player on MSU’s offense, but both men are equally important.

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"All of the demons we're used to seeing from a safety transitioning to linebacker—overpursuit, running around blocks, ineffective in blitzes—Cravens has conquered. He's on the short list of linebackers who will get picked Day 1 in the NFL draft."

—Michael Felder

Although he lacks the size (6'1", 225 lbs) to play the hammer, Su'a Cravens makes his presence felt in run support. He posted 78 tackles and nine non-sack tackles for loss in the regular season, using speed and instincts to make plays in the backfield and on the edge. He also understands gap integrity and is willing to lower his head to fill the hole.

Cravens had modest pass-rush numbers (5.5 regular-season sacks), but that doesn't mean he's incapable. His limited sacks have more to do with usage, as he's often asked to cover on passing downs—but more on that later. When he does rush the passer, he shows good speed and timing off the edge but needs to work on block-shedding. 

Cravens is the best coverage linebacker in college football. It's frankly not all that close. Even at safety, where he played as a freshman and began his sophomore season, he showed smooth hips and an ability to read quarterbacks. As a linebacker, he's able to lock down tight ends and even switch onto outside receivers. He's perfect for the new breed of defenses, which needs versatile linebackers to play all three downs. 

Cravens toes the line between a safety and a linebacker. On passing downs, he's basically an extra defensive back, but he's proved he can dominate in the box and the backfield. A top-five overall recruit in high school, per 247Sports' composite ratings, he came to USC and became an immediate impact player. No matter where he's played, that hasn't changed.

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"I expected this performance, but not this kind of production. From a body-control, route-running, yards-after-catch perspective, Laquon Treadwell has everything. It puts a ton of stress on every defense. That offense has been successful without any running threat, and Laquon Treadwell is the reason why."

—Barrett Sallee

With more receptions than any two other Ole Miss players combined, Laquon Treadwell makes the most of his large and soft hands. They can snag a ball out of the air or haul in one that's thrown at him in motion.

Because of his tremendous body control, Treadwell is able to bait receivers into thinking he's unable to gain separation. Then he makes that extra move and creates space, using his footwork to break away and become wide-open a moment after looking like he was covered up.

For someone who was coming off a major leg injury, Treadwell didn't run hurt. If anything, he came back stronger and more physical, which translated into extra power that would enable him to race past defenders and stretch the field even more than before he went down.

Even though Ole Miss didn't run the ball well, when it stuck to the ground, it could depend on Treadwell to keep his man from getting involved in the play.

Few receivers were more dependable and reliable in 2015 than Treadwell, who had at least four catches in every game this year. Coming back from injury even better than before just added to his legacy.

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"His vision is good at the second level. He can make guys miss on his own. I want to see him become a better receiver, but he's a great blocker."

—Matt Miller

When Ohio State chose to turn to him—which seemed to fluctuate by the week—Ezekiel Elliott was one of those rare ball-carriers whose final runs were more powerful than those earlier in the game. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in the first half of games in 2015 and 7.38 YPC in the second half.

One of the country's most instinctive runners, Elliott didn't fare as well in this area as he did last season. There were quite a few occasions where he seemed to get impatient and attack an area where he thought a hole would be only to have it not materialize. This could have been the product of his fluctuating use.

Elliott played much of last season with a broken hand, which limited how he carried the ball, though it had no effect on his production. With a full set to work with in 2015, he continued to be solid in this area, though his use as a receiver all but disappeared in the latter part of the season.

There are plenty of running backs with better straight-line speed than Elliott, but he doesn't need to be lightning-quick because of his strength and lateral quickness.

Elliott's infamous postgame rant about not getting enough touches in the loss to Michigan State was construed by some as selfish and by others as passionate. Either way, there's no denying his value to the Buckeyes, which first manifested during the national title run last winter.

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"The most underrated player on Alabama's roster. Period. He's the most important piece of that defensive puzzle because of how they use him and what he can do."

