The Most Dominant College Football Position Units Heading into 2017 Season
Individual college football players can be remarkable, but it's often the positional units that separate the good teams from the great ones. Clemson's defensive line, the secondaries of Ohio State and Washington, and Alabama's, well, everything, were the biggest reasons those teams reached last year's College Football Playoff.
Could Georgia's running backs, Florida State's defensive backs and Oklahoma State's wide receivers be the ones to put their teams over the top in 2017?
Ranked on the following slides are the 10 best positional units based on what we know thus far in the preseason. In order to make the cut, it's crucial to have a full starting unit with proven experience—or at least two quality running backs, even though there's only technically one starter at the position.
After all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
Clemson's Wide Receivers
Deon Cain should be one of the best big-play wide receivers in the country this season, and teammates Ray-Ray McCloud and Hunter Renfrow give this unit quality depth and experience. However, with the uncertainty at quarterback, it'd be reckless to lock in Clemson as one of the two or three best receiving units.
Virginia Tech's Secondary
Throwing against Virginia Tech was no picnic in 2016, and it's not going to get any easier as virtually the entire secondary returns for another year. Cornerbacks Brandon Facyson and Adonis Alexander both have a bright future in the NFL, and the Hokies have more than enough options to run a dime or quarter package without fear of a decrease in potency. But both Florida State and Alabama should be even better at defending the pass.
New Mexico's Running Backs
The Lobos averaged 350 rushing yards per game last season, but they lost their leading rusher (Teriyon Gipson) and got 20 percent of those rushing yards from their quarterbacks. Still, this team's commitment to the run will put it back among the national leaders in the ground game.
Notre Dame's Offensive Line
Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson might both be first-round draft picks in April, giving Notre Dame the most talented left side of the offensive line in the country. But it takes (at least) five players to make a unit on the offensive line, and the whole wasn't any greater than the sum of its parts last season. In both rushing yards per attempt and sacks allowed per game, Notre Dame ranked outside the top 60 in 2016.
LSU's Linebackers
There's a little bit of uncertainty at linebacker after losing both Duke Riley and Kendell Beckwith as graduates, but Arden Key is one hell of a starting point for this unit to build around. If Devin White and Michael Divinity Jr. can make "the leap" as sophomores, look out.
Middle Tennessee's Wide Receivers
In addition to Richie James—who is well on his way to setting the FBS record for career receiving yards—the Blue Raiders also have Ty Lee. He had 699 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last year as a freshman, including a 100-yard, two-touchdown performance in MTSU's bowl game. The loss of I'Tavius Mathers' 2,194 yards from scrimmage (633 receiving) could hurt, but this should be the most noteworthy Group of Five unit in 2017.
Washington's Linebackers
The Huskies have some serious holes to fill in the secondary, but a dominant corps of linebackers will help this defense remain strong. Senior inside linebackers Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria will be the stars of the show. How well guys like Tevis Bartlett, Benning Potoa'e or Connor O'Brien can thrive in starting roles on the outside will determine whether this unit is best in the nation.
Iowa's Running Backs
Iowa already had a good start to a strong rushing game since Akrum Wadley (1,081 yards, 10 TD) is returning for his senior season, but the Hawkeyes soared to "possibly best in the country" territory with the July addition of Nevada graduate transfer James Butler (1,336 yards, 12 TD). Both backs run well and play an integral part in the passing game, combining for 73 receptions, 696 yards and six touchdowns last year.
Several ACC Defensive Lines
Let's have a preemptive moment of silence for running backs in the ACC. In addition to Clemson's defensive line, which will appear much later on this list, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina State were all strong candidates. Toss in Boston College's dominant edge-rusher Harold Landry, and it will not be easy for offenses in this conference to win the battles in the trenches.
