Greatest Group of Five Football Players of All Time

The Group of Five Conferences and players don't get the respect they deserve in college football.

Despite what you may have heard, college football exists outside of the Power Five Conferences.

The Group of Five — the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West, and Sun Belt — have very good and sometimes great teams that most of the country never pays attention to.

One of the biggest points of contention in college football, for time immemorial, has been the exclusion of almost half of the members of the Football Bowl Subdivision — formerly Division I-A — when it comes to elite bowl games and the national championship. It’s never been fair, it’s never made sense, and it’s never given the Group of Five teams the credit they deserve.

Here’s a look at the greatest player of all time from every single Group of Five team for current Group of Five schools only — 64 players from 64 teams across the history of college football.

American Athletic Conference (AAC)

Mark Duncan / AP Photo

Current schools: Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, Southern Methodist, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, Alabama-Birmingham, Texas-San Antonio

Charlotte: Alex Highsmith, Linebacker

Charlotte 49ers Football / Facebook

Born: Aug. 7, 1997 (Wilmington, North Carolina)

High school: Eugene Ashley High School (Wilmington, North Carolina)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 242 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time All-Conference USA (2018, 2019), AP All-American (2019)

Bottom line: Alex Highsmith was an absolute menace for opposing offenses during his time at Charlotte. He racked up 18.5 tackles for loss as a junior then capped his career with 15 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss as a senior in 2019 on the way to being named an All-American. Highsmith was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round and led the NFL with five forced fumbles in 2022, paving the way for a four-year, $68 million contract extension.

East Carolina: Robert Jones, Linebacker

allstarinc / eBay

Born: Sept. 27, 1969 (Blackstone, Virginia)

High school: Nottoway County High School (Crewe, Virginia)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 245 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1991), Freshman All-American (1988), Butkus Award finalist (1991), three-time Super Bowl champion (1993, 1994, 1996), Pro Bowl (1994), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1992)

Bottom line: Few players in college football history have had a knack for getting to the ball like ECU linebacker Robert Jones, who finished his career with a staggering 478 tackles. As a senior in 1991, Jones led ECU to the best season in school history as they went 12-1, won the Peach Bowl, and finished the season ranked No. 9 in the final AP poll.

Jones became the first ECU player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and won three Super Bowls in his first three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, made the Pro Bowl in 1994 and played 10 seasons for four different teams.

Florida Atlantic: Harrison Bryant, Tight End

Paul Vernon / AP Photo

Born: April 23, 1998 (Macon, Georgia)

High School: John Milledge Academy (Milledgeville, Georgia)

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 230 pounds

Career highlights: John Mackey Award (2019), AP All-American (2019), three-time All-Conference USA (2017-19), NFL All-Rookie Team (2020)

Bottom line: Florida Atlantic’s Harrison Bryant became the first player outside the Power Five to win the John Mackey Award in 2019 after he racked up 1,004 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 65 receptions. Bryant has been with the Cleveland Browns since they drafted him in 2020, making the All-Rookie Team that same year.

Memphis: DeAngelo Williams, Running Back

Memphis Tigers / Facebook

Born: April 25, 1983 (Wynne, Arkansas)

High School: Wynne High School (Wynne, Arkansas)

Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 207 pounds

Career highlights: Three-time Conference USA Player of the Year (2003-05), AP All-American (2005), Pro Football Weekly All-American (2004), Motor City Bowl MVP NFL All-Pro (2008), Pro Bowl (2009)

Bottom line: DeAngelo Williams rushed for over 1,900 yards each of his last two seasons at Memphis and finished his career with 6,749 all-purpose yards, putting him in the Top 10 in NCAA history. Williams, who led the NFL in rushing in 2008 and 2015, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Navy: Roger Staubach, Quarterback

Bill Achatz / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 5, 1942 (Cincinnati, Ohio)

High school: Purcell Marian High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds

Career highlights: Heisman Trophy (1963), Maxwell Award (1963), Sporting News Player of the Year (1963), AP All-American (1963), two-time Super Bowl champion (1972, 1978), Super Bowl MVP (1972), NFL All-Pro (1971), six-time Pro Bowl (1971, 1975-79), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy at Navy in 1963 and led the Midshipmen to within one game of the national championship before losing to Texas in the Cotton Bowl in a 1 vs. 2 matchup.

Staubach played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, winning two Super Bowls and earning Super Bowl MVP honors in 1972.

North Texas: Mason Fine, Quarterback

Tony Avelar / AP Photo

Born: April 19, 1997 (Peggs, Oklahoma)

High school: Locust Grove High School (Locust Grove, Oklahoma)

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time Conference USA Player of the Year (2017, 2018), three-time All-Conference USA (2017-19), All-Conference USA Freshman Team (2016)

Bottom line: Standing just 5-foot-11, Oklahoma native Mason Fine became the most decorated quarterback in North Texas history with records for career passing yards (12,505), career touchdown passes (93), pass completions (1,039), and pass attempts (1,655). Fine has played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Footbal League since 2020.

Rice: Jarrett Dillard, Wide Receiver

Rice Owls

Born: Dec. 21, 1985 (San Antonio, Texas)

High school: Sam Houston High School (San Antonio, Texas)

Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 187 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time ESPN All-American (2006, 2008), two-time Walter Camp All-American (2006, 2008), AP All-American (2006), three-time All-Conference USA (2006-08), Biletnikoff Award finalist (2006)

Bottom line: Rice’s Jarrett Dillard owns the NCAA career record with 60 receiving touchdowns — a mark that may never be broken. Dillard caught 51 of those touchdowns form Chase Clement, which tied the duo for the NCAA record for most touchdown passes between a quarterback and wide receiver. Dillard finished his career with 292 receptions for 4,138 yards and played three seasons in the NFL before going to law school.

SMU: Eric Dickerson, Running Back

David Breslauer / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 2. 1960 (Sealy, Texas)

High school: Sealy High School (Sealy, Texas)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 220 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1981, 1982), Heisman Trophy finalist (1982), two-time SWC Offensive Player of the Year (1981, 1982), NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1986), five-time NFL All-Pro (1983, 1984, 1986-88), six-time Pro Bowl (1983, 1984, 1986-88), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: SMU’s Eric Dickerson was one of the most highly-recruited high school football players of all time coming out of tiny Sealy High, where he led his team to a Class 2A state championship in 1978.

