Independent Football Teams: Top Seven Players in 2015

By Tanner Sperry | Aug 31, 2015

1 of 8

Nov 23, 2013; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Tarean Folston (25) carries the ball as BYU Cougars linebacker Kyle Van Noy (3) attempts to tackle in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 23-13. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Who are the best players from the Independent teams this year?

The 2015 season starts in just a few days, and Notre Dame and BYU have some very talented teams coming into the 2015 football season. Army will probably end up having some playmakers and a great rushing game, but since they lost several of their top rushing players from last year, they will need to do some work to find out just who will step in next.

More from BYU Cougars

Both sides of the ball look strong for Notre Dame and BYU. The Cougars are probably going to have a more powerful offense, and the Fighting Irish will probably have a more dominant defense.

Either way, each team could be fighting for more than just a top 25 ranking to end the season. ESPN’s Top 100 Players lists a number of Independents, but several more are deserving of making it. The Heisman Trophy winner could even come from an Independent team for the first time in a long time.

Both BYU and Notre Dame have excellent teams, including depth at most of their positions. So this makes it tough to find a clear-cut top seven, especially when a number of deserving players are prone for breakout seasons in 2015. While most of these top seven athletes are proven playmakers for their respective teams, I have one surprise player that has yet to play in a game with his team.

Here are the top players from the Independent football teams. Feel free to share feedback in the comments, including your thoughts on my surprise break-out star.

Next: Nick Kurtz

Home/BYU Cougars