10. USC's Linebackers
2 of 11
Projected Starters: Cameron Smith, Porter Gustin, Uchenna Nwosu, John Houston
Noteworthy Reserves: Oluwole Betiku Jr., Jordan Iosefa, Connor Murphy, Levi Jones, Olajuwon Tucker
The Star: Cameron Smith
Despite tearing an ACL late in his freshman season, Smith was named the Pac-12 defensive freshman of the year thanks in large part to a three-interception game against Utah. He made a full offseason recovery from the injury to serve as USC's leading tackler in 2016. Though he doesn't put up gaudy numbers, draft scouts rave about his awareness and his ability to read plays before they begin to develop. As a result, Smith is a great run-stopper and a presence that prevents opposing teams from attempting many crossing routes.
2017 Outlook
There were 51 players listed on the 2017 Butkus Award watch list in mid-July, but USC was the only school with at least three linebackers represented: Smith, Porter Gustin and Uchenna Nwosu. That trio had a combined 27.5 tackles for loss last season. The fourth spot in this unit is a bit of a question mark after Michael Hutchings graduated, but the Trojans have options. One of those is their top 2016 recruit, edge-rusher Oluwole Betiku Jr., who should make a major impact whether he's the last starter or the first reserve off the bench.
9. Auburn's Running Backs
3 of 11
Projected Starters: Kamryn Pettway, Kerryon Johnson
Noteworthy Reserves: Kam Martin, Malik Miller
The Star: Kamryn Pettway
One year removed from recording zero carries as Auburn's scarcely used fullback, Pettway became the best asset in this offense as a sophomore. Injuries limited him to nine games, but he ran for at least 100 yards against each opponent except Alabama and LSU—neither of which allowed a single player to rush for 115 or more yards against them all season. At his apex, Pettway had a four-week stretch in which he averaged 192.5 rushing yards per game.
2017 Outlook
Pettway might be the starter, but Kerryon Johnson gives the Tigers one heck of a two-pronged attack. Johnson rushed for at least 90 yards in six games last season as the duo combined for 2,119 yards on the ground. The backups aren't too shabby either. Kam Martin averaged 7.3 yards per carry as a true freshman. And though we're not officially listing him as part of the running back brigade, look for John Franklin III to impact the rushing total. The QB-turned-WR scrambled for 430 yards last year and is bound to be involved in some reverses and jet sweeps this year.
8. Oklahoma's Offensive Line
4 of 11
Projected Starters: Orlando Brown, Ben Powers, Erick Wren, Dru Samia, Bobby Evans
Noteworthy Reserves: Jonathan Alvarez, Alex Dalton, Cody Ford
The Star: Orlando Brown
A second-team AP All-American in 2016, Brown has started all 26 games at left tackle for the Sooners over the past two seasons. Listed at 6'8" and 345 pounds, Brown is quite the physical specimen. Draft scouts have questions about whether he's quick enough for left tackle in the NFL, but he is perfect for this Oklahoma system and will likely be a first-round pick in April if he opts to skip his final year of eligibility.
2017 Outlook
We usually notice when offensive lines are the reason a team isn't as good as it should be. (See: Florida State, Louisville and South Carolina this past season.) But because statistics for offensive linemen are some combination of inadequate and nonexistent, we rarely give credit where it is due when the offensive line is the primary reason for a team's success. With all five returning starters from last year, that should be the case for Oklahoma in 2017.
Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine are both gone, but this line should be more than good enough to produce another 1,000-yard rusher. The pass-blocking ought to give Baker Mayfield the necessary time in the pocket to finally win a Heisman after back-to-back top-four finishes in voting.
7. Alabama's Secondary
5 of 11
Projected Starters: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Anthony Averett, Ronnie Harrison, Trevon Diggs
Noteworthy Reserves: Tony Brown, Hootie Jones, Levi Wallace, Shyheim Carter, Deionte Thompson, Jared Mayden
The Star: Minkah Fitzpatrick
Arguably the best defensive back in the country, Fitzpatrick has recorded 17 passes defended, eight interceptions and four touchdowns over the last two seasons. He spent his first year-and-a-half with the Crimson Tide as a cornerback before transitioning seamlessly to safety. Fitzpatrick's combination of awareness, speed and hands make him an "Ed Reed lite" type of player. At least one more defensive touchdown in 2017 seems like an inevitability.
