10 College Football Stars Most Likely to Shine in NFL Next Year
As the calendar turns to November, we’re entering the final quarter of the 2014 college football season. Players and teams are jockeying for position in the chase for the initial College Football Playoff, conference titles and even bowl eligibility.
All the while, NFL coaches, scouts and front-office types are watching. Up close and from afar, they’re taking notes and making evaluations for next spring’s NFL draft. The real fun will start following the season, when the postseason all-star game/NFL combine circuit begins, but it’s fair to take a look at the potential draft class now and wonder how they’ll do at the next level.
Obviously, plenty can (and will) change between now and the moment the team with the first pick in the draft is on the clock, but it’s fun to see how players will fit in as professionals next fall.
Here’s a look at the 10 college stars most likely to shine in the NFL next fall (with help from Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller's "Top 50" Big Board).
This isn’t a referendum on players’ long-term careers but rather a look at those who are most likely to have immediate success and able to make a quick transition at their respective "skill positions" in the NFL. They have shown significant athletic ability and skill and should be able to make the move from college to professional football most easily.
Players like Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston aren't here simply because it can be very difficult for rookie quarterbacks to thrive early on (especially if they are high draft picks in tough situations with rebuilding teams).
Clemson DE Vic Beasley
1 of 10
Last January, Vic Beasley could have jumped to the NFL as a fringe first-round/second-round pick. The Clemson defensive end chose to return to college to bulk up, improve his skills and improve his draft stock—and it looks like that was a smart decision.
Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller rates Beasley No. 8 on his latest “Big Board,” and the Tiger appears likely to find a better outcome in the 2015 draft.
The 6’3”, 235-pound senior is one of the most dangerous pass-rushers in college football. He's the kind of player who must be accounted for at all times on the field. Entering Thursday’s 34-20 win over Wake Forest, he had 20 tackles, but those included 11.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
He has been a leader for a Clemson defense that has been among college football’s best this season (Clemson entered Thursday with the nation’s No. 11 scoring defense). Beasley could fit in immediately on an NFL defense that needs a pass-rushing linebacker or agile defensive end. He’ll be a difference-maker at the next level.
Alabama S Landon Collins
2 of 10
Alabama entered this season with a young defense that returned only three starters. However, the Crimson Tide has been its usual nasty self, regardless. The Tide allow only 14 points per game, which makes them second-best in the nation in scoring defense.
As one of the only veterans on that defense, junior safety Landon Collins has played a gigantic role. Collins has 54 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups. He has been a key cog in a talented secondary.
Collins stands 6’0”, 222 pounds and can play either safety spot. He is quick, explosive and a very hard hitter. He is rated by Matt Miller as the No. 10 player on his latest “Big Board” and is a prime early-entry candidate. He can fit in a needy team’s secondary quickly, providing both run and pass support early in his NFL career.
Alabama WR Amari Cooper
3 of 10
This fall, Alabama junior receiver Amari Cooper has gotten much better. SEC cornerbacks surely hope he’ll really get better next fall—in the NFL.
With four regular season games remaining, Cooper has blasted past his career highs in receptions (59) and yardage (1,000). He has 71 receptions (fifth nationally) and 1,132 receiving yards (second nationally) with nine touchdowns. He has a pair of 200-plus-yard receiving games, including a nine-catch, 224-yard, two-touchdown effort against Tennessee. He has gone for at least 130 yards in six of eight games.
And he’s done all this with a first-year starting quarterback in senior Blake Sims. It's impressive.
Yahoo's Eric Edholm compares Cooper's career arc to that of Sammy Watkins, who has excelled as a high first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills. He says Cooper is the top receiver in next spring's NFL draft right now.
The junior is deadly in the red zone. He has excellent speed and leaping ability and good size at 6’1”, 210 pounds. He could immediately fit into an NFL passing offense as a deep threat who can run routes. He is rated No. 4 on Matt Miller’s latest “Big Board.” Imagine what he could do with an experienced NFL quarterback.
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Nebraska DE Randy Gregory
4 of 10
At 8-1, Nebraska is all but a lock to lose fewer than four games for the first time in Bo Pelini’s seven-season tenure. Junior defensive end Randy Gregory is a huge reason why. The 6’6”, 240-pounder is one of the most fearsome players in college football. He missed a game with injury but has been a fixture in opposing backfields this fall, making 37 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, an interception and 10 quarterback hurries.
Gregory is capable of making plays from sideline to sideline. He is an incredibly active pass rusher with a huge frame and room to grow. He is equally capable of tracking down quarterbacks in the backfield or tailbacks in the flat. This is why he won’t be in Lincoln much longer. Matt Miller rates him as the No. 5 player on his new “Big Board.”
A fourth-year junior, Gregory is the exact kind of player who’d be smart to leave for the NFL. He has the skill set that NFL teams crave as a pass-rushing defensive end and could make an immediate impact on a the defensive line next fall.
Georgia TB Todd Gurley
5 of 10
The four-game NCAA suspension levied against Georgia tailback Todd Gurley for allegedly taking $3,000 in payments for his autograph has been disappointing for Georgia and college fans who love to watch Gurley toy with opposing defenders. But, in the long run, it really isn’t a bad thing for the tailback.
