20 college football players who should be highly paid in 2017

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Sam Darnold No. 14 of the USC Trojans looks to pass the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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2 October 2016: Houston Cougars defensive tackle Ed Oliver (#10) during the American Athletic Conference college football game between the SMU Mustangs and the Houston Cougars at Gerald Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. SMU won the game 38-16. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

Just one season into his college football career, Oliver already looks like the most unstoppable defensive player in the country.

There was never any shortage of hype surrounding Oliver, as he left Westfield High School as a five-star recruit and one of the top 10 overall prospects in the country. Rather than join Alabama, Oklahoma or any other blue blood program that offered him, Oliver stuck around his hometown to become the most prized recruit in Cougars history.

Oliver recorded seven tackles and two sacks in Houston’s season-opening upset over the Sooners and never looked back, finishing his freshman campaign with 22 tackles for loss, five sacks and six pass breakups. The accolades poured in at the end of the season, as Oliver made an appearance on a number of All-American teams, and just about everyone expects him to get even better with experience.

At 6-foot-2 and 290 pounds with speed that can rival skill position players, Oliver is just too much athletically for the majority of opposing offensive linemen. Even with Tom Herman gone to Texas, Houston figures to stay nationally relevant thanks to Oliver, who figures to have an absolutely monster season.

While Oliver’s pay grade would be a little below the nation’s best quarterbacks, he would still require a hefty sum as a dominant defender against both the run and pass. Oliver’s skill set draws fair comparisons to Ndamukong Suh at his best, so a similar $19 million salary would be fair for this season.

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