2017 Outlook
The only question here is at the second cornerback spot. Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison will star as the starting safeties, and Anthony Averett (eight passes defended in 2016) is a fifth-year senior who is finally getting a chance to shine in this defense. Trevon Diggs is an unknown, though, which keeps this unit out of our top five, even though Alabama always has one of the stingiest defenses in the country. The season opener against Florida State and Deondre Francois will immediately put this secondary to the test.
6. Georgia's Running Backs
6 of 11
Projected Starters: Nick Chubb, Sony Michel
Noteworthy Reserves: Brian Herrien, Elijah Holyfield, D'Andre Swift
The Star: Nick Chubb
A major knee injury truncated Chubb's sophomore season and may have been the reason his rushing average dropped considerably as a junior, but he still surprised a lot of folks by opting to come back for one more year. Chubb already has 3,424 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in his career, but that evidently wasn't enough for him to ride off into the sunset. He'll return in hopes of more performances like his 2016 season-opening 222 yards and two scores against North Carolina.
2017 Outlook
In addition to Chubb, Sony Michel's decision to return was nothing short of massive for the Bulldogs. Chubb's partner in crime has rushed for 1,976 yards and 12 scores over the last two seasons and has been a key component of the passing game with 48 receptions during that time. This unit goes deeper than that dynamic duo, though. Brian Herrien averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a freshman and should receive a good number of touches again as a sophomore. This group is so loaded that stud recruit D'Andre Swift might not even get a chance to play as a true freshman.
5. Alabama's Running Backs
7 of 11
Projected Starters: Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris
Noteworthy Reserves: Josh Jacobs, B.J. Emmons, Najee Harris, Brian Robinson
The Star: Bo Scarbrough
Damien Harris led the Crimson Tide in both total yards and yards per carry, but it was Scarbrough who became a sensation late in the year. The freight train masquerading as a ball-carrier averaged 121.3 yards per game and 7.9 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns in Alabama's final three games. The only reason to question whether he'll be the featured back in this offense is the broken leg he suffered in the national championship game, but he was already running well in spring practices and should be good to go for the start of the regular season.
2017 Outlook
If we factor in Jalen Hurts' mobility (954 rushing yards, 13 TD) at QB into the equation, this could be the best overall unit in the country. Najee Harris was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2017 class, yet he's either going to be the fifth or sixth option in this rushing attack. At any rate, he's an unnecessary bonus for a team that lost no running backs from an offense that ran for at least 173 yards in 14 of 15 games last season. If they wanted to, the Crimson Tide could just about go undefeated without attempting a pass.
4. Oklahoma State's Wide Receivers
8 of 11
Projected Starters: James Washington, Jalen McCleskey, Tyron Johnson, Marcell Ateman
Noteworthy Reserves: Chris Lacy, Dillon Stoner
The Star: James Washington
Only Richie James of MTSU and Anthony Miller of Memphis return after hauling in more receiving yards in 2016 than Washington (1,380). He had at least six receptions and 117 yards in six different games, including a 296-yard performance against Pittsburgh and a 171-yard gem in the Alamo Bowl. The big-play specialist became one of five players in the past 15 years to make at least 70 receptions while averaging better than 19 yards per catch.
2017 Outlook
Oklahoma State averaged 324 passing yards per game in 2016 and should put up even more in 2017. In addition to the dynamic duo of Jalen McCleskey (73 catches for 812 yards) and Washington, the Cowboys add LSU transfer and 2015 No. 50 overall recruit Tyron Johnson and get back Marcell Ateman, who had 766 receiving yards in 2015 before missing last season with a foot injury.
Chris Lacy ranked just outside the top 20 in the Big 12 in receiving yards last season, yet he is an afterthought as the fifth option in this passing game. Mason Rudolph is already one of the better quarterbacks in the country. Giving him this many quality targets is just ridiculous. OddsShark places him as a top-15 candidate to win the Heisman, but he should at least be one of the five favorites.
