At one time or another, every state in the union provided one of the best college football players ever to set foot on the field. Which is why we’ve taken the time to break it all down. We’re breaking down the best college football player from every state.
With the college football season right around the corner, fans can be forgiven if they forget that in quite a few states, the high school football season has already started. Those fans can be forgiven, sure, but they should be reminded that without some of the best high school stars in the country, they wouldn’t have such great college football to watch.
Some of these players might be no-brainers. Others are chosen over such a stable of greatness that fans will no doubt have a different idea of who qualifies. It’s worth pointing out, before this gets started, that this isn’t about who went on to have the best pro career. Some of the best players on this list were mediocre at best at the next level. This list is all about who lit up the scoreboard while they were on campus. Let us know where we got it right or wrong.
Alabama: Bo Jackson
First starring at McAdory High School, Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson was always an incredible athlete, playing football, baseball, and track and field in both high school and at Auburn. Jackson was a three-time All-SEC selection and a two-time All-American on the gridiron before going pro a year early.
Jackson left the Tigers after becoming just one of three Auburn players to have won the Heisman Trophy and is the only running back in the school’s long history to rush for more than 4,000 career yards. Know knew how to be one of the best, finishing his career at Auburn with 4,575 all-purpose yards and 45 total touchdowns, while also averaging 6.6 yards per carry. That he was playing in his native state was icing on the cake.
Honorable mention: Ozzie Newsome
Alaska: Mark Schlereth
It shouldn't surprise too many that when looking at the greatest college football players from Alaska, the list isn't long. However, Schlereth isn't on this list simply because he's one of the only names anyone might have heard of, he was genuinely a good player in the college ranks, enough to get the NFL to give him a shot despite playing at FCS Idaho.
Schlereth graduated from Robert Service High School in Anchorage before heading to Idaho, where he helped the Vandals win three Big Sky Conference titles and reach the NCAA I-AA semifinals as a senior, earning second-team All-America honors. While he's better known for his pro career, his years with Idaho were plenty impressive.
Arizona: Randall McDaniel
Randall McDaniel played tight end for Agua Fria High School in Avondale, Arizona, before going on to play offensive guard for Arizona State. The big man became a four-year starter for the Sun Devils and started 39 consecutive games. He earned First-Team All-America honors in both 1986 and 1987, with consensus All-American recognition as a senior, and was a two-time First-Team All-Pac-10 selection.
McDaniel also won the 1987 Morris Trophy as the Pac-10’s top offensive lineman before moving on to the NFL. Dominant on the offensive line, Randall McDaniel was eventually inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Hall of Fame.
Arkansas: Darren McFadden
The speed burner from Oak Grove High School in Little Rock stayed home and went on to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks. There, he terrorized the rest of the SEC, running for 4,590 rushing yards, ranking him third in rushing yards all-time in the SEC. He added 41 rushing touchdowns. He did all this while only playing three years before heading to the NFL.
McFadden never won the Heisman, but he was a finalist twice and won the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back in college football, twice. He also, of course, holds just about every rushing record at Arkansas.
California: Reggie Bush
After starring at Helix High School in La Mesa, California, Reggie Bush dominated the college football world at USC. While there was certainly some controversy around his career with the Trojans, he was undeniably one of the greatest talents to ever play the game.
Bish was a two-time All-American and won the 2005 Heisman Trophy. He finished his collegiate career with 6,541 all-purpose yards and elevated everyone around him as well. During his time at USC, the Trojans won 34 straight games and two national titles in his three years on campus.
Honorable mentions: Marcus Allen, Ricky Williams
Colorado: Byron White
Better known as Whizzer White, Byron starred at Wellington High School in Wellington, Colorado, and then played for the Colorado Buffaloes from 1935 to 1937. As the team's star halfback, he was also CU's first All-American. His best season came in 1937, when he rushed for 1,121 yards,
While that is a rather pedestrian total in today's game, Whizzer White led the nation in rushing, scoring, total offense, and all-purpose yardage. He averaged a whopping 246 all-purpose yards a game that season. White was a unanimous All-American and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Connecticut: Floyd Little
Little graduated from James Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Connecticut and then took his talents to Syracuse. He starred for the Orangemen from1962 to 1966 and is the only three-time All-American running back to play for the program.
