Small but Deadly: Undersized Star Players in College Football

No mainstream sport puts a greater emphasis on size than football. Although proper clock management and play-calling are vital to a team's success, there is a necessity to have large individuals on the field to execute the physical aspects.

More weight improves a football player's ability to break/make tackles, while extra inches help him see and reach over the opposition (not to mention, it adds some confidence).

Despite this, a handful of the nation's most talented college players come in small packages.

Tavon Austin (WR): West Virginia Mountaineers

Junior Tavon Austin (5-9, 175) isn't too small to carry the burden of being a No. 1 receiver. In fact, he's handling punt and kick returns duties for the Mountaineers in 2011, too!

His 11-catch, 187-yard performance against LSU, albeit in a losing effort, put him on NFL scouts' radars. A pair of his lengthy receptions in the third quarter kept West Virginia alive in what was otherwise a non-competitive contest.

Austin is speedy, shifty and intelligent, and with an excellent quarterback like Geno Smith under center, he is guaranteed to post gaudy stats throughout the season.

Denard Robinson (QB): Michigan Wolverines

It's possible that Robinson (6-1, 193) would have an easier time finding his targets if he could see over his offensive line. Luckily, his true value lies in his legs.

In his collegiate career, Robinson has practically the same number of rushing attempts as passing attempts. No quarterback in the history of the game is as effective on the ground as he is.

Granted, Robinson is under-sized for a passer, but he's difficult to stop for defenses accustomed to dealing with running backs.

He's fast, in terms of initial explosiveness at the onset of a carry, shiftiness to get through the first two levels of defenders, and breakaway speed once a path to the end zone opens up.

Combine that talent with his strong arm, and you can understand why Robinson is considered one of the game's most exciting players.

Russell Wilson (QB): Wisconsin Badgers

Speaking of nontraditional quarterbacks, Senior Russell Wilson (5-11, 201) is the shortest offensive starter on his team! That hasn't stopped him from leaping into the discussion for this year's Heisman Trophy.

Wilson has been shockingly accurate in 2011. Additionally, he ranks in the top 10 in major categories such as touchdown passes, yards and passer rating, and first in Division I-A in yards per attempt.

The 22-year-old started for three seasons at North Carolina State and led the Wolfpack to a bowl game win over No. 22 West Virginia before transferring.

Perhaps the toughest adjustment for him will be the weather: come winter time, Wilson will be the last man on the field to realize it's snowing.

Ryan Broyles (WR): Oklahoma Sooners

Broyles (5-10, 188) is simply a BEAST. He ranks first among active players in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.

All-American quarterback Landry Jones deserves significant credit for Broyles' shining stats, but the senior wideout has tremendous skills that would produce scoring opportunities with any passer.

A bit vertically challenged, Broyles compensates with awesome hands and route-running, and impressive strength for his size. His high football IQ is yet another asset.

In 2010, he nearly snagged the coveted Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's best receiver. With a couple 150-yard games already, he's a top candidate again.

Tyrann Mathieu (CB): LSU Tigers

Tyrann Mathieu (5-9, 175) has garnered even more national recognition than Wilson despite playing on the other side of the ball.

He is the most dominant player on LSU's defense, a unit that held its Week 2 and 3 opponents to a combined nine points, and kept overpowering Oregon and West Virginia in the 20s. Mathieu's Tigers enter Week 5 as the No. 1 team in the AP poll.

He personally is on pace for 100 tackles this season and plenty of takeaways.

SEC blogger Chris Low describes him as, "the SEC's Defensive MVP" after a month's worth of games. That's high praise for such a tiny cornerback.

Kellen Moore (QB): Boise State Broncos

Moore (6-1, 191) is working on a fourth consecutive outstanding season at Boise State.

He has been unbelievably accurate since 2009 (11 interceptions in 919 pass attempts).

Moore's accomplishments aren't accepted by some fans because the Broncos played in the WAC instead of a power conference. They recently joined the Mountain West Conference, but remain a non-automatic qualifier.

However, notice that Moore is 5-0 against "real" competition; vs. Georgia, Oregon (2), Oregon State and Virginia Tech, he has thrown 13 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.

Although under-sized for his position, you can bet Moore is the big man on campus.

LaMichael James (RB): Oregon Ducks

James (5-9, 185) was barely involved in Oregon's 19-8 loss to Kellen Moore's Broncos a couple years ago. He earned the starting job a couple weeks later and has since been the top running back in college football.

He leads all FBS players in rushing yards and total touchdowns since 2009.

His Ducks have won 18 of their last 19 regular season match-ups and nearly captured a national title last year.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. noted that James can, "handle a heavy workload (294 carries last season) and is very effective running between the tackles," despite his littleness.

"James has become more incorporated into the passing game," Kiper continued, "and he's been given a chance to showcase his skills as a punt returner for the first time in his career."

James' incredible 9.4 yards per carry is a result of both his agility and physicality . . . but wait, the fact that he has the latter makes his measurements irrelevant, doesn't it? The same applies for all the greats on this list.

In a sport often promoted as sheer bulk, there are diminutive players who ride their technique and athleticism to stardom.