50 greatest college football players this century, ranked

• Consensus All-American (2004)
• 3x First-team All-Big 12 (2004, 2005, 2006)

If you’ve ever wondered what it would have looked like if LeBron James had played in college, just watch Adrian Peterson as a freshman at Oklahoma and you’ll see a pretty close representation.

Peterson burst onto the scene in the Big 12 with a 1,925-yard freshman season. He set an NCAA record for freshmen, led the conference in rushing, led the nation in carries, and finished second in Heisman voting. Despite having his sophomore season cut short by a broken foot and his junior year ended by a broken collar-bone, he still had three straight 1,000-yard seasons and made three straight first-team All-Big 12 teams.

Even with injuries and forgoing his senior season, he is still one of the greatest running backs in the history of college football. His blend of power and speed, even as a 19-year-old freshman is something that’s only been seen a handful of times before or since.

Bonus Fact: Peterson’s father, Noah, had never seen his son play live before he was released from prison in 2006. He got his first chance when the Sooners played Iowa State and saw his son torch the Cyclones for 183 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Unfortunately, he broke his collarbone in the second half and his father’s first game in attendance was his last in a Sooner uniform.