OT- Greatest CFB Player you ever watched?

Submitted by FatGuyTouchdown on

Just trying to lighten the mood after the recent recruiting decommits, so who is the best player you have ever seen play college football? It can be from any team, conference position.

Couple quick rules:

1. Must have watched them play at least once (Doesn't have to be in person). 

2. Must be centered around actual on field play. This is just to prevent people from saying "Kelly Baraka, but man he couldn't stop smoking weed"

My choice: Cam Newton. I wasn't old enough to watch Woodson (Who I think will garner a lot of votes here). Dude absolutely annhiliated everyone in his path during that season at Auburn. Just one of the most unstoppable players ever. Big moment for me is when he trucked Patrick Peterson and carried him 30 yards in to the endzone. Newton was also the only player on the offense of the 2011 Championship team to play in the NFL. Just an otherwordly player.

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Danwillhor

August 23rd, 2016 at 6:48 PM ^

I can't say a single player but some guys just took over games. Cam Newton is absolutely on my list. He basically won that NC his own. Reggie Bush, Woodson, Orlando Pace, Barry Sanders....too many. I'll add that no player made me more worried when he touched the ball than Ted Ginn Jr. Dude had 8 gears.

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Danwillhor

August 23rd, 2016 at 6:53 PM ^

Young and Vick specifically. Young put Texas on his back (doooo) and Vick was the first modern HB playing QB and doing it well. Cunningham was mobile but still a QB that moved like a WR if anything else. Vick was like giving an AA caliber HB the arm of AA caliber QB. Absolute freak.

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ehatch

August 23rd, 2016 at 6:54 PM ^

Michigan: Anthony Carter, Charles Woodson

Non-Michigan: As others have said Vince Young, and N. Suh

I'll also say that Christian McCaffrey's performance against Iowa was insane.  I very much look forward to seeing what he can do this year. 

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Greg McMurtry

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:05 PM ^

Slight thread hijack: 3 players stand out to me, perhaps not best players but their efforts stand out:
-Tommie Frazer Fiesta Bowl NC game
-Anquan Boldin plays qb in the Sugar Bowl as Rix was ineligible
-Byron Leftwich breaks tibia and finishes game vs. Akron with oline carrying him to the huddle



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Danwillhor

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:16 PM ^

He took over games. Absolute ball hawk. He's on the list of not just great but truly game changing CFB players. Those guys that deliver when everyone knows what is needed. Those that force the turnover at pivotal moments, run for 200 vs 8 man fronts, can't be stopped even when triple covered, etc

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SysMark

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:08 PM ^

Granted I'm biased but to this day I still feel the best college football I ever saw was Anthony Carter.  Woodson is right there, and maybe it's because AC was at Michigan when I got there, but that will always be my choice.  He was unreal.

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Greatgig

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:17 PM ^

I'll break it into three categories: 1. Played against: James Darling in high school, watched him, literally, jump over my cousin on his way to a 60 yard score. Played LB at Wazzu. 2. Watched in person: Woodson, Rose Bowl. 3. On TV: Deion Sanders, never have these eyes seen someone that fast. Bolt probably changes that, but on a football field, he was amazing.

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WolverineMac

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:22 PM ^

1) Woodson by far, and feel like that is unbiased.

2) any quarterback in a spread we were playing that day for a period of a few years.

3) Suh dominated people and games for a brief period that amazed me.

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A Fan In Fargo

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:29 PM ^

Loved Woodson, was so much fun watching him. Guys like Denard, Reggie Bush, Vince young an Michael Vick were all so electric and fun to watch but man I thought Peter Warrick was going to be something special. I just remember being so amazed by what he did every time he touched the ball. 

Image result for Peter Warrick gifs

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Clarence Beeks

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:43 PM ^

I know it was an example to set the rules in the OP, but seriously Kelly Baraka IS the greatest high school player I've ever seen play live in person (so, technically for me he does count). Gary and Clowney were close, though, at that level in terms of pure dominance. It's a damn shame.



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UMinSF

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:50 PM ^

Charles Woodson

Herschel Walker

Earl Campbell

Deion Sanders

Vince Young

Lee Roy Selmon (his brothers were great too)

Lots of other great choices, but those guys just completely dominated.

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B1G_Fan

August 23rd, 2016 at 8:17 PM ^

 All of these Denard answers.... I have no response. I loved the kids but he wasn't even a top 50 college player in the past 10-20 years. Everyone else is naming Heisman winners, national champions and runner's up, Denard never even sniffed a Big ten title.

 Michael Vick, Tim Tebow, Vince Young,Reggie Bush, Charles Woodson, Barry Sanders, Herschel Walker, Ricky Williams....

 That's like asking who the best heavyweight fighter of all time was and a bunch of people saying Gerry Cooney...... Denard was the brightest spot in the darkest days of Michigan football in my lifetime but he was not one of the best college players of all time

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EGD

August 23rd, 2016 at 8:36 PM ^

I was at UM from 1993-97 so I will add another vote for Woodson, with Wheatley a close #2. Braylon Edwards was another amazing talent but he wasn't as consistently dominant as those two.

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M-Dog

August 23rd, 2016 at 8:54 PM ^

He wasn't the greatest player ever, but the most fun player to watch was jamelle Holieway, the "Wishbone Wizard".  

I didn't even like Oklahoma, but I liked watching him.  His 1985 season was a thing of artistry.

BTW, I would have loved to see Denard in a pure Wishbone offense.

 

 

 

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Mar

August 23rd, 2016 at 8:54 PM ^

I normally don't care enough about posts but I feel so strongly about this that I'm posting it. He would have gone undefeated on a team full of high schoolers.

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steve sharik

August 23rd, 2016 at 9:01 PM ^

Marcus Dupree

I know all fanbases say their guy was the greatest of all time, and the people of Philadelphia, MS and Norman, OK are no different.

But those guys happened to be right. Marcus Dupree, as a true freshman was the best player on a Barry Switzer recruited team. Barry "Wishbone" Switzer went away from his baby and switched to the I to give turn around and hand the ball to a true freshman...in 1982.

Dupree didn't start until their seventh game...and still rushed for over 1,000 yards as a true freshman. In their bowl game (1983 Fiesta), Dupree came back from Christmas break overweight and out of shape. As a result, he had to battle hamstring issues in a game against the #1 rush defense in the NCAA. Dupree was able to manage 239 yards on 17 carries.

If you haven't watched "The Best that Never Was," and you like football, shame on you because that is must-see TV.

 

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