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Top five most exciting college players in memory

BobbyB1975

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Sep 9, 2018
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I was a little young for Hershel or Bo but this was a hard list to narrow down . The criteria is college performance even if they flopped in the NFL or you just didn’t like them . Top 5 guys that had you on the Edge of your seat when they touched the ball . Here’s mine

1.Barry Sanders
2. Reggie Bush
3. Deion Sanders
4. Christian McCaffrey
5. Johnny Manziel (love him or hate him he was amazing to watch in college)

Honorable mention : Randy Moss, Tim Tebow, Tyrann Matthieu , Marshall Faulk , Vince Young
 
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Lamar Jackson was pretty amazing to watch. I enjoyed watching Darren McFadden against other teams. He killed us. Was a great athlete. He should’ve won the Heisman the year Tebow won. Cam Newton was pretty amazing to watch too.

But the most electrifying player I remember watching was Peter Warrick. That guy was the shiftiest player I can remember.
 
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Rocket Raghib Ismail
Adrian Peterson
Tim Tebow
Reggie Bush
Vince Young
You have to include Hershel and Bo
 
Good list.

I'll add a Gamecock, Mike Hold. Never knew what he'd do, but he made plays and often made them exciting.
 
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Cam Newton
Bo Jackson

It's been darn near 30 years so some of the younger may forget how simply phenomenal Bo Jackson was. He was purely electric. AVERAGED 6.6 ypc for his career. That's not a typo. His sophomore season he average a whopping 7.7 ypc. As great as Herschel Walker was, he averaged 5.3 ypc for his career.

Bo was the definition of "man among boys."
 
Not very old but...

1.Tebow (Never forget the Ole Miss promise, and backing that up)
2. Cam Newton (Florida would have won at least two more titles if he hadn’t gotten into trouble)
3. Marcus Lattimore (never knew what could happen, so smooth and fluid)
4. DJ Swearinger (Arkansas game 3 penalties plays may be best thing to watch ever)
5. Clowney (when he tried)
 
Yeah I was gonna put Cam on my list too . Love him or hate him , his 1 full year in college was absolutely unreal . He was unlike anything we had ever seen at the position . He had the power running of Tebow but with that breakaway speed and elusiveness . He could throw it a mile too . He was a very special college player .
 
Barry Sanders
Tim Tebow
Devin Hester
Johnny Manzel ( I cant stand him, but he really was amazing to watch)
Desmond Howard. (forget about his Gameday persona, he was exciting to watch)
 
Rocket Raghib Ismail
Adrian Peterson
Tim Tebow
Reggie Bush
Vince Young
You have to include Hershel and Bo

Dang I forgot about Rocket . He was horrifying to play against . Still amazed Colorado punted to him in that Championship game . Still to this day don’t think that was a block in the back . Rocket was a freak . Tim Brown was pretty electric too .
 
Barry Sanders
Tim Tebow
Devin Hester
Johnny Manzel ( I cant stand him, but he really was amazing to watch)
Desmond Howard. (forget about his Gameday persona, he was exciting to watch)
I would substitute Charles Woodson for Desmond Howard. Woodson could do it all...offense, defense, special teams. Still the best all-around player I have ever seen.
 
I really hated him at Virginia Tech, but Michael Vick has to be on this list.

Wow how did I miss him on my list . Yeah Vick was hands down one of the most amazing playmakers ever in college . He made people look stupid .
 
I am going to narrow it down to guys I watched in person that blew me away on another level.

Deion Sanders (probably the most exciting player I have watched play defense. Only guy I personally watched control a game from the secondary position and return position)

Cam Newton (I was @Auburn and Atlanta in 2010, he and Tebow are absolutely the two best college QBs I have ever seen in person. His performance against us in Atlanta just made you realize it doesn't matter what defense you call)

Darren McFadden (was the best player in college football deserved the Heisman. He was an absolute freak the power and speed. He's as close to Bo Jackson as I have seen although I think Barry Sanders is the best ever)

Sterling Sharpe (maybe it's just being a Homer and being sentimental but watching him made me love the game as did Deion and Dan Marino at Pitt)

