25 best college football players not in the College Football Hall of Fame (yet)

NEW YORK - DECEMBER 14: Carson Palmer of the University of Southern California speaks with the press after winning the 68th annual Heisman Trophy Award at The Yale Club December 14, 2002 in New York City. The USC quarterback became the first west coast player win the trophy since 1981. Palmer received 242 first-place votes winning by 233 over second place Iowa quarterback Brad Banks. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) /

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Quarterback Tim Couch #2 of the Kentucky Wildcats: (Allsport/Allsport) /

16. Tim Couch, Kentucky, QB

Tim Couch’s overall legacy is not a good one. He is basically just a name of one of the many failed Cleveland Browns quarterbacks. However, to be the number-one overall pick in the NFL Draft, he needs to be one of the best players in college.

That University of Kentucky offense was reliant on Couch every single snap. He threw 553 passes in his senior year alone. He had 547 attempts in his sophomore season, which was the most in the country. Despite throwing the most passes in the NCAA, he led the nation in completion percentage in 1997. He led the SEC in passing yards twice, touchdowns twice, completion percentage twice, and also interceptions twice. Couch had two remarkable seasons before heading to the NFL Draft.

Couch finished in the top ten in Heisman voting in both his sophomore and junior year (getting fourth place his junior year). He still holds the record for completion percentage in a game (83 percent against Vanderbilt in 1998).

Honestly, Couch was just probably in the wrong era. These possession quarterbacks do well in the NFL today. When it comes to his college career, his completion percentage was one of the best ever. That kind of output deserves recognition.

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