Every BCS College Football Program's Best Active NFL Player

The college football planet is a world of its own. Many players find success there and move on to the highest level.

When they arrive in the NFL there are many high expectations for these college players from themselves, their families, their coaches and their fans.

Some of these players live up to the hype while some don't. This list is concentrated on the former; in other words, players who made their way into the NFL and found the kind of success they had hoped for.

From every major school and from every major conference, they have come. They have arrived at a level of football that only a select few can ever experience.

Boston College

Matt Ryan

Atlanta Falcons

Quarterback 

Boston College has a few good NFL players currently on rosters. However, none of them can compare to Matt Ryan.

Ryan just finished his fourth year in the NFL and has had great success. He has thrown for 14,238 yards including 4,177 last season. He has amassed 95 touchdowns and only 46 interceptions.

Look for Ryan to continue his success and look for him to keep making Boston College fans proud.

Clemson

Brian Dawkins

Denver Broncos

Safety 

Brian Dawkins has been a great player over his long and incredible career.

For 16 years he has played at a level many men can only dream of, and even at the age of 38 he is still going strong.

In 2011, Dawkins had 51 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble. That adds to his already gaudy numbers of 1,131 tackles overall, which includes 891 solo, 26 sacks, and 37 career interceptions.

Duke

Patrick Mannelly 

Chicago Bears

Long Snapper

Duke is not known for its football prowess. However, they have had a few guys step into the NFL.

There are only four current NFL players who played at Duke. Of that group, the most consistent would have to be Patrick Mannelly.

He plays long snapper for the Bears but does some tackling when he gets the opportunity.

Over his long 14-year career, he has amassed 41 tackles and even forced a fumble once. While long snapper isn't the most glamorous position, it does make for a solid career if you are good at it.

Mannelly is certainly good at it.

Florida State

Anquan Boldin 

Baltimore

Wide Receiver

This is choice was not easy. There are several good players currently playing in the NFL that played for Florida State.

Christian Ponder, Sebastian Janikowski, Chauncey Davis and Antonio Cromartie are all good, current NFL players who played for the Seminoles.

However, Boldin rises above them all.

After nine years in the league, Boldin has caught 707 passes for 9,244 yards and 54 touchdowns.

In 2011, he kept it going with 57 grabs, 887 yards and three touchdowns.

Georgia Tech

Calvin Johnson

Detroit

Wide Receiver

Calvin Johnson is an incredible athlete. In his five years in the NFL he has caught 366 passes for 5,872 yards and amassed 49 touchdowns.

He is also a current Pro-Bowl selection and shows no sign of letting up.

Expect him to continue his NFL success.

Maryland

Vernon Davis

San Francisco

Tight End

Maryland has quite a few players currently in the NFL (30 to be exact).

That might surprise many who know the Terrapins for horrible uniforms rather than incredible talent.

However, the Terps have some serious talent on NFL rosters, and Vernon Davis is no exception.

Miami (FL)

Ray Lewis

Baltimore

Linebacker

Go up and down the huge list of Miami players in the NFL and you might stop and choose seven along the way as the best.

Narrowing this one down was a bit of a challenge. However, you can't argue with what Ray Lewis has done in his long, incredible career.

Argue if you want to, but you will have a hard time replacing Lewis as the best on this list.

North Carolina

Julius Peppers 

Chicago Bears

Defensive End

A big man who plays even bigger, Peppers makes North Carolina fans proud Sunday after Sunday.

In his 10 years in the NFL he has 473 tackles, eight interceptions, nine forced fumbles and 100 sacks.

He is consistent, powerful and exceptional. He is certainly the best active player from North Carolina in the big league.

North Carolina State

Philip Rivers

San Diego

Quarterback

Rivers has now played 100 games in the NFL.

How has he done? 1930 completions, 24,285 yards, 163 touchdowns and 78 interceptions.

He is certainly the best player from North Carolina State currently showcasing his talents in the NFL.

Virginia

Matt Schaub

Houston 

Quarterback

Schaub has been an incredible asset for the Houston Texans. Even though he found himself on the IR this season, he had a good season, and he will be ready when practice resumes.

For his career, Schaub has 17,936 passing yards and a completion percentage of 64.3.

Virginia Tech

Michael Vick

Philadelphia

Quarterback

Michael Vick is incredible to watch. He was just as incredible to watch when he played for Virginia Tech.

It is good to see him making a comeback.

Now if only he could stay healthy.

In 2011 he passed for 3,303 yards and ran for 589.

