Fansided

Best college football players of all time from every state

By Nate Williamson

Longhorns QB Vince Young during Texas' 51-10 win over the Rice Rice Owls in NCAA College Football at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Karl Wright/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
Longhorns QB Vince Young during Texas' 51-10 win over the Rice Rice Owls in NCAA College Football at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Karl Wright/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images) /
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Steven Jackson #34 of Oregon State University runs against the defense of Gabriel Fulbright #23 of the New Mexico State University Lobos in the first-half. Jackson was named the Most Valuable Player as the Beavers won the 2O03 Las Vegas Bowl 55-14. (Photo by Steve Grayson/WireImage)
Steven Jackson #34 of Oregon State University runs against the defense of Gabriel Fulbright #23 of the New Mexico State University Lobos in the first-half. Jackson was named the Most Valuable Player as the Beavers won the 2O03 Las Vegas Bowl 55-14. (Photo by Steve Grayson/WireImage) /

Nevada – Steven Jackson

Vegas and the state of Nevada used to be overlooked by the collegiate football community—not anymore. One of the fastest growing locations in the football world, Las Vegas has become a hotbed for high school recruiting.

This, arguably, began with Oregon State’s signing of Steven Jackson, a Vegas native, and the success that they had as a result.

Jackson didn’t take over as the primary ball carrier until his sophomore season but finished his career at Oregon State as one of the best running backs of the 2000s eras. He accounted for 3,625 yards in his three collegiate seasons, with 39 rushing touchdowns and six additional receiving scores.

Jackson was a staple in the backfield for the Beavers after coming in as one of the top recruits in the country and led the nation in carries with 350 as a junior. At 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, the Las Vegas native set an Oregon State record with 2,015 yards of total offense in his final season before declaring for the NFL Draft.

Selected as the No. 24 pick, Jackson went on to spend 11 seasons in the NFL after his start with the St. Louis Rams. It’s entirely likely that we see more talent begin to come out of the state of Nevada, and it will be interesting to see if anyone can take this seat from Jackson in the coming years.

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