12 Most Intimidating College Football Players Today
College football is an intimidating game played by intimidating athletes.
To make it this far as a football player, many of the stars of fall Saturdays need to have the size, strength and athleticism that blow the average Joe out of the water. They also need the type of attitude that can deflect any fear on the field toward their opponents.
But there are those who can intimidate the intimidators—the playmakers who stand out as the most fearsome. From immense size to a reputation for hitting the hardest, these are the players who are the most intimidating in the entire FBS landscape.
Here are a dozen of the most intimidating players in college football, based on size, strength and physicality for their given positions. Even after the departure of players such as Baylor's Shawn Oakman, Ole Miss' Robert Nkemdiche and Alabama's Derrick Henry, college football still has plenty of bruising behemoths and hard hitters to go around.
Of course, this is not a catch-all list of intimidating players in the game of college football. If you have your own suggestions for the top intimidators on the gridiron, shout them out in the comments below.
Alabama LB Reuben Foster
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Size: 6'1", 240 pounds
Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster has developed a reputation as a fearless heavy hitter for arguably college football's scariest front seven. When a player wears a neck roll as massive as the one Foster has, you ought to know what's coming.
Foster's hits during his three seasons so far at Alabama have become incredible highlight-reel material. In 2014, he absolutely crushed LSU running back Leonard Fournette on a kickoff return, which was the final play of regulation. He had a similar takedown late in the first half of Alabama's beatdown of Texas A&M that same season.
Last year, Foster brought his playmaking skills from special teams to the heart of the Alabama defense, becoming a starting inside linebacker with 73 tackles and eight tackles for loss for the eventual national champions. He showed he could be a sure tackler as much as a hard hitter, although he still lit up opponents such as Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen on occasion.
Now an experienced member of Nick Saban's vaunted defense in Tuscaloosa, Foster is as intimidating as they come for opposing offenses. He can make a wide variety of plays across the middle for the Crimson Tide, and he has the ability to flip momentum in a heartbeat with one of his signature bone-jarring hits.
Florida State DB Derwin James
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Size: 6'3", 213 pounds
Someone forgot to tell Derwin James he was just a true freshman last season for Florida State. A few months after arriving from Haines City High School in Florida, James carved out a starting role for the Seminoles and showed zero fear for a newcomer.
James finished the 2015 season with 91 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups and two forced fumbles. The versatile safety was a menace for all types of offensive competition, as he could shut down passing attempts, stuff runs and torture quarterbacks off the edge as a pass rusher without missing a beat.
As Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel wrote last November, James was good for a big hit every game, garnering the moniker of a "beast" from teammates. Perhaps his most intimidating show of power last season came against rival Florida, when he sent a Gator offensive tackle flying on a pass rush.
Best of all for Florida State—and worst of all for opponents—James is set to play at least two more years for the Seminoles. The young defensive back became a player opposing offenses had to keep track of at all times in the span of a few weeks, and he should only grow as an intimidating force on defense.
Georgia LB Lorenzo Carter
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Size: 6'6", 242 pounds
When it comes to massive pass rushers who thrive on size and speed, Georgia outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter is the prototype. At 6'6" and 242 pounds, there's no missing Carter from the moment he gets off the Bulldogs' team bus.
"Lorenzo, he's what you want in an athlete, he's what you want as an edge guy," NFL-bound Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins said, per Marc Weiszer of OnlineAthens. "He's about 6-5, 6-6 and 240 pounds and four or five percent body fat. He's got all the tools. He's just got to go out there and just show it and just ball."
Carter wasted no time in backing up his buzz-worthy frame as a true freshman in 2014, starting five games and compiling seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Last year, he fell behind other edge rushers on the depth chart and only finished with 19 total tackles.
If Carter can fully harness his athleticism under Kirby Smart this season, he has the tools to be one of the SEC's best defenders. Whenever he lines up on the edge, Carter brings all sort of intimidation.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
LSU RB Leonard Fournette
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Size: 6'1", 230 pounds
For the first two months of the 2015 season, Leonard Fournette blazed a trail of destruction that lived up to his hype as the nation's No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2014 and then some.
In just his second game of his sophomore campaign, Fournette went 228 yards on just 19 carries—an even 12 yards per touch—and singlehandedly destroyed the Auburn defense with an all-time great highlight package. That game included his WWE-worthy shoulder toss of Tray Matthews on his way to a touchdown and jaw-dropping trucking of Blake Countess for another score.