At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Dickerson seemed like a running back built in a lab. He finished his college career with over 4,000 rushing yards, was a two-time All-American and two-time Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Dickerson played 11 seasons in the NFL and still holds NFL records for single-season rushing yards (2,105), rookie rushing yards (1,808), single-game playoff rushing yards (248). He’s a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

USF: George Selvie, Defensive End

Chris O’Meara / AP Photo

Born: March 6, 1987 (Pensacola, Florida)

High school: Pine Forest High School (Pensacola, Florida)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 247 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (2007, 2008), Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2007), three-time All-Big East (2007-09)

Bottom line: Selvie was recruited to USF to be an offensive lineman but switched to the defensive side of the ball early on and became the most decorated player in school history.

Selvie set USF career records for sacks (29.5), starts (50) and forced fumbles (nine), and his 69.5 tackles for loss were No. 2 in NCAA history when he left school. Selvie was a two-time All-American and the 2007 Big East Defensive Player of the Year — he played six seasons in the NFL for five different teams.

Temple: Joe Klecko, Defensive Tackle

Temple Owls

Born: Oct. 15, 1953 (Chester, Pennsylvania)

High school: St. James High School for Boys (Chester, Pennsylvania)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 263 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1975, 1976), two-time All-ECAC (1975, 1976), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1981), two-time NFL All-Pro (1981, 1985), four-time Pro Bowl (1981-85)

Bottom line: Temple’s Joe Klecko was a Paul Bunyan-esque figure during his time in college, starting with when he had five sacks and 15 tackles in a win over Delaware as a freshman.

Klecko was a two-time All-American and also a two-time NCAA heavyweight boxing champion. He played 12 seasons in the NFL, and was a four-time NFL All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981. Klecko was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Tulane: Shaun King, Quarterback

Tulane University Alumni Association / Facebook

Born: May 29, 1977 (St. Petersburg, Florida)

High school: Gibbs High School (St. Petersburg, Florida)

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 228 pounds

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2003), two-time Conference USA Player of the Year (1997, 1998), Liberty Bowl MVP (1998)

Bottom line: Shaun King was a four-year starter at Tulane, winning Conference USA Player of the Year twice and capping his career by leading the Green Wave to an undefeated season in 1998. That year, King became the first player in NCAA history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a game, and his 183.3 passer rating set the NCAA single-season record.

King played six seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl as a backup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003.

Tulsa: Zaven Collins, Linebacker

Mark LoMoglio / AP Photo

Born: May 19, 1999 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

High school: Hominy High School (Hominy, Oklahoma)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 260 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (2020), Bronko Nagurski Trophy (2020), Chuck Bednarik Award (2020), Lombardi Award (2020), AAC Defensive Player of the Year (2020), two-time All-AAC (2019, 2020)

Bottom line: Tulsa’s Zaven Collins was the best defensive player in the country in 2020, sweeping the Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Trophy, Lombardi Award while being named a consensus AP All-American and winning AAC Defensive Player of the Year. In just eight games because of the pandemic-shortened season, Collins had 53 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and four interceptions with 152 return yards and two returned for touchdowns.

UAB: Roddy White, Wide Receiver

UAB Athletics / Facebook

Born: Nov. 2, 1981 (Charleston, South Carolina)

High school: James Island High School (James Island, South Carolina)

Height/weight: 6-foot, 211 pounds

Career highlights: NFL All-Pro (2010), four-time Pro Bowl (2008-11)

Bottom line: Roddy White increased his production every year over four seasons at UAB, capping his career with 71 receptions for 1,452 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior — his career average of 19.09 yards per reception is still the school record, as is his single-game total of 253 yards against Tulane in 2004.

White played 11 seasons in the NFL, all for the Atlanta Falcons, and finished his career with 808 receptions for 10,863 receiving yards and 63 touchdowns.

UTSA: Marcus Davenport, Defensive End

Sam Craft / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 4, 1996 (San Antonio, Texas)

High school: John Paul Stevens High School (San Antonio, Texas)

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 265 pounds

Career highlights: Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year (2017), All-Conference USA (2017), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2018)

Bottom line: UTSA’s Marcus Davenport used his size and speed at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds to dominate opposing offensive tackles, finishing his career by being named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. Davenport was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Conference USA (C-USA)

Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo

Current schools: Florida International, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, Texas-El Paso, Western Kentucky

Florida International: T.Y. Hilton, Wide Receiver (2008-2011)

Ed Reinke / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 14, 1989 (Miami, Florida)

High school: Miami Springs High School (Miami Springs, Florida)

Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 183 pounds

Career highlights: Sun Belt Player of the Year (2010), two-time All-Sun Belt (2008, 2010), Sun Belt Freshman of the Year (2008), four-time Pro Bowl (2014-17), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2012)

Bottom line: T.Y. Hilton scored a touchdown the first time he touched the ball in a college football game with a punt return for a touchdown against Kansas in 2008. Hilton rewrote the FIU record books over the next four seasons, leaving the school with career records for receptions (229), receiving yards (3,531), and receiving touchdowns (24). Hilton played 11 seasons in the NFL, was a four-time Pro Bowler and led the league in receiving yards in 2016.

Jacksonville State: Eric Davis, Cornerback (1986-1989)

Susan Ragan / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 26, 1968 (Anniston, Alabama)

High school: Anniston High School (Anniston, Alabama)

Height/weight: 6-foot, 195 pounds

Career highlights: Gulf South Conference champion (1989), NCAA Division II All-American (1989), NCAA Division II national runner-up (1989), Super Bowl champion (1995), two-time NFL All-Pro (1995, 1996), two-time Pro Bowl (1995, 1996)

Bottom line: Alabama native Eric Davis stayed in his home state to play for Jacksonville State, where he capped his career with 51 tackles, eight pass deflections and six interceptions as a senior in 1989, leading the Gamecocks to a Gulf South Conference championship and the 1989 NCAA Division II national championship game. Davis had a knack for the postseason — he set an NFL record with an interception in five consecutive playoff games. Davis played 13 seasons in the NFL, was a two-time NFL All-Pro, and won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers in 1995. He was elected to the NCAA Division II Hall of Fame in 2008.

Liberty: Malik Willis, Quarterback (2019-2021)

Rogelio V. Solis / AP Photo

Born: May 25, 1999 (Atlanta, Georgia)

High school: Roswell High School (Roswell, Georgia)

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 219 pounds

Career highlights: Dudley Award (2020), Cure Bowl MVP (2020), LendingTree Bowl MVP (2021)

Bottom line: Malik Willis caught fire after going to play for the Liberty Flames following two seasons as a backup at Auburn. Willis led Liberty to a 10-2 record and finished his college career with over 5,000 passing yards, 2,000 passing yards, and 77 total touchdowns. Liberty also finished in the AP Top 25 for the first time in school history in 2020.