Floyd Little totaled 2,759 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns during his Syracuse career and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in both 1965 and 1966. Little went on to star in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and is a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Delaware: Jamie Duncan
Jamie Duncan went from Christiana High School in New Castle County, Delaware to Nashville and Vanderbilt. The Commodores were never the best team in the SEC but the linebacker tried his best to make them better. 1994 to 1997, Duncan was a two-time All-American and the 1997 SEC Defensive Player of the Year
He finished his Vanderbilt career with 425 career tackles. In 1996, he finished with a whopping 152 tackles, which is the sixth-highest single-season mark ever by a Commodores defender.
Florida: Deion Sanders
"Prime Time" Deion Sanders is struggling a bit as a coach at Colorado, but during his playing days with the Florida State Seminoles, he was easily one of the best players of his generation.
Sanders started as a true freshman and was a third-team All-American as a sophomore. But it was in his final two seasons in Tallahassee when he really came into his own. He recorded nine interceptions in his junior and senior seasons, returning two of them for touchdowns. Where he really shone was as a punt returner. Each season was better than the last, but in his senior year, he led the nation with 503 punt return yards and a 15.2-yard average. He also notched his third punt return touchdown.
Honorable mentions: Tommie Frazier, Tim Tebow, Lamar Jackson
Georgia: Hershel Walker
There are some states that have far more than one candidate for the best player in the area, and Georgia is certainly one of those states with a ton of great players. Not a one of them can hold a candle to Hershel Walker.
The legendary Georgia Bulldogs running back was a three-time consensus All-American from 1980 to ’82. He helped his team win the national championship in his freshman season, and he won the Heisman Trophy in his final season by rushing for 1,752 yards and 17 touchdowns. Even more impressive than that is that he never ran for fewer than 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season with the SEC program.
Honorable mention: Cam Newton
Hawaii: Marcus Mariota
There are several great college football players from Hawaii, but none of them come close to the former Oregon Ducks quarterback. Mariota put up insane numbers as the starter for three straight seasons before heading to the NFL.
He finished his college career in 2014 by winning the Heisman Trophy in a landslide after throwing for 4,454 yards, 42 touchdowns, and just 4 interceptions. He also ran for 770 yards and scored another 15 touchdowns. Over his career, he threw for 10,796 yards and 105 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions while rushing for another 2,237 yards and another 29 TDs.
Idaho: Jake Plummer
Jake "The Snake" Plumber might have forged his very impressive career with Arizona State, but he played his high school ball at Capital High School in Boise, Idaho. Once he was ready for college, he certainly made his mark with the Sun Devils.
He was named a two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection and a first-team All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist in his senior season at Arizona State. That year, he started his last campaign with Tempe by pulling off an opening upset of then-No. 1 Nebraska. Over his career, he threw for 8,626 yards and 64 touchdowns.
Illinois: Dick Butkus
There is no player that typifies the state of Illinois the way that linebacker Dick Butkus does. He was a star for the Illini in the mid-1960s. Butkus was a two-time All-American and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1964. Even back then a defensive player getting close to that award was something else.
Only a handful of players were ever so good in college football that they had a trophy named after them, but in 1985, the award for the best linebacker in college football did just that. To this day, that position takes home the Dick Butkus Award.
Honorable mention: Red Grange
Indiana: Rod Woodson
Rod Woodson is another one of those players who might be better known as an NFL star, but he also had a very impressive college career. The native Indiana player attended Purdue from 1983 to 1986, where he was an impressive cornerback and even more impressive special teams player.
