Photo from Wikimedia Commons
BY: COLIN BISH/ STAFF WRITER
40. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
In recent years, no player has screamed “Michigan Wolverine” more than Hutchinson. Hailing from the small town of Plymouth, Michigan, Hutchinson committed to the Wolverines in 2018. He played sparingly in his freshman season, but came back to show major flashes of brilliance in his sophomore season. Hutchinson notched 68 tackles, 10 for a loss, 4.5 sacks, six passes defended and two forced fumbles. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Hutchinson and the Wolverines from playing a full season. Following a lackluster season, the writing was on the wall for head coach Jim Harbaugh, but Hutchinson and co. ensured that Harbaugh was there to stay. After going 2-4 in 2020, Hutchinson helped Michigan finish 12-2 with a Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff appearance. Hutchinson amassed 62 tackles, 17 for a loss, 14 sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles. He earned multiple honors that season, winning the Lott Trophy, Lombardi Award, Ted Hendricks Award and was a unanimous All-American selection and finished second in the Heisman voting. After his stellar season, Hutchinson remained in Michigan after being selected second overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft. Looking back, one could assume that Hutchinson’s presence helped revive both Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football.
39. Running back Saquon Barkley, Penn State
I get I’m younger, but I’ve never seen a more electric college football player than peak Saquon Barkley. Born in the Bronx, Barkley’s family moved to Pennsylvania, eventually settling in Allentown. Barkley became a star running back at Whitehall High in a division of Pennsylvania football known for pumping out elite college and NFL talent. Though originally committed to Rutgers (sorry, Scarlet Knights), Barkley flipped to Penn State. As soon as he stepped foot in State College, Barkley made an immediate impact as a freshman, rushing 182 times for 1076 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. One of his best performances came against #1 Ohio State, where he rushed 26 times for 194 yards. This game was a foreshadowing of what was to come against the Buckeyes. The following year, Barkley helped rejuvenate Penn State football after falling into an extended slump following Joe Paterno’s departure. After starting the season unranked, the Nittany Lions finished 11-3 with a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth. Barkley was a massive part of that; the sophomore rushed 272 times for 1496 yards and 18 touchdowns, adding 28 catches for 402 yards and four receiving scores. Barkley had a knack for making explosive plays, such as his 79-yard touchdown in the Rose Bowl against USC. The hype was at an all-time high for Barkley entering his junior year, and he did not disappoint. He transformed from a primary running back to an all-around threat. Barkley rushed 217 times for 1271 yards and 18 touchdowns, caught 54 passes for 632 yards and three touchdowns. His electricity played over into special teams, too, returning 15 kickoffs for 426 yards and two scores; including an opening-kickoff score against Ohio State. Barkley finished his career with multiple Big Ten honors and would go on to have a successful NFL career, showing flashes of brilliance with the New York Giants before setting league records with the Philadelphia Eagles and helping them win a Super Bowl this past season.
38. Wide receiver Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
Though lost to the halls of football lore, there may not have been a more reliable college football receiver than Broyles. But it didn’t start that way; Broyles was redshirted in 2007 after being arrested for stealing gasoline. Yet it was all smooth sailing from then on. Broyles debuted for Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma Sooners in 2008, tying a freshman record with 46 catches and setting a new freshman record with 687 receiving yards. He also added six receiving scores. Broyles upped his game even further in 2009, catching 89 passes for 1120 yards and 15 touchdowns, which led the Big 12. He capped off his breakout campaign with a Sun Bowl MVP performance against Stanford, catching 13 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns. Broyles got even better the following year in 2010, catching an NCAA-leading 131 passes for 1622 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named a consensus All-American, capping off the year with 13 catches, 170 yards and a touchdown against UConn in the Fiesta Bowl. His final year in college football started incredibly, as he caught 83 passes for 1157 yards and 10 touchdowns in just nine games. Unfortunately, Broyles tore his ACL against Texas A&M that year, ending a legendary college career abruptly. To understand just how good he was, just know he was recognized as a consensus All-American his senior year even after getting hurt. The Detroit Lions selected Broyles in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, but he never found stable NFL success. Nonetheless, Broyles finished as one of his era’s most reliable and dominant receivers.
37. Running back Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
Madison is known for producing legendary running backs, starting with Ron Dayne, followed up with guys like John Clay and Montee Ball. Gordon continued the lineage after Ball left for the NFL. But the Kenosha native showed he could play, even behind Ball and future NFL back James White. In a 70-31 Big Ten championship rout of #12 Nebraska, Gordon rushed just nine times for 216 yards and a touchdown. He would take the starting running back role in 2013, and did not disappoint. Gordon rushed 206 times for 1609 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading the Big Ten with 7.8 yards per carry. A great season, but not as overtly dominant as past Badger running back seasons. But not for long. Gordon exploded in 2014, rushing an astounding 343 times for 2587 yards and 29 touchdowns, good for 7.5 yards per carry. His rushing yards and rushing touchdowns led the nation, helping him win the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Big Ten MVP, Jim Brown Trophy, Doak Walker Award and a unanimous All-American selection. On November 15, Gordon broke NFL Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson’s single-game rushing record after notching 408 yards on just 25 carries against Nebraska. Unfortunately, the record would be broken again just the following week by Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine. After a legendary career in Madison, Gordon went on to be drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. While he had some great seasons every now and then, injuries prevented Gordon from recapturing that Badger glory. And if you thought Gordon was nuts, just wait for the next Wisconsin bellcow running back.