Although Fournette couldn't keep his momentum going for an entire season, he proved to be nearly impossible to take down for most defenses he faced. His combination of size, speed and power make him a frightening force out of the backfield, and plenty of SEC defenders have fallen victim to him in his two seasons.
Fournette led the country in rushing yards per game last season and found the end zone 22 times in just 12 games of action. He will enter 2016 as a strong Heisman contender again and one of the most fearsome players in the entire country.
Michigan State DT Malik McDowell
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Size: 6'6", 280 pounds
A good amount of players have come and gone from Michigan State's 2015 Big Ten title team, but the Spartans should stay strong in the trenches this fall thanks to the massive presence of defensive tackle Malik McDowell.
Last year, McDowell broke all the way out for Michigan State, coming up with 13 tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries from down the middle of the defense. At 280 pounds, he isn't the thickest defensive tackle around, but his ability to penetrate backfields is awe-inspiring, and Michigan State can use him in a number of ways.
"His ceiling is unlimited, it truly is, it's about how badly he wants to learn the game and how hard he wants to work to be dominant every single down," Michigan State co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said, per Mike Griffith of MLive.com.
McDowell's ability to stuff some of the toughest rushers around and knock big interior offensive linemen back several yards in no time make him such a fearsome force up front for the Spartans. And in 2016, there's plenty of room for him to get even more intimidating.
Ohio State LB Raekwon McMillan
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Size: 6'2", 240 pounds
Ohio State has to rebuild its depth chart heading into 2016 after a mass exodus of talent to the NFL, but the Buckeyes have a cornerstone that has no problem crushing opponents. Raekwon McMillan is simply an all-around freak and a tackle machine at middle linebacker.
McMillan weighs 240 pounds and has been clocked at an absurd 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash, according to Ian Hartitz of Land-Grant Holy Land. Those athletic gifts give him an incredible combination of pursuit and power. Last year, his first as a full-time starter for the Buckeyes, he led Ohio State with 119 tackles—recording 14 or more in three different games.
"How many tackles should I make? Any tackle in the area or near a guy, I think I should make that tackle," McMillan said, per Hartitz. "I think I shouldn't miss any tackles. I think that's a better answer. I don't think I should miss any."
Although Ohio State will break in plenty of first-time starters last season, the Buckeyes defense will still be able to intimidate quite a number of opponents because of what it has down the middle in McMillan. His physical tools are downright scary, and he has the production to back up all of them.
Oklahoma OT Orlando Brown Jr.
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Size: 6'8", 357 pounds
Few offensive linemen in college football can compare to the tremendous size of Oklahoma sophomore Orlando Brown Jr. The Georgia native once weighed around 450 pounds, and he's slimmed down over the years to his current playing weight of 357 pounds.
On top of his intimidating size, Brown has a heritage of intimidation and high energy on the offensive line. He is the son of the late Orlando "Zeus" Brown, who started 119 games at offensive tackle in the NFL.
Like his late father, Brown towers over opponents and teammates alike:
"Orlando Brown Jr. makes the rest of the Oklahoma offensive line look like pee wee players.
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) November 22, 2015"
While he struggled with penalties at times last season, Brown held his own as the starting left tackle for the Sooners, helping lead the offense to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth. According to Oklahoma, he is one of only 10 freshmen to ever start a single game at tackle in school history.
Oregon DE Canton Kaumatule
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Size: 6'7", 295 pounds
Oregon defensive end Canton Kaumatule hasn't had much of a chance to intimidate a lot of college opponents just yet in his career. But when he does, watch out.
Kaumatule's selection here is more of one for the future, as the massive Hawaiian appeared in eight games as part of the Ducks' defensive line rotation and recorded a couple of tackles. He is the latest of a number of Oregon linemen such as DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead who bring massive size to the trenches.
The former 5-star recruit earned plenty of recruiting buzz despite the level of competition he faced in high school in Hawaii because of his tremendous athleticism for such a massive frame. He was named a high school All-American as a sophomore all the way back in the 2012 season.
New Oregon defensive coordinator Brady Hoke could use Kaumatule either as a massive defensive end or a bruising defensive tackle in his 4-3 system. No matter where he lines up, the towering Duck going to be a huge candidate to break out in the Pac-12 this season after getting adjusted to the speed of the college game.