Over his four-year career, he was one of the best kick returners in the country for the Boilermakers, finishing with 1,500 KR yards and a touchdown. On defense, he picked off 11 passes and returned three for touchdowns. Those performances made him a three-time All-Big Ten selection and a two-time All-American.
Iowa: Nile Kinnick
When a player has a school's stadium named after him, it's pretty clear he's the best player from that state. Such is the situation with Iowa and Nile Kinnick. While the stadium was first opened in 1929, it was renamed in 1972 after the famed football player.
Kinnick played for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1937 to 1939, and He was a two-time All-Big Ten player and the recipient of the 1939 Heisman Trophy. During that season, his senior year, Kinnick also won the Maxwell and Walter Camp Memorial Trophy. His number is one of just two numbers retired by the Hawkeyes.
Kansas: Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders' might be forever associated with Oklahoma State but he played his high school ball in Wichita Kansas. Of course, once he got to college, many people forget he started his career as a backup to famed Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas.
Sanders ran for just over 300 yards in his freshman season and just over 600 yards in his second season. However, when Thomas moved onto the NFL, Sanders showed what he could do, rushing for 2,628 yards and an incredible 37 touchdowns. He went on to win the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, and the Heisman Trophy following his historic 1988 season. Sanders still holds the record for most rushing yards ever in a season in the NCAA.
Kentucky: Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung was born and died in Louisville, Kentucky. In between, he had a very impressive career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1954 to 1956. Over his career in South Bend, he played quarterback, running back, safety, kicker, and punter.
Hornung’s Heisman Trophy-winning 1956 campaign showed all the versatility the star could muster. He threw for 917 yards and 3 touchdown passes as a quarterback, ran for 420 yards and 6 scores on the ground, returned kickoffs, kicked extra points, and played safety, intercepting 2 passes for the Fighting Irish. Maybe the most incredible part of his career is that he won the Heisman despite Notre Dame going 2-8 that season. He is still the only player to win the award on a losing team.
Louisiana: Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning is best known for playing for the Tennessee Volunteers, but he started his football career in Louisiana, the same state where his dad, Archie, starred for the New Orleans Saints.
During his career at Rocky Top, Manning tallied a 39-5 record as a starter and threw for 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns. Manning was a consensus All-American in 1997, winning the Campbell and Maxwell Trophy and finishing as the runner-up to Charles Woodson in the 1997 Heisman Trophy voting. A whupping by Nebraska in head coach Tom Osborne's final season stopped Manning just short of winning a national title in Tennessee.
Honorable mention: Ed Reed
Maine: Peter Skoronski
While household names in college football came from just about every state in the Union, Maine is a bit of an exception. Even if Skoronski isn't a household name, he was a heck of a player for Northwestern from 2020 to 2022 after a successful high school career at Maine South.
Skoronski started all nine games his freshman year at Northwestern in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign as left offensive tackle. As a sophomore in 2021, he started all 12 games and was named first-team All-Big Ten. As a junior in 2022, he was named a unanimous All-American, the first in program history. He was also the No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Massachusetts: Angelo Bertelli
Like Maine, there aren't a ton of well-known players from Massachusetts who qualify as among the best in college football. In order to find the best of the best, one has to go all the way back to the 1940s and Angelo Bertelli who started with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
He started his college career as a tailback, but eventually switched to quarterback and it's there where his career really took off. Bertelli was an All-American in 1942, then did that again in 1943 while adding the Heisman Trophy while carrying the Irish to the 1943 National Title.
Michigan: Jake Long
Jerome "The Bus" Bettis or Braylon Edwards might be the popular pick here but Bettis, especially was a much better pro player than he was a college back. That's why offensive lineman Jake Long gets the nod for the best player to come out of Michigan.
Long was a two-time All-American and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2006 and 2007. He finished his four-year career at Michigan, helping the Wolverines to a 36-14 record, including a 25-7 mark in Big Ten play.
Minnesota: Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald first starred at Academy of Holy Angels before taking his talents to the Pitt Panthers. The wide receiver exploded once he got on the college football field, despite playing just two years with the program.
