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College football 2019 season preview: Ranking the Top 100 players – SEC dominates

By Nicholas Ian Allen

BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 08: LSU Tigers safety Grant Delpit (9) celebrates during a game between the LSU Tigers and Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on September 8, 2018. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 08: LSU Tigers safety Grant Delpit (9) celebrates during a game between the LSU Tigers and Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on September 8, 2018. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 01: Justin Sliwoski #15 of the Pittsburgh Panthers defends a pass to Tee Higgins #5 of the Clemson Tigers in the first quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 01: Justin Sliwoski #15 of the Pittsburgh Panthers defends a pass to Tee Higgins #5 of the Clemson Tigers in the first quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

CFB Winning Edge Production Points were designed for players like Middle Tennessee linebacker Khalil Brooks. A 5-foot-11, 203-pound senior linebacker who was assigned a .7857 rating in the 247Sports Composite, Brooks has accumulated 28 PPs across three seasons. In 39 games, including 26 starts for the Blue Raiders, Brooks has recorded 14.5 career sacks and 32.5 tackles for loss. A two-time All-C-USA selection, Brooks could make a name for himself on a national level in 2019 in non-conference matchups against Michigan and Iowa.

San Diego State stumbled to the finish in 2018, losing five of its final six games, but the Aztecs still boast one of the best defenses in the country, statistically speaking. Linebacker Kyahva Tezino was by far the most productive defender for Rocky Long last year. Tezino totaled 16 Production Points on the strength of 127 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 21 run stuffs in an All-Mountain West-worthy season.

Don’t sleep on SMU in 2019. The Mustangs brought in highly rated Texas transfer Shane Buechele (96.5) at quarterback, and he’ll throw to a talented receiving corps led by 100-rated James Proche. Proche won the AAC receiving triple crown in 2018, leading the conference in receptions (93), yards (1,199) and TD catches (12).

The Virginia Tech Hokies took a huge step back defensively in 2018, and the unit was arguably the worst of legendary coordinator Bud Foster’s tenure in Blacksburg. But with 10 starters returning – including 100-rated rover Reggie Floyd, who recorded 88 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss last year – and a favorable schedule, the Hokies should be in the mix to win the Coastal.

Four ACC defenders recorded double-digit sacks in 2018, and two of them play defensive end at Syracuse. Kendall Coleman tied for second in the conference with 10 sacks as a junior, and he contributed 12.0 tackles for loss and 13.5 run stuffs as well.

Evaluating and projecting the talent potential for offensive linemen is the hardest job for recruiting sites (and arguably for college football recruiters themselves, for that matter). It’s also the most difficult position to capture in VGR+ given the only way O-Linemen currently earn Production Points is through games started and conference or national accolades. That said, it’s easy to see how talented Washington tackle Trey Adams is when healthy. A second-team All-American as a true freshman, Adams has an opportunity to regain his first-round draft potential with a solid fifth-year senior season in 2019.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Mason Fine was docked for his lack of size as a high school recruit and signed with North Texas as a .7743-rated two-star prospect. Since then, Fine has made 36 starts for the Mean Green and amassed 24 Production Points – more than any active FBS quarterback. He has 13 300-yard passing games so far (and four more with 290-plus), and could eventually play his way onto an NFL roster.

Following heavy personnel losses, the Washington Huskies enter the 2019 season with a defensive line that ranks No. 53 in CFB Winning Edge’s D-Line Strength metric, and with the No. 50 linebacker corps. Nevertheless, edge rusher Benning Potoa’e is a solid building block for head coach Chris Petersen, and should contribute to both position groups. Expect an uptick in sacks for Potoa’e, who has four so far, spread across three seasons.

Despite back-to-back nine loss seasons, the cupboard is far from bare in Chapel Hill. New North Carolina head coach Mack Brown inherited a lot of talent, including defensive lineman Jason Strowbridge, who recorded 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks as a junior last year.

You’ve probably heard more about Justyn Ross (93.89) in recent months, especially following Ross’ dominant performance against Alabama in the CFP title game, but Clemson receiver Tee Higgins has a longer track record of success, and also led the Tigers in receptions (59) and touchdown catches (12) during the national championship-winning campaign, including one against the Crimson Tide.