A true dual-threat quarterback, Vick has proven his worth in the NFL.

Wake Forest

Aaron Curry

Oakland

Linebacker

Wake Forest has nine active players in the NFL. Aaron Curry is the best of those nine.

In 2011 Curry had 68 tackles. 48 of them were solo.

In his young career he has totaled 202 tackles in just three years, and there is no sign of him slowing down.

Baylor

Phillip Taylor 

Cleveland

Defensive Tackle

Phillip Taylor is a big man, and he played big in his premier year.

He amassed 59 tackles, four sacks and one forced fumble. Not bad for a 23-year-old.

Baylor folks have to be proud of what Taylor did in 2011. He is certainly playing at a very high level.  

Iowa State

Ahtyba Rubin 

Cleveland

Defensive Tackle

Iowa State has four former players on current NFL rosters. The biggest and best of the four has to be Ahtyba Rubin.

In 2011 he capped off his fourth year in the league with 83 tackles, five sacks and a whole lot of intimidation.

For his career he now has 214 tackles, with 143 of those being solo.

Look for his continued success in 2012.

Kansas

Chris Harris

Denver

Cornerback

Another young one hits the list, this time for Kansas.

Chris Harris is only 22-years young, but plays like a mature NFL professional.

In 2011 he had 72 tackles for the Broncos and also had one interception.

Look for more of the same in 2012 for Harris.

Kansas State

Josh Freeman 

Tampa Bay

Quarterback

Josh Freeman has only spent three years in the NFL but has proven his worth.

In those three years he has completed 795 passes for 8,898 yards and 51 touchdowns.

His completion rate is 60.5 percent, and is only improving.

In 2011 he increased his completion rate to over 62 and threw for 3,592 yards and 16 touchdowns.

He is certainly giving Kansas State fans something to smile about.

Missouri

Sean Weatherspoon

Atlanta

Linebacker

Missouri has a number of guys playing in the NFL, but many are poised for better futures.

For Weatherspoon, however, the future is now.

In 2011 he exploded with 115 tackles and four sacks. He looked incredible week after week, and that should continue next season.

He is playing at an extremely high level, and for that it is impossible to keep him off this list.

Oklahoma

Adrian Peterson

Minnesota

Running Back

Even though he is injured, how do you keep Adrian Peterson off of this list?

If there was someone else on the list that could make you forget Peterson, that would be one thing. But, going through the players, you just can't do it.

Peterson is technically active because he will be back next season.

Let's just hope he heals well from the injury and is the running back we have all become accustomed to.

Oklahoma State

Dez Bryant

Dallas

Wide Receiver

This choice was a bit challenging, but after mulling over the list again and again, Dez Bryant keeps floating to the top.

He is only in his second season, but in 2011 he stepped up his game and showed great improvement. Look for him to continue that run next year.

Texas

Colt McCoy

Cleveland

Quarterback

How do you narrow down a list of 47 players? It is not easy.

There are currently 47 players from Texas on active NFL rosters. This list includes so many recognizable names and talented players.

There are probably at least five other players who could be considered for this spot. I will let you all argue about that.

McCoy threw for 2,733 yards in 2011 and 14 touchdowns. He has some work to do, but he is proving to be a good NFL quarterback.

Texas A&M

Von Miller 

Denver 

Linebacker

How do you argue against Von Miller?

In his first year in the league, Miller proved he belonged.

He had 64 tackles, two forced fumbles and an incredible 11.5 sacks. It will be fun to watch what he does as an encore.

Texas Tech

Wes Welker

New England Patriots 

Wide Receiver

The 2011 season was another good one for Wes Welker.

He caught 122 passes for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns.

For his eight years in the league, Welker now has 7,226 yards and 32 touchdowns.

One thing for sure: Welker had a much better year than his college team did.

Cincinnati

Connor Barwin

Houston

Linebacker

Connor Barwin is playing good ball for Houston. He had 47 tackles, one forced fumble and 11.5 sacks in 2011, and it is certainly a sign of good things to come.

Look for him to step it up even more in 2012.

Connecticut

Tyvon Branch 

Oakland

Safety

Branch is quite a force for the Raiders. In 2011 he had 109 tackles, one sack and one interception.

He has been in the NFL for four years, and over that time has shown he can be a consistent contributor. He now has 347 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions.

Connecticut fans have to be proud of this former player.

Louisville

William Gay

Pittsburgh

Cornerback

Deion Branch and Michael Bush might have an argument for this spot, but you just can't deny William Gay.

He is now in his fifth year in the NFL and in that time has continued to evolve into a great player.

