College Football's 50 Most Recognizable Personalities

What is great about college football is there is still room for people to have individual personalities without the league coming down too heavy on them. 

Across the nation, fans have their favorites and are loyal to their program. Fans also have their favorite personalities that make college football entertaining on and off the field. Whether it be for good or bad reasons, fans have gravitated towards certain players, coaches, administrators, mascots or even cheerleaders.

Here is a look at 50 personalities around the nation who have drawn fans in for one reason or another. 

Lee Corso

Lee Corso is one of the most recognizable people in college football.

With his involvement with College Gameday, Corso has become part of every fans Saturday morning and is truly an entertaining figure. 

Kirk Herbstreit

Kirk Herbstreit is another part of ESPN's College Gameday show.

Along with the duties that Herbstreit has in the morning, he also can be found calling big games over the weekend and gives feedback that many fans trust. 

Nick Saban

Nick Saban has been a winner throughout his career.

Since stepping foot into the SEC, Saban has brought home three national titles and has separated himself from the rest of the pack. While he appears to be all business all the time, Saban continues to get the job done.

Les Miles

It is hard not to know about Les Miles and his crazy personality, but understanding the head coach is another thing.

While successful with LSU, Miles tends to be an off-the-wall character who is hard to get your head around.

Chip Kelly

Chip Kelly's personality caught some West Coast fans off guard. Kelly has some wit and sarcasm built into him and it shows during on-the-field interviews and during the week.

Despite the short amount of time he has been around, Kelly has already made a mark for himself. 

Matt Barkley

The outspoken senior has returned for his final season at USC, and Matt Barkley is never short for words.

Along with his interviews, Barkley interacts via Twitter and has done a nice job of putting himself in the spotlight for this coming season.

Steve Spurrier

Steve Spurrier is a coach who has been around for a while, and since his time at Florida, Spurrier has been one of the most well-known personalities in the game.

With his signature visor look, Spurrier continues to try and push South Carolina to the same success he had at Florida. 

Erin Andrews

Erin Andrews is the most recognizable female in college sports today.

From her work on College Gameday to her sideline reporting at various big games, fans never mistake her when she comes on the screen. 

Brent Musburger

Brent Musburger has been around for a while and has provided the soundtrack to many a good finish in college football.

Musburger ends up covering the Saturday Night game of the week and has a voice that is instantly recognized by most college fans.

Gary Danielson

Love him or hate him, Gary Danielson is another voice that is hard to mistake.

Danielson does his work for CBS covering SEC football. Whether you like what he has to say or not, Danielson is a long-standing and well-known figure in college football.

Lou Holtz

Despite his success as the head coach of Notre Dame, Lou Holtz has become more well known for his work on ESPN.

The downside to this trend is the fact that Holtz has become a bit of a joke on ESPN's various shows and is the constant butt of jokes. 

Mark May

Opposite of Lou Holtz is Mark May.

May and Holtz often go back and forth on Saturday's arguing various points, and they often miss the mark completely. Despite his experience in football, May is another personality that people know about for his off-the-field performance. 

Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin started to become immediately noticed when he was fired from the Oakland Raiders.

Kiffin moved into college with the Tennessee Volunteers but quickly turned himself into the villain with an overnight move to USC. 

Sammy Watkins

The good news for Sammy Watkins is he is an outstanding talent on the field who is known for his big plays.

The bad news for Watkins now is that he is just as well known for his off-the-field issues. 

Denard Robinson

Coming back for his final year of college, Denard Robinson has been an electric player in college football.

Robinson has been able to dazzle not only on the field but has had some charm to him during his time off of the field. 

The Oregon Duck

The recent rise in Oregon's success on the field has brought the rise of their popularity off the field.

The Oregon mascot has become one of the favorite mascots of ESPN and has been seen in multiple commercials throughout the college football season.

Chris Fowler

Chris Fowler is the host of College Gameday, and like the other members on that show, he has become a part of our college football experience.

Fowler does a great job balancing out the cast and keeping things on track.

Gus Johnson

Gus Johnson has made the move from the NFL to college, and his voice and signature style is like no one else in the booth.

Johnson is not afraid to get caught up in the play and let out a burst of excitement. 

Reece Davis

Reece Davis is generally found in the ESPN's studios giving live game updates on Saturdays.

While he does a great job with the highlights and updates, Davis is more well known for having to referee between Lou Holtz and Mark May.

USC Song Girls

The upbeat and cheery girls of Southern California have been keeping the Trojan fans entertained for decades now.

The USC Song Girls are a part of the college football landscape and are a group that is instantly recognizable. 

Tyler Wilson

Arkansas is entering the season as one of the potential favorites to win the SEC. The biggest reason for the lofty expectations this year is senior quarterback Tyler Wilson.

Wilson should lead an explosive Arkansas offense and help them challenge anyone in the SEC.

John L Smith

It may take people a game or two to remember the personality of John L. Smith, but eventually the light bulb will come on and people will remember how out there he can be.

Despite only being brought on as Arkansas' head coach for a year, Smith will make things interesting in 2012. 

Brady Hoke

Brady Hoke has symbolized hope that the Michigan program is returning to prominence.

Last year, Hoke led the Wolverines to double digit wins and most importantly, he led them to a win over Ohio State. 

Mack Brown

The king of Texas for quite some time now has been Mack Brown.

Brown is a fiery coach who recruits the rich grounds of Texas and puts out a great team. With the exception of these last few years, Brown has been a model of consistency and has continued to keep the Longhorns successful. 

Urban Meyer

Last year Urban Meyer spent some time up in the booth but is now back down on the sideline, this time in Columbus.

