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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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TUCSON, AZ – NOVEMBER 24: Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate (14) slips past Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Merlin Robertson (8) during the college football game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats on November 24, 2018 at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, AZ. (Photo by Carlos Herrera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ – NOVEMBER 24: Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate (14) slips past Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Merlin Robertson (8) during the college football game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats on November 24, 2018 at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, AZ. (Photo by Carlos Herrera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Traditionally, USC is the best recruiter on the West Coast. Therefore, though the Trojans were very disappointing in 2018, head coach Clay Helton still has a ton of talent to work with, including two 100-rated linebackers: Josh Houston, Jr. and Christian Rector. Rector has been more productive in his career and earns a spot in our Top 100 on the strength of his 20.0 tackles for loss and 12 sacks combined since 2017.

Syracuse head coach Dino Babers isn’t known for defense, but he can lean upon two 100-rated defensive linemen in 2019. End Alton Robinson has been one of the most productive and disruptive pass rushers in the ACC over the past two seasons. Last year, Robinson racked up 17.0 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, and 20.5 run stuffs for the surging Orange.

The Pac-12 gets a bad rap, but the Utah Utes should be considered a College Football Playoff contender. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has thrived by unearthing undervalued high school players and developing them into stars and Julian Blackmon is one of those players. A former three-star prospect, Blackmon has started 26 games, and racked up 18 Production Points on his way to a 100 rating, making him the first of three Utes on our list.

Jalen Hurts lost the grip on his starting spot at Alabama, but he was still highly productive in a limited backup role in 2018. And he was a story-book hero for the Crimson Tide coming off the bench in the SEC Championship Game. Following a grad transfer to Oklahoma, Hurts is an immediate Heisman contender (did you know Lincoln Riley coached two straight Sooners to the Heisman? Of course you did), and thanks to the 13 Production Points he’s earned so far, we know Hurts is capable.

Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate exploded onto the national scene in 2017 with a record-setting rushing performance, and he entered 2018 as a Heisman favorite. Unfortunately, Tate suffered an early-season ankle injury in addition to the growing pains that often come with a coaching change. If healthy, expect Tate to approach the 9.04 yards per play he posted as a sophomore.

The only MAC player on our list, versatile Akron defensive back Alvin Davis, Jr. has shot past his .7932 rating in the 247Sports Composite to become one of the highest rated players in the country according to VGR+. Davis already has 30 career starts to his credit, and has amassed 22 total Production Points on the strength of three consecutive 75-plus tackle campaigns. In 2018, Davis added four interceptions – and took two of them to the house.

As a former five-star recruit, UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes would have cruised to a 100 rating in VGR+ by his senior season, but he earned it midway through his sophomore year after racking up 15 career Production Points. Holmes has six career interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and he also found the end zone on a kickoff return for the Bruins in 2018.

Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell set the tone for the Tigers incredible 44-16 victory over Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game by intercepting a pass from Tua Tagovailoa and returning it 44 yards for a touchdown. Far from a one-hit wonder, Terrell recorded three interceptions overall to lead the team, and added 54 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, three pass breakups and forced two fumbles as well.

Thanks in part to a stable of NFL-quality wide receivers and tight ends, Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello posted big passing yardage totals in his first full season as a starter for the Cardinal. Costello finished with 3,540 yards and 29 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He surpassed 300 yards through the air seven times and connected for four or more scores on four occasions.

Miami has the No. 5 linebacker corps in the country according to CFB Winning Edge Roster Strength calculations, and the Hurricanes have the only linebacker unit nationally featuring three players with a 100 rating in the starting lineup. Michael Pinckney was a solid performer for the squad in 2018, totaling 74 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and five QB hurries.