10 College Football Players Who Are Much Better Than Their Statistics Show
College football is as well-covered as it has ever been. There are games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and, of course, Saturday. If you want to watch a team or a player, chances are you can find a way to do so via television or Internet stream. The information is out there.
However, some players still manage to fly under the radar or go unappreciated, particularly when you examine their statistical lines. They mean more to their teams than their stats can indicate. Here’s a look at 10 players who are much better than their statistics show, given their overall value to their teams and how they’ve contributed to success.
Wisconsin S D'Cota Dixon
1 of 10
Wisconsin has emerged as one of the nation’s biggest surprises. Expected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten West, the Badgers are a Top 10 team, knocking on the door of the College Football Playoff. Despite losing key pieces from last season’s No. 1 scoring and No. 2 overall defense, Wisconsin’s defensive unit has been excellent again in 2016.
There were serious questions about Wisconsin’s safety slots after Michael Caputo and Tanner McEvoy graduated. But senior Leo Musso and junior D’Cota Dixon have been excellent.
Dixon has 43 tackles and four interceptions, and he's been a revelation on the back end. He's an aggressive, smart player who makes tackles and plays bigger than his 5’10” frame. Dixon’s play has helped Wisconsin stay stingy on defense, allowing 12.7 points per game (tied for No. 3 nationally in scoring defense).
He is an underrated player, but if the Badgers keep winning, he might not be for much longer.
TCU RB Kyle Hicks
2 of 10
This has been a rather uneven season for TCU. The Horned Frogs were considered a dark-horse College Football Playoff contender, but at 5-4, they won’t challenge for the playoff or the Big 12 title. They have, however, found a new star in junior tailback Kyle Hicks. Hicks rushed for a total of 422 yards in his first two seasons, but he's now on the verge of a national breakout campaign.
This year, Hicks has 789 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as well as 33 receptions for 343 yards and two scores, and he's improved as the season has worn on. Hicks has surpassed 100 rushing yards three times in his last four games, only failing to do so when he left the Texas Tech game with an ankle injury.
He had his best game yet against Baylor, rushing for 192 yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries. Hicks mixes speed and agility with versatility and big-play ability. If Gary Patterson trusts him with more opportunities, his profile will only rise, and rightfully so.
Alabama TE O.J. Howard
3 of 10
Alabama is a well-oiled machine. The Crimson Tide have won four national titles in the last nine years, and as we roll toward the end of the regular season, a fifth crown looks like a strong possibility. Alabama is 10-0, one of only two remaining FBS unbeatens (along with Western Michigan) and the clear No. 1 team in the nation.
The Tide’s roster is full of talent, and especially in a balanced offense, it’s easy for players to get lost in the shuffle. The biggest example? O.J. Howard. Howard’s talents were on display in the 2015-16 CFP National Championship against Clemson, where he caught five receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns (for 51 and 53 yards).
Howard stands 6’6”, weighs 251 pounds and has obvious skills as a game-breaking tight end. But his production has been inconsistent. This fall, he has 29 receptions for 352 yards and two touchdowns, including three games with only one reception apiece.
Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has begun integrating him more into the game plan; against Mississippi State and Texas A&M, he combined for 14 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. If that continues, Howard will get more of the acclaim he deserves.
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Iowa CB Desmond King
4 of 10
Iowa’s 2016 season hasn’t exactly unfolded the way the Hawkeyes hoped. Saturday’s stunning 14-13, final-play upset of No. 3 Michigan was a major boost, but the Hawks are 6-4 and out of Big Ten West contention—one year after completing the first undefeated regular season in program history.
Imagine where they’d be without Desmond King. The consensus All-American and Jim Thorpe Award winner surprised some when he returned to Iowa for his senior season, and he has been a force for the Hawkeyes' defense and special teams.
King's stats don’t necessarily display his value. He has only one interception with 51 tackles and seven pass breakups, and he averages 27.3 yards per kick return and 8.7 yards per punt return. But he has remained one of the nation’s most difficult cornerbacks to throw against and a key team leader for Iowa.
He’ll be a major award candidate once again, and he's made himself a legit early-round NFL pick. King’s value is clear.
Northern Illinois CB Shawun Lurry
5 of 10
2016 has been a season to forget for Northern Illinois. The Huskies, a perennial MAC power, are 3-7 with Eastern Michigan and Kent State remaining on their schedule. They won’t be going bowling.
How has the disappointing performance affected Husky numbers? It might be instructive, at least on the surface, to take a look at Shawun Lurry. Lurry emerged as a surprise All-America pick last fall after making nine interceptions and earning acclaim as a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.
His numbers are down this fall. Lurry has 33 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups with nine passes defended, although he did miss a game with a concussion. However, the 5’8”, 180-pound Lurry is still a strong, shutdown corner who makes life difficult for opposing offenses. Lurry's numbers don’t necessarily define him, even if NIU is struggling overall as a team.
