SEC Football: Current Players with Best Shot to Make CFB Hall of Fame
There are plenty of quality SEC football players, as each year's NFL draft proves. But how many of the stars of now and the future of the league have a shot to become legendary?
Only a few players currently on league rosters have the chance to become the elite of the elite, eventually being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Of the upperclassmen, Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott has shown the potential to be considered among the league's all-time greats, and even he needs an epic final season to reach that peak.
It's impossible to gauge any players who haven't logged significant snaps yet, but the freshman class of 2014 certainly provided some potential candidates who are off to quality starts.
None of the players on this list are guaranteed locks. They just have a chance to someday be mentioned among the game's greats if they can take their game to a completely new level in 2015.
So, let's take a look at the scant few who have a chance to reach the hallowed hall when it's all said and done.
Derek Barnett, Tennessee, Defensive End
1 of 7
See that picture above? Yeah, that's fifth overall draft pick and former Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff doing the only thing he could to slow Derek Barnett in last year's TaxSlayer Bowl—holding him.
The 6'3", 268-pound rising sophomore from Nashville, Tennessee, saw a lot of that last year as teams tried to figure out a way to keep him off their quarterback.
With all the talent UT returns on its defensive line and with the additions of highly regarded defensive tackle prospects Kahlil McKenzie and Shy Tuttle, Barnett is going to see a lot more one-on-one action in the coming years. That's the biggest reason why he has the chance to be special.
It'll be difficult to top Barnett's Freshman All-American campaign. Texas A&M's Myles Garrett may have gotten all the headlines, but Barnett had the better season.
His 10 sacks came against better competition than Garrett's, and he also finished second to Missouri's Shane Ray with 20.5 tackles for loss.
Barnett registered an impressive 72 tackles from his defensive end spot, and he joins senior Curt Maggitt as arguably the nation's top pass-rushing duo.
The Tennessean's David Climer put those numbers into a more historical perspective:
"Barnett is coming off the best season ever by a freshman defensive lineman at UT. Let that sink in for a moment.
Over the years, the Vols have had 11 defensive linemen picked in the first round of the NFL draft. None of those—not Robert Ayers, not Todd Kelly, not even Reggie White—had anything close to the freshman season Barnett had.
"
Both Barnett and Garrett broke Jadeveon Clowney's freshman sack record, and they both have the chance to be special. With Barnett's work ethic and physical skills, he should shine.
Those guys have the ability to be viewed as two of college's all-time great pass-rushers before their careers are done. They've got a long way to go, but they're certainly off to a rousing start.
Nick Chubb, Georgia, Running Back
2 of 7
Perhaps the SEC player most nationally recognized as being the next big star is Georgia running back Nick Chubb.
He, too, had one of the greatest first years at his position in school history. In this case, the only Bulldogs running back who had better numbers as a freshman than Chubb was the great Herschel Walker.
Chubb started just eight games and wound up with an eye-popping 1,547 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. Walker eclipsed those in 1980 with 1,616 yards and 15 touchdowns, but Walker played a lot more.
There were other differences, too, as noted by the great runner himself, who spoke to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chip Towers about Chubb's emerging greatness.
"When I played, they didn't have guys 6'5", 300 pounds that can run a 4.5 [second 40-yard dash]," Walker said. "You've got a bunch of them out there that can do that now. So he's playing in a totally different era. He can make his own way right now. The guy is an incredible, incredible football player."
Walker also said he was "amazed" by Chubb. When you can amaze a legend like Herschel "My God, A Freshman" Walker, that's saying something.
The Cedartown, Georgia, native has the opportunity to be spectacular. He's physically imposing, has incredible football speed and will get every chance to carry the team as the Dawgs break in a new quarterback. Monster numbers could be in his future.
But remember, Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall started with a flurry as well before injuries reared their ugly heads. If Chubb stays in the lineup, he'll surge up the record books.
Leonard Fournette, LSU, Running Back
3 of 7
It would have been next to impossible for Leonard Fournette to live up to the hype he brought with him into his freshman campaign.
The nation's former No. 1-ranked recruit quietly (if that's possible) rushed for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns, comfortably nestled in the massive shadow of Nick Chubb.
After a breakout bowl victory over Notre Dame and a stellar spring where he worked on reshaping his body and improving his speed—a 4.3-second time in the 40-yard dash, Fournette told The Times-Picayune's Jeff Duncan—he appears geared up to break into elite territory.
Duncan believes Fournette is a legitimate Heisman Trophy and All-American candidate, and he very well may be:
"But the long drought could be coming to an end soon. Leonard Fournette will enter his sophomore season as one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy. At 15-2, he owns the third lowest odds to win the award, according to Bovada Sports Book. Only Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot (6-1) and Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott (7-1) have lower odds.
"
It's Fournette's show on the Bayou. With deep-rooted quarterback issues, LSU will lean heavily on its running game. The Tigers have plenty of talent in the offensive backfield, but Fournette will be the workhorse.
He has the size, speed, agility and game-breaking ability to the nation's top running back. Running behind a strong offensive line yet again has him poised for big things.
That hype train is rolling again, and if Fournette ever lives up to it, he'll wind up being one of the best running backs to ever play in the SEC.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, Defensive End
4 of 7
Myles Garrett could be the poster child for what the defensive end has become in college football—and the NFL, for that matter.
He's big (6'4", 260 pounds), long-armed, extremely athletic and scampers around the end and to the opposing quarterback like a jackrabbit. He's also exceptionally strong and has been drooled over by colleges everywhere since his high school days.
All Garrett did upon arriving in College Station to play for Kevin Sumlin's Aggies was draw extra attention (and blockers) throughout his first college season. It still didn't stop him from dominating.
