2011 College Football Predictions: Top 25 Players Who Could Play in the NFL Now
College football is supposed to be a game that prepares young men for their lives ahead and/or professional football.
But oftentimes you'll watch an NCAA game and think to yourself, "Wow, there's no way that dude's 20 years old. He's a beast."
So beastly in fact that you're surprised he's not already in the NFL, making other grown men cry while also making millions of dollars.
Of course, that's because he's still playing college football, still making everyone else look silly and still making us wonder why he's playing for the Pittsburgh Panthers instead of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Well, in case you don't know who I'm talking about, let's take a look at the top 25 CFB players who could play in the NFL right now.
25. Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
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Believe it or not, Nebraska did actually have a cornerback playing opposite Prince Amukamara last season.
And his name is Alfonzo Dennard.
While Amukamara was getting all the hype and publicity, Dennard was flat out producing on the other side of the field.
Despite missing two games, the 5'10," 195-pound corner had 31 tackles and four interceptions.
He'll be one of college football's premiere shutdown cornerbacks in 2011, but he very well could have been a second-round selection had he declared for this year's NFL Draft.
24. Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas
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In his three years at Arkansas, Greg Childs has never caught more than 48 passes or seven touchdowns in a season.
But that's more because of the way Ryan Mallett spread the ball around than anything else, as Childs has some of the best physical tools you'll see in college football.
He's big (6'3" 217 pounds), is a very solid route runner, has excellent hands and has a knack for making big plays.
Look for Childs to be a nightmare for SEC quarterbacks, but one that could be doing the same thing in the NFL.
23. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
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I like to think of Nick Foles as the Blaine Gabbert of the 2012 NFL Draft class.
Foles is huge (6'5" 245 pounds) and his numbers are very good but not great (3,191 passing yards, 67.1 completion percentage and 20 touchdowns).
But, like with Gabbert, scouts and analysts love what they see out of Foles, from his accuracy to his delivery/mechanics to his intangibles.
This isn't to say that Foles would win the Rookie of the Year award a la Sam Bradford, but he could still produce at the NFL-level depending on his team's situation.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Mike Martin, DT, Michigan
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The Michigan Wolverines were about as bad as a big-time college football program can get—on defense, that is—last season.
Perhaps that's why no one really paid attention to Mike Martin or why Martin couldn't produce phenomenal numbers (he had 36 tackles and three sacks).
But Martin is a space-eating physical presence who was stuck on a bad defense more than anything else.
With Michigan installing a new defensive system, maybe you'll see what I'm talking about this season, because Martin should triple his sack number and add another 15 tackles or so.
21. Dan Herron, RB, Ohio State
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Considering that he's starting the 2011 season with a five-game suspension, the widespread expectation was that Dan Herron would leave Ohio State for the NFL Draft.
But he chose to stay with the Buckeyes and is now one of the nation's top running-back prospects for 2012 after rushing for 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2010.
Though the suspension might cause his stock to fall, Herron really turned on the juices at the end of last season, with 175 or more rushing yards in two of his final three regular season games.
If he bolted to the NFL, he probably would have been a mid-round pick.
20. Ryan Miller, OG, Colorado
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This year all the talk about a Colorado offensive lineman has involved Nate Solder.
Next year it'll be Ryan Miller, a freakishly huge 6'8," 310-pound guard—yes, a guard—who is as dominating of a physical presence as there is in college football.
Like Solder this year, Miller will make his case for being the top o-line prospect in next year's draft class.
19. Tank Carder, ILB, TCU
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Have you ever watched Tank Carder play? More specifically, did you watch TCU's Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin?
Carder looks like a madman on the field, flying to the ball no matter where it is and crushing his opponents with devastating hits.
The 6'2," 232-pounder may be a little undersized as an ILB, but he had 89 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in 2009 and 61 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in 2010.
He can do a little bit of everything, and that's the type of guy who'll always have a spot on an NFL roster.
18. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
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Though a bit undersized, Oregon's LaMichael James showed last season that he's tough to tackle and even harder to catch.
The scrappy 5'9" running back rushed for 1,731 yards and scored 20 total touchdowns last season on the way to making Oregon the best offense in the country.
