The 10 Best College Football Athletes in 2015
Every year, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports releases his annual "Freak List"—a compilation of the best athletes in college football.
This might not be quite on the same level, but Feldman's annual rankings certainly inspired it. With summer workouts officially underway, it's time to look at college football's best athletes in the game. These are the guys, large and small, who make you say "wow" with what they're able to do physically.
Keep in mind that the athletes on this list are being recognized for just that—their athleticism. The best athletes aren't always the most productive players, and the most productive players aren't always the best athletes.
We considered stats, but only in a supportive way to show versatility or how a player uses his athleticism.
Best of the Rest
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There are a lot of great athletes in college football. In an effort to include some more worthy names who just missed the cut, we bring you the best of the rest:
Ole Miss offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil: At 6'5" and 305 pounds, Tunsil is a powerful player who is capable of pushing others around but also has some nimbleness to his game.
Baylor tight end Laquan McGowan: In an interview with Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer, Baylor offensive coordinator Kendal Briles said McGowan runs a 40-yard dash in five seconds. McGowan, a converted offensive lineman, is 410 pounds. "He’s a massive individual but also very skilled," Briles told Kramer.
USC linebacker/safety Su'a Cravens: Cravens has been an impact player for USC over the past two seasons as a safety and a linebacker. He played all over the field in that back seven between 220 pounds and 235 pounds. That's a lot of open-field running and quickness for a guy that size.
10. Texas Linebacker Malik Jefferson
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We're taking a risk here and going with someone who has yet to play a single down of college football. Still, Texas early enrollee linebacker Malik Jefferson has been the subject of rave reviews this spring. The coaching staff has put the former No. 1 high school player in Texas at outside and inside linebacker, as well as the "Fox" position, which is a hybrid of linebacker and defensive end.
That can be a lot to ask of a young player, but so far the returns have been good for Jefferson. The freshman recorded six tackles, one of which went for a loss, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble in the spring game. Put simply, it doesn't sound like Texas has had an athlete this versatile in the defensive front seven in a while.
Jefferson's numbers from summer camps in high school were equally as impressive. According to Student Sports, he ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash and posted a nearly 40-inch vertical at The Opening in 2014. Keep in mind he's listed at 6'2" and 215 pounds.
9. TCU Wide Receiver Kolby Listenbee
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From 2013 to 2014, TCU's wide receiver group transformed into one of the most improved units anywhere in college football. Athleticism wasn't a problem for the Frogs in 2013, but consistency was. Kolby Listenbee went from catching just two passes in '13 to 41 last season with four touchdowns.
Off the field, Listenbee has displayed his unreal straight-line speed in other ways. He recently qualified for the NCAA track and field championships by finishing seventh overall in the NCAA West preliminary round. In the 100-meter race, he recorded a time of 10.09 seconds, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
As one of several receivers returning to TCU in 2015, Listenbee should help the Frogs to have one of the most potent passing attacks in college football once again.
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8. Georgia Tech Running Back Broderick Snoddy
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Georgia Tech loses practically its entire starting lineup (and some of its two-deep) at running back and wide receiver. One player who is returning, though, is A-back Broderick Snoddy.
He didn't carry the ball a ton last year for the Yellow Jackets with just 28 touches. However, he averaged 10.11 yards with those carries. He also had three receptions for 100 yards. So while Snoddy hasn't touched the ball a lot so far, he's made the most of his chances.
As a track and field star, he earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2013-14 and has excelled in the 60-meter and 200-meter races. He has also earned praise from Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports on his annual "Freak List" and from Bryan Fischer of NFL.com for being the fourth-fastest player in college football.
Snoddy is recovering from a season-ending leg injury, but head coach Paul Johnson recently declared him a "full go" for the 2015 season.
7. North Carolina A&T Running Back Tarik Cohen
5 of 11Of all the names on this list, North Carolina A&T running back Tarik Cohen is the least recognizable—well, maybe a few weeks ago.
He has become an Internet sensation with videos of him catching footballs while doing backflips. The one above shows Cohen grabbing a ball one-handed while doing a flip. Another shows him catching two balls simultaneously while doing a flip.
It doesn't matter who you are, what position you play or where you play, that's impressive.
At 5'6" and 172 pounds, Cohen isn't the biggest running back out there, but he's a heck of an athlete with hand-eye coordination that anyone would want. Now, if he could only do this during a game...