—Barrett Sallee

Alabama's pass rush has taken a giant step forward, and A'Shawn Robinson has played a big role in that. His stats don't show it—he has 3.5 sacks this season—but he's a space-eater who commands multiple blockers and frees up his teammates. You'd like to see him get more on his own, but he's a big part of Alabama ranking No. 2 in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.   

Robinson is a do-it-all run defender who excels all over the line. He lines up most often at nose guard, where his size (6'4", 312 lbs) and strength make him ideal for a 3-4 defense, but he also has the quickness to play some end. Linebackers Reggie Ragland and Reuben Foster owe Robinson a large debt of gratitude. He makes their jobs 100 times easier. 

Robinson plays like a maniac and always has. This year, he upped his consistency, which is why we bumped his motor from eight to nine. He owned the line of scrimmage on a weekly basis. While he never matched his level from the 2014 SEC Championship Game, he spread that motor evenly across the schedule. He's the beating heart of Alabama's defensive line.   

Recruited as a 5-star offensive lineman, per 247Sports' composite rankings, Robinson took quickly to defense and has starred since his true freshman season. It took a while for the nation to catch on to him—such is the case with interior linemen—but Alabama's season made him impossible to ignore. The Crimson Tide's defensive line is the best unit in college football, and Robinson is its best player. That deserves some credit, don't you think?

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"He is, if not the most exciting player in college football, one of the most. I have Johnny Manziel flashbacks when watching him scramble in the open field. A great passer and certainly elusive in the pocket. He's a walking highlight, that guy."

—Adam Kramer

If you lined up Baker Mayfield against other dual-threat passers, he's not going to pass the eye test, nor will he outshine most with his arm. However, put him on the run and ask him to hit a spot, and he'll wow you, like in a record-setting performance against Tulsa in September.

For as much as he moves around in the pocket or likes to throw while scrambling, Mayfield is incredibly accurate. He completed 68.9 percent of his throws during the regular season with only five interceptions in 354 attempts.

Mayfield's rushing numbers aren't as impressive as other dual-threat passers, but that's because most of his running happens behind the line of scrimmage. His legs kept plenty of plays alive, though sometimes he'd wiggle too much and not get rid of the ball, resulting in 39 sacks.

He walked on at Oklahoma after leaving Texas Tech, sitting out a year and losing eligibility in the process, and when he got his chance, he played like someone who was forced to bide his time. His fun and fancy-free style of play is infectious, and it rubbed off on the rest of the Sooners.

There were few players who were more enjoyable to watch in 2015 than Mayfield, who treated every game like he was out on a patch of grass at the park instead of surrounded by five- and six-digit crowds. Oklahoma's return to greatness this year probably wouldn't have happened without him at quarterback.

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"He's just so sticky. He's frustrating for the offense because he always seems to be there. Vernon Hargreaves is a better pro prospect, but Lewis is the best cover corner I've seen play this year."

—Matt Miller

Jourdan Lewis has been a revelation. His coverage grade ranks highest on this list, and it's not even all that close. Despite his lack of size (5'10", 176 lbs), he has the speed, technique and route-recognition to cause problems for all types of receivers. His one-on-one battle with Michigan State's Aaron Burbridge, when both players landed haymakers on the other, remains one of the season's best matchups. 

Lewis chips in against the run and became more active as he grew more experienced. Bigger receivers can pin him on the edge, but he's quick enough and plays hard enough to typically slip past them. His 49 tackles through 12 games mark well for an undersized cornerback. Jim Harbaugh wouldn't play him if he didn't give his all on the ground. 

Lewis ranked No. 2 in the country with 21 passes defensed in the regular season. Two of those were interceptions, which speaks well to the acumen of his ball skills. He's not just sticky in coverage; he's athletic and coordinated enough to finish the play. That's what takes him from very good to special.

No player raised his stock this year more than Lewis. Considered a solid corner before the season, he took well to Harbaugh's and defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin's coaching and emerged as an All-America candidate. He said he plans on returning next season, which makes sense considering his size limitations and the NFL's opinion thereof. He will be an early favorite to win the 2016 Jim Thorpe Award.