Louisiana Tech: Willie Roaf, Offensive Tackle (1989-1992)

Louisiana Tech Football / Facebook

Born: April 18, 1970 (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)

High school: Pine Bluff High School (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 320 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1992), three-time NFL All-Pro (1997, 2000, 2002), 11-time Pro Bowl (1994-2000, 2002-05), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: Willie Roaf almost played college basketball instead of college football but thanks to the determined recruiters at Lousiana Tech, he chose the right path. Roaf became a star in college, earning All-American honors in 1992 before playing 13 seasons in the NFL and making the Pro Bowl 11 times. Roaf is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame an dPro Football Hall of Fame.

Middle Tennessee: Kevin Byard, Safety (2012-2015)

J Pat Carter / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 17, 1993 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

High school: Martin Luther King Jr. High School (Lithonia, Georgia)

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 212 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time All-Conference USA (2014, 2015), two-time NFL All-Pro (2017, 2021), two-time Pro Bowl (2017. 2021)

Bottom line: Kevin Byard was a ballhawk of the highest level at Middle Tennessee with 19 career interceptions and at least four interceptions each of his four seasons, including four returned for touchdowns. Byard has played for the Tennesse Titans since 2016 and is a two-time NFL All-Pro. He led the league with eight interceptions in 2017 and has 27 career interceptions through his first seven seasons.

New Mexico State: Larry Rose III, Running Back (2014-2017)

Andres Leighton / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 9, 1995 (Fairfield, Texas)

High school: Fairfield High School (Fairfield, Texas)

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 194 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (2015), Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year (2015), four-time All-Sun Belt (2014-17)

Bottom line: Larry Rose was a four-year starter for New Mexico State and finished his career with 5,715 all-purpose yards and 42 touchdowns despite missing three games with an injury as a junior. Rose went undrafted out of college and played four seasons of professional football in the AAFL, USFL and CFL.

Sam Houston State: Jeremiah Briscoe, Quarterback (2015-2017)

Sam Houston State/Brian Blalock

Born: Aug. 15, 1993 (Houston, Texas)

High school: Stratford High School (Houston, Texas)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 225 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time Walter Payton Award winner (2016, 2017),

Bottom line: Jeremiah Briscoe was a two-sport athlete in football and baseball at UAB but when the school cut its football program in 2014 he transferred to Sam Houston State.

Briscoe started just three games as a sophomore in 2015 but still threw for 1,883 yards and 14 touchdowns before becoming the full-time starter for the next two seasons. Briscoe became just the second FCS player to win the Walter Payton Award twice, throwing for 9,605 yards and 102 touchdowns in 2016 and 2017. Briscoe played three seasons for the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL.

UTEP: Seth Joyner, Linebacker (1982-1985)

UTEP Athletics / Facebook

Born: Nov. 18, 1964 (Spring Valley, New York)

High school: Spring Valley High School (Spring Valley, New York)

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 241 pounds

Career highlights: UTEP Centennial Team, Super Bowl champion (1998), three-time Pro Bowl (1991, 1993, 1994), three-time NFL All-Pro (1991-93)

Bottom line: Seth Joyner went from walk-on to superstar at UTEP, racking up 325 career tackles and eventually being named to UTEP’s Centennial Team. Joyner played 13 seasons in the NFL and was a three-time NFL All-Pro. He capped his career by winning a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos in his final season in 1998.

Western Kentucky: Brandon Doughty, Quarterback (2011-2015)

Western Kentucky quarterback Brandon Doughty

Lynne Sladky / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 6, 1991 (Davie, Florida)

High school: North Boward Prep (Coconut Creek, Florida)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 220 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time Conference USA MVP (2014, 2015), two-time All-Conference USA (2014, 2015), Sammy Baugh Trophy (2014)

Bottom line: Brandon Doughty was committed to another Group of Five program at FAU before flipping to Western Kentucky, where he led the FBS in passing yards in 2014 and 2015.

Doughty finished his career with 12,855 passing yards and 111 touchdowns and won back-to-back Conference USA MVP honors in 2014 and 2015. He was picked by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round in 2016 and played two seasons in the NFL.

Mid-American Conference (MAC)

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker poses with bust after being inducted into the Football Hall of fame

AP Photo

Current schools: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Miami of Ohio, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan

Akron: Jason Taylor, Defensive End (1993-1996)

Akron Athletics

Born: Sept. 1, 1974 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

High School: Woodland Hills High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 244 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time All-MAC (1995, 1996), AP All-American (1995), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2006), two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2006), four-time NFL All-Pro (2000-02, 2006), six-time Pro Bowl (2000, 2002, 2004-07), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: Jason Taylor went from being homeschooled in high school to one of the nation’s top defensive players at Akron, where he finished his career with 279 tackles, 21 sacks and three interceptions while also starting for the school’s basketball team.

Taylor only missed seven games over 15 seasons in the NFL and is considered one of the league’s greatest pass rushers of all time, finishing his career with 139.5 sacks and earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2006. Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, in his first year of eligibility.

Ball State: Greg Garnica, Linebacker (1986-1989)

Pete_Lembo / Twitter

Born: Unknown

High school: Kettering Fairmont High School (Kettering, Ohio)

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 225 pounds

Career highlights: Three-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year (1987-89), three-time All-MAC (1987-89)

Bottom line: Ball State linebacker Greg Garnica remains the only player to be named three-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Garnica started 44 consecutive games over four seasons and still holds school records with 689 tackles and six fumble recoveries, and his 13 career interceptions are second in school history.

Bowling Green: Kory Lichtensteiger, Offensive Line (2004-07)

Bowling Green Athletics

Born: March 22, 1985 (Van Wert, Ohio)

High School: Crestview High School (Convoy, Ohio)

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 292 pounds

Career highlights: Four-time All-MAC (2004-07), Rimington Trophy finalist (2007)

Bottom line: Kory Lichtensteiger dominated in college despite coming from a rural high school and being undersized at 6-foot-2 and 292 pounds, starting all four years for Bowling Green and earning All-MAC honors each year. Lichtensteiger wasn’t just good for a college player — he ended up playing nine seasons in the NFL.

Buffalo: Khalil Mack, Linebacker/Defensive End (2010-2013)

Bill Wippert / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 22, 1991 (Fort Pierce, Florida)

High school: Fort Pierce Westwood Academy (Fort Pierce, Florida)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 260 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (2013), three-time All-MAC (2011-13), MAC Defensive Player of the Year (2013), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2016), three-time All-Pro (2015, 2016, 2018), five-time Pro Bowl (2014-19), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: Khalil Mack only played one year of high school football and ended up with just a handful of offers but chose Buffalo, choosing to wear No. 46 to remind him of the low rating he was assigned in the video game “NCAA Football 2011” where players can get up to a 99 rating.