Meyer is a charismatic figure who has had great success and will look to continue that with Ohio State.

Charlie Weis

Charlie Weis was another polarizing figure while he was at Notre Dame.

The downside for Weis is that after leaving Notre Dame people may still recognize him but not many people care about him, especially as the Kansas head coach. 

Mike Slive

Mike Slive is one of the more outspoken conference commissioners and is doing his best to look out for the best interests of the SEC.

Slive has gotten Texas A&M and Missouri to join, helped broker a deal with ESPN and is now making sure that the conference can continue their dominance in any playoff format. 

Frank Beamer

Frank Beamer has built a legacy at Virginia Tech.

Beamer has done an outstanding job of building that program into a consistent competitor and is someone who is recognized throughout the college football world. 

Joe Paterno

Despite passing on, Joe Paterno is still one of the most recognizable people in college football.

Paterno was with Penn State for so long that it will be a long, long time before his presence is not felt through the program.

Jerry Sandusky

While he may be one of the most recognizable figures now, it is not a good thing.

Late last season, the allegations of Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing young boys came out and created a firestorm at Penn State. This case has left a lasting impression on the college football world. 

Oregon Cheerleading Squad

Much like the USC Song Girls, the Oregon Cheerleaders have continued to gain notice for the past decade.

Considered by many as the most attractive group in the nation, fans may want to make sure they check out the Oregon sidelines.  

Desmond Howard

Another former player to join ESPN is Desmond Howard.

Howard has brought his signature smile with him to ESPN and plays a large part in the College Gameday show. With the ability to draw on his playing days, Howard is not only enjoyable to watch but trustworthy. 

Jesse Palmer

Ever since playing the Bachelor on ABC's hit show, Jesse Palmer has been in the media spotlight.

Now that he is in a little bit more relaxed role by talking football on camera, Palmer is much more enjoyable to listen to.

Sparty

Another mascot to make the list is Sparty.

Sparty is the Michigan State mascot and is one of the most classic looking mascots in the nation. Whether it is college basketball or football, Sparty can get the crowd going. 

Bob Stoops

Seems like Bob Stoops has been at Oklahoma forever.

Stoops has continued to keep Oklahoma as a top-10 team but seems to be struggling to bring them back to their elite status with a national title. 

Craig James

While Craig James certainly does good work for ESPN, he is more well known for the issue that came up with his son and then-head coach Mike Leach at Texas Tech.

The incident in Texas surrounded Leach having Adam James stay in a equipment closet, and things eventually got ugly enough to where Leach was fired. 

Mike Gundy

I believe the nation got to see the full extent of Mike Gundy's personality when he went off on reporters and let out the phrase, "I'm a man, I'm 40!"

With that one sentence, Gundy got himself recognized and hasn't looked back.

Mike Leach

Some may have forgotten the old pirate coach, but it will not take people long to remember how unique and interesting Leach can be.

Leach is an offensive guru, but he will definitely turn some heads with the things that he says and does. 

Jenn Sterger

Before she was shaking things up in the NFL and with the Jets, Jenn Sterger was known around the nation as being the cowboy girl at Florida State games.

She was able to make her mark with her looks and turn it into a career around football.

Bill Hancock

While he is known around the nation, Bill Hancock is the man who takes the fall for all of the issues that go on with the BCS.

As its current director, Hancock is what many fans perceive as the barrier between them and a playoff. 

Chris Petersen

It is hard not to like Chris Petersen due to how hard he works and the effort he gets out of his players.

While as a person Petersen is very likable, it can be a struggle to stomach all of the politicking that Boise State has done over the past few seasons.

Dana Holgorsen

Dana Holgorsen became extremely well known for the issues that he and former head coach Bill Stewart had.

Last year Holgorsen took over at West Virginia and fans found out that he has the Mountaineers on the right track as they head into the Big 12. 

Todd McShay

Todd McShay has become a big part of college football over the past few years. He spends a ton of time breaking down college players and figuring out where they would fit best in the NFL.

ESPN uses McShay all year round and is a main piece of the college football family at the four letter network.

Mel Kiper

The ying to Todd McShay's yang is Mel Kiper.

Kiper has been around for a long time and has been doing draft analysis for ESPN as well. While McShay may be the younger version, Kiper has years of experience to call upon. 

Wendi Nix

Roaming the sidelines for quite some time now is Wendi Nix.

Nix has been a long standing employee of ESPN, and if there is a big college football game going on, you can count on the fact that Nix will be there bringing insight from the sideline.

Robert Smith

Since retiring at a young age from the NFL, Robert Smith not only saved his health but also found a comfortable fit working for ESPN covering college football.

Smith does a great job of bringing some insight to the studio and is there all season long.

Landry Jones

Landry Jones may be a soft spoken quarterback but he has a huge amount of talent.

Jones—like other big time quarterbacks—made the choice to return to school for his senior season. With some of his major targets gone, it will be interesting to see how Jones adjusts. 

AJ McCarron

After winning a national title in his first season as a starter, AJ McCarron is back for another run in 2012.

McCarron comes across as the nice guy down the street and seems to fill that role well. Now that he has won a national title, fans will see if that ends up changing him. 

Mike Bellotti

After leaving Oregon for retirement, Mike Bellotti made the choice to head to the booth and do some work for ESPN.

Bellotti was an outstanding coach who has brought some interesting insight to the games he has helped cover.

Tyrann Mathieu

Tyrann Mathieu is the biggest pest in the nation. Known also as the honey badger, Mathieu made a name for himself last year by making life miserable on LSU's opponents.

He is all over the field and does an outstanding job of never giving up on a play.