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"I hate to call someone a possession receiver because people think of that negatively, but he's a great one. He's really good in space."

—Matt Miller

If the ball is headed near Josh Doctson, he's going to make the catch unless the defensive back comes up with an amazing effort. The senior was by far TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin's first choice in clutch situations, which explains why 13 of his 16 third-down receptions went for first downs. He averaged more than 20 yards per catch on third downs.

Doctson fluctuated between screens, deep routes and going over the middle—whatever the Horned Frogs needed from him. His ability to release off the line and get into space made him perpetually open, and he made it so his defender couldn't get to the ball in most cases.

Because TCU's receiving corps included actual track stars such as Kolby Listenbee, Doctson sometimes seemed slow. Then he'd zip past a corner and be five yards behind him.

Doctson has become more adept at keeping his man out of the action on run plays, using his hands to hold the defender in position and drive him down the field.

Even with a wrist injury that wiped out nearly the entire final month of the 2015 season, Doctson had a record-setting year for TCU. His improvement from a freshman at Wyoming to now has been astounding.

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“He’s almost perfect in my opinion, because he’s so athletic and patient. I want a lineman who always looks like he’s in control, and I think that’s what Stanley does best.”

—Matt Miller

Ronnie Stanley is a pass-blocking prototype. He could stand to add some bulk but still has workable size (6'5 ½", 315 lbs) to go with the feet of a former basketball player. He’s active and flexible in pass protection, with long arms and mirroring skills to hold off all types of rushers.

Stanley has improved as a run-blocker and excelled in what the Irish ask him to do. He paves holes between himself and the left guard, seals the edge on stretch plays and contributes at the second level. No matter who Notre Dame plugs in at running back—Tarean Folston, C.J. Prosise or Josh Adams—it always finds success running left. Stanley is a big reason why.

Here is where Stanley stands out. His basketball background is obvious in space and when he goes against speed-rushers. Players with his size, length and functional power should not move around like tight ends. Stanley does, which makes him both a rare and important commodity.

Laremy Tunsil’s suspension at Ole Miss, which cost him more than half of the season, made Stanley an obvious choice as the No. 1 offensive lineman. He and Tunsil were supposed to battle for the throne all season and will likely battle for NFL draft position all winter, but Stanley won this round by default. It’s hard to find a fault with his game.

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"Perfect 3-4 defensive end. He locks up blockers, gets out to the quarterback, and he's selfless. He'll do anything that's asked of him, and I love that."

—Matt Miller

DeForest Buckner is the best interior pass-rusher in America. He technically plays end but has the size (6'7", 300 lbs) and strength of a tackle, which puts offensive linemen into lose-lose scenarios. No matter which direction they force him, he has the brute force and technique to knock them back. He collapses the pocket from all directions and posted 9.5 sacks in 12 games.  

Buckner is productive for a big guy. Five-technique ends are supposed to do the little things that don't show up on the box score, but Buckner posted 81 tackles in 2014 and 76 tackles in 2015. He does that in addition to the little things: occupying blockers, clogging gaps and freeing up teammates to make plays. All things told, he's a beast against the run.

Buckner works hard and takes no prisoners. He was always held in contrast to former teammate Arik Armstead, a first-round NFL draft pick in 2015, who has similar tools and upside but only sometimes showed up ready to play. Buckner's mental makeup is on par with his physical dominance. That's what makes him such a special player. 

If not for Oregon's leaky back seven, which weighs down the Ducks' defensive numbers, Buckner would have earned more attention. He's improved each year in Eugene, which is scary considering how well he played before 2015. He's a likely top-15 draft pick who deserves to be considered for All-America teams. 

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"I know he's had a 'down year' playing corner, but I still think he's fantastic. He's just the total package: He's fast, he's instinctive and, in today's NFL, his versatility is so important. He's honestly a matchup nightmare."

