College Football's Top 20 Players and Their NFL Comparison
College Football's Top 20 players are the subject of my latest article. As both seasons hit their denouement, I would like to take a minute and make some obvious and not-so-obvious comparisons between the elite in the NCAA and the NFL.
There are some elite players in college football that are strikingly similar to players in the NFL. Whether it be style of play, circumstances or stature, there are some comparisons that need to be made.
Here I have listed 20 of the top college players in the nation and compared them to an NFL player that for whatever reason has me thinking they are linked by fate and nuance.
If you are aptly prepared to be blown away, then by all means click ahead.
20. Matt Barkley: Matthew Stafford
1 of 20
Matt Barkley is quietly having an astounding season. He is the best player on a bad team. But it's all relative as the USC Trojans are simply having a down year. This is exactly the situation Matthew Stafford finds himself in.
Both quarterbacks seem to be wasting their best stuff on losing efforts. No matter how many touchdowns they throw, no matter how many 40-yard completions are tossed, in the end their team is irrelevant.
19. John Clay: Peyton Hillis
2 of 20
John Clay does not run around you—he runs through you. Well, I take that back; if he is feeling saucy, he will run around you as well.
The point is, John Clay is an animal this season. He bowls over the opposition as if they were mere paper. Many times, he seems down only to gain another yard or two on a last-second effort.
I recently started thinking of Peyton Hillis whenever Clay came to mind. Hillis has roughly the same build and running sentiment.
After Hillis was traded from Denver, it seems as though he is on a mission to prove his detractors wrong. It is this emotional play that evokes a bull-in-a-china-shop effort.
Both of these backs have that.
18. Landry Jones: Matt Ryan
3 of 20
There is something comforting in both of these quarterbacks. Both give you a strong sense of reliability behind center. They just take better care of the ball than most.
Landry Jones has over 520 attempts on the season with only 10 picks. You know that once he gets seasoning, he will only get better.
Matt Ryan has done exactly that. His most recent game against the Packers showed just how far he has come. There was nothing standing in the way of Ryan and him getting a completion.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
17. Jayron Hosley: DeAngelo Hall
4 of 20
Both are fine cornerbacks that have one immense talent working for them. For some reason, the ball just happens to find them. Whether it be stupidity on the part of the quarterback to throw to their side or sheer luck, the football seems to fall into their hands regularly.
I look forward to Hosley mixing things up when he finally makes his NFL debut.
16. DaQuan Bowers: Osi Umenyiora
5 of 20
There are certain things a quarterback will have nightmares about. One has to be playing in Buffalo. The second is maniacal and gifted defensive ends.
Both Bowers and Umenyiora have a knack for getting to the quarterback and subsequently killing them. They are huge beasts that also boast quickness. It is almost unfair that men of their stature can also run down any one of us in an open field.
Bowers will be lighting up NFL quarterbacks in no time.
15. Alshon Jeffery: Miles Austin
6 of 20
The imposing wide receiver. While there will always be room for slender and lanky speedsters on the wing, there is just something fantastic about a six-foot, 220-pound wideout.
Both of these receivers boast great hands. But it is their strength and ability to break away at the line of scrimmage that makes them truly special. More often than not, they dwarf the cornerback whose job it is to cover them.
14. Julio Jones: Terrell Owens
7 of 20
Jones and Owens may not be similar in character, but they sure are lining up at scrimmage. Both players are simply explosive.
Jones has every bit of the talent that Owens had at his age. He is strong, skilled and quick off the line. His ability to cut on routes is Owens all over again.
I just hope he can keep his mouth shut, unlike his doppelganger.
13. Terrelle Pryor: Donovan McNabb
8 of 20
These are two strong, mobile quarterbacks. McNabb in his prime could strong-arm one downfield or break off on a run for the first down better than anyone. Pryor is a quarterback built in the same vein.
The stark similarity I found was in their expectations coming into this year. Terrelle Pryor was supposed to be in the top five of Heisman candidates about now. Meanwhile, McNabb was supposed to be the sure-handed QB the Redskins were looking for.
For both players, the season and their play has not been up to the expectations we had of them coming into the year.
12. Colin Kaepernick: Vince Young
9 of 20
If Colin Kaepernick were on a better team, he would be collegiate Vince Young all over again. Let's just hope that he doesn't share the same head issues that Young does.
Kaepernick is an explosive running quarterback that seems light years ahead of the competition. That is exactly what Young looked like in the Rose Bowl. He was breaking off immense runs as if the Trojans were high school players.
Kaepernick is the biggest reason the Wolf Pack are as good as they are this season.
11. DeMarco Murray: LeSean McCoy
10 of 20
Both of these backs seem to have the perfect size for professional running backs. There are big enough to pound through to the secondary, but are small enough to get lost in the confusion at the line of scrimmage.
