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Ranking the 50 best college football players for 2016

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 10, 2015; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King (14) signals for the first down late in the fourth quarter after Iowa recovered a fumble against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa beat Illinois 29-20. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King (14) signals for the first down late in the fourth quarter after Iowa recovered a fumble against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa beat Illinois 29-20. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports /

The race for the top cornerback in the Big Ten is an intense one and Iowa’s Desmond King may just  win that distinction before the 2016 season is complete.

As a former three-star underrated recruit from Detroit, Mich., both Michigan State and Michigan failed to offer the young cornerback. That put a major chip on his shoulder and you can bet both schools are probably kicking themselves for overlooking the Hawkeyes’ star defensive back.

NFL teams came a-calling for King after the 2015 season, but he decided to come back for his senior year to finish some business with the Hawkeyes. He had just helped lead Iowa to its best season in recent memory under Kirk Ferentz, putting together a 12-0 regular season before losing the Big Ten title game to Michigan State and the Rose Bowl to Stanford.

Bringing back major pieces on both sides of the ball, King is confident that Iowa can get back to that conference championship game.

King was a consensus All-American in 2015 and was named the Jim Thorpe Award winner for the nation’s top defensive back. He finished his junior campaign with 72 total tackles, one for loss, 13 pass breakups and eight interceptions.

This kid screams first round pick next season and it’d be a shock if he didn’t repeat as the Thorpe Award winner.

Next: 14. Adoree' Jackson

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