—Matt Miller

Jalen Ramsey has spent most of his career at safety, only returning to cornerback so Florida State could get its best combination of defensive backs on the field at once. The transition has been rocky at times, with regard to his coverage, but he still has lockdown traits and measurables (6'1", 202 lbs). He's been beaten by players who shouldn't beat him, but you'd still trust him on 4th-and-the-game against anyone.

Ramsey is a missile who as a safety played more like a linebacker and as a cornerback played more like a safety. His tackle total has shrunk, predictably, from 5.7 per game to 3.6 per game, but he's still one of the Seminoles' best run defenders. His strength on the edge is too much for untrained receivers to handle.

Few college players create chaos as often as Ramsey. He always seems to be around the ball, which is true despite a low career interception rate (three in 40 games). His instincts result in clutch pass breakups, forced fumbles, batted passes and fumble recoveries. He's a playmaker in every sense of the word.

Ramsey was more productive at safety than at cornerback, but he's still the emotional leader of Florida State's defense. He's a once-in-a-generation athlete with the size, speed and instincts to play three different positions at an All-ACC level. He started and proved vital to the 2013 national championship team as a true freshman, and he's only gotten better since.

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"He's definitely the complete package. He's a lot better in space than he'd shown in previous seasons. He's a little more nimble than he'd shown in previous seasons. That threat of a slight move and defenders bounce right off him."

—Barrett Sallee

A steamroller wearing a helmet and shoulder pads, Derrick Henry can run through any tackler who stands in his way. Though he's become more adept at avoiding contact and bursting through holes, he still takes on all comers with great force.

When he was part of a rotation of runners, Henry would rely on brute force to get to the next level. But as the season went on, he started showing more of a knack for anticipating what defenders would do, thus getting himself further upfield before drawing contact.

Henry takes great care of the ball on his rushes, but that hasn't translated into being much of an option as a receiver. He's rarely on the field in obvious passing situations, and if he is it's to block for Jake Coker.

This was an area of great improvement for Henry, who had to develop the ability to elude and outrun tacklers in order to hold up to all of the work. His speed was most noticeable in those moments between getting to the hole and suddenly being through it.

The most productive running back in Alabama history has been as essential to his team as quarterback Blake Sims was a year ago. The complaints to have the Crimson Tide "run the dang ball" have grown silent this season because of Henry's play.

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"He's sort of received the [Jadeveon] Clowney treatment. Teams have run plays away from him, and as a result, his teammate Daeshon Hall has had a monster season. But still, this guy is a freak."

—Barrett Sallee

Myles Garrett is a terrifying pass-rusher. He fires off the ball as if shot from a cannon and has speed to turn the corner on anyone. He also has the size (6'5", 262 lbs) and length to evade a blocker who gets a hand on him. His 11.5 sacks in 2014 were a SEC freshman record, and he matched that total as a sophomore.

Coming out of high school, Garrett was billed as a college-ready pass-rusher who needed work against the run. That first part has proved true, but that second part undersold him. Garrett has worked his tail off to improve against the run, where he competes on every down and uses his frame to impact all facets of support. He's still a better pass-rusher than run defender, but the distinction between those skills has grown blurry.

Garrett sets the tone for a defense that sorely needs tone-setting. Despite his lofty recruiting pedigree—only Leonard Fournette ranked higher on 247Sports' composite rankings—he's willing to do the dirty work all game. His only real demerit is when he posts most of his numbers. He feasts on nonconference opponents and fades, at times, during SEC action, which shines a curious light on his motor.

It hasn't always translated to team success, but Garrett has been a monster in College Station. He has exceeded the hype by a comfortable margin. The only real challenge left for him is to prove he can play for a conference title contender. In that regard, his career feels a lot like that of Vernon Hargreaves III at Florida. Hopefully, his junior season goes as well.

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"He's just fantastic, with open-field moves and explosion off the line of scrimmage. My comparison for him is Emmanuel Sanders. He's not the biggest guy, but good luck tackling him."

