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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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Sep 12, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Jake Butt (88) runs the ball in the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Jake Butt (88) runs the ball in the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Before Jim Harbaugh took over the Michigan program, Jake Butt was just a normal tight end who looked to be a 20-catch and 200-yard guy on a yearly basis. There’s nothing wrong with being an average tight end, but he basically tripled his numbers during the new head coach’s first season.

Iowa transfer quarterback Jake Rudock also had something to do with the uptick in production as the Wolverines finally had a solid gunslinger and a coach who could develop NFL arms. Rudock ended up getting drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2016 after a solid season with the Wolverines — probably a future he never saw coming when he decided to transfer.

Butt was a recipient of 51 Rudock passes for 654 yards and three touchdowns as a junior, crushing his previous career-bests. He was considered the best tight end in the Big Ten and one of the best in the entire nation, drawing interest from multiple NFL teams.

However, Butt saw the potential of the Wolverines in the 2016 campaign and decided to put off the league for one more season in order to contend for a conference title and improve his stock in the process.

There’ll be a place for him in the NFL when he leaves after the 2016 season. Who wouldn’t want a 6-foot-6, 250-pound athletic tight end with hands of glue who has proved to be excellent with the right quarterback and coach in place?

Next: 45. Cameron Sutton

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