Given the short shelf life of NFL tailbacks, having four fewer games of mileage on his legs can only be a positive when he declares for the NFL draft (which, if he’s smart, will happen this winter). He’s rated at No. 6 on draft expert Matt Miller’s latest “Big Board.”
In six games this season, Gurley had 773 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on just 94 carries, averaging an impressive 8.2 yards per carry. He is incredibly difficult for opposing defenders to tackle, as Clemson found out in the season opener. Against one of the nation’s best defenses, Gurley went for 198 yards and four total touchdowns, including a 100-yard kickoff return score.
With excellent speed, power and burst, he’ll break the mold with a first-round draft selection and take an immediate big role in a lucky NFL team’s backfield next fall.
Washington CB Marcus Peters
6 of 10
Thursday afternoon, Washington coach Chris Petersen made a surprising decision to boot star cornerback Marcus Peters from the Huskies’ program following a reported argument with coaches (he had already been suspended for a game this season for a similar issue), according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. Petersen declined to say exactly what Peters did, but he said the dismissal wasn't related "to just one thing."
"It’s unfortunate, but we’ve got certain standards and operating procedures. We’re trying to do something special here. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Like I said, we wish him the best. It’s always a hard thing—worst part of the job, without question. And with all that being said, that’s really it. That’s it in a nutshell. I know everybody wants the details and other things—we don’t go there; we can’t go there. But like I said, we wish him the best, and it’s hard and painful.
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Peters, a junior, will almost certainly enter the NFL draft—and he’ll be highly prized. The 6’0”, 190-pounder has excellent cover skills and has a nose for the ball. He had three interceptions in eight games this season. NFL teams will have questions about his character, but if he answers them, he’ll likely be a first-round selection.
Matt Miller rates him No. 14 on his latest “Big Board.” Cover corners are a rare commodity in the NFL and, if Peters shows he can behave, he’ll be an early contributor in an NFL secondary next fall.
Missouri DE Shane Ray
7 of 10
With NFL draft picks Kony Ealy and Michael Sam around last fall, Shane Ray had to fight for every snap he got in Missouri’s defensive end rotation. He made the most of them, making 39 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
With Ealy and Sam gone this fall, the stage has been Ray’s, and he has taken advantage of it. The 6’3”, 245-pound junior has been one of the most effective defensive ends in the nation. He has 50 tackles and leads the SEC in tackles for loss (16.0) and sacks (12), which rank No. 3 and No. 2 nationally, respectively.
Ray has excellent speed and pass-rush ability and has been a nightmare for any left tackle to handle this fall. He is rated No. 12 on Matt Miller’s latest “Big Board” and, as a fourth-year junior, he’s a prime candidate to leave early for the NFL draft. The team that snags him should get a very productive end who can make plays early in the defensive line rotation.
Washington LB/TB Shaq Thompson
8 of 10
Is there anything Shaq Thompson can’t do? This fall, the Washington junior has emerged as one of college football’s most versatile, exciting players. As a linebacker, Thompson has 54 tackles and four defensive touchdowns (three fumble returns and an interception return).
But he’s also the Huskies’ best tailback, with 356 yards and two scores. In last week’s win over Colorado, he piled up 174 yards on 15 carries. He averages 7.9 yards per carry.
Thompson, who is 6’1”, 228 pounds, has the playmaking ability NFL teams crave, and he’ll be a prized commodity in next spring’s draft. Matt Miller rates him at No. 11 on his latest “Big Board,” and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take a key role in a team’s linebacker corps next fall.
West Virginia WR Kevin White
9 of 10
Better late than never for Kevin White, right?
The West Virginia senior has put together his best season at the perfect time. Last fall, White had 35 receptions for 507 yards and five touchdowns for a 4-8 team. This fall, the Mountaineers are one of the nation’s best comeback stories, using the “Air Raid” offense and an improved defense for a 6-3 record and bowl eligibility with three games remaining.
White has enjoyed a breakout season. He has 75 receptions for 1,075 yards (both third nationally) and eight touchdowns. He catches everything thrown his way. At 6’3”, 210 pounds, he has the size to thrive against opposing NFL cornerbacks.
He comes in at No. 19 on Matt Miller’s latest “Big Board” and could be a prime target for receiver-needy teams. He has the skills to play and thrive right away in the NFL.
Southern California DE Leonard Williams
10 of 10
Close your eyes. Imagine Ndamukong Suh—minus the ugly late hits and questionable plays—in a frame that could slide between defensive end and defensive tackle.
Now open your eyes. You’re looking at Leonard Williams. The Southern California junior defensive end is one of the most physically imposing players in the game at an impressive and versatile 6’5” and 300 pounds.
Williams has the size to play as a defensive tackle, but is a major matchup problem for opposing left tackles as an end. He can shed blocks and make life incredibly difficult for opposing guards, centers and tackles (not to mention he possesses excellent power and pass-rush skills).
He has been incredibly active this fall, with 54 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and an interception. Williams is No. 3 on Matt Miller’s latest “Big Board” and would be a strong early-entry candidate.
All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted.
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