—Matt Miller

Whether it was a bubble screen or a deep ball, chances are Corey Coleman would haul in the pass if it was relatively close to him this season. This was especially true when he camped out in the red zone, as the 5'11", 190-pound junior was strong enough with his hands to wrestle the ball away from defenders on fades and slants. Nine of his 20 touchdown catches came from inside the 20-yard line.

Coleman became Baylor's go-to receiver for big plays because he could run any route you asked and almost always got open. More importantly, once the ball was in his hands, he did so much more thanks to amazing footwork, such as when he hurdled a West Virginia cornerback from a near standstill to turn a short gain into a long one.

Coleman's ability to get from the line of scrimmage and past the defense in the blink of an eye was what drew people to him before this season, and that didn't change. If anything, he showed how he can use that speed just as well when he has the ball as he does before it ends up in his hands.

This is an area that Coleman will need to spend a lot of time working on in order to succeed at the next level. He wasn't asked to do much blocking with Baylor; instead, he served as a decoy on the outside to draw defenders' attention away from the ball-carrier.

Coleman seemed like a shoo-in to break the FBS touchdown record after hauling in 20 TDs in his first eight games, but Baylor's struggles throwing the ball down the stretch ended that push. Not being able to get the ball to this deadly weapon had a major impact on the Bears' late-season slide.

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"He's got the speed of Adrian Peterson; he's got the power of a bruiser. He's got everything you want in a running back. I don't think the end of his season should take away from that."

—Barrett Sallee

To understand how hard it is to take down Leonard Fournette, just ask Auburn defensive back Blake Countess, who might still have cleat marks on him after getting run over by the 6'1", 230-pound sophomore. Though he started to get taken down later more often in the season, it still rarely happened on the first try.

Fournette's power and surprising speed make it so he doesn't have to seek out open space to get his yards. This came back to bite him when LSU started facing tougher defenses, however, since he'd often run into tacklers instead of searching for a route around them.

LSU's passing game remained a big problem in 2015, but when Fournette began to struggle on the ground he was able to participate more as a receiving option. These were mostly dump-off passes that didn't require being great at catching.

It seems almost unfair that someone of Fournette's size is able to run with as much speed as he did. Very often he outraced his defenders who didn't realize they needed to take an angle on him, resulting in 15 carries of 20 or more yards.

Fournette was the country's most unstoppable force for the first two months of 2015 before hitting a wall in November. Faced with stacked fronts he struggled down the stretch, providing him with areas to work on for next season.

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"He's the best cornerback in the SEC, which I think he's proved in his three years there. Unfortunately for Florida, I think that's all they're gonna get..."

—Barrett Sallee

Vernon Hargreaves III is one of the best pure cover corners in college football. He's a fluid athlete with long arms and a big enough frame (5'11", 192 lbs) to hang with No. 1 receivers. His technique in both man and zone is impeccable—the clear sign of a coach's son, which he is. You can throw him on an island and feel good about it.

Hargreaves is a capable run defender who doesn't mind throwing his body around. He fights off blocks on the outside and understands fundamental tackling. The numbers aren't great (only 26 tackles in 12 regular-season games), but he is always in the right spot and does a nice job funneling runs back inside. If he shores up the tackling a little bit, he can pump up this score even further.

Smart teams throw away from Hargreaves, which is why his interception numbers—10 in three seasons—are less than remarkable. It has nothing to do with his ball skills, which are fine. He tracks the flight of the ball and can make plays in the air. Unless you're Amari Cooper, you have a slim chance of beating him on 50-50 throws.

Hargreaves will go down as one of the better defensive players of his time. He hasn't posted big enough numbers to go down as a "great," but his film puts him right near that description. Prior to the season, the biggest black mark on his resume was never having played for a good team. Fortunately, this year's Gators helped him fix that.

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"He's the most explosive player in college football. In terms of carry to carry, that human highlight, he is the guy. Any play can become a touchdown. Seventy-five yards looks like nothing to him."

—Adam Kramer

If not for some nagging hamstring injuries that caused him to miss time here and there, Dalvin Cook's improved power might have stood out even more this season. The sophomore became a more physical runner and often seemed to get stronger late in games, though overexertion sometimes contributed to the injury.

