10 College Football Players Who Are Much Better Than Their Statistics Show
On days like Saturday, it’s easy to find talent in college football. On a day that saw massive upheaval in the nation’s Top 25, with unbeatens like LSU, Michigan State, TCU and Memphis all falling, standouts abounded.
Alabama tailback Derrick Henry bulled his way into the Heisman Trophy race with a 210-yard, three-touchdown effort against LSU. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 297 yards and rushed for 107 more in the Tigers’ breakthrough win over ACC rival Florida State. Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns in the Cowboys’ surprising 49-29 rout of TCU.
Those names are obvious. What about the players whose stats don’t always display their values to their teams? Here are 10 players who are much better than their statistics show. These players were selected because while their stats might not be nation- or even league-leading, their values to their teams are clear.
Clemson CB Mackensie Alexander
1 of 10
Clemson went from good to great when Dabo Swinney hired Brent Venables as his defensive coordinator. Venables has built one of the best defenses in the nation, and even after losing the nucleus from 2014’s nationally top-ranked defense, the Tigers are stout again in 2015. Following Saturday’s 23-13 win over Florida State, Clemson has the nation’s No. 5 overall defense, allowing 287.1 yards per game.
How do you explain the impressive effort? Start with a talented secondary. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Mackensie Alexander has only 16 tackles and three pass breakups all season, but there’s no questioning his talent. He shut down Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller in a key 24-22 win, and he’s the kind of player opposing quarterbacks throw away from.
Alexander rarely speaks with reporters, but he told reporters before the season that he considers himself the best cornerback in America:
"In my opinion it’s not even close. I think every guy that talks about Mackensie knows I’m the best corner in college. It’s not even close. Look at my body of work, the things I’ve put on, the things I’ve done. It’s not even close. My numbers, you look at everybody else’s numbers. I don’t care who they are and what league they play in. If you can play, you can play.
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Alexander has backed up those words. He's an excellent cover corner and an impact player, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him jump to the NFL following this season. He’s that talented.
Ohio State DE Joey Bosa
2 of 10
On a crazy Saturday that saw four unbeaten teams fall, Ohio State just kept chugging along. The Buckeyes jumped out to a big lead against Minnesota and closed out a 28-14 victory, improving to 9-0.
The defending national champions remain as sure a bet as anyone to make the College Football Playoff, provided they take care of business in their final three games and the Big Ten title game.
Ohio State has had its offensive struggles this season while shuffling between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett at quarterback, but the Buckeyes defense has been as good as ever.
A cornerstone is junior defensive end Joey Bosa. Through eight games (he was suspended for the opener at Virginia Tech), Bosa has 33 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. The imposing pass-rusher is third in sacks on Ohio State’s roster, in fact. That’s hardly impressive, but it doesn’t discount his ability to get after opposing quarterbacks (he has 11 QB hurries this season). Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm, speaking with NFL scouts, said Bosa could still be the No. 1 pick in next spring's NFL draft.
He remains an athletic freak, talented end and a strong NFL early-entry candidate after this season.
LSU WR Travin Dural
3 of 10
LSU’s hopes of an SEC title and College Football Playoff berth took a huge hit in Saturday’s 30-16 loss at Alabama. Standout tailback Leonard Fournette was held to 31 yards on 19 carries—the first time all season he’d been held below 150. The game underscored LSU’s struggles with competent quarterback play.
Sophomore Brandon Harris has been adequate this season, but he made just six of 19 completions for 128 yards, a touchdown and a key interception. LSU’s issues in the passing game hide the fact that it has talented receivers.
Junior Travin Dural, who caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Harris, is one of them. He has 26 catches for 503 yards and three touchdowns. Dural is an excellent deep threat, with catches of 51, 62 and 67 yards this season, but imagine what he’d do in, say, Baylor, TCU or Clemson’s offense. He’s miscast on the Bayou.
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Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg
4 of 10
Despite a disappointing 23-21 loss to Northwestern Saturday, Penn State is still 7-3 and solidly in the mix for a good postseason destination. Junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg has been much more efficient this season. Following a 12-touchdown, 15-interception 2014 season, he has 13 touchdowns against just three interceptions, with 1,997 yards passing.
Hackenberg averages 7.26 yards per attempt, up from last year’s figure of 6.15, but he’s again been victimized by a poor offensive line. He has been sacked 32 times in 10 games after being downed 44 times in 13 games a year ago.
At 6’4”, 228 pounds, Hackenberg has prototypical NFL size with an excellent arm and feel for the game. When he gets to the NFL, Penn State fans will realize how little they made of his potential during his time at State College.