In 2011 he had 61 tackles and two interceptions.

Pittsburgh

Larry Fitzgerald

Arizona Cardinals

Wide Receiver 

It is hard to believe that Larry Fitzgerald has been in the NFL for eight years now, but it is true.

In that time, he has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with. In 2011 he didn't miss a beat. He racked up 1411 yards on 80 receptions and scored eight touchdowns.

His career totals are now 9,615 yards on 693 catches and 78 touchdowns.

Rutgers

Ray Rice

Baltimore Ravens 

Running Back 

What can you say about Ray Rice that hasn't already been said?

In 2011 he continued to make Rutgers fans proud.

He rushed for 1,364 yards on 291 carries and 12 touchdowns.

That brings his four-year career totals to 4,377 yards and 24 touchdowns. Look for much more of the same from this running back.

South Florida

Jason Pierre-Paul

New York Giants

Defensive End

The pride of South Florida, Jason Pierre-Paul.

This guy has been incredible.

Who knows what he will do in the Super Bowl. Whatever he does, it is bound to be great.

In the 2011 season so far, Pierre-Paul has 86 tackles, two forced fumbles and 16.5 sacks!

Not bad for a seasons work.

Syracuse

Will Allen

Miami Dolphins 

Cornerback

Jameel McClain is playing incredibly these days, but how do you go against Will Allen in this spot?

Allen has proven himself over a long NFL career, and even though he is no longer the cornerback he once was, he is still playing nickel-back at an elite level.

West Virginia

Adam Jones

Cincinnati Bengals  

Cornerback 

Adam Jones has been disappointing at times, but nonetheless, he continues on.

His season wasn't great, but he did contribute. Among the current NFL players who attended West Virginia, Jones is still playing a higher level than any others on the list.

Ryan Mundy is playing decent ball at Pittsburgh, and Pat McAfee is a great punter for the Colts. However, neither could be placed about Jones.

Like him or not, he is still the best player from West Virginia currently playing in the NFL.

Illinois

Rashard Mendenhall

Pittsburgh

Running Back

Mendenhall rushed for 928 yards in 2011 and scored nine touchdowns. For his four year career, he has rushed for 3,367 yards and 29 touchdowns total.

He is consistent and powerful, and he continues to improve.

Indiana

Tracy Porter

New Orleans

Corner Back

Porter continues to impress in the NFL. In 2011 he had 52 tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception.

Indiana fans can be proud of this Hoosier.

Iowa

Chad Greenway

Minnesota

Linebacker

Really Iowa? How many guys do you have in the NFL?

With over 30 players currently playing in the NFL, how do the Hawkeyes not dominate year in and year out? It seems the talent is there.

Dalls Clark, Charles Godfrey, Shonn Greene and Amari Spievey are just a few names from the list. However, how can we deny Chad Greenway?

Greenway had 154 tackles in 2011 and two sacks. For his six-year career he now has 617 total tackles with 442 of those being solo.

Pretty impressive, isn't it?

Michigan

Tom Brady

New England 

Quarterback

With all the players from Michigan in the NFL, you would think it would be a tough choice narrowing it down to just one.

It wasn't.

Michigan State

Plaxico Burress

New York Jets

Wide Receiver 

It is nice to see Plaxico back on the field. He is still able to play at an elite level, and he proved it in 2011.

He had 45 receptions for 612 yards and eight touchdowns. Look for that total to go up next year.

Michigan State fans can celebrate once again for Plaxico Burress.

Minnesota

Marion Barber

Chicago

Running Back

Barber had a bit of a tough year, especially toward the end.

However, he has proven to be a valid running back in the NFL.

Look for him to continue his success in 2012, even if it isn't with the Bears.

Nebraska

Ndamukong Suh

Detroit

Defensive Tackle

He may be volatile at times. He may even be juvenile at times.

However, there is no denying Ndamukong Suh is an incredible player.

Northwestern

Barry Cofield 

Washington

Nose Tackle

A nose tackle makes the list for Northwestern.

In his six year NFL career, Cofield has been effective. In 2011 he had 25 tackles and three sacks.

For his career he now has 235 tackles and 13.5 sacks.

Look for his continued success in the NFL.

Ohio State

A.J. Hawk

Green Bay

Linebacker

Ohio State is another example of a giant list of super-talented players currently in the NFL.

It truly was difficult to narrow it down to just one player.

A.J. Hawk is as good of a selection as anyone, and he doesn't look like he is slowing down.

