College Football: Top 50 players for 2017

“This obsession with greatness, he has that.” That’s how Boston College head coach Steve Addazio described senior to-be Harold Landry. Landry had 17.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks in his career entering his junior season. He would go on to finish second in the ACC in tackles for a loss (22) and lead the nation in sacks (16.5).

BC boasted one of the nation’s best defenses. The Eagles’ defense finished in the top 10 of most major statistical categories including yards allowed per game and  turnovers forced. The driving force in their success was Landry. There wasn’t much he didn’t do for that defense in 2016.

After missing the first game, he was held sackless in just two of Boston College’s final twelve games. That includes three games of two or more sacks.  He’s already set the single season sack record for the school, but he has one more objective before moving on to the NFL: leave BC as the all-time career sack leader.

If he’s going to do that he’s going to have to build on a tremendous junior season. BC’s all-time leading sack man is Mathias Kiwanuka who finished his four-year collegiate career in 2005 with 37.5 sacks. Landry has 19.5, putting him 18.5 away from claiming the sack record for himself. That’s a tall order.

Only two players in college football history have amassed that many sacks in one year Washington pass rusher Hau’oli Kikaha (2014) and NFL great Elvis Dumervil (Louisville, 2005). Currently Landry owns the sixth spot all by himself.