Toledo RB Kareem Hunt
5 of 10
Toledo had a tough week. The Rockets’ hopes of a "Group of Five" New Year’s Day bowl bid took a huge hit with a home loss to Northern Illinois, but junior tailback Kareem Hunt was not to blame. Hunt carried 25 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the 32-27 loss.
2015 has been something of a disappointment for Hunt, who was coming off a 1,631-yard, 16-touchdown sophomore season. He has 489 yards and five touchdowns, but he has missed three games with injury, and Toledo’s opener against Stony Brook was canceled by storms.
He is a quick, talented runner, and when he’s healthy, he’s special. He rushed for 129 yards in Toledo’s win over Big 12 foe Iowa State. If he can stay on the field, Hunt will have a shot at an NFL career.
Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche
6 of 10
Ole Miss’ 2015 season has been something of a disappointment. Saturday’s wild 53-52 overtime loss to Arkansas dropped the Rebels to 7-3, and they’re all but out of the SEC West race with two games to play. At times, the Land Shark defense hasn’t lived up to expectations, but blame shouldn’t fall on junior defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche.
Nkemdiche has more than lived up to the hype that followed him to Oxford three years ago, and he is likely a top-10 selection should he declare for next spring’s NFL draft. Chris Burke of SI.com projected him as the top overall pick. However, through nine games this season, he has only 22 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. What gives?
He is a beastly force inside who often attracts double-teams, which frees up his teammates around him to flow more freely and make plays. His statistical value might not always show up, but anyone who has watched an Ole Miss game knows what he means to the Rebels.
Baylor DE Shawn Oakman
7 of 10
Baylor is 8-0 and in the thick of the College Football Playoff discussion, and a potent offense is the biggest reason why. Even with quarterback Seth Russell sidelined for the season by a neck injury, freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham stepped in just fine against Kansas State. Wide receiver Corey Coleman has 20 touchdown receptions and is a legit Heisman Trophy candidate.
That said, the Bears defense could use some work. It's allowed fewer than 17 points just once this season. But don’t blame defensive end Shawn Oakman. Oakman is an intimidating physical force at 6’9”, 280 pounds, with the kind of body that makes NFL teams drool.
Through eight games, he has 27 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. Those numbers are good, not great, but his presence on Baylor’s defensive line is one that can’t be ignored.
Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine
8 of 10
2015 has been a turnaround season for Oklahoma. The Sooners are 8-1 and on the fringe of the College Football Playoff race. New offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley has been an excellent fit, as has quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has thrown for 2,812 yards with 28 touchdowns against four interceptions in the new Air Raid offense.
One player who has taken a smaller role, however, is sophomore tailback Samaje Perine. A year ago, Perine carried 263 times for 1,713 yards and 21 touchdowns. Through nine games, he has 140 attempts for 806 yards and 10 scores, and his average per carry is down from 6.5 yards to 5.8.
A year ago, Perine averaged 20.3 carries per game; this season, it’s 15.5. Some of that can be attributed to the new offense, as well as the arrival of tailback Joe Mixon, who has 519 yards on 78 attempts. Anyone who watches Perine run knows how talented, powerful and fast he is, though.
Navy QB Keenan Reynolds
9 of 10
Navy is making a major splash in its first season of American Athletic Conference play. The Midshipmen are 7-1, with their only loss coming to Notre Dame. Saturday, they ruined Memphis’ unbeaten season with a resounding 45-20 rout.
One of Navy’s cornerstones is senior quarterback Keenan Reynolds. An option quarterback, Reynolds sails a bit under the radar at times. He has just 516 yards passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions, but he has real value as Navy’s leading rusher. He has 791 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Reynolds’ non-traditional skills might not get him as much attention as other top quarterbacks, but Navy wouldn’t trade him for anyone. If the Midshipmen make a run at a New Year’s Six bowl bid, he’ll deserve plenty of credit.
Alabama DT A'Shawn Robinson
10 of 10
The value of a good defensive tackle can be hard to quantify sometimes. The big guys do a lot of dirty work in the trenches, but they don’t always show up in the stat sheet or reflect in the game highlights for the average fan.
That wasn’t the case for A’Shawn Robinson Saturday night. Alabama’s standout DT made himself known to a CBS audience and America late in the Tide’s 30-16 win over previously unbeaten LSU, hurdling a Tigers offensive lineman and blocking an extra point.
Oh, and did we mention that Robinson is 6’4”, 312 pounds? Yep. Robinson is an athletic freak, but you might not notice it from his stats (29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks). He is a big reason why Alabama’s defensive line is so dominant and one of the best in the nation. A few more plays like Saturday’s, and everyone else will realize why, too.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