In real life, no one could stop Mack in college or the pros for most of the next decade. He set NCAA career records for forced fumbles (16) and tackles for loss (75) and in 2015 became the first player in NFL history selected as an NFL All-Pro at two different positions — outside linebacker and defensive end. Mack is a lock to be selected to the College Football Hall of Fame and is a surefire first-ballot selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Central Michigan: Dan LeFevour, Quarterback (2006-2009)

Al Goldis / AP Photo

Born: March 19, 1987 (Downers Grove, Illinois)

High school: Lisle Benet Academy (Lisle, Illinois)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds

Career highlights: MAC Most Valuable Player (2009), two-time MAC Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2009), MAC Freshman of the Year (2006), four-time All-MAC (2006-09), Sporting News Freshman All-American (2006), Motor City Bowl MVP (2006), two-time MAC Championship Game MVP (2007, 2009), GMAC Bowl MVP (2010), Senior Bowl Most Outstanding Player (2010)

Bottom line: Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour was a college football phenomenon in the late 2000s, setting an NCAA record with 150 touchdowns — 102 passing, 47 rushing and one receiving. As a sophomore in 2007, LeFevour became just the second player in NCAA Division I history to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season and finished his career with 12,905 passing yards and 2,948 rushing yards.

LeFevour played eight seasons of professional football — two in the NFL and six more in the CFL.

Eastern Michigan: Maxx Crosby, Defensive End (2015-2018)

David Stephenson / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 22, 1997 (Colleyville, Texas)

High school: Colleyville Heritage High School (Colleyville, Texas)

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 255 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time All-MAC (2017, 2018), two-time Pro Bowl (2021, 2022), NFL All-Pro (2021)

Bottom line: Maxx Crosby got his unique first name — with the extra “x” — because he weighed just a few ounces under 12 pounds when he was born.

That chunky little baby turned into one of the greatest pass rushers in MAC history, racking up 21.5 sacks and 41 tackles for loss over his last three seasons at Eastern Michigan. Crosby was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019 and has been one of the NFL’s elite defensive ends since he first stepped on the field, with 37.5 sacks, 231 tackles and 17 pass deflections over his first four seasons.

Kent State: Jack Lambert, Linebacker (1971-1973)

Mid-American Conference

Born: July 8, 1952 (Mantua, Ohio)

High school: Crestwood High School (Mantua, Ohio)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds

Career highlights: MAC Defensive Player of the Year (1972), two-time All-MAC (1971, 1972), four-time Super Bowl champion (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979), nine-time Pro Bowl (1975-83), eight-time All-Pro (1975, 1976, 1978-83), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1976), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1974), NFL 100th Anniversary Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1990)

Bottom line: Often in the conversation about the greatest linebackers of all time, Kent State’s Jack Lambert was surrounded by great coaching minds in college — future Washington head coach Don James was his head coach and future Alabama coach Nick Saban and future Missouri coach Gary Pinkel were his teammates.

Lambert was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 1972 before winning four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 11 seasons and being named NFL All-Pro eight times. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Northern Illinois: Michael Turner (1999-2002)

Mid-American Conference

Born: Feb. 13, 1982 (North Chicago, Illinois)

High school: North Chicago Community High School (North Chicago, Illinois)

Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 244 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (2003), four-time All-MAC (2000-03), two-time NFL All-Pro (2008, 2010), two-time Pro Bowl (2008, 2010)

Bottom line: Michael Turner doled out punishment to defenders while playing at Northern Illinois, clocking in at 5-foot-10 and 244 pounds with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. That meant it would really, really hurt to try and tackle him.

Turner finished second in the nation in rushing each of his last two seasons and ran for over 1,000 yards each of his last three seasons — he also rushed for 983 yards as a freshman. Turner played nine seasons in the NFL and set the Atlanta Falcons franchise record with 60 rushing touchdowns.

Miami (Ohio): Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback (2000-2003)

Miami Ohio quarterback Ben Roethlisberger

Peter Cosgrove / AP Photo

Born: March 2, 1982 (Lima, Ohio)

High school: Findlay High School (Findlay, Ohio)

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 240 pounds

Career highlights: MAC Most Valuable Player (2003), MAC Offensive Player of the Year (2003), MAC Freshman of the Year (2001), two-time Super Bowl champion (2004, 2008), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2004), six-time Pro Bowl (2007, 2011, 2014-17), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2004)

Bottom line: Were it not for a case of nepotism in high school that forced him to play wide receiver until finally starting at quarterback as a senior at Findlay High, Ben Roethlisberger may have wound up at a Power Five program and not in the MAC.

At Miami, Roethlisberger rewrote school passing records and set NCAA single-season records for most games in a season with 14 games over 200 yards passing and 14 consecutive games with over 200 yards passing. Roethlisberger played 18 seasons in the NFL, all with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and won two Super Bowls in his first five seasons.

Ohio: Tarell Basham, Defensive End (2013-2016)

Ohio Bobcats / Facebook

Born: March 18, 1994 (Rocky Mount, Virginia)

High school: Franklin County High School (Rocky Mount, Virginia)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 266 pounds

Career highlights: MAC Defensive Player of the Year (2016), Freshman All-American (2013), All-MAC (2016)

Bottom line: Tarell Basham was an elite pass rusher from his true freshman year at Ohio when he started five games and led his team with 7.5 sacks. Basham eventually set the school record with 29.5 career sacks and helped lead the Bobcats to three bowl games. Basham played six seasons in the NFL for four different teams.

Toledo: Mel Long, Defensive Line (1969-71)

MACSports / Twitter

Born: Nov. 22, 1946 (Toledo, Ohio)

High school: Macomber High School (Toledo, Ohio)

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 230 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1970, 1971), three-time All-MAC (1969-71). MAC Defensive Player of the Year (1971)

Bottom line: Few athletes in college sports history can compare to the epic journey of Mel Long. Long was born and raised in Toledo before being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War directly out of high school. Long enlisted in the Marines and served two tours of duty in Vietnam, including the bloody Battle of Vin Huey in which 70 percent of U.S. troops were killed or wounded — during the eight-hour battle Long himself was wounded but continued to fight and ultimately was awarded the Bronze Star and the Navy Cross.

Long returned home to Toledo and enrolled in college, leading the Rockets to three consecutive unbeaten seasons from 1969 to 1971 — a stretch in which they went 35-0 — and was a two-time All-American. Long was a throwaway, 11th-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 1972 and wound up playing three seasons in the NFL.