There isn't an FBS back who anticipates better than Cook. He has a knack for making the cut or altering his speed a split second before a defender has a chance to react, thus allowing him to slip through a hole that didn't seem there a moment earlier.

Cook had some key fumbles in his freshman year, most notably in the Rose Bowl game against Oregon. He vowed to fix that, and the hard work has paid off with much better care in 2015. His use as a receiver has also picked up, serving as a great outlet early on when Everett Golson was still trying to figure out the offense.

Considering his hamstring issues, it's amazing to see how fast Cook still managed to be throughout the year. Few players made it down the field on long runs as quickly as he did.

Cook kept Florida State's young offense from stagnating this season, carrying it in several games when the pass attack didn't work or the line wasn't holding up. What could have been a rebuilding year proved to be another solid one for the Seminoles, with Cook as responsible as anyone.

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"He's the best young quarterback in the game. What's most impressive, however, is how he's grown into a threat on the ground. Oh, and he also happens to throw one of the best deep balls out there. He is the complete package."

—Adam Kramer

A broken hand suffered midway through Watson's freshman season isn't noticeable in the power he gets behind his throws. At 6'2" and 210 pounds, he puts his entire body into the pass, and this enables him to connect from anywhere on the field.

Though he had a surprising 11 interceptions during the regular season, most of those were the result of mental mistakes instead of poor throws. He leads targets as well as any passer in the country, able to alternate easily between a touch throw and one that requires all of his strength.

Watson tore his ACL last November. The injury required surgery and kept him out of action until the summer. Clemson was careful to keep him from moving around too much early on in 2015, but down the stretch it took the handcuffs off, and he became the deadliest running quarterback in FBS. Four of his last five regular-season games saw him run for 100-plus yards.

With everything he's been through already, in terms of injury, Watson doesn't show any fear of getting hurt again. This could be construed as carelessness, but Clemson looks at it as confidence that is needed to lead the team. Many of the Tigers' biggest drives this year have developed because Watson put the team on his back and made some plays.

A year after he couldn't stay healthy, Watson finished third in the Heisman voting and led Clemson to a perfect regular season and the No. 1 playoff ranking. His 69.5 percent completion rate and 41 total touchdowns in 2015 probably won't be the high point of his career.

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"I loved him before the season began because you saw glimpses last year of all the ways they could use him. What's most impressive to me is that he doesn't get tired. When you watch him, you get a sense of what his overall value is."

—Adam Kramer

Christian McCaffrey won't blow through defenders with his 6'0", 201-pound frame, but he still possesses the strength to fight off a tackler. His ability to keep the legs moving when he takes on contact can get him extra yards or help him push through if the hold isn't strong enough.

Because he's not very big, McCaffrey works extra hard to get in situations where he can run free and avoid contact. He's able to plan his second cut before the first has happened, something that aids him not just running the ball but as Stanford's top receiving target and its best return man.

If the Cardinal could give the ball to McCaffrey on every play, they would, and at times it seems that way because of his reliability. Nowhere does this stand out more than in securing the ball, either as he pulls it into his body on a reception or when protecting it from defenders on a run or return. There's a reason he's targeted more than any other Stanford option in the pass game.

McCaffrey's speed stands out most when he gets near a hole and is then suddenly through it before defenders have a chance to react. His ability to shift his weight from one foot to the other as he cuts keeps him from losing velocity, and he ends up getting faster as he goes further down the field.

The sophomore has completed changed how Stanford operates on offense, since it looks to find as many ways as possible to get him the ball. Only the third player in FBS history to gain more than 3,000 all-purpose yards, he's been as valuable to his team's performance as any player in recent memory.

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"He's just electric. For a college quarterback, he can do it all. His open-field vision is just so good. He's kind of got that side-armed, half-cocked [throwing] motion, but it's worked for him."

—Matt Miller

Trevone Boykin has improved in this category throughout his career, translating into a senior season when he was able to hit the deep targets more effectively and also fire it into tight windows. His throwing style isn't out of a textbook, but it works for him.

