There are many pretty good to great players to play the game of college football, but there are only a few that come along every decade or so that no one can ever forget. Some had better careers than others, but they all had one thing in common, being electric with the ball in their hands. Here are my most dangerous players from the past two decades, part two.
11. QB Cam Newton, Auburn
The Atlanta native was a five-star recruit by every outlet you could imagine. He initially chose to sign with the Florida Gators, in which he had to sit behind Tim Tebow. After a couple years of that it was time to make a change in his eyes along with other outside influences, so he went the junior college route. After one season at Blinn College where he won the national championship, everyone was back hot on his trails with Auburn winning out.
His lone season with the Tigers was legendary. He went on to lead them to an undefeated season along with an SEC Championship and a BCS National Championship. Along the way he racked up numerous accolades with the Heisman Trophy being the biggest of all. He became the first player in SEC history to pass for 2,000 yards, and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. He went on to be the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and the rest was history.
12. QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
Aka “Johnny Football,” Manziel will be remembered forever for the the amazing things he did on the field. If there were anyone that fit the phrase “playing backyard football,” then it would certainly be Manziel. He did things that drove coaches crazy. Even his own in a sense, but he would immediately turn it into a big play and have the entire stadium in pandemonium.
He initially redshirted his first year as only a three-star recruit, but the next year when he finally got his chance he showed out. He became the first freshman in college football history to win the Heisman. That should tell you all you need to know about his 2012 season. He ended up breaking numerous NCAA and SEC records along with becoming the first player in FBS history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards. He would eventually go on to be a first round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
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13. WR/RB Tayvon Austin, West Virginia
Austin was and still is, by far, one of the most explosive players to ever suit up in college football. He was a blur coming out of Dunbar High School in Baltimore, and all he did was continue that. By the time his junior season came around it was time to show the entire nation who he was. He earned First-Team All-American honors as a return man, then in 2012 he obliterated everyone in his way. During that season there was no stopping him whatsoever. He scored four different ways that season by way of receiving, rushing, kick return and punt return. He is still the only FBS player in history to have completed that feat. His game against Oklahoma in 2012 would turn out to be his most legendary game to date. He ran for more than 300 yards and ended with 572 all-purpose yards. He also has maybe the most viewed highlight tape of all time.
14. CB/PR Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
Mathieu, nicknamed “The Honey Badger,” was quite literally a play waiting to be made whenever he was on the field. Whether it was forcing a fumble, intercepting a pass, getting a sack or taking it all the way back fora touchdown on a return, it didn’t matter. He was simple going to be around the ball and make a play.
He came on during his freshman season where they couldn’t keep him off the field, but his sophomore season was one for the ages. He finished fifth in Heisman voting and took home the Chuck Bednarik Award along with earning consensus All-American honors. While he didn’t get to finish his career due to him being suspended for off-the-field problems, his name will live on forever in Baton Rouge, La. He still went on to be drafted in the 2012 draft and enjoyed a long successful NFL career.
15. QB Pat White, West Virginia
This was a hard one with so many to pick from, but White was one of the best college football players to touch the field. Not a ballyhooed recruit by any means, but all he did was start from day one and put on a show for the Mountaineers. It was the beginning of the spread offense era with Rich Rodriguez as his head coach leading the way, so there wasn’t much film on it. While that may be true, it didn’t matter much whenever the nation did start catching up.
Over his four year career he went on to finish with more than 10,000 total yards along with 103 touchdowns. Known for his dynamic throwing and rushing abilities, you had to be tuned in whenever he was on the field. He also had a running mate with him in the backfield as well in Steve Slaton who was no slouch by any means. It still turned out to be the White show. He was a two-time Big East Offensive player of the year in 2006 and 2007 along with leading the Mountaineers to four straight bowl wins. As it stands today, he is the NCAA all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks with 4,480 yards over his career.