Western Michigan: Corey Davis, Wide Receiver (2013-2016)

Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis

Duane Burleson / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 11, 1985 (Wheaton, Illinois)

High school: Warrenville South High School (Wheaton, Illinois)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 209 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (2016), MAC Offensive Player of the Year (2016), Paul Warfield Trophy (2016), three-time All-MAC (2014-16), MAC Freshman of the Year (2013), Famous Idaho Potato Bowl MVP (2014)

Bottom line: Corey Davis saw most of his Power Five offers disappear over academic issues, but when he finally qualified he found Western Michigan waiting for him. With head coach P.J. Fleck guiding him, Davis had 941 receiving yards as a freshman then reeled off three consecutive seasons with over 1,400 receiving yards and earned All-American honors as a senior in 2016. Davis left Western Michigan with 332 receptions, 5,278 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns. He was selected No. 5 overall in 2017 by the Tennessee Titans but played just six seasons in the NFL.

Mountain West Conference (MWC)

Tony Dejak / AP Photo

Current schools: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah State, UNLV, Wyoming

Air Force: Chad Hennings, Defensive Line (1984-1987)

U.S. Air Force

Born: Oct. 20, 1965 (Elberon, Iowa)

High school: Benton Community High School (Van Horne, Iowa)

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 291 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1987), two-time All-WAC (1986, 1987), Outland Trophy winner (1987), WAC Defensive Player of the Year (1987), UPI Lineman of the Year (1987), WAC Defensive Player of the Decade (1980s), Japan Bowl Most Valuable Player (1988), three-time Super Bowl Champion (1992, 1993, 1995)

Bottom line: Chad Hennings was a defensive lineman who could have played in any era at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds with off-the-charts athleticism.

Hennings starred for Air Force Academy in the 1980s — he was eventually named WAC Defensive Player of the Decade — but put his pro career on hold following graduation and served four years in the Air Force, including as a pilot flying missions in the Gulf War in 1991. Hennings eventually made it to the NFL in the early 1990s and won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys.

Boise State: Kellen Moore, Quarterback (2007-2011)

Matt Cilley / AP Photo

Born: July 5, 1988 (Prosser, Washington)

High school: Prosser High School (Prosser, Washington)

Height/weight: 6-foot, 200 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time National Quarterback of the Year (2010, 2011), two-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year (2009, 2010), MWC Offensive Player of the Year (2011), WAC Freshman of the Year (2008), three-time All-WAC (2008-10), first-team All-MWC (2011)

Bottom line: You know you’re truly a college football legend when they start to name awards after you, which the Touchdown Club of Columbus did for Kellen Moore after he won National Quarterback of the Year twice.

Few stats in college football are as impressive as Moore’s record as a starter at Boise State — 12-1 in 2008, 14-0 in 2009, 12-1 in 2010, and 12-1 in 2011. Moore’s 50-3 record set the wins for the most FBS wins by a quarterback.

Colorado State: Trey McBride, Tight End (2018-2021)

Darryl Oumi / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 22, 1999 (Greeley, Colorado)

HighsSchool: Fort Morgan High School (Fort Morgan, Colorado)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 249 pounds

Career highlights: John Mackey Award (2021), two-time AP All-American (2020, 2021), three-time All-Mountain West (2019-21)

Bottom line: Colorado State’s Trey McBride won the John Mackey Award in 2021 after he finished with 90 receptions for 1,121 yards and was named the first unanimous All-American in school history. He was just as impressive in 2020 when he had 22 receptions for 330 yards and four touchdowns in just four games because of the pandemic.

McBride was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draff. He had 29 receptions for 295 yards and one touchdown as a rookie.

Fresno State: Derek Carr, Quarterback (2009-2013)

Gary Kazanjian / AP Photo

Born: March 28, 1991 (Fresno, California)

High school: Bakersfield Christian High School (Bakersfield, California)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time MWC Offensive Player of the Year (2012, 2013), two-time All-MWC (2012, 2013), Sammy Baugh Trophy (2013), four-time Pro Bowl (2015-17, 2022)

Bottom line: Derek Carr’s career at Fresno State took off in his second year as the full-time starting quarterback in 2012 with new head coach Tim DeRuyter. Carr and the Bulldogs went from 4-9 in 2011 to 9-4 in 2012 and Carr was named MWC Offensive Player of the Year.

Carr led Fresno State to an 11-2 record in 2013, repeated as MWC Offensive Player of the Year, and led the nation with 5,083 passing yards and 50 touchdowns. Carr finished his college career with 12,843 passing yards, 111 touchdowns and just 24 interceptions.

Hawaii: Jason Elam, Kicker (1988-1992)

NCAA / YouTube

Born: March 8, 1970 (Fort Walton Beach, Florida)

High school: Brookwood High School (Snellville, Georgia)

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds

Career highlights: Three-time All-WAC (1989, 1991, 1992), WAC Special Teams Player of the Year (1992), two-time Super Bowl champion (1998, 1999), three-time NFL All-Pro (1995, 1998, 2001), three-time Pro Bowl (1995, 1998, 2001), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1993), Denver Broncos 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Jason Elam went almost 5,000 miles from his high school in Georgia to play football for the University of Hawaii, where he became one of the greatest kickers in college football history. Elam finished his career with the third-most points in NCAA history (397) and the second-most field goals (79) and held the record for most points in WAC history from 1992 until 2010.

Elam played 17 seasons in the NFL, where he was a three-time NFL All-Pro and won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. His 63-yard field goal in 1998 tied Tom Dempsey’s 28-year-old record for the longest field goal in NFL history and stood as the record until 2021.

Nevada: Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback (2007-10)

Cathleen Allison / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 3, 1987 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

High school: Pitman High School (Turlock, California)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 230 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2010)

Bottom line: Colin Kaepernick had his choice of colleges to play baseball at but his heart was with football and he jumped at his only FBS scholarship offer in that sport at Nevada.

Kaepernick made history with the Wolfpack, earning WAC Offensive Player of the Year twice and becoming the first player in FBS history to have 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards.

New Mexico: Brian Urlacher, Linebacker (1996-1999)

Jake Schoellkopf / AP Photo

Born: May 25, 1978 (Pasco, Washington)

High School: Lovington High School (Lovington, High Schol)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 258 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1999), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2005), five-time All-Pro (2001, 2002. 2005, 2006, 2010), eight-time Pro Bowl (2000-03, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2018)

Bottom line: Brian Urlacher might be the most unique defensive player in college football history. The 6-foot-4, 258-pound Lovington (N.M.) High product played a hybrid linebacker/free safety position for New Mexico they called the “Lobo Back” and also returned punts and kicks — in three seasons he racked up 442 tackles, 11 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, three interceptions, six touchdown receptions and returned five kicks for touchdowns.