His freshman year, he hauled in 69 catches for 1,005 yards and 12 touchdowns, then followed that up with 92 catches for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. He then went pro and put together an NFL Hall of Fame career.
Honorable mention: Bronco Nagurski
Mississippi: Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice is obviously known more for his NFL career but that's not because he wasn't a great college player. The Mississippi native played his college ball at Mississippi Valley State. While he was there from 1981 to 1984, he and rewrote the NCAA record books. i
Among the records that Rice broke, he set the mark for catches in a game at 24 catche in 1983. As a senior, he broke his own Division records for receptions (112), receiving yards (1,845) and touchdown receptions (27) in a single season. It's not a surprise then, that he went on to dominate the NFL.
Honorable mentions: Steve McNair, Walter Payton, Doc Blanchard
Missouri: Jeremiyah Love
Is it possible we just saw the best player to ever come out of Missouri just last year? It's hard to argue against Jeremiyah Love after what he did at Notre Dame. He first played for Christian Brothers College High School (CBC) in St. Louis, then took his talents to South Bend.
It's not just that Love put together back-to-back impressive seasons after ascending to the starting job. In 2024, he rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns, and added 28 catches for 237 yards and 2 more TDs. Last year, he was a Heisman finalist after rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, with another 27 catches for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those were all impressive numbers, but it was the combination of toughness and elusiveness that made him a heck of a player to watch. He was also good enough to be the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Montana: Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf might be considered one of the biggest NFL Draft busts of all time but that's because he was one of the best college players of his generation. Born and raised in Great Falls, Montana, starred at Washington State from 1995 to 1997. He started 24 games in three years, compiling 7,433 passing yards and 59 touchdowns.
Leaf was a prolific passer for Washington State, averaging more than 330 yards per game through the air in his junior season and throwing for a Pac-10-record 33 touchdowns. Those numbers earned him Conference Player of the Year honors, and he was also a First-Team All-American.
Nebraska: Dave Rimington
There are some big names on the list of the greatest players from Nebraska. However, Dave Rimington takes the cake. Not only was he good enough to receive an award named after him, but he was also a two-time first-team All-American (in 1981 and 1982) and the only two-time Outland Trophy winner, awarded to the nation’s best lineman on either side of the ball in the history of college football.
If those accomplishments weren't impressive enough, he was also named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year and was the only lineman to earn the honor. He also finished fifth in the Heisman balloting, something almost unheard of when talking about offensive linemen.
Honorable mentions: Johnny Rodgers, Gale Sayers
Nevada: Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson was a workhorse throughout his entire career. First, he did it at El Dorado High School in Las Vegas, as he ran for 6,396 yards and 81 touchdowns. Then he took his talents to Oregon State, where he was one of the best players the Beavers have ever seen.
During his college career, he racked up 3,625 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns in just three seasons, adding another 680 receiving yards and 6 receiving scores. His workhorse career earned him first-team All-Pac-10 honors twice.
New Hampshire: Greg Landry
New Hampshire is another great state with not a ton of options when looking for the best college football player from the state. Many wonderful things come out of the area; top-notch football players are not often included on the list. Enter quarterback Greg Landry, who not only came from a state that doesn't provide a ton of high-level collegiate talent, but he went to a school (UMASS) that barely counts as a high-level college team these days.
In the mid-to-late 1960's Landry was a dual-threat star who led UMass to two Yankee Conference Beanpots in three years. Landry led the team in passing all three years and led in both rushing and scoring in 1965 and 1967. Landry's quarterback efficiency rating of 145.4 in 1965 is still a school record. He was also the first quarterback taken in the 1968 NFL Draft and had a solid career with the Detroit Lions.
New Jersey: Mike Rozier
Former Nebraska Cornhusker running back legend Mike Rozier started his football career in Camden, New Jersey. He joined the Huskers as a JUCO transfer and played three years in Lincoln, rushing for over 1,000 yards in two of them while being a two-time All-American, a Maxwell and Camp, and Heisman Trophy winner in 1983, and the only NU back to run for over 2,000 yards in a season.