Garrett finished second in the league behind Mizzou's Shane Ray with 11.5 sacks, a number that was good enough to tie for 10th nationally. He also led the Aggies with 14 tackles for a loss and 10 quarterback hurries.
With buckets of talent coming in to help him—such as 5-star defensive tackle Daylon Mack—as well as having a marquee defensive coordinator now in place to guide him in longtime defensive leader John Chavis, Garrett's projections have all the trappings of being special.
When teams can't pay him as much attention, he's going to have field days against offensive lines throughout the SEC. He's too physically gifted not to.
How incredible are Garrett's measurables? According to FoxSports.com's Bruce Feldman:
"Chavis will inherit better talent on the D-line than he would've had at LSU had he stayed in Baton Rouge for 2015. That's in large part due to stud sophomore Myles Garrett, the Freakiest athlete in major college football. The 6'4", 260-pounder—who sports an eight-pack, had 11 sacks as a true freshman and forced a bunch of holds—clocked in the mid-4.4s in the 40 this offseason, according to Aggies strength coach Larry Jackson, who said the only player he's been around who was anywhere near as explosive as Garrett was Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma.
"
That's crazy praise. And while physical traits aren't everything, Garrett reportedly has the work ethic to go along with it. D-ends need hardware to be remembered as great, but the player manning the edge for A&M definitely looks the part.
Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida, Cornerback
5 of 7
The first upperclassman to make the list is elite Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who has grown into arguably the nation's top defensive back in his short time in Gainesville.
Now entering his third (and likely final) season with the Gators, the 5'11", 198-pound defender will try to add some hardware to his two All-American and all-conference honors.
Six interceptions over two seasons is impressive, and that's with quarterbacks throwing mostly away from his direction. VHIII also has an astounding 24 pass breakups over those two years, and he'll be coveted by every NFL team needing a corner in the upcoming draft.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said this of the rising junior corner, predicting him to go fifth in his way-too-early 2016 mock draft:
"What Hargreaves lacks in size, he makes up for in instincts and effortless fluidity in moving with receivers. He's not that small, really, at 5-11 and about 195 pounds, and I think he would have been the top CB taken in the 2015 draft, if available. And this isn't just projection; he has played in 24 games and already has picked off six passes before his junior season.
"
Even so, it's difficult for cornerbacks to be recognized long-term. If he is going to eventually become a Hall of Famer, you'd think VHIII needs to win a Jim Thorpe Award.
He's definitely capable.
VHIII is routinely discussed as one of the league's top players and a surefire pro prospect, and he has shone for a really bad Gators team the past couple of years.
But is he Hall of Fame material? That's tough to say. If Hargreaves were to stay all four seasons, he may make a better case, but that's doubtful with the pros calling with all that potential money. He needs a really big year to be considered.
Dak Prescott, Mississippi State, Quarterback
6 of 7
There's no way Dak Prescott's body of work would stand on its own enough to help him attain college football's highest lifetime achievement honor, even with another spectacular season.
But the Mississippi State senior signal-caller is the league's favorite to win this year's Heisman Trophy.
If he can win that award and lead the Bulldogs to a better-than-expected season, becoming a Hall of Famer is a distinct possibility.
Without question, the 6'2", 230-pound quarterback's junior year was impressive. He threw for 3,449 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and also ran for 986 yards and accounted for 14 more scores.
Those are ridiculous stats, but he split time throughout his first two seasons in Starkville and only really began to emerge toward the end of his sophomore season. That's too late to be considered for historical greatness. The numbers before 2014 were pedestrian.
Not to mention the Bulldogs faded down the stretch last year, going from the nation's top-ranked team to a three-loss afterthought that lost by two scores to archrival Ole Miss and 15 more in the Orange Bowl against Georgia Tech.
Prescott has his work cut out for him again this season with MSU having to replace playmakers on both sides of the ball. He'll have to shoulder most of the load, and he's proved before that he is up to the task.
If the signal-caller can do that and win college football's highest individual honor on the heels of a spectacular junior season, it may just catapult Prescott into the conversation.
Cameron Robinson, Alabama, Offensive Tackle
7 of 7
Year after year, Alabama coach Nick Saban piles up more talent than any other college football coach in the nation.
Yet, there was Cameron Robinson in 2014, defying odds by starting for arguably the nation's most talented team at left tackle, notoriously one of the most difficult positions to play as a true freshman.
He was arguably the Crimson Tide's best lineman, too.
At 6'6", 323 pounds, Robinson was a monster who was easy to project coming out of West Monroe High School in Louisiana. Saban beat out home state LSU for his commitment, and Robinson didn't disappoint, living up to his billing as the nation's fourth-ranked overall player.
Robinson is a mauler, but he's also extremely athletic and looks like a player who's a definitive future No. 1 overall selection in the NFL draft. NFLDraftScout.com has him as the early top tackle in the 2018 NFL draft.
Perhaps the most obvious testament to Robinson's greatness is that you never hear about him anymore, and nobody ever writes about him. He simply plugged the gap vacated by Cyrus Kouandjio, and the Tide kept running the ball down everybody's throat.
Offensive linemen who live in anonymity are normally doing their jobs.
The best thing about Robinson is that a strong spring indicated he is only getting better. He still has at least two years to play in Tuscaloosa, and even among so many fellow 4- and 5-star players, he looks like a monster—and plays like one, too.
Playing for elite offensive line coach Mario Cristobal can do nothing but help his cause, too.
Greatness is difficult to predict for offensive linemen, but Robinson has everything it takes. If he continues to develop, he could be one of the best in league history.
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Quotes and observations gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Brad Shepard covers SEC football for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