Urlacher starred in the NFL for the Chicago Bears for 13 seasons. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

San Diego State: Marshall Faulk, Running Back (1991-1993)

San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk

Lenny Ignelzi / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 26, 1973 (New Orleans, Louisiana)

High school: G.W. Carver High School (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 210 pounds

Career highlights: Three-time AP All-American (1991-93), three-time All-WAC (1991-93), WAC Offensive Player of the Year (1992), Super Bowl champion (2000), NFL Most Valuable Player (2000), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1994), six-time NFL All-Pro (1994, 1995, 1998-2001), seven-time Pro Bowl (1994, 1995, 1998-2002), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1994)

Bottom line: If you’re ever wondering what kind of expertise you need to evaluate college football talent keep in mind the Power Five schools who recruited Marshall Faulk out of high school all wanted him to play cornerback — thank goodness he decided to go to San Diego State.

With the Aztecs, Faulk was the most exciting player in college football in the early 1990s, becoming a three-time All-American and a three-time Heisman finalist. Faulk played 13 seasons in the NFL, where he’s the only player to eclipse 12,000 rushing yards and 6,000 receiving yards in a career. He’s in both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

San Jose State: Junior Fehoko, Defensive End (2019-2022)

San Jose State defensive end Viliami Fehoko

Marco Garcia / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 16, 1999 (Stanford, California)

High school: St. Francis High School (Mountain View, California)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 263 pounds

Career highlights: MWC Defensive Player of the Year (2022), three-time All-MWC (2020-22)

Bottom line: With few exceptions, San Jose State’s football program has been in a pretty miserable place for the last 70 years — the time with defensive end Viliami “Junior” Fehoko on the roster was one of the few exceptions. With Fehoko, San Jose State played in two bowl games, going 7-1 in 2020 and 7-5 in 2022 as Fehoko racked up 69 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery on the way to being named MWC Defensive Player of the Year.

Fehoko was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Utah State: Merlin Olsen, Defensive Line (1959-1961)

Utah State

Born: Sept. 15, 1940 (Logan, Utah)

Died: March 11, 2010, 69 years old (Duarte, California)

High school: Logan High School (Logan, Utah)

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 270 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1960, 1961), Outland Trophy (1961), NFL Rookie of the Year (1962), 10-time NFL All-Pro (1963-70, 1973-75), 14-time Pro Bowl (1962-75), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, NFL 75th Anniversary Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: The oldest of three brothers to play in the NFL, Merlin Olsen first shot to football fame as a star at Utah State, where he was a two-time All-American and wont he Outland Trophy in 1961 as the nation’s top interior lineman. Olsen played 15 seasons in the NFL, all of the Los Angeles Rams, where he was a 10-time NFL All-Pro and 14-time Pro Bowler. He’s a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Olsen, who died in 2010, became even more famous following his career as an actor and pitchman, most notably for 51 houses of the hit TV series “Little House on the Prairie” and as a national spokesman for FTD Florists for decades.

UNLV: Randall Cunningham, Quarterback/Punter (1981-1984)

UNLV

Born: March 27, 1963 (Santa Barbara, California)

High school: Santa Barbara High School (Santa Barbara, California)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 215 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1983, 1984), two-time PCAA Offensive Player of the Year (1983, 1984), three-time All-PCAA (1982-84), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1992), three-time NFL All-Pro (1988, 1992, 1998), four-time Pro Bowl (1988-90, 1998), Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, UPI NFC Offensive Player of the Year (1990)

Bottom line: One of football’s greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time, Randall Cunningham was actually a triple-threat at UNLV in the early 1980s as a quarterback who passed, ran and was a two-time All-American at punter.

As a senior in 1984, Cunningham led the Rebels to the best season in school history as they went 11-2 and defeated Toledo in the California Bowl for the program’s first bowl win, although UNLV’s record was later changed to 0-13 after it was discovered they used ineligible players.

Cunningham played 16 seasons in the NFL was a three-time NFL All-Pro, finishing his career with 4,928 rushing yards — No. 4 on the NFL’s career rushing list for quarterbacks.

Wyoming: Jay Novacek, Tight End (1981-1984)

ForeverWyoming / Twitter

Born: Oct. 24, 1962 (Martin, South Dakota)

High school: Gothenburg High School (Gothenburg, Nebraska)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 234 pounds

Career highlights: All-WAC (1984), AP All-American (1984) two-time NFL All-Pro (1991, 1992), three-time Super Bowl champion (1993, 1995, 1996), five-time Pro Bowl (1991-95), College Football Hall of Fame

Bottom line: Jay Novacek was a two-sport star at Wyoming in football and track and field, where he was the WAC champion in the decathlon and an All-American in the decathlon and pole vault. Novacek also competed in the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials in the decathlon but his future was in football, where he came to college as a receiver but left as a tight end, setting the NCAA single-season record for yards per catch by a tight end (22.6 yards) while earning All-WAC and All-American honors.

Novacek was also a star in the NFL, where he made five Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s.

Sun Belt Conference (SBC)

David Richard / AP Photo

Current schools: Arkansas State, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia Southern, South Alabama, Georgia State, Southern Mississippi, James Madison, Texas State, Marshall, Troy, Old Dominion

Arkansas State: Bill Bergey, Linebacker (1966-1968)

Arkansas State

Born: Feb. 9, 1945 (South Dayton, New York)

High school: South Dayton High School (South Dayton, New York)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 230 pounds

Career highlights: Three-time All-Southland (1966-68), Southland 1960s All-Decade Team, Little All-American (1968), five-time Pro Bowl (1969, 1974, 1976-78), five-time All-Pro (1974-78), AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1969)

Bottom line: Bill Bergey set Arkansas State records for career tackles, single-season tackles, single-game tackles, and single-season fumble recoveries. As a senior in 1968, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Bergey averaged an incredible 19.6 tackles per game on the way to All-American honors.

Bergey was a five-time NFL All-Pro over 12 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. He retired with 27 interceptions, which was the NFL career record for linebackers.

Appalachian State: Armanti Edwards, Quarterback (2006-09)

Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards

Duane Burleson / AP Photo

Born: March 8, 1988 (Greenwood, South Carolina)

High school: Greenwood High School (Greenwood, South Carolina)

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 183 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time FCS national champion (2006, 2007), two-time Walter Payton Award winner (2008, 2009), two-time SoCon Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2009), four-time All-SoCon (2006-09), Grey Cup champion (2017)

Bottom line: Armanti Edwards will forever be remembered by college football fans for being the man who led then-FCS Appalachian State to the greatest regular-season upset in college football history when he and his teammates took down No. 5 Michigan, 34-32 in the 2007 season opener in Ann Arbor.

