The Most Versatile Players in College Football
In the NFL, players do one thing, and they do it well. Only a few quarterbacks are threats to run the ball because the position as a whole is too valuable to get injured. Defensive players stick to defense. It's pretty straightforward.
College football, however, can be more like the Wild West. Players can do just about anything and are often asked to. It's insanely entertaining to see just how versatile these young athletes can be.
Whether it's a quarterback who is even scarier when he's running the ball, an offensive player making an impact on defense and vice versa or a player who has shifted to a totally new position and still excelled, these are the most versatile players in college football.
Trevone Boykin (QB, TCU)
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Trevone Boykin, TCU's do-everything QB, is in the middle of an outstanding senior season. He already has 37 touchdowns in just eight games, 29 through the air and eight on the ground.
Boykin leads an impressive aerial attack, but his legs are what really give defenses fits. He takes off an average of 11 times a game and is always a threat to escape the pocket. It's a big part of why TCU is 8-1 and knocking on the door of the College Football Playoff again.
Adoree' Jackson (CB/WR, USC)
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USC's Adoree' Jackson may not be having the standout season many thought he would after an electric freshman year, but his versatility made him a key part of the Trojans' victory over Cal in Week 8.
The sophomore caught two balls for 18 yards, but it was his 46-yard interception return for a touchdown against the man predicted to be the first QB off the board in next year's NFL draft that put USC up 17 points and out of reach.
Jackson's ability to catch balls on offense is valuable, but it's his defense that makes him stand out as such a versatile player.
D.J. Foster (WR, Arizona State)
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D.J. Foster has transitioned in his senior year from a running back who also catches a ton of passes to a wide receiver who also runs the ball from time to time. It may seem like semantics, but what it boils down to is that Foster is a versatile threat in both the passing and running game.
Through nine games this season, Foster's career rushing total is 2,303 yards, and his receiving total is 2,310 yards. Talk about an even split.
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Greg Ward Jr. (QB, Houston)
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Houston has always been a hotbed of offense, but it definitely found something special in Greg Ward Jr. The junior leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards, barely edging out Keenan Reynolds of Navy, a team that runs so much that a quarterback to them is basically a figurehead.
Ward Jr. has 829 rushing yards this year and an eye-popping 16 rushing touchdowns. But lest you think of him as just a runner, he also has 2,116 passing yards and 13 more touchdowns through the air. So while he does most of his scoring on the ground, he's versatile enough to hurt you with his arm any time.
Braxton Miller (WR, Ohio State)
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You can't really have this list without Braxton Miller. The man who piloted Ohio State's passing attack for three years got hurt his senior year and then found the Buckeyes with a glut of QB talent. So what's a great athlete to do? Well, you turn yourself into a wide receiver, which Miller did.
After a mind-blowing first game of the year, when he recorded a rushing and receiving touchdown, Miller has been fairly quiet, but he's still a big-play threat who defenses have to account for on every play.
Either way, it's still impressive to see a former QB fit so seamlessly into his new role.
Robert Nkemdiche (DE, Ole Miss)
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The man that our own Matt Miller currently has projected to go third in the NFL draft for his defensive prowess has also made some waves this season on the offensive end.
The Rebels don't use Robert Nkemdiche on offense often, and even then it's just inn short-yardage situations, but he has scored twice on the ground this season and once on a 31-yard receiving touchdown that showed off some serious speed.
This guy is a freak athlete, and there's no doubt in my mind that if Ole Miss wanted him more involved in the offensive game plan, he'd deliver. But you only use a guy like this in certain situations, like the Houston Texans do with J.J. Watt.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