In 2011 he had 84 sacks and 1.5 sacks. For his career of six years he now has 595 tackles and 10.5 sacks.

Penn State

Paul Posluszny 

Jacksonville

Linebacker

Posluszny is playing at an elite level. In 2011 he had 119 tackles and two sacks. He also had one forced fumble and two interceptions.

With five years in the NFL, he is averaging over 100 tackles per year.

Look for his success to continue.

Purdue

Drew Brees

New Orleans

Quarterback

Purdue has a surprising number of players currently playing in the NFL.

However, none can compare to Mr. MVP himself Drew Brees.

This guy continues to impress all of us.

Wisconsin

Joe Thomas 

Cleveland Browns 

Offensive Tackle

Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas makes the list for Wisconsin.

There are other players to consider, but none that compare.

Joe Thomas continues to be one of the best tackles in the NFL.

BYU

Brady Poppinga

St. Louis

Linebacker

Poppinga has proven to be a good NFL player.

He is now going into his eighth year in the league and is coming off a good year.

In 2011 he had 51 tackles and one forced fumble.

He should continue to succeed in 2012.

Notre Dame

Justin Tuck

New York Giants

Defensive End

Another big list and another challenging selection.

In the end, a defensive end rose to the top.

Justin Tuck has proven to be a great professional football player, and 2011 was no exception.

Boise State

Ryan Clady 

Denver

Offensive Tackle

The Broncos continue to add quality players to NFL rosters.

However, none have been as successful as Pro Bowl offensive tackle.

TCU

LaDainian Tomlinson

New York Jets 

Running Back

This guy has had an incredible career. It is hard to keep him off this list.

However, Andy Dalton is starting to climb.

Houston

Kevin Kolb

Arizona

Quarterback

In 2011 Kolb threw for 1,955 yards and nine touchdowns. He is a good quarterback, but needs to continue to improve.

It will be interesting to see how 2012 looks for Kevin Kolb.

SMU

Emmanuel Sanders 

Pittsburgh

Wide Receiver

SMU only has five players currently in the NFL. Of that list, Sanders is tops.

In just his second season he seems to be making his place in the league.

Look for continued improvement from this former Mustang.

UCF

Brandon Marshall

Miami Dolphins 

Wide Receiver

Brandon Marshall had another good year. In 2011 he caught 81 passes for 1,214 yards and six touchdowns.

This brings his career totals to 6,247 yards and 75 touchdowns in six seasons.

Expect more of the same in 2012.

San Diego State

Antwan Applewhite 

Carolina

Defensive End

Applewhite is continuing to have success in the NFL.

In 2011 he had 25 tackles and two sacks on the season.

Arizona

Rob Gronkowski

New England 

Tight End

Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski is a big man who plays big.

Gronkowski had a great 2011.

He caught 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns, and he isn't done yet.

It will be hard to top this year, but he should continue to be a huge success in the NFL.

Arizona State

Terrell Suggs 

Baltimore

Linebacker

Suggs keeps on impressing. In 2011 he had 70 tackles, 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles.

Arizona State could have used him last season, but at the very least they can be proud of the fact that he once wore the Sun Devils uniform.

California

Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay

Quarterback

Cal has a pretty impressive list of players now in the NFL.

However, none can compare to Aaron Rodgers.

Colorado

Mason Crosby

Place Kicker

Green Bay

A kicker, really? Yes, and he is a good one.

Besides, there is really no one else on Colorado's list of players in the NFL that have done more than Crosby has.

Oregon

Haloti Ngata

Nose Tackle

Baltimore

Another nose tackle makes the list. Pro Bowl selection Haloti Ngata is playing strong in the NFL.

In 2011 he had 64 tackles, two forced fumbles and five sacks.

Oregon State

Steven Jackson 

St. Louis

Running Back

Jerry Jones of the Cowboys is probably still sorry he didn't take Steven Jackson in the NFL draft. That is where Jackson wanted to play, but it didn't happen.

This Beaver has shown that he is certainly NFL-worthy as a running back for the St. Louis Rams.

Look for him to continue to succeed, and look for his Beavers to do much better in 2012.

Stanford

Oshiomogho Atogwe

Washington

Safety

After seven seasons, Atogwe is still going strong in the NFL.

Last season he had 60 tackles, a sack and three interceptions.

For his career now he has amassed 453 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 25 interceptions.

Enjoy your spot on this list Oshiomogho, because next year Sir Andrew Luck enters the arena.

UCLA

Maurice Jones-Drew

Jacksonville Jaguars 

Running Back 

What an incredible year for the UCLA alum.