Edwards is so much more than that one game. He won two FCS national championships at Appalachian State, was a four-time All-SoCon pick and won the Walter Payton Award twice as the top player in FCS.

Edwards was a third-round pick by the Carolina Panthers and played four years in the NFL followed by six seasons in the CFL, where he won a Grey Cup championship in 2017.

Coastal Carolina: Grayson McCall, Quarterback (2019-2023)

Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall

Matt Kelley / AP

Born: Dec. 13, 2000 (Indian Trail, North Carolina)

High school: Porter Ridge High School (Indian Trail, North Carolina)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 220 pounds

Career highlights: Three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year (2020-22), Sun Belt Freshman of the Year (2020), three-time All-Sun Belt (2020-22), Cure Bowl MVP (2021)

Bottom line: Coastal Carolina doesn’t have much history as a football program — they didn’t field a team until 2003 and didn’t move to FBS until 2017.

However long the Chanticleers play, quarterback Grayson McCall will always be one of their greatest players. The Indian Trail, North Carolina, native was playing in his senior season in 2023 but was already a three-tie Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and set the NCAA single-season passing record in 2021 with 207.6.

Louisiana-Lafayette: Jake Delhomme, Quarterback (1993-1996)

University of Louisiana-Lafayette

Born: Jan. 10, 1975 (Breaux Bridge, Louisiana)

High school: Teurlings Catholic High School (Lafayette, Louisiana)

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 215 pound

Career highlights: Two-time Big West Conference champion (1993, 1994), Pro Bowl (2005), World Bowl champion (1999)

Bottom line: Jake Delhomme played college football at the University of Louisiana when it was still Southwest Louisiana State and he was the only true freshman quarterback to start on the FBS level in 1993.

Delhomme was paired with a pair of future NFL players on offense at Louisiana with wide receiver Brandon Stokley and offensive lineman Anthony Clement. As a senior, he led the Ragin’ Cajuns to the greatest win in school history with a 29-22 upset win over No. 25 Texas A&M.

Delhomme played 15 seasons in the NFL, led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2004 and was a Pro Bowl pick in 2005.

Louisiana-Monroe: Kolton Browning, Quarterback (2010-2013)

Louisiana Monroe quarterback Kolton Browning

Dave Martin / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 17, 1990 (Mesquite, Texas)

High school: Mabank High School (Mabank, Texas)

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 219 pounds

Career highlights: Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year (2012), College Football News Freshman All-American (2010), All-Sun Belt (2012)

Bottom line: Kolton Browning was a four-year starter for Louisiana-Monroe and led his team to the first bowl game in school history in 2012, when he was also named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. Browning finished his college career with 10,263 yards and 81 touchdowns.

Browning went undrafted out of college and eventually played four seasons for the Mesquite/Dallas Marshals in Champions Indoor Football.

Georgia Southern: Adrian Peterson, Running Back (1998-2001)

Georgia Southern

Born: July 1, 1979 (Gainesville, Florida)

High school: Santa Fe High School (Alachua, Florida)

Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 210 pounds

Career highlights: Walter Payton Award (1999), two-time FCS national champion (1999, 2000), UFL champion (2011), four-time FCS All-American (1998-2001), two-time SoCon Offensive Player of the Year (1999, 2000)

Bottom line: Adrian Peterson was a four-time FCS All-American at Georgia Southern and in 1999 he became the first sophomore to win the Walter Payton Award. He also led Georgia Southern to a pair of FCS national championships in 1999 and 2000.

Peterson finished his career with an NCAA Division I record of 6,559 rushing yards and rushed for over 100 yards in 48 consecutive games. Peterson played eight seasons in the NFL and one season in the UFL. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

South Alabama: Jeremy Reaves, Defensive Back (2014-2017)

Rick Scuteri / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 29, 1996 (Pensacola, Florida)

High school: Pensacola Catholic High School (Pensacola, Florida)

Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 200 pounds

Career highlights: Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year (2017), three-time All-Sun Belt (2015-17), NFL All-Pro (2022), Pro Bowl (2022)

Bottom line: One of two players to make this list who played high school football in Pensacola alongside USF’s George Selvie, Jeremy Reaves was a versatile weapon on defense who was a three-time All-Sun Belt Conference pick. He did two of those years at cornerback and one at safety as a senior in 2017.

Reaves filled up the stat sheet from the safety spot, finishing that season with 104 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three interceptions and three forced fumbles on the way to being named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year — a first for any South Alabama player.

Reaves stole the spotlight in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, where South Alabama’s campus is located, with eight tackles and one interception. He went undrafted in 2018 but caught on with the Washington Commanders, where he’s been one of the best special teams players in the NFL the last five seasons, earning NFL All-Pro honors and making his first Pro Bowl in 2022.

Georgia State: Albert Wilson, Wide Receiver (2010-13)

Dave Martin / AP Photo

Born: July 12, 1992 (Fort Pierce, Florida)

High school: Port St. Lucie High School (Port St. Lucie, Florida)

Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 195 pounds

Career highlights: Sports Illustrated All-American (2013), All-Sun Belt (2013), two-time All-CAA (2012, 2013), CAA Special Teams Player of the Year (2012)

Bottom line: Albert Wilson racked up 6,235 all-purpose yards for Georgia State — one of the highest totals in college football history. Wilson also set career records for receptions (175), receiving yards (3,190), and touchdowns (26), along with having the longest kickoff return (100 yards) and longest punt return (62 yards) in school history.

Wilson became the first player from Georgia State invited to the NFL Combine and went undrafted despite running a 4.41-second 40-yard dash. Wilson still wound up playing nine NFL seasons for three different teams.

Southern Mississippi: Brett Favre, Quarterback (1987-1990)

Southern Miss Athletics

Born: Oct. 10, 1969 (Gulfport, Mississippi)

High school: Hancock North Central High School (Kiln, Mississippi)

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1996), Three-time NFL Most Valuable Player (1995-97), Six-time NFL All-Pro (1995-97, 2001, 2002, 2007), 11-time Pro Bowl (1992, 1993, 1995-97, 2001-03, 2007-09)

Bottom line: Southern Miss was Brett Favre’s only after playing in his father’s run-oriented offense in high school, and they wanted him to play safety. Favre declined to play defense and took his place at seventh on the quarterback depth chart. He became the starter in the second half of the third game of his freshman season and led his team to a comeback win over Tulane — the first of a trio of memorable wins for Favre alongside upsets of Florida State and Alabama, where he played just two months after almost dying in a car accident after which he had to have 30 inches of small intestine removed.