36. Linebacker Jarvis Jones, USC/Georgia
Jones’ story is one of overcoming insurmountable odds to succeed at an elite level. We’ve seen this many times before; yet Jones seems to get lost in the shuffle. Jones initially committed to USC out of George Washington Carver High in Georgia, where he played mainly as a backup linebacker and special teamer. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in a matchup against Oregon when Jones suffered a neck injury. He was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, and USC doctors would not clear him to play football. But Jones believed he would play again; he was granted a transfer release and landed at Georgia, whose doctors cleared him to play football again. The decision paid off massively, as Jones sprang from nowhere to become the heart and soul of the Bulldogs’ defense. He notched 70 tackles, 20 for a loss, 13.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Jones returned for his senior year, and raised his stock even more with an even better season. He made 85 tackles, 25 for a loss, 14.5 sacks, and seven forced fumbles, ranking first in the NCAA for each of the latter three categories. Jones was huge in an incredible season for Georgia, which finished 12-2 and one play short of a national title berth. After college, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Jones in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, but he could never catch that same lightning he had in Athens.
35. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Indiana/Washington
Though he had a dominant high school career at Tampa Bay Tech, Penix Jr. was only named a three-star recruit and accepted a scholarship at Indiana. Though he had talent, constant horrific injuries kept him from fully blossoming into a star. He was redshirted in 2018 after tearing his ACL, and while he showed some flashes in 2019, he only played six games due to injury. But things seem to turn around in the COVID-shortened 2020, when Penix Jr. helped lead the Hoosiers to one of their best seasons in recent memory. Yet again, injury struck when he was ruled out for the season with another torn ACL against Maryland. In 2021, Penix Jr. again ran into injuries, this time regarding his shoulder, and only played five games. It seemed time for a change; therefore, Penix Jr. entered the newly minted transfer portal and committed to the University of Washington. This choice may have saved his career. While many injury concerns existed, Penix Jr. shrugged those off to tear through the PAC-12. He led the conference in completions, passing attempts, and passing yards while throwing for 31 touchdowns. His NCAA-leading 357 passing yards per game helped lead Washington to an 11-2 record after finishing 4-8 the previous season. After finishing eighth in that year’s Heisman voting, Penix Jr. returned for one last hurrah in 2023, with massive expectations. The Huskies more than delivered, finishing 14-1 with a PAC-12 Championship, a CFP victory over Texas and a national championship appearance against Michigan. Penix Jr. was the biggest cog in the Huskies’ prolific offensive machine; He led the nation with 4903 passing yards while throwing for 36 touchdowns and completing 65% of his passes. He finished second in the Heisman voting this season, and with his stock at an all-time high, entered the 2024 NFL Draft. The Atlanta Falcons selected him eighth overall, where Falcons fans hope he can become the team’s savior.
34. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
From the jump, Clowney was destined to be one of the great college athletes. He was rated by multiple outlets, such as ESPN, Rivals.com and 247Sports, as the number one overall recruit in his class. He committed to South Carolina, where college football legend Steve Spurrier was in the midst of a successful rebuild in Columbia. Clowney was a huge component in all of this. As a true freshman, Clowney played in all 12 games, recording 36 tackles, 12 for a loss, eight sacks and five forced fumbles. The Gamecocks finished 11-2 and in the top ten of the final AP poll, while Clowney was named SEC Freshman of the Year. Clowney’s freshman season can’t even be called a precursor compared to what came next. It was a warning. South Carolina again finished the season 11-2, with Clowney becoming one of the best defensive players in the nation. He totaled 54 tackles, 24 for a loss, 13 sacks and three forced fumbles. He won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end and was named first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American. His magnum opus came in a thrilling victory over Michigan in the Outback Bowl; a clear-cut fourth-down stop for South Carolina was ruled a first down for Michigan, giving the Wolverines the ball up one deep in the fourth quarter. The very next play, Clowney unleashed a crushing hit on running back Vincent Smith to force a fumble and give the Gamecocks the ball. The sky was the limit for Clowney, who was seen as a legit Heisman candidate for 2013. But many health issues and injuries kept Clowney limited, but he still maintained great play. In eleven games, Clowney made 39 tackles, 12 for a loss, three sacks, four passes defended and a forced fumble. His body of work and physical stature made him a consensus top overall pick by many draft analysts. And that was what happened; the Houston Texans selected Clowney first overall in 2014, hoping to pair the dominant J.J. Watt alongside a young, stellar talent. While Watt still maintained a solid career, Clowney never really got going. His best season came in 2016 when he made second-team All-Pro, but he has since bounced around the league across multiple teams.
