From national champions, to All-Americans, to a returning Heisman winner these are the best of the best in college football. Who is number one?
The SEC routinely sends the most talent to the NFL so it’s no surprise that they lead in the rankings of the nation’s elite college football players. 13 players from the SEC made our Top 50, edging out the ACC (10) and the Big Ten (9) while equaling the total from the Big 12 (seven) and Pac-12 (six) combined. Five players from outside the Power-5 conferences made the list.
Preseason all-conference teams have been announced, watch lists have been released and the college football season is here. These 50 are the best of the best, but first some honorable mentions.
Honorable mentions: Mike McGlinchey (Notre Dame), Dorance Armstrong Jr. (Kansas), Orlando Brown (Oklahoma), Iman Marshall (USC) and Clelin Ferrell (Clemson).
The Washington Huskies have to replace their top receiver, John Ross, who was a first round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Who better to do that than Dante Pettis? The senior receiver has continued to see his role in the Washington offense grow, and this is going to be the year he takes the next step.
Pettis had one touchdown in each of his first two seasons. His production soared in 2016 where the 6-foot-1 Pettis hauled in 15 touchdowns. That was second on the team to Ross, who managed to grab 17 touchdowns. Both of the Huskies’ pass catchers finished in the top ten in the nation in receiving touchdowns, Ross third and Pettis seventh.
Even while playing second fiddle to Ross, Pettis was one of the most productive receivers in college football. In fact, he had more receptions and receiving yards in his junior season than he had combined in both his freshman and his sophomore year combined. He enters the 2017 season as the No. 1 option for an offense led by Jake Browning that averaged 41.8 points per game in 2016.
The Huskies rolled through the Pac-12 North a season ago and are set to repeat the feat this year. Being the go-to guy for a potential Heisman finalist in Browning makes Pettis’ continued upswing a near certainty in 2017.