From a 57 percent passer as a freshman in 2012 to nearly 65 percent this year during the regular season, Boykin has made a concerted effort to work on his accuracy. He took fewer chances this fall, and it also helped he had Josh Doctson out there to catch anything that came his way.

Boykin spent time during his career playing wide receiver and running back, showing off his athleticism but also his elusiveness. He was sacked just 12 times during the regular season while averaging nearly five yards per carry with nine touchdown runs.

Mobile quarterbacks sometimes try to do too much and end up making a lot of costly mistakes, something Boykin was known for earlier in his career. That didn't pop up as much this season, enabling TCU to have an explosive offense that was always in rhythm.

It's hard to imagine how TCU would have fared these past two seasons without Boykin, whose leadership and intense drive pushed the Horned Frogs to so many of their victories. A player who seemed lost two years ago became a superstar, and his teammates followed that lead.

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"It's rare to find someone with the football IQ, the instincts and then the athleticism to back it up. It's rare to even find two of those things, but Jaylon Smith has all three. You can see him pointing out on tape where the play is gonna go before the snap. He's everything you want to build a defense around."

—Matt Miller

Jaylon Smith led Notre Dame with 113 regular-season tackles. That's a great number for a 3-4 inside linebacker and a step up from last year, when he posted 102 regular-season tackles. The key to his run defense, as with most of his game, is speed: He's the fastest and most explosive inside linebacker in the country. He tracks the ball from sideline to sideline but has size (6'2.5", 240 lbs) and strength to shed blockers and make tackles on his own.

The numbers might not show it, but Smith is a capable pass-rusher. His burst through the line is considerable, keeping guards on the tips of their toes. He only posted one sack this regular season, and it came against Texas in the opener, but he added six QB hurries and showed the ability to rush off the edge. Don't put too much stock in the box score.

No man Smith's size should cover like a free safety, but he defies logic and does it anyway. He's built like an undersized lineman but moves like an oversized defensive back, faring just as well in man as he does in zone. His hips, speed and length make him the quintessential three-down linebacker. You can line him up just about anywhere.

Smith has done more than just replace Manti Te'o at inside linebacker; he's surpassed the one-time Heisman runner-up and become the better all-around player. It's wrong to call that surprising—Smith was the No. 2 overall recruit in the country, per 247Sports' composite ratings—but it's definitely a testament to Notre Dame's system. Having seen what the Irish did with Smith and Te'o, it might be time to call them "Inside Linebacker U." Had Smith not left the Fiesta Bowl with an injury, it might have been a much different game.

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"He's the ultimate three-down player. Strength, agility, he's long, he knows how to use his hands, he knows how to attack and counter. There's nothing he can't do."

—Matt Miller

The key to Ohio State's pass rush is how opponents block Joey Bosa. He is always accounted for and frequently double-teamed, which frees up Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard and Adolphus Washington to make plays. So while Bosa posted only five sacks this season, he was still among the nation's top pass-rushers. He just sometimes played an indirect role.

A quintessential 7-technique with NFL size (6'6", 275 lbs) and strength, Bosa dominates in all facets of run defense. He could hold his own in a 3-4 defense if necessary, but playing in Ohio State's 4-3, with two defensive tackles clogging space beside him, makes him close to unblockable. He can power his man into the backfield or dart past him for a tackle for loss. He had 11 non-sack TFLs this season.

Bosa has a nonstop motor and plays with a childlike energy. It's rare for an athlete this talented—and make no mistake, he's a freak—to play with such a chip on his shoulder, like he's trying to prove people wrong. He sets the tone for everything the Buckeyes do.

Bosa posted fine numbers this season, but "fine" greatly undersells his impact. Pro Football Focus, which graded him as the second-best player in college football, recorded 21 QB hits and 41 QB hurries to go with his more "traditional" stats. Considering he missed the Virginia Tech game on suspension, those numbers are off the charts. Come to think of it, everything Bosa does is off the charts.