They are tough to find. But even when you do zero in on them, they have already zipped past you. Both Murray and McCoy are adept at stopping and starting during their run. They will stop on a dime, change direction, and leave you with your ankles broken.
10. Roy Helu Jr.: Frank Gore
11 of 20
Being big and strong should never negate your ability to be agile. Frank Gore is an imposing figure on offense, but he is deft at running routes and catching the ball.
While Helu has not had to receive as much as he did in his sophomore year, he has proved to be a reliable receiver out of the backfield.
The real similarity comes in their leadership. Both are elder statesman in relation to the rest of their team. Gore, at only 27, is still the oldest skilled player on the 49ers' young offense.
Likewise, the senior Roy Helu Jr. Must show the ropes to those underclassman before he jumps ship to become the baby on an NFL team.
9. Denard Robinson: Armanti Edwards
12 of 20
Armanti Edwards was the most gifted player on his college team. He led the Appalachian State team as their quarterback. Once in the NFL, he has found more use as a wide receiver.
This is the most likely path for Michigan's Denard Robinson. Robinson is sleek and quick. There is no other proof needed more than his rushing yardage. He simply leaves defenses in the dust.
He is a Tim Tebow with more speed and built like a receiver. Look for an NFL team to mold him into one.
8. Ryan Broyles: DeSean Jackson
13 of 20
Ryan Broyles is a fine receiver with huge upside. His one downfall is that he may be a tad undersized for the NFL.
Wait, that was a flashback from when DeSean Jackson was lighting up teams at Cal. Some teams were hesitant of his size.
If any teams have the same sentiment about Broyles, they should look at the impressive resume of the young Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles. He is one of their most feared weapons.
Broyles will be the same in the NFL—mark my words.
7. Andy Dalton: Jay Cutler
14 of 20
When both of these quarterbacks are on, they are very good. Both are pure pocket passers that are not afraid to get on their horse if need be.
A typical game for either would be over 200 yards passing with 50 or so yards running the ball. In both cases, they are at their best when they have enough time to look over the defense and fire the ball.
The running ability is not on par with the most mobile of quarterbacks, but it's enough for defenses to take notice.
6. Ryan Mallett: Philip Rivers
15 of 20
It's all about the yardage with these two. Don't get me wrong, they have their fair share of touchdowns too. That is a natural byproduct of being this good.
But what makes these guys tick is moving the ball downfield. They could care less for getting the ball in themselves. They understand that they boast fantastic running games that should be utilized along with their gunslinging abilities.
5. Justin Blackmon: Dwayne Bowe
16 of 20
Both receivers are strong and cunning. They are arguably the best performers this season in their respective venues.
They are their team's go-to weapon, and they savor that fact. Blackmon and Bowe both tout superb receiving yardage averages. Each receiver gains about 16 yards per catch.
More than that, they take care of the ball. Blackmon has no fumbles, while Bowe has only one.
4. Andrew Luck: Aaron Rodgers
17 of 20
Two of the sport's greatest get little of the respect they deserve. Andrew Luck is the Cardinal near the pinnacle of the college football world, yet we hear the names of Cam Newton and Andrew Dalton over him.
Likewise, the NFL is a Tom Brady and Peyton Manning league. But Rodgers does more with nothing than anyone in the league. He is a top QB even without a solid offensive line.
Both men have quick deliveries that serve them well, in addition to deceptive quickness and fearless behavior. Either QB will run 10 yards for a first down and seemingly forget to slide feet first.
3. LaMichael James: Jamaal Charles
18 of 20
Both of these guys have the same body type. Switch uniforms, and you wouldn't skip a beat. They are the low running backs.
They both have a low center of gravity, making them problems to deal with on defense. Even when you catch them, they are a hard tackle. You better make sure that you wrap them up good, or they will be off and running for more yardage.
2. Kellen Moore: Drew Brees
19 of 20
Here are two quarterbacks in the wrong decade. Had either of these players played in a different time, they would be exalted as their sport's best quarterback. There would be no debate; it would be mere fact.
But these two quarterbacks with their pristine statistics are considered great, but not as great as others.
Brees just won a title, yet still is trumped by the names of Manning and Brady. Brees is just as good if not better, but you won't find that in the constant highlights of his colleagues.
Similarly, Moore has to deal with a plethora of other quarterbacks that play in more widely available areas. Both passers are phenomenal and under-appreciated.
1. Cam Newton: Ben Roethlisberger
20 of 20
Both of these guys are not afraid to run. It just so happens that Newton is much more adept at it. That does not mean that Big Ben does not have his fair share of rushing touchdowns.
The real comparison here is their stature. These two behemoths tower over their opponents in size and brawn. They are imposing figures that necessitate more than one scenario being drawn up from defensive coordinators.
While most of you may relate Newton to the quick-footed Michael Vick, for me he is a more hulking Ben Roethlisberger.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