In 2011 he ran for 1,606 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 43 passes for an additional 374 yards, with 11 touchdowns on the year.

This makes his career totals for rushing 6,854 yards and receiving 2,473 yards.

Not bad, not bad at all.

USC

Troy Polamalu 

Pittsburgh

Safety

Certainly there are a handful of USC players that were considered for this top spot. But, how can you argue with Troy Polamalu.

His talent, his ability, his stats, and that hair: It is all a recipe for success in the NFL.

Utah

Alex Smith

San Francisco

Quarterback

Talk about a career being resurrected.

Right now Alex Smith is thanking God that Jim Harbaugh made his way to the bay.

Alex Smith now looks like the guy we all thought he would be coming out of Utah.

Look for that success to continue.

Washington

Dashon Goldson

San Francisco

Safety

Don't look now, but Donald Butler is closing in on Dashon Goldson.

However, for now it is still Goldson's spot.

In 2011 he had six interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 67 tackles.

Add that to his already impressive totals and you now have 277 career tackles, four career fumble recoveries and 11 career interceptions.

Washington State

Marcus Trufant

Seattle

Cornerback

Trufant gets this spot for his career work and continued success.

He had another interception in 2011, which brings his career total to 21. He also now has 612 career tackles, four forced fumbles and two sacks to his account.

Alabama

Roman Harper

New Orleans

Safety

Harper is incredible. His 2011 season went very well. He had 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 95 tackles.

In his six years in the NFL he now has 501 career tackles, 17 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and four interceptions.

Arkansas

George Wilson

Buffalo

Safety

In 2011, Wilson had 106 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and four interceptions.

This was a breakout year for Wilson, and it raised him to an elite level. Look for this to continue in 2012.

Auburn

Cam Newton

Carolina

Quarterback

There are two words that come to mind for Cam Newton's rookie season: Wow and wow.

Did anyone really expect this kind of success? Did Cam Newton even have these kinds of expectations?

In 2011, Newton threw for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also ran for 706 yards and another 14 touchdowns.

Who does this? In their rookie season, no less?

(The answer: Cam Newton!)

Florida

Tim Tebow

Denver

Quarterback

Tebow threw for 1,729 yards and ran for 660. He had a total of 18 touchdowns and led his team to a playoff victory.

Say what you want about Tim Tebow, but he took over the Broncos' offense when it looked like all hope was lost.

He led the team to a decent season and a playoff appearance.

Georgia

Champ Bailey

Denver

Cornerback

He has been in the NFL for thirteen years. In that time, he has never let up.

In 2011 he had two more interceptions, one forced fumble and 39 tackles.

For his career he now has the impressive totals of 829 tackles and 50 interceptions.

Kentucky

Wesley Woodyard

Denver

Linebacker

What a year for Woodyard. He had 97 tackles and three forced fumbles.

Look for this kind of season to become old hat for Wesley Woodyard. He is a talented player with even more potential than he has already shown.

LSU

Bradie James

Dallas

Linebacker

There is no denying that Bradie James has proven himself.

Now, if you could just say the same thing about his NFL team.

A disappointing year for the Cowboys, but James still had a good year.

Missippi State

Tommy Kelly

Oakland

Defensive Tackle

Mississippi State fans have to enjoy seeing one of their own doing so well in the NFL.

Kelly is adding to his impressive career totals every year.

In his eighth season, he continued his success. He had 41 tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception.

Ole Miss

Eli Manning

New York Giants

Quarterback

There is no one else currently in the NFL that played at Ole Miss that even comes close.

Eli is silencing his critics with every win.

Look for him to have another great game in the Super Bowl, and look for 2012 to be another great year.

South Carolina

Sheldon Brown

Cleveland Browns

Cornerback

There are some quality players from South Carolina in the NFL currently.

The final two on this list are probably John Abraham and Sheldon Brown.

Brown gets the edge because he had a slightly better 2011, and his career stats are comparable.

In 2011 he had 48 tackles, one forced fumble and two interceptions.

Tennessee

Arian Foster*

Houston Texans

Running Back

*Unless Peyton Manning is active.

Look, if Peyton is finished, then this spot is valid. If not, then plug Manning into this spot.

For now, we will let Foster sit.

Face it, these two guys are incredible players, but Manning is a lock-in for the Hall of Fame.

Vanderbilt

Jay Cutler

Chicago

Quarterback

Cutler is closing in on 20,000 career passing yards. He should pass that mark in 2012. He is most certainly the best player from Vanderbilt currently in the NFL.