6. Georgia Running Back Nick Chubb
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Last season, Georgia had one of the best athletes in college football in running back Todd Gurley. Naturally, the Bulldogs replaced him with another freak athlete, running back Nick Chubb. As the Twitter hashtag goes, you could say Georgia has been #blessed with great athletes in the backfield.
At 5'10" and 220 pounds, Chubb is a powerful back who refuses to go down the first (or the second, or third, or...) time he's touched. But he also has more speed and wiggle to his game than you would expect for someone at his weight.
Taking over for Gurley in 2014, Chubb had 1,547 rushing yards at roughly seven yards per carry with 14 touchdowns. He is a preseason Heisman and SEC Player of the Year candidate, but he's not letting the hype get to his head, as he's proved with some impressive offseason workouts.
5. Oregon Wide Receiver Devon Allen
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It's not all that surprising to see an Oregon player make it onto a list of college football's best athletes. The Ducks play at a fast pace and need the best athletes on the field.
As a redshirt freshman in 2014, receiver Devon Allen made an impact with 41 receptions and led the team with seven touchdowns. He also contributed as a return man, averaging about 26 yards per kickoff return. However, he missed basically all of Oregon's two postseason games because of a knee injury he suffered on the opening kickoff of the Rose Bowl.
As a track and field star, Allen finished second at the 2014 Pac-12 Track and Field Championships in the 110-meter (13.47 seconds) and 400-meter (51.19 seconds) hurdles. Currently, he's rehabbing his knee injury and training for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Not every pure athlete has translated his track and field success onto the football field, but Allen looks like a player who can excel at both.
4. USC Cornerback Adoree' Jackson
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You probably already know what kind of athlete USC's Adoree' Jackson is on the field. Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian simply can't keep him on the sidelines. As a freshman in 2014, Jackson played cornerback—and should be the team's best option there in 2015—wide receiver and return specialist.
In all, he accounted for 822 yards, five touchdowns and nine pass breakups.
But Jackson is also a freak athlete away from the gridiron. Last month, he won the men's long jump competition at the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships with a leap of 25 feet, 3/12 inches. He also qualified for the 100-meter event with a time of 10.53 seconds.
Jackson has world-class speed, but as a football player, he also knows how to use it. He has great vision on offense and special teams and outstanding closing speed on defense.
3. Ohio State Defensive End Joey Bosa
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Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa is the defending Big Ten's Defensive Lineman of the Year after leading the conference with 13.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. The guy just knows how to get into the backfield.
While comparing Bosa to Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is a stretch—actually, comparing just about any D-lineman to Watt is inviting unrealistic expectations—the Ohio State defensive end does have excellent athleticism.
He displayed his quick first step and power every single week last year, most notably on the final play against Penn State, but he has more than just speed on his side. Bosa has developed an arsenal of moves, both inside and out, that make him one of the most dangerous edge-rushers in college football.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has him has his top overall prospect for next year's NFL draft, and he probably won't be the last person to have Bosa there, either.
2. Alabama Running Back Derrick Henry
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Hyperbolic and outlandish comparisons get made all the time in sports, but Alabama running back Derrick Henry really is kind of a miniature Sherman tank. Then again, that's par for the course with the type of running backs Alabama churns out.
There's no way a guy who's listed at 6'3" and 242 pounds should be able to move like Henry does. Yet, the junior-to-be has a unique blend of power and speed. It's really unfair when you think about it. Though T.J. Yeldon got more touches than Henry last year, Henry actually averaged more yards per touch (5.76 to 5.05) and scored just as many rushing touchdowns (11).
Last month, a video of Henry pushing a pickup truck went viral, though the post has since been removed from his Instagram account. The year before, Henry posted a video of him flipping monster-truck tires.
1. Baylor Defensive End Shawn Oakman
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You've probably seen the memes by now and heard the phrase "Shawn Oakman is so big that..." 100 times. It gets tired, but there's truth to the fact that Baylor's stud defensive end is a freak of nature athletically. At 6'9" and 280 pounds, he is usually one of the biggest guys on the field at any given point.
Yet, Oakman isn't a guy who will play in a phone booth and simply take up space. He moves as well as anyone and has a quick first burst off the line. Last year, he finished second in the Big 12 with 11 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. Plus, he had eight quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and three pass breakups.
All of those stats are to say he's a disruptive force on the edge of the line. If you're looking for someone to get into the backfield quickly, Oakman is as good as anyone you're going to find at the college level.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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