33. Wide receiver Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
The term “can’t get out of their own way” couldn’t be more true when discussing Blackmon. Coming out of Ardmore, Oklahoma, Blackmon committed to Oklahoma State in 2008. He redshirted his freshman season, and showed some flashes in his first legitimate season of play in 2009. But I can only go from 2010 onward. Good thing that Blackmon saved his play for the new decade! Blackmon burst onto the scene, dominating in Mike Gundy’s offense after catching 111 passes for 1782 yards and 20 touchdowns. He earned unanimous first-team All-American honors and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award. He was also named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the first receiver to ever win the award. Blackmon returned alongside quarterback Brandon Weeden in 2011, placing high expectations on the Cowboys. The team more than delivered, putting together one of, if not the best, seasons in Oklahoma State history. They finished 12-1 with a win over Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl, and just narrowly missed out on a BCS title game berth. Blackmon again led the charge, catching 122 passes for 1522 yards and 18 touchdowns. He repeated in 2011 as a unanimous All-American and the Biletnikoff Award winner, adding more fuel to his high-rising draft stock. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Blackmon fifth overall in 2012, and he showed potential after being named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team. Then came his legal issues. Blackmon was arrested for DUI in June of 2012, which halted his rookie campaign. Then his season ended after he was suspended by the NFL indefinitely for violating their Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Though he was able to apply for reinstatement for the 2014 season, Blackmon was arrested in July 2014 for possession of marijuana. The final nail in the coffin of his NFL career came in December 2015 when he was again arrested for DUI. What could have been for Blackmon, a storied college receiver, but he couldn’t get out of his own way.
32. Quarterback Justin Fields, Georgia/Ohio State
I have been super high on Fields since his Ohio State days. I’ll still be a supporter of Fields, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Coming out of Kennesaw, Georgia, Fields was regarded as one of the best recruits in his class, but not number one (we’ll get there soon). Fields committed to his home state school of Georgia, where he sat behind Jake Fromm. He saw little action, with the only memorable play coming from the Bulldogs’ implosion against Alabama in the 2018 SEC Championship game when Fields was stopped on a fourth-down fake-punt attempt. With Fromm set to return the following year, Fields bet on himself to contribute as a starter elsewhere as he transferred to Ohio State and was granted immediate eligibility. In his first year as a college football starter, Fields became one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He passed for 3273 yards, 41 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 67% of his passes. The Buckeyes, fueled by a dominant roster and Fields’ excellence, went 13-0 with a Big Ten championship. But their CFP national title hopes stopped in the Fiesta Bowl against Clemson, 29-23. COVID-19 initially halted the Big Ten’s season, but Fields would eventually return to Ohio State and play the COVID-shortened year. The Buckeyes once again finished the regular season undefeated with a Big Ten championship, powered by Fields’ 2100 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, six interceptions, 9.3 yards per pass attempt and 70% completion. Ohio State was once again matched up against Clemson in the CFP, this time in the Sugar Bowl, but Fields remembered the previous encounter. They dragged the Tigers 49-28, thanks to Fields’ 385 passing yards and six touchdown passes. But Ohio State ran into a buzzsaw in Alabama, falling in the national championship 52-24. Fields would forgo his senior year and enter the 2021 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Chicago Bears eleventh overall. While he showed flashes, Fields never found consistent passing success and was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He mainly backed up Russell Wilson, and now is with the New York Jets, hoping to remediate their disastrous Aaron Rodgers experiment.
31. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
The only player ahead of Fields in his recruiting class? The man with the golden locks and flashy deep passes, Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence finished a storied high school career at Cartersville in Tennessee and is one of the best quarterback prospects ever. He committed to Clemson, but coach Dabo Swinney intended to stick with last year’s starter Kelly Bryant. But it took a narrow 28-26 win at Texas A&M for Swinney to shift to the freshman; the decision gave us one of the most successful college quarterbacks of all time. Lawrence finished his freshman year with 3280 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading the ACC in passing efficiency rating. Lawrence helped lead the Tigers to an undefeated, 15-0 season with an ACC championship, CFP semifinal win over Notre Dame and a national championship over the consensus top team in the nation, Alabama. Lawrence earned offensive MVP honors by cooking the Tide for 347 yards and three touchdowns. In his first season, Lawrence already cemented his legacy as an all-time great. But it didn’t stop there. In his sophomore season, Lawrence completed 66% of his passes for 3665 yards and 36 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He won another ACC championship and defeated Justin Fields’ Ohio State Buckeyes to return to the national championship game. But Clemson’s quest to repeat stalled after falling short against LSU 42-25. Lawrence returned for 2020 and put up Heisman-level numbers before sitting out for a couple of games after testing positive for COVID-19, his absence being a key component in Clemson’s loss to Notre Dame. Once Lawrence returned, he reminded Notre Dame of what they dodged in the ACC Championship, passing for 322 yards and two touchdowns to help book Clemson another CFP berth. This time around, Lawrence fell out of the national championship game due to the aforementioned 49-28 loss to Justin Fields and co. The perennial projected number one pick in the 2021 Draft, Lawrence would forgo his senior season and was drafted first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars first overall. He remains with the Jags today, and following a pair of lackluster seasons, 2025 will be a huge year in Lawrence’s professional career. But questions about his pro-sustainability doesn’t take away his dominant and exhilarating college career at Clemson.