In 1982, Rozier ran for 1,682 yards and 15 touchdowns, and then took his game to the next level in 1983 when he ran for 2,148 yards and a whopping 29 touchdowns. Rozier was such a great player that he even has a street named after him in his native Camden.
New Mexico: Brian Urlacher
Brian Urlacher was one of those players who was a bit of a late bloomer after first playing at Lovington High School in Lovington, New Mexico. He attended college with the New Mexico Lobos and didn't see much field time in his first two seasons. In his third and final year with Mexico, he came into his own playing linebacker and safety, while also occasionally playing wide receiver and kick returner.
Urlacher finished his New Mexico career with 442 tackles, 3 interceptions, 11 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles. On offense, he made seven receptions for 61 yards and 6 touchdowns as a wide receiver. He also had 19 kick returns for 290 yards. He was eventually the No. 9 overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2000 NFL Draft.
New York: Vinny Testaverde
Sewanhaka High School's very own Vinny Testaverde is the best college football player to come out of New York, and he started it by making the generational decision to play for the Miami Hurricanes.
Testaverde starred for the 'Cane from 1982 to 1986 and was part of the 1983 national title team as a backup. He eventually rose to stardom and became the best quarterback of his generation, throwing for 6,000 yards and 48 touchdowns. In 1986, his final season in Miami, Testaverde led the Hurricanes to an 11-1 mark and won the Heisman Trophy.
Honorable mention: Jim Brown
North Carolina: Julius Peppers
Julius Peppers was born and raised in Wilson, North Carolina and then went to college right up the road at the University of North Carolina. As one of the best Tar Heels of all time, Peppers was a two-time All-ACC performer and unanimous All-American.
Peppers started 33 of the 34 games he played in college and ranks second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks. He was not only the best player to come out of North Carolina but he was one of the best defensive ends of his generation, especially in the college game.
North Dakota: Carson Wentz
Carson Wentz is one of those players who was a bit under the radar at the college level because he was at the FCS level, but he had a heck of a performance for North Dakota State. He certainly did the state proud as he first starred at Century High in Bismarck.
Wentz played for North Dakota State from 2012 to 2015, throwing for 5,115 yards, 45 touchdowns, and an impressively small 14 interceptions. His best year was also shortened by injury, but in 2015, he played in 8 games and threw for 17 TDs and just 4 interceptions. His career was impressive enough that he was the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, selected by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ohio: Archie Griffin
There are a few players on this list who were easier choices than former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin. The legendary back played for the Buckeyes from 1972 to 1975 and put together an incredible career, including being the only college football player to win the Heisman twice.
Griffin finished his college career with 5,589 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns. He was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, a three-time All-American, and a two-time Big Ten Most Valuable Player.
Honorable mention: Roger Staubach
Oklahoma: Lee Roy Selmon
Coming out of tiny Eufaula High School, Lee Roy Selmon was an absolute monster for some of the best Oklahoma Sooners teams in program history. The defensive end played at OU from 1972 to 1975 and put up incredible numbers.
He started to come on in 1973, logging 57 tackles and 9 sacks. However, the next year is when he really came on. In 1974, he had 125 tackles and a whopping 18 sacks, and then he followed that up with 132 tackles and 10 sacks. Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer called him the best player he ever coached, and College Football News placed him as the 21st-best college player of all time. He was the first overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft and is now also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Oregon: Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh set the world on fire during his stint with the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 2005 to 2009. The 6-foot-4, 313-pound defensive tackle was especially a one-man wrecking crew in his senior season, where he finished as one of the finalists for the Heisman Trophy.