3. Florida State's Secondary
9 of 11
Projected Starters: Derwin James, Tarvarus McFadden, Trey Marshall, Kyle Meyers
Noteworthy Reserves: Levonta Taylor, Carlos Becker, Stanford Samuels III, A.J. Westbrook, Ermon Lane, Cyrus Fagan
The Star: Tarvarus McFadden
The return of Derwin James (torn meniscus) is one of the biggest stories entering the season, but for now the star of this secondary is the guy who tied for the national lead with eight interceptions last season. One year after barely playing and failing to record an interception or pass defended, McFadden became a huge difference-maker in the absence of James, picking off a pass in seven of FSU's first nine games in 2016. He is well on his way to becoming the first cornerback selected in the 2018 NFL draft.
2017 Outlook
Perhaps the scariest thing about Florida State's secondary is how interchangeable it will be. McFadden will be the primary boundary cornerback and James will be the free safety, but strong safety and the other cornerback positions seem to be open to whichever versatile athlete has the most gas in the tank at the time. Trey Marshall and Kyle Meyers might be the third and fourth starters, but all six of the above reserves can and should make a significant impact—particularly considering quarterbacks will be targeting them in hopes of avoiding McFadden and James.
2. Clemson's Defensive Line
10 of 11
Projected Starters: Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant
Noteworthy Reserves: Albert Huggins, Richard Yeargin, Chris Register, Nyles Pinckney
The Star: Dexter Lawrence
Scout's 2016 No. 3 overall recruit wasted no time in proving he was worth every bit of the hype. He had a sack and a pass defended in the first half of the season opener against Auburn and finished the year with 6.5 sacks. There are a lot of question marks at quarterback, at running back and in the secondary for the reigning national champs, but Lawrence is both literally (6'5", 340 pounds) and figuratively one of the biggest reasons the Tigers could repeat.
2017 Outlook
In Matt Miller's most recent 2018 mock draft for B/R, Christian Wilkins is the projected No. 3 overall pick, Clelin Ferrell will enter the fall at No. 13, and you better believe Lawrence would be a projected top-10 pick if he were eligible. The trio combined for 16.0 sacks, 34.0 tackles for loss and 12 passes defended last year; nine of those PDs came from Wilkins, who throws his mitts into the air at the line as well as anyone.
The only thing that keeps the Tigers out of our No. 1 spot is uncertainty in terms of depth. With Carlos Watkins (50 tackles, 10.5 sacks) out of the picture, Clemson's fourth starter on the defensive line will be someone with minimal experience. Same goes for all of the backups. Best of luck to opposing offenses when Ferrell, Lawrence and Wilkins are all out there together, but we wanted a little more proven depth up top.
1. Ohio State's Defensive Line
11 of 11
Projected Starters: Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, Dre'Mont Jones, Tracy Sprinkle
Noteworthy Reserves: Nick Bosa, Jalyn Holmes, Chase Young, Michael Hill, Robert Landers
The Star: Tyquan Lewis
Lewis has recorded 24.5 tackles for loss and 16.0 sacks over the last two seasons. The edge-rusher led the Buckeyes in both categories last season (10.5 and 8.0), as well as forced fumbles (three). If that's not enough, he was named the Big Ten defensive lineman of the year, following in the footsteps of Joey Bosa's honors in 2014 and 2015.
2017 Outlook
Ohio State already had one of the best defensive lines in the country. The Buckeyes didn't record a ton of sacks, but they held opponents to 3.35 yards per carry (12th in the nation), eight total rushing touchdowns (fourth) and 15.5 points per game (third). Not only is every noteworthy lineman from that group back for another year, but they added 5-star DE Chase Young and got Tracy Sprinkle back from an injury that cost him virtually all of 2016.
This unit is so deep with talent that defensive line coach Larry Johnson is making up new sets to accommodate all of it. Per Ben Axelrod of Land of 10, the Buckeyes spent some of their spring practicing a formation with five defensive ends in which one of the linemen effectively becomes an additional linebacker. The Week 2 game between Oklahoma's offensive line and this defensive line will be an exhilarating battle between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.
Kerry Miller covers college football and college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
