College Football: The 10 Hardest Hitters of 2011

There is nothing that says football more than a big hit.

It gets your team pumped and sends a message to your opponent that nothing is going to come easy for them in the game.

College football has some great heavy hitters this year both on offense and defense. Here are the top 10 guys most likely to lay you out this season.

Nick Moody, Florida State

You may not recognize Moody by name, but Jeff Demps sure does. He missed four games this season so his stats will be down but his impact was felt, as the Seminoles lost three of the four games.

Jerel Worthy, Michigan State

Any time a player gets a tattoo of his school’s mascot stomping the rival school’s mascot, you know the guy means business. When that guy is 6’3”, 310 lbs, you want to get out of his way.

Worthy doesn’t get the chance to lay the big hit very often at defensive tackle, but when he does, he makes it count.

Trent Richardson, Alabama

There aren’t many running backs with the power of Richardson this season. He’s an absolute nightmare to tackle; forget about it if he’s powering directly at you.

This poor Arkansas defender had no idea what hit him, but he sure felt it.

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech

There are even fewer quarterbacks in the country that can lay a hit, but at 6’6” 250 lbs, Thomas is one of them. He was recruited as a tight end out of high school but now punishes players on the zone read.

He never shies away from contact and gets a hit like this just about every game.

Sean Spence, Miami

When Spence is playing for Miami, there is a noticeable difference. He flies around the field and lays a big hit when he gets there.

He’s the next in line of heavy hitters to come out of Coral Gables.

Andre Branch, Clemson

Branch is having an amazing season so far, with seven sacks and five more tackles for loss. He also can do things like this to opposing quarterbacks.

He runs a 4.77 40-yard dash and weighs 260 lbs so when he gets a full head of steam, get out of his way.

Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

He is the anchor of an underrated Irish defense and he can both wrap up and lay the lumber.

Te’o leads the team in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. He’ll be a high draft pick whenever he declares and any NFL team would be grateful to have him.

Mark Barron, Alabama

If you can make a name for yourself on this year’s Alabama defense, you’re doing something right. Barron is arguably the biggest hitter on the defense.

If he finds you in open space, just curl up into a ball.

Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma

Lewis did not play much last year but he made a name for himself on special teams plays, particularly against Stanford. The guy just levels people.

Now that he’s starting at linebacker for the Sooners, expect a lot more plays like that.

Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

Burfict is an absolute animal on the field and one of the most intimidating players in all of college football.

Just looking at that picture makes me scared; watching his highlights is terrifying.