In 2009, Suh tallied 85 tackles, 12 quarterback sacks, 28 quarterback hurries, 20.5 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, three blocked kicks, and an interception. He also almost single-handedly carried Nebraska to the Big 12 title as he registered 12 tackles (seven for loss, a school single-game record) and 4.5 sacks in a 13–12 loss to the Texas Longhorns that was infamous for allowing Colt McCoy and Co. to get an extra second put back on the clock so they could kick the game-winning field goal. He was the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Pennsylvania: Tony Dorsett
It's amazing that Tony Dorsett isn't talked about more as one of the great running backs of the college football world. Playing for Pitt from 1973 to 1976, he never ran for less than 1,000 yards in a season. In his true freshman season, he ran for just over 1,500 yards and followed that up with 1,004 yards. In his junior season, he tallied 1,544 yards, and in his final year with the Panthers, he had 1,948 yards and 21 touchdowns.
After being a Heisman finalist in 1975, he won the trophy in 1976 while helping Pitt to the national title. Dorsett left the Panthers for the NFL as the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher in 1-A, and he’s still fifth in what is now called the FBS.
Honorable mentions: Joe Montana, Jim Thorpe
Rhode Island: Will Blackmon
One of the smallest states in the union had one of the best players to ever strap on the pads at Boston College. Will Blackmon played at Boston College from 2002 to 2005 where he really blazed a trail as a standout return man. Blackmon totaled more than 2,800 yards in kickoff returns and more than 500 yards in punt returns. He started his career on defense and but moved to offense in his senior year and went on to record 51 catches for 763 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Blackmon finished his Boston College career with 3,309 return yards, two return touchdowns, 784 yards from scrimmage, four receiving touchdowns, and eight interceptions. A fourth-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, he went on to have a solid NFL career after standing out in the old Big East.
South Carolina: Jadeveon Clowney
Clowney went from South Pointe High, in Rock Hill, South Carolina to the university of South Carolina where he dominated offensive lines for three years as the Gamecocks' sack master. The defensive end played from 2011 to 2013 and he showed a great ability to get to the QB from his freshman year.
In his true freshman season, he recorded 8 sacks and followed that up with 13 in his sophomore year. That earned him an All-American bid, and he was sixth in the Heisman voting. Clowney recorded 129 tackles, 47 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, and 9 forced fumbles. He finished his collegiate career as a two-time All-American and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 before becoming the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
South Dakota: John Dutton
Before the famous character played by Kevin Costner on Yellowstone, there was John Dutton, the Rapid City high school and then Nebraska football standout. Dutton was a star for the Huskers from 1971 to 1973 and helped NU win Bob Devaney's final national title.
The defensive lineman was named the starter at end and rewarded the decision by registering 67 tackles (second on the team). In 1973 under new head coach Tom Osborne, Dutton earned consensus All-American and All-Big 8 honors. He posted 71 tackles (fourth on the team) and 8 sacks. In the 1974 NFL Draft he was the fifth-overall pick by the Baltimore Colts.
Tennessee: Reggie White
The man known as the Minister of Defense throughout his football career, he certainly lived up to that name as a defensive lineman with the Tennessee Volunteers from 1980 to 1983. The man was one of the most feared defenders in the game
White registered 293 tackles, 32 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, and 4 fumble recoveries during his time with Rocky Top. In 1983, he recorded 15 sacks, which is a Tennessee school record to this day. Unsurprisingly, that season he was voted the SEC player of the year and unanimous first-team All-American.
Texas: Earl Campbell
Playing for the Texas Longhorns in the old SWC, running back Earl Campbell was one of the most bruising rushers in the history of college football. Playing for legendary coach Darrell Royal and running in the Wishbone from 1974 to 1977.
Over that time, he ran for 4,443 yards and 40 touchdowns. In his senior year in 1977, he ran for 1,744 yards and 18 touchdowns. The running back, who was known for his 232-pound frame and massive tree trunk-sized legs gave the Longhorns their first-ever, Heisman Trophy winner thanks to that big senior year.
