Top Ten Offensive Players for 2007
The Top Ten Offensive Players in College Football
These ten players will leave defenses frustrated and college football fans breathless in 2007
Spring practice for major collegiate programs all across the country has already begun, with experienced players working to improve their game and underclassmen studying to take a graduated starter’s spot on the gridiron. Any true college football fan is already looking ahead to the established stars who will take the field this fall and with that in mind here’s an early rundown of the premier offensive talents headed into 2007:
1. Colt Brennan, QB Hawaii
58. That’s the number of touchdown passes Brennan threw in his junior campaign, breaking the previous record held by David Klingler. At 6’3, 205 pounds and possessing surprising mobility, Brennan opted to withdraw his name from the NFL draft and come back for his senior season. With his top three receivers back and a favorable schedule that includes home games against Washington and conference bully Boise State, Brennan is set up for yet another monster year and legitimate Heisman consideration.
2. Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas
A dynamic blend of both size and speed, McFadden improved on his SEC Freshman of the Year campaign by rushing for 1,647 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to consensus All-American honors. McFadden averaged 118 yards per game against ranked opponents, despite sharing carries with another 1,000 yard rusher in Felix Jones. A multi-skilled athlete, McFadden returned kickoffs and on several occasions lined up as a quarterback. Some would argue McFadden was also the Razorbacks’ best passer, as three of his seven completions resulted in touchdowns.
3. Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia
As one half of the Big East’s prolific rushing duo, Slaton himself is also arguably the nation’s most exciting player. Standing at a compact 5’10 and 195 pounds, Slaton’s reputation as a home-run hitter is backed up by his seven yards per carry, 1,744 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2006. His overwhelming speed strikes fear in any defense, as he averaged an obscene 29 yards per touchdown run.
4. Pat White, QB West Virginia
To opposing defenses, White is the quarterback paired with Slaton in a seemingly unfair combination of big play ability. Last season White completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 1,655 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with his 1,219 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. Although cited as a developing passer in Rich Rodriguez’s option-based attack, White proved he can carry the offense on his own in the Mountaineers' Gator Bowl victory. Down 18 points in the second half, White threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the 38-35 win despite the fact Slaton was limited to three carries due to injury.
5. DeSean Jackson, WR California
Following up an electrifying freshman season, Jackson catapulted himself into the discussion of the nation’s most elite playmakers with an even better sophomore year. Jackson’s gaudy numbers include 1,060 receiving yards and an impressive average of 18 yards per reception. He also caught a touchdown in each of his first six games of the season. His talents were not limited to the offensive side of the football either as he led the nation in punt return average (18.2 yards) and scored four times to set a new Pac-10 season record.
6. Ray Rice, RB Rutgers
When Rutgers burst onto the national scene in 2006, one player who stood out the most during their dramatic rise was a stocky sophomore running back who punished defenders and carried the team on his back during crucial times. Like the program itself, it took some time for recognition to come Ray Rice’s way but the junior is now firmly on the Heisman short list after totaling 1,624 rushing yards as the workhorse of Rutgers’ smash mouth attack. After a torrid September in which he ran for 806 yards and 11 touchdowns, Rice helped lead the Scarlet Knights to a second place Big East finish and first ever bowl victory.
7. Sam Baker, OT USC
The anchor of the Trojans’ offensive line, Baker has dominated Pac-10 defenders ever since breaking into the lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2004. He’s only given up one sack in his entire career at Southern Cal, against Washington State in 2006. Powerful but agile, Baker has opened many lanes for USC’s never-ending stockpile of talented running backs and is currently charged with protecting quarterback John David Booty’s blindside. His 6’5, 305 pound frame and excellent play has garnered plenty of attention from NFL scouts and many foresee Baker as a potential top ten pick in next year’s draft.
8. Ian Johnson, RB Boise State
Although it’d be hard to argue how Johnson could possibly top a season in which he ran for 25 touchdowns and scored the winning points on one of the great plays in college football history as his team upset Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl to finish undefeated, Johnson is indeed back for more. With long-time starting quarterback Jared Zabransky gone, the onus will be on Johnson to carry the load for a perennially dominating Boise State offense that is looking for a follow-up to their dream season in 2006.
9. Mike Hart, RB Michigan
After an injury-plagued 2005 season and disappointing five loss campaign for the Wolverines, Hart returned to the form that made him one of the country’s top freshmen two years prior. The diminutive bulldozer of a running back is known most for his yardage totals (1,562 last year) or nose for the end zone (27 career rushing touchdowns), but his value to the Michigan program extends past that. A devastating pass blocker, Hart is often the last line of defense for blitzing linebackers who would like nothing more than to flatten slow-footed quarterback Chad Henne.
10. Mario Manningham, WR Michigan
At the beginning of the 2006 season Manningham was off to a blistering start, as his game-breaking abilities became highlight reel standards in marquee wins over Notre Dame and Wisconsin. All that changed after injuring his knee in the win over Michigan State, which forced him to sit out the next four contests. Despite solid games against Ohio State and USC, both losses put a damper on a potentially great season. Fully healthy after an off-season in which to get stronger, Manningham is already Michigan’s next great wide receiver and looks to put his own stamp on the impressive legacy left before him by former greats.
Honorable Mention: RB P.J. Hill Wisconsin, WR Jarrett Dillard Rice, QB Graham Harrell Texas Tech, QB Colt McCoy Texas
