The Best CFB Stars to Successfully Make the NFL Jump Since 2010
Thriving in college football does not guarantee NFL success. Not being a household name in college doesn't mean someone can't become a well-known NFL player.
Superstardom is hard enough to earn once, but it's exceptionally challenging to maintain at the next level. While that's true of any time period, the last decade has watched college football stars struggle in the NFL or fade into the background.
Johnny Manziel, for example, didn't accomplish much as a pro. Robert Griffin III, Marcus Mariota and Manti Te'o didn't match their college reputations, while Jameis Winston and Baker Mayfield have been inconsistent at best.
Still, when they played in college, every casual fan would recognize their names. And that's the target group.
The list focuses on the most popular players of college football from 2010 to 2019 who have also excelled in the NFL.
Honorable Mentions
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For this group, their NFL recognition has surpassed the notice they received in college. That still may have been a lot of attention! But—this cannot be stressed enough—they weren't quite as popular in college relative to the other players highlighted.
- Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
- A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
- J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
- Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
- Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU
- Aaron Donald, DT, Pitt
- Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State
- Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Huge college hype and a quality NFL career, though not necessarily an inarguable superstar as a pro:
- Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
- Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
- Jabrill Peppers, S/LB, Michigan
- Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC
Drafted in 2018 or 2019, but a promising start:
- Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
- Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
- Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
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Dabo Swinney is the architect of the dynasty, but Deshaun Watson is the reason Clemson solidified itself as a powerhouse.
Watson became the first player in Football Bowl Subdivision history with 4,000 passing and 1,000 rushing yards in a season. He guided Clemson to two ACC titles and a national title, twice winning the Davey O'Brien Award as the best quarterback in the FBS.
Though a knee injury derailed his rookie season, Watson has since guided the Houston Texans to consecutive AFC South crowns with 4,200-plus yards of total offense in both years.
It's early in his career, but Watson is already a borderline top-five player at the NFL's most important position. That's a successful NFL leap, without question.
Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
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An AP All-American in 2016, Myles Garrett posted 47 tackles for loss, 31 sacks and seven forced fumbles at Texas A&M. The Cleveland Browns selected him No. 1 overall in the 2017 NFL draft.
Garrett dealt with an ankle injury and concussion in his first NFL season but still managed seven sacks. He tallied 13.5 sacks in a Pro Bowl 2018 season and had 10 sacks before a helmet-swinging suspension ended his 2019 campaign after 10 games.
On talent alone, though, he has shown his worth and recently signed a contract with $100 million guaranteed.
Not bad for a 24-year-old.
Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
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While collecting 51 tackles for loss and 26 sacks at Ohio State, Joey Bosa earned the 2014 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award and collected AP All-America honors twice.
And he hasn't slowed down in the NFL.
Through four seasons, Bosa has amassed 53 tackles for loss with 40 sacks. Since he entered the league, only seven players have registered more sacks—and the Los Angeles Chargers standout even missed nine games in 2018 because of a foot injury.
Bosa took home 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and is a two-time Pro Bowler.
Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
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Running backs aren't supposed to carry a 6'3", 242-pound frame. That's how Derrick Henry drew national attention at Alabama, and he's stayed an overwhelming force on the Tennessee Titans.
Henry hoisted the Heisman in 2015 as he powered past defenses for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also claimed the Doak Walker, Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards while helping the Crimson Tide defeat Clemson for the national championship.
With the Titans, he shared the backfield for two seasons before taking on the featured role and surpassing 1,000 yards in 2018.
Last year, Henry secured his first Pro Bowl trip after pacing the NFL with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
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Todd Gurley exploded onto the college football scene with 1,745 all-purpose yards as a true freshman at Georgia. That season placed him squarely on the national radar, though injuries and a suspension for receiving payments for autographs—the horror!—tempered what he accomplished in subsequent seasons.
Nevertheless, we carefully monitored the Heisman Trophy candidate on his journey to the 2015 NFL draft.
As a member of the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, he won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2017. Gurley landed a Pro Bowl invite in those two seasons and in 2018. He also received first-team All-Pro recognition in both 2017 and 2018.
Gurley has amassed 7,494 yards from scrimmage, which ranks 28th in NFL history during the first five years of a player's career.
He's returned to Georgia and will play for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
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As Bosa dominated on the defensive side of the ball, Ezekiel Elliott carried the Ohio State offense. In both 2014 and 2015, he surpassed 1,800 rushing yards. He captured Big Ten MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors and won a national title as a junior.
"Zeke" couldn't have picked a better NFL destination, heading to the Dallas Cowboys to run behind a tremendous offensive line.
Since 2016, Elliott has 7,024 yards from scrimmage—the sixth-most for any running back in his first four NFL seasons. He's led the league in rushing twice and has three Pro Bowl trips.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
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Well, hello, reigning MVP. No matter your opinion on Lamar Jackson's future, he's already a record-setting quarterback.
In 2019, the Baltimore Ravens star tossed an NFL-high 36 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He threw for 3,127 yards and sliced defenses for 1,206 yards on the ground—the most in a season by a quarterback in NFL history.
As you'd expect from the league MVP, All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods coincided with his historic 2019 campaign.
While at Louisville, he won the 2016 Heisman Trophy and finished third in the 2017 voting. Jackson also has two ACC Player of the Year honors, one Maxwell Award and one Walter Camp Award on his resume.
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
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Christian McCaffrey is only 24 years old, but his versatility is already legendary at both the college and NFL levels.
In 2015 at Stanford, he shattered the FBS all-purpose yardage record with 3,864. McCaffrey ended second in Heisman voting, won Pac-12 Player of the Year and earned first-team AP All-America status. He followed up the record-breaking season with 2,327 all-purpose yards and a ninth-place Heisman spot in 2016.
Drafted in the first round by the Carolina Panthers in 2017, McCaffrey has turned in consecutive years with 1,000-plus rushing yards and 100-plus receptions.
In 2019, he became the third player ever to surpass 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in a season. McCaffrey totaled 2,392 all-purpose yards, the 16th-most ever in a single year.
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
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Andrew Luck twice finished as the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, runner-up in Heisman voting and second-team AP All-America quarterback. After winning the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards in 2011, he entered the NFL draft as a "can't-miss prospect" and effectively forced the Indianapolis Colts to move on from franchise legend and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
The No. 1 pick in 2012, Luck backed up his billing and propelled the Colts to three straight 11-win seasons to begin his career. They won two AFC South titles with Luck at quarterback.
But then, injuries. So many. Too many.
Luck endured a hurt shoulder, lacerated kidney and partially torn abdominal muscle in 2015. He underwent shoulder surgery after the 2016 season and missed all of 2017. Luck guided the Colts back to the playoffs and won Comeback Player of the Year in 2018, but he retired before the 2019 season because of his constant injuries.
Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
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The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner and 2015 NFL MVP, Cam Newton is so close to pulling off an extremely rare set of honors.
Along with those individual awards, he propelled Auburn to a national title and took Carolina to Super Bowl 50. Had the Panthers won, Newton would've become the second player ever (running back Marcus Allen) to accomplish all four feats.
Though a Super Bowl victory isn't yet out of the question, Newton—now on the New England Patriots—is inarguably one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history.
Newton is 55th all-time in career passing yards (29,041) and 58th in passing touchdowns (182). Additionally, he leads quarterbacks in rushing scores (58) and is third in yards (4,806).
Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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