The most dangerous players in college football are the ones that have the potential to get the football in to the endzone on every single touch whether it’s from five yards out or 95 yards out. These big-time playmakers are the most exciting in college football with elite speed, incredible agility and the ability to consistently make opposing defenders miss. Here is a look at the best home run hitters in college football right now.
RB: Christian McCaffrey
Stanford Cardinal
No player in college football history has ever had a better season than McCaffrey did a year ago when he ran for 2,019 yards and eight touchdowns while collecting another 45 catches for 645 yards and five scores. McCaffrey led the entire nation in gains of at least 50 and 60 yards and he scored touchdowns five different ways as he played in all situations for the Cardinal. The 6’0’’, 201-pound back is as speedy as he is agile and quick, with an elite ability to make opposing defenders miss tackles in space. Stanford will rely on McCaffrey’s elite big-play ability even more this season and it will be interesting to see what he has in store for an encore performance as one of the top home run hitters in the entire country.
RB: Dalvin Cook
Florida State Seminoles
Cook was the most explosive running back in a Power Five conference last season when he averaged 7.38 yards per carry. That’s despite being limited by a hamstring injury that kept him from playing at 100-percent for nearly the entire year. Cook still finished with the most rushes of at least 20 yards, 30 yards, 50 yards and 70 yards in the entire nation. He was one of just 13 players to break out a run of at least 90 yards. While the Seminoles experiences all sorts of quarterback issues, he put the team on his back for large chunks of the season.
The 6’0’’, 203-pound back finished with 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns on just 229 carries and the expectation is that he will top those numbers now that he is fully healthy heading in to 2016. Cook will be a home run threat every time he is handed the football and he is a big reason why the Seminoles are expected to challenge Clemson for ACC supremacy this season.
RB: Leonard Fournette
LSU Tigers
There was a point last year when Fournette appeared to be such a complete lock to win the Heisman trophy that the media was debating whether or not the NCAA and NFL should change its eligibility rules in college football to allow players to turn pro following their junior seasons. Ultimately, Fournette’s production eventually slowed down a bit but he still finished with 300 carries for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns in just 12 games. The bulk of Fournette’s 6.5 yards per carry came against some tough competition in the loaded SEC and there is a legitimate argument to be made for the fact that he would have had even better numbers if he played in a different conference or had more help. All eyes will be on Fournette to see what he has in store for an encore this season and there is every reason to expect similar production from him as a true home run threat every time he touches the football.
RB: Matt Breida
Georgia Southern Eagles
Breida hasn’t received the recognition he likely deserves based on the fact that he plays at Georgia Southern of the Sun Belt football conference but he tied with Cook for the lead with the most rushes of 30-plus, 40-plus, 50-plus, 60-plus and 70-plus yards in 2015. That included a ridiculous stretch when he ran for 805 yards and 11 touchdowns during a five-game winning streak for the Eagles. The 5’10’’, 190-pound back has led the entire nation in yards per carry each of the last season seasons including an average of 7.9 yards per carry in 2015. There are definitely advantages to playing in the Sun Belt but it would be far too ignorant to simply dismiss Breida’s success as being based solely on the fact that he doesn’t play in a Power Five conference.
