20 college football players who should be highly paid in 2017
Taking a look at what some of college football’s biggest stars deserved to be paid next season.
Year after year, the debate surrounding compensation for college football athletes remains one of the hottest talking points in sports.
With big money constantly pouring into the NCAA, many believe the athletes responsible for the on-field product deserve some of the cut. College football and basketball combine to generate over $6 billion in annual revenue, individual conference’s own lucrative TV deals and head coach salary continues to rise, yet players still see little beyond a scholarship.
Due to the lack of financial compensation and health risk associated with football, future high draft picks like LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey did not play in their respective bowl games. It’s possible that a star player will choose to sit out an entire season in the near future to avoid injury, an idea that could trickle down to the high school level in the near future.
On the other side of the argument, some — including NCAA president Mark Emmert — think paying players would have a disastrous impact on academics and only increase the gulf between blue blood programs and the rest of the nation. No matter which side of the debate you side on, a solution that satisfies both parties likely isn’t coming soon.
For now, it’s purely hypothetical to think about the exact value Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield and Connor Williams are worth to their programs. In an alternate universe where college football athletes are compensated, these 20 standouts would be in line for a big paycheck.
Disclaimer: To add some more intrigue and fun to this hypothetical college football world where the players can go to the ban, we’ve drawn up these salaries based on some of the players’ NFL counterparts.
20. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
LSU is about as equipped as possible to replace Leonard Fournette, as Guice looks poised to develop into one of the best running backs in the nation.
A native of Baton Rouge, Guice committed early in the recruiting process to hometown LSU as a top-five running back prospect in the class of 2015. While often overshadowed by Fournette, one of the most hyped recruits in recent memory, Guice managed an impressive 8.5 yards per rush and three touchdowns on 51 carries as a true freshman.
Guice looked like the better running back for long stretches of the 2016 season, piling up 183 carries for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns, in addition to 106 yards and another score as a receiver. With Fournette sitting out a late-season game against Texas A&M, Guice showed the full extent of his upside by going off for a school record 285 rushing yards on 37 attempts;.
Now a junior, Guice will finally get the chance to be the primary starter for a full season, which should result in some huge numbers. At 5-foot-11, 222 pounds, Guice is a physically imposing runner who is difficult to bring down, and shows plus ability in the open field given his size.
Ed Orgeron is more willing to open up the playbook than Les Miles, but the ground game and Guice will still be the main focal point of the LSU offense, making him one of the most valuable rushers in college football. Fair or not, the Fournette comparisons are not going to stop, so we’ll give Guice a $7 million salary to just top his former teammate.