Honorable mentions: Bill Sims, Vince Young
Utah: Steve Young
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Steve Young would go on to star as the quarterback for BYU in the early 1980s. In three years at BYU from 1981 to 1983, Young threw for 7,773 yards and 56 touchdowns. He was a two-time first-team all-conference performer, a two-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year, and a consensus All-American.
His best season was easily his last in the college ranks. In 1983, he threw for 3,902 yards and 33 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. He also followed BYU and NFL great quarterback Jim McMahon as a string of incredible QB seasons for the Cougars. And then, of course, Young eventually became an NFL Hall of Famer.
Vermont: David Ball
If Jerry Rice belongs on this list (and he does), then David Ball certainly belongs here too. Vermont isn't a state that has a ton of great college football players, but Ball is certainly one of the very few.
Ball played for New Hampshire from 2004 to 2006 and was a dominant player in the FCS. In his first year as a starter, he had 85 catches for 1,495 yards and 17 touchdowns. The next season, he was even better, getting over 90 catches and more than 1,500 yards and 24 TDs. For his career, Ball broke the FCS record for career touchdowns with 58. Not only did he beat Rice's record, but he blew it away as the former 49er record of 50 scores.
Virginia: Percy Harvin
Percy Harvin went from Landstown High (Virginia Beach, Virginia) to the Florida Gators and became one of the most electrifying wide receivers in the game from 2006 to 2008. His pass-catching abilities helped Steve Spurrier's squad win two national titles in his first and last years in Gainesville.
Over his college career, Harvin caught 194 passes for 1,852 yards and 19 touchdowns. In his second year with the Gators, he hauled down 83 passes, and the year after that, he had 70. The speed demon, who also excelled in track, was selected with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
Honorable mention: Michael Vick
Washington: Lawyer Milloy
The state of Washington has plenty of players who had decent college careers and even better professional football runs. Milloy is one of the few who had incredibly impressive seasons after he left Lincoln High School to join the Washington Huskies from 1993 to 1995.
He was the only sophomore in the Pac-10 Conference to earn all-conference honors in 1994 as he led UW and finished third in the Pac-10 with 106 tackles. He also had an interception, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Milloy started all year at free safety as a junior, leading the team in tackles for the second consecutive season with 115, in addition to tallying three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception. Milloy was also a unanimous All-American in 1995 and won the 1995 Jim Thorpe Award for the best defensive back in the country.
West Virginia: Randy Moss
Randy Moss is not only the best player to come out of West Virginia, but one of the best wide receivers to ever play the game. After starring at DuPont High in Dupont City, West Virginia, he went and played two years at Marshall.
For the Thundering Herd, he recorded 174 catches for 3,529 receiving yards and 54 touchdowns. Of all the accomplishments he had in college, Moss scored at least one touchdown in every game he played. He was a consensus All-American in 1997, won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, and finished fourth in the Heisman voting. Despite playing just two years before heading to the NFL, Moss still holds the Division I-AA records for most games with a touchdown catch in a season (11), most receiving yards by a freshman in a season (1,073), and most TD catches by a freshman in a season (19).
Wisconsin: Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas was one of the best offensive linemen to go through a state and a school that is well known for excellence at his position. He starred with the Wisconsin Badgers from 2003 to 2006.
He was a two-time All-Big Ten performer, as well as a consensus All-American and the recipient of the Outland Trophy during his senior season. As is usually the case with offensive linemen, one of the best ways to judge how good an offensive lineman is, is to see how the running and passing games work behind him. The Badgers certainly had some of the best rushing attacks in the country when he was in Madison.
Wyoming: Logan Wilson
Logan Wilson began his legendary football career at Natrona County High School, where he played defensive back, wide receiver, placekicker, and punter. He then played for the Wyoming Cowboys from 2015 to 2019. After redshirting his first season, he dominated on defense over the next four years.
The 94 tackles in his redshirt freshman year that earned him Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year honors were actually his career low in Wyoming. The linebacker finished his career with the Cowboys with 421 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 10 interceptions, and 14 passes defended. In his final year, he was named first-team All-Mountain West and a second-team All-American.
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