Clowney (like Deion the ability to control a game on defense. Michigan is the obvious example but the 5 sacks in 2012 at Clemson at night with Dylan Thompson at QB was easily my favorite win over Clemson of the 5 not even close. I don't even think he played that great that night either)

Eli Manning was pretty impressive

Lattimore, Alshon, Shaw, Swearinger, Rice are all up there as gamecocks
 
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Sterling Sharpe
Bo Jackson
Hershel Walker
Desmond Howard
Doug Flutie

Great list. And I'd say that for a Heisman winner, Flutie remains one of the more underappreciated college greats. Wasn't bad in the pros, either.
 
It's been darn near 30 years so some of the younger may forget how simply phenomenal Bo Jackson was. He was purely electric. AVERAGED 6.6 ypc for his career. That's not a typo. His sophomore season he average a whopping 7.7 ypc. As great as Herschel Walker was, he averaged 5.3 ypc for his career.

Bo was the definition of "man among boys."

Even at the pro level. Even in baseball.

 
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Another guy that just popped in my head ...Luke Kuechly at BC . Remember watching him play and wonder how a heat seeking missile had taken human form .
 
I really hated him at Virginia Tech, but Michael Vick has to be on this list.

Loved Vick when he played against Clemson, always wondered if he hadn't had the ankle injury vs Pitt in the 2000 season the week before if that Miami game would've been any different it made VT sitting ducks for the 'Canes that day.
 
Barry Sanders
John Elway
Quentin Griffin
Bruce Ellington/ Ace Sanders

I was not alive yet when Fran Tarkenton played at Georgia. but based off his highlights film with Minnesota and New York, he had to have an electrifying performances during his playing time in the NCAA.
 
Am I the only one old enough to remember George Rogers?

With a slight SC bias he is at the top of my list. He was big, strong, fast and agile. One on one there was no one who could tackle him. He could turn back against the grain and leave everyone in the dust. His game against Michigan at Ann Arbor was the best game I have ever seen by a Gamecock. (He had some help from Willie Scott and others, but he rushed for 142 yards.)

 
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Reportedly in 1988 at WB when FSU beat the feces out of us 59-0, D. Sanders yelled at some our fans, "y'all should ask for your money back". Lol D Sanders was one of the best for sure I ever saw in person. Dan Marino had the best arm I ever saw in person. George Rogers was simply a bull in a China Shop. FSU had a receiver named Sellers (I think) in the late 60's. He must have caught 20 passes vs USC one night at Carolina Stadium, pre WB. That was one of the better performances I saw in person Kentucky had a RB and KR that had 299 total yards vs us one day in WB
 
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Going Defense on this one:

Remember Corey Moore for VT? Undersized DE during the Vick era....he had a motor.

At SC, on D, Clowney and Norwood come to mind. Melvin Ingram was pretty damn exciting his final 2 years.

Peppers was something. Don’t remember LT from college much. Wish I could’ve seen him play more.
 
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If I’m going defense

Deion
Clowney
Kuechly
Derrick Thomas (still the best I ever saw in college)
Honey Badger ( hated him as a person but he was damn fun to watch).
 
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Not very old but...

1.Tebow (Never forget the Ole Miss promise, and backing that up)
2. Cam Newton (Florida would have won at least two more titles if he hadn’t gotten into trouble)
3. Marcus Lattimore (never knew what could happen, so smooth and fluid)
4. DJ Swearinger (Arkansas game 3 penalties plays may be best thing to watch ever)
5. Clowney (when he tried)

Latt
Not very old but...

1.Tebow (Never forget the Ole Miss promise, and backing that up)
2. Cam Newton (Florida would have won at least two more titles if he hadn’t gotten into trouble)
3. Marcus Lattimore (never knew what could happen, so smooth and fluid)
4. DJ Swearinger (Arkansas game 3 penalties plays may be best thing to watch ever)
5. Clowney (when he tried)

Lattimore- You are so correct, he was one of the most fluid and smoothest players to ever play at RB for USC. It's still so frustrating for me to think what could have been. Not just for USC but more importantly for Marcus himself. What a remarkable young man.
 
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