Pittsburgh RB James Conner
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Size: 6'2", 240 pounds
Based on the game tape he's been able to generate alone, James Conner is one of the most intimidating offensive weapons in the entire country. At 6'2" and 240 pounds, he proved to be nearly impossible to bring down as a sophomore in 2014, going for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns on 298 carries and racking up numerous national and conference honors.
But what will make Conner even more intimidating whenever he steps back onto the field for the Pittsburgh Panthers is what he's been through over the last year. He tore his MCL in the 2015 season opener against Youngstown State and missed the rest of the season. A few months later, he announced he had been diagnosed with cancer.
However, that hasn't seemed to slow down Conner. He's been able to go through the majority of spring drills at Pittsburgh with a surgical mask over his face, and head coach Pat Narduzzi told reporters he believes Conner will play in 2016. According to CBS Pittsburgh, Narduzzi also said "you wouldn't know" Conner has cancer by the way he's been working in practices.
Toughness defines Conner both on and off the field. He was already an intimidating power back for the Panthers before these last few months. When he makes his return, he'll be ready to face anything defenses throw his way.
Tennessee RB Jalen Hurd
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Size: 6'4", 240 pounds
In the one-two punch that is Tennessee's "Chain-Moving Gang" at running back, Jalen Hurd is definitely the knockout blow. At 6'4" and 240 pounds, Hurd looks more like a linebacker than a lead rusher for a SEC program.
After reaching nearly 900 yards as a freshman in 2014, Hurd went for 1,353 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Volunteers last season, teaming perfectly with the speedy Alvin Kamara out of the backfield. It didn't matter how Tennessee got the ball in his hands—his goal was to run through defenders. Even his short gains had a way of becoming highlights.
One of Hurd's scariest abilities is that he can continue to absorb punishment and dish out some of his own through all four quarters of a contest. Even though he split carries with Kamara, Hurd had at least 20 carries in more than half of Tennessee's contests last season and had an incredible 34 touches against the bruising Missouri defense.
Like Alabama's Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry, Hurd is a physical freak of nature at running back who can bulldoze his way through defenses and hit the second level with speed. Seeing a man his size coming down the chute on a handoff has to be one of the most intimidating sights in college football.
Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett
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Size: 6'5", 262 pounds
Texas A&M's defensive line has a few incredibly intimidating figures. Daeshon Hall stands at 6'6" and 260 pounds, and he emerged as a real force for the Aggies last season. The 335-pound defensive tackle Daylon Mack is no stranger to mind-blowing feats of power.
But as a total package of intimidation on defense, Myles Garrett is it for John Chavis' defense in College Station. After posting 11 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman in 2014, Garrett had 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss under Chavis in 2015. His figures in 2015 were among the best in the country.
"Garrett boasts the kind of ridiculous athleticism that makes NFL personnel drool," Jeff Caplan of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote. "He deemed last season's sack total to be a failure, and has vowed to come back this year with the goal of breaking every A&M record possible."
Garrett already broke an SEC freshman sack record held by recent South Carolina great Jadeveon Clowney, a freakish talent who went from No. 1 overall recruit to No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL. With so many great sack masters from 2015 now off to the NFL, he'll enter 2016 as the most intimidating pass rusher in college football.
USC OT Zach Banner
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Size: 6'9", 360 pounds
Calling Zach Banner "huge" or "gigantic" would be a true understatement to his ridiculous frame. Heading into the 2015 season, Chase Goodbread of NFL.com confirmed Banner was the biggest player in FBS football at 6'9" and 360 pounds.
A former USC basketball player, Banner has established himself as a jaw-dropping force on the offensive line with the Trojans. He started the last two seasons at right tackle for USC and was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last year. Banner announced last December he would return to USC for one more year.
According to Dan Weber of Scout, Banner weighed nearly 390 pounds in January but is focused on slimming down past his playing weight from last season. A leaner and quicker 6'9" offensive tackle who has already established himself as one of the best in the Pac-12, Banner could find ways to become even scarier in 2016.
Based on size alone, the one they call "Hulk" in Los Angeles is as intimidating as you'll find anywhere in the sport. Banner also has the experience and the skill set to perfectly complement that monstrous frame, making him a daunting matchup for any defender that crosses paths with him.
All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting rankings are courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