Ohio State WR/RB Curtis Samuel
6 of 10
At 9-1, Ohio State has proved that you can win with youth. Head coach Urban Meyer’s young, talented roster is in excellent position for another College Football Playoff berth with two weeks to go, even if the Buckeyes' loss to Penn State complicates their chase for the Big Ten East title.
Junior quarterback J.T. Barrett has been a key leader for the Buckeyes, but junior Curtis Samuel has emerged as Ohio State’s most dangerous weapon. Playing a hybrid role that mixes wide receiver and running back duties, Samuel is Ohio State’s No. 2 rusher (637 yards and seven touchdowns) and leading receiver (57 catches, 750 yards and six scores). Cleveland.com's Doug Lesmerises says he is OSU's most dangerous player since Ted Ginn Jr.
Still, it feels like he’s only scratching the surface of his skills. Saturday, Samuel had just nine offensive touches vs. Maryland, and he produced three touchdowns. Samuel is an important, explosive player, and if Ohio State makes its way into the College Football Playoff, expect him to shine in a big way there.
Michigan CB Channing Stribling
7 of 10
Michigan hit a bump in the road in Saturday’s surprising 14-13 loss at Iowa, but that’s not the fault of the Wolverine defense. Under first-year defensive coordinator Don Brown, Michigan has the nation’s leading scoring defense, allowing 11 points per game.
The unit has star power in linebacker Jabrill Peppers, a Heisman candidate, and talented cornerback Jourdan Lewis. But cornerback Channing Stribling has been an unsung hero. Stribling has 18 tackles, four interceptions and nine passes defended through 10 games, and he's been a force in Michigan’s secondary.
He is taller than the typical corner at 6’2”, and he uses his height to his advantage. He mixes size, speed and toughness, and he's one of the biggest reasons why Michigan remains in the mix for the College Football Playoff in Jim Harbaugh’s second season as head coach.
Per Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press, Harbaugh expects Stribling to have a long NFL career.
“This player will have a fine future. This guy will probably play 10 years in the NFL," Harbaugh said. "I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s steadily, consistently good. People talk about being consistent, but consistently good is what you’re looking for. That’s what Channing Stribling is as a football player."
Clemson CB Cordrea Tankersley
8 of 10
Clemson returned just four starters from a defense that fueled 2015’s national runner-up team after six players declared early for the NFL draft. Starting safeties T.J. Green and Jayron Kearse and All-American cornerback Mackensie Alexander all left early, leaving the secondary as a major question mark.
While there have been blips like Saturday’s surprising 43-42 home loss to Pitt, the secondary has been solid. That’s a credit to the play of senior cornerback Cordrea Tankersley. A year ago, Tankersley was the player opposing quarterbacks targeted with Alexander on the other side. Now, he’s the guy they try to avoid. Even though he has just one interception, he is playing at an All-ACC level as a shutdown cornerback.
Georgia DT Trenton Thompson
9 of 10
Kirby Smart’s first season as Georgia head coach has been up-and-down, to say the least. The Bulldogs are 6-4 and have regressed from 2015 under Mark Richt’s watch. That isn’t what fans hoped for when UGA parted ways with Richt and lured Smart away from Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama.
Saturday, however, was a major highlight. Georgia stopped Auburn’s six-game win streak and ended the Tigers’ hopes of winning the SEC West with a 13-7 victory. The Dawg defense was impressive, holding Auburn to 127 rushing yards, well below its season average of 299.8 yards. A strong defensive line played a big role in that success.
Although the line has only nine scholarship players, it has a major rock in the middle in sophomore defensive tackle Trent Thompson. Thompson has 39 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks, and those numbers would be even better if he was surrounded by more depth.
At 6’4”, 310 pounds, Thompson is quick and agile and learning the game at a high level. He’ll be a key to Georgia reaching its potential for the end of 2016 and beyond in Smart’s second season on campus.
Utah RB Joe Williams
10 of 10
Despite emerging as one of the Pac-12’s best programs under Kyle Whittingham, Utah consistently generates less buzz than it deserves. The Utes are 8-2 and will be a Top 15 team when the new College Football Playoff rankings come out Tuesday, but few nationally are talking about them.
Senior tailback Joe Williams exemplifies their aura. Williams has authored one of the best stories in college football this season. After rushing for 75 yards on 22 carries in Utah’s first two games, he “retired” from competition, citing nagging injuries.
In mid-October, he returned, and Utah is glad he did. Williams has displayed breakaway speed and big-play ability while making the Utes running game dangerous. He has rushed for at least 179 yards in each of his last four games, burning UCLA for 332 yards and four touchdowns. Williams has averaged 216 yards per game in that span. He has 939 rushing yards and eight scores on the season, but the skills he's shown since his return prove he’s playing at an All-American level.
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