Favre went on to become the only player in NFL history to win three consecutive NFL MVP awards and set the NFL record with 297 consecutive games played, including every game for 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

James Madison: Charles Haley, Defensive End (1982-1985)

Jame Madison Athletics

Born: Jan. 6, 1964 (Gladys, Virginia)

High school: William Campbell High School (Naruna, Virginia)

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 255 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time FCS All-American (1984, 1985)

Bottom line: Charles Haley was a four-year starter for James Madison at three positions — defensive end, inside linebacker, outside linebacker — and set the school record with 506 career tackles to go with 17 sacks and three interceptions. Haley was named FCS All-American twice before embarking on a legendary NFL career, winning five Super Bowls in 14 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.

Texas State: Ricky Sanders, Athlete (1979-1982)

eBay

Born: Sept. 30, 1962 (Temple, Texas)

High school: Belton High School (Belton, Texas)

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 180 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time NCAA Division II national champion (1981, 1982), two-time NCAA Division II All-American (1981, 1982), two-time Super Bowl champion (1988, 1992)

Bottom line: Injuries his senior season at Belton (Texas) High scared away elite programs from Ricky Sanders so he ended up playing NCAA Division II at Southwest Texas State — they changed the name to Texas State in 2003 — when he still played running back.

Sanders was dynamite in college, leading his school to back-to-back national championships in 1981 and 1982. Sanders spent his first two seasons of pro football playing in the USFL before playing 10 seasons in the NFL.

Sanders continued to win championships as a pro — he won two Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins and set NFL records in Super Bowl XXII with nine receptions for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

Marshall: Randy Moss, Wide Receiver (1996-1997)

Marshall Athletics

Born: Feb. 13, 1977 (Charleston, West Virginia)

High school: Dupont High School (Belle, West Virginia)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds

Career highlights: FCS national champion (1996), Biletnikoff Award (1997), AP All-American (1997), MAC Most Valuable Player (1997), MAC Offensive Rookie of the Year (1997), MAC champion (1997), five-time NFL All-Pro (1998, 2000, 2003, 2007), six-time Pro Bowl (1998-2000, 2002, 2003, 2007), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1998), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Randy Moss was one of the most highly-recruited high school football players of all time out of DuPont (W.V.) High but was kicked out of both Notre Dame and Florida State before he landed about one hour from his hometown at Marshall.

Moss led the Thundering Herd to the FCS national championship in 1996, setting FCS single-season records for touchdown receptions (28), most consecutive games with a touchdown (14) and most receiving yards for a freshman (1,709). Marshall moved to FBS and joined the MAC in 1997, with Moss winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver.

Troy: DeMarcus Ware, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker (2001-2004)

Randy Snyder / AP Photo

Born: July 31, 1982 (Auburn, Alabama)

High school: Auburn High School (Auburn, Alabama)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 258 pounds

Career highlights: Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year (2003), two-time All-Sun Belt (2003, 2004), Sun Belt Conference 2000s All-Decade Team, Senior Bowl Hall of Fame, Super Bowl champion (2015), seven-time NFL All-Pro (2006-12), nine-time Pro Bowl (2006-12, 2014, 2015), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: DeMarcus Ware grew up in Auburn, Alabama, and was a high school star at Auburn High but didn’t receive a scholarship offer from his hometown college…so he headed 90 miles south and became a star at Troy. Ware had 15 of his 27.5 career sacks as a senior in 2004, when he was named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. The same year, he set the school record with 55.5 tackles for loss.

Ware played 12 seasons in the NFL and was a seven-time NFL All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler — he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Old Dominion: Taylor Heinicke, Quarterback (2011-2014)

Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke

Gerry Broome / AP Photo

Born: March 15, 1993 (Lawrenceville, Georgia)

High school: Collins Hill High School (Suwanee, Georgia)

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds

Career highlights: Walter Payton Award (2012), CAA Offensive Player of the Year (2012), FCS All-American (2012), FCS National Freshman of the Year (2011)

Bottom line: Taylor Heinicke was one of the great underdog stories in the NFL, going from undrafted to the full-time starter for the Washington Commanders in 2021 and most of 2022.

Heinicke isn’t just an underdog, though. Dude has been balling for a while. Heinicke won the Walter Payton Award as the best player in FCS in 2012 then spent the next season as an independent as Old Dominion transitioned to FBS and playing in Conference USA.

News flash — Heinicke was still good. He ended his college career with 14,959 passing yards and 132 touchdowns to go with 1,320 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. Imagine the elite FBS teams who would have killed to have this guy playing for them over those four years.

Group of Five Independents

Los Angeles Rams running back Glenn Davis

AP Photo

Current schools: Army, Massachusetts, Connecticut

Army: Glenn Davis, Halfback (1943-1946)

Army's Felix Blanchard, Earl Blaik, Glenn Davis

AP Photo

Born: Dec. 26, 1924 (Claremont, California)

Died: March 9, 2005, 80 years old (La Quinta, California)

High school: Bonita High School (La Verne, California)

Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 175 pounds

Career highlights: Heisman Trophy (1946), three-time National Champion (1944-46), Sporting News Player of the Year (1946), AP Athlete of the Year (1946), Maxwell Award (1944), three-time AP All-American (1944-46), Pro Bowl (1950)

Bottom line: Glenn Davis was as famous as a football player could be in the 1940s, starring in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field at Army. He went 27-0-1 and won three national championships in football while he was there. Davis was a two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up before winning the Heisman in 1946.

Massachusetts: Greg Landry, Quarterback (1965-1967)

UMass Amherst Library

Born: Dec. 18, 1946 (Nashua, New Hampshire)

High School: Nashua South High School (Nashua, New Hampshire)

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time All-Yankee Conference (1966, 1967), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1976), NFL All-Pro (1971), Pro Bowl (1971)

Bottom line: You may not have heard of Greg Landry, but believe us when we tell you he’s one of the greatest running quarterbacks of all time — first dominating the Yankee Conference at UMass with his feet then running for almost 3,000 yards over 15 seasons in the NFL.

Connecticut: Donald Brown, Running Back (2005-2008)

Bob Child / AP Photo

Born: April 11, 1987 (Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey)

High school: Red Bank Catholic High School (Red Bank, New Jersey)

Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 207 pounds

Career highlights: Big East Offensive Player of the Year (2008), two-time All-Big East (2006, 2008), AP All-American (2008), International Bowl MVP (2009)

Bottom line: When UConn still played in a conference, the Big East, Donald Brown dominated.

Brown finished one yard short of 1,000 rushing yards as a redshirt freshman in 2006 then battled injuries in 2007 as he rushed for 821 yards. He had a breakout season as a junior in 2008, when he rushed for 2,083 yards and 18 touchdowns on the way to being named an All-American and Big East Offensive Player of the Year.

Brown left school early for the NFL, where he was a first-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2009.