Sure, James is never going to be the biggest or most physical back out there, but he still runs surprisingly well between the tackles and should enter the 2012 NFL Draft as one of the top RB prospects, assuming he stays healthy and continues to produce next season.
17. Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia
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While playing on the same offensive line as Clint Boling last season, Georgia's Cordy Glenn often went overlooked by scouts, analysts and even some opposing teams.
But make no mistake about it, Glenn is a monster at the guard position.
He's huge at 6'5," 320 pounds, and he makes it incredibly difficult for opposing defensive linemen to get any type of penetration up the middle.
If Georgia running backs Washaun Ealey and Isaiah Crowell are going to have success in 2011, it'll be because of the paths Glenn clears for them.
16. Mark Barron, S, Alabama
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Mark Barron occasionally does his best Roy Williams impersonation in coverage—and by that, I mean he gets blown away by wide receivers and tight ends up the seam.
But he's the hardest hitting safety in all of college football, and has the potential to be a force in the secondary at the NFL level.
In 2010, the 210-pound Barron had 77 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions.
In other words, he's all over the place.
And safety has become such an important position in the NFL that they're expected to do a little bit of everything, which is precisely how Barron plays.
15. Nate Potter, OT/G, Boise State
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Boise State's success over the few years has been attributed to plenty of people, like quarterback Kellen Moore, wide receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young and head coach Chris Petersen.
But hardly anyone ever mentions offensive tackle/guard Nate Potter, who's been as consistent as any offensive lineman in college football during the last three seasons.
A 2010 Third Team All-American, Potter's been excellent in both pass and run protection for the Broncos.
Though he's played primarily as a tackle in college, he could play either guard or tackle in the NFL, which makes him an intriguing prospect for any team looking for help anywhere along the o-line.
14. Sean Spence, OLB, Miami
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After a very solid freshman season in 2008, Sean Spence fell off a bit in 2009 before coming back with a vengeance in 2010.
The 6,' 220-pound outside linebacker had 110 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles last season and was the best player on Miami's defense.
Though Spence's production is there, scouts and analysts will continue to question whether or not he's too small to play OLB at the NFL level.
Given how he's performed at Miami, however, I'd say he could be a key contributor on an NFL defense...right now.
13. Mike Brewster, C, Ohio State
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When you're a team like Ohio State who likes to run the ball, it's important that the man in the middle can perform at a high level.
And Buckeyes center Mike Brewster can certainly do that.
The 6'5," 293-pounder has been the team's starting center since taking over at the position early in his freshman season of 2008, when he earned Freshman All-American honors.
Brewster has since continued his success at OSU, especially in run blocking, as the Buckeyes ranked 14th in the nation in rushing in 2010 with 220.1 yards per game.
12. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
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North Carolina sure does spit out some defensive players, doesn't it?
The latest dominant defensive presence who calls himself a Tar Heel is Quinton Coples, a 6'6," 275-pound defensive end who might be the Da'Quan Bowers of next year's draft class.
Coples, who's just 20 years old, was an incredible presence off the edge for UNC last season, racking up 59 tackles and 10 sacks.
Like Robert Quinn this year, Coples will be in the discussion to be a top-10 pick in 2012.
11. Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
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Ryan Broyles decided to stay at Oklahoma for his senior season, even though the All-American wide receiver may have been a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
He has been nothing short of spectacular throughout his career with the Sooners, posting 266 career receptions for 3,429 yards and 35 receiving touchdowns.
Broyles' best season came in 2010 when he caught a ridiculous 131 passes for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he also has added value as a return man.
Put him on just about any current NFL roster, and he'd probably step in as the team's slot receiver and kick/punt returner right away.
10. Cody Johnson, FB, Texas
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You wouldn't know Cody Johnson was a fullback prospect if you looked simply at his numbers.
In 2010, the 5'11," 250-pounder had 134 carries for 592 yards and six touchdowns for the Texas Longhorns.
Johnson is an absolute bulldozer out of the backfield, but as you can see, he's more than just a blocker.
He can lay out a defender on one play and then pound the rock up the middle for a 10-yard gain the next, which shows his versatility and will make him extremely attractive to teams targeting a do-it-all fullback in next year's draft.
9. Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU
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A two-time All-MWC First-Teamer and a former Freshman All-American, BYU's Matt Reynolds has been one heck of an offensive tackle for the Cougars.
In his three seasons at the school, he's started all 39 games there, anchoring an offensive line that ranked 17th nationally in passing and 21st in total offense in 2009, and one that ranked 42nd in rushing and 34th in first downs in 2010.
At 6'6," 322 pounds, Reynolds possesses the prototypical size we've come to expect out of NFL offensive tackles, and he'll likely be the top OT prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft.
8. Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
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Dont'a Hightower's 2010 stats aren't jaw-dropping or mesmerizing—-he had 70 tackles—but at the inside linebacker position, few college football players have the physical skills and football smarts that he possesses.
Hightower stands at a very imposing 6'4," 260 pounds, and is the anchor and vocal leader of what's been a consistently great Alabama defense over the past few years.
The Crimson Tide should be a national title contender once again in 2011, and if they are, Hightower will play a huge role in the team's success.
7. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
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As a guy who likely would have been a first- or second-round pick in 2011, Michael Floyd could very well be the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2012 NFL Draft class.
Last season, he caught 79 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns, and now has 28 total touchdowns while at Notre Dame.
The physical tools are also there, as Floyd measures in at 6'3," 227 pounds, has great hands and possesses the elite game-breaking ability that is rare in college football.
6. Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
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Another player who surprisingly chose to stay for his senior season, Missouri's Michael Egnew is the best pass-catching tight end in all of college football.
At 6'4," 241 pounds, he possesses excellent size and great agility, which is why he caught 90 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns in 2010.
Egnew had the 11th-most receptions in the nation, while no other tight end was anywhere to be found in the top 40.
You better believe that Egnew would be an instant contributor at the NFL level, especially on a pass-heavy team that checks down to the tight end often.
5. Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
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Of all the underclassmen who chose to stay in school, Travis Lewis' decision was one of the most surprising ones.
The Oklahoma linebacker has been downright nasty for the Sooners, racking up 343 tackles, six sacks, eight interceptions and two forced fumbles in three years at the school.
Lewis likely would have been picked in that 20-30 range in the 2011 NFL Draft and is unequivocally the No. 1 outside linebacker in next year's draft class.
He'll probably post another 100-plus tackle season at Oklahoma in 2011, but I bet he'd do the same if he were playing in the NFL.
4. Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
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While playing next to Ndamukong Suh in 2009, Jared Crick had a monster season, with 70 tackles and nine sacks.
And most people expected Crick's production to fall off dramatically in 2010 when Suh bolted for the NFL and teams could focus their attention on blocking Crick.
So much for that.
The 6'6," 285-pound defensive tackle matched his 2009 total with 70 tackles and also added 10 sacks and a forced fumble.
Crick could have been a first-round talent in this year's draft, but next year he could be a top-10 talent if he has a Nick Fairley-esque season.
3. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
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Justin Blackmon's numbers during his redshirt sophomore season at Oklahoma State in 2010 look like they came from a video game.
He caught 111 passes for 1,782 yards, scored 21 total touchdowns and had at least 105 receiving yards in every game he played in.
That's why it came as a bit of a shock when Blackmon decided to return to OSU for his senior season.
He likely would have been the No. 3 wide receiver in the 2011 NFL Draft and a potential top-20 or top-25 pick.
2. Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida
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Had Janoris Jenkins entered the 2011 NFL Draft like most experts assumed he would, he probably would have been a top-20 selection and even could have gone as high as No. 11 to the Houston Texans.
But alas, Jenkins decided to stay and is undoubtedly the No. 1 cornerback in all of college football.
If he's the top CB in the entire FBS, then it's a foregone conclusion that he could start in the NFL.
1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
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The runner-up in the 2010 Heisman race, Andrew Luck shocked the world when it was announced that he would return to Stanford for his redshirt junior season.
Before he made the decision to stay with the Cardinal, the Carolina Panthers had basically guaranteed that they would take him with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
But alas, that wasn't enough to convince Luck to forgo the remainder of his college eligibility and he'll be back as the top player in all of college football in 2011.
He's coming off a stellar sophomore campaign in which he completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 3,300 yards, ran for another 453 yards and scored 35 total touchdowns.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
