College Soccer’s Pinnacle: 25 Gamers of the Twenty-First Century
There are approximately 26 consensus All-Americans each season. Twenty-four unique players have won a Heisman since 2000. The one thing guaranteed about college soccer is that nobody stays too long, and there are always new stars.
Are these all excuses for why it is nearly impossible to rank the 25 best college soccer players of the 2000s? Absolutely. But we are going to do it anyway. It's ranking season, after all.
I have ranked players in some unique ways through the years: quarterbacks of the 2000s, running backs of the past 60 years, receivers of the past 50 years, defenders of the 2000s. (Sorry, offensive linemen and tight ends. We'll get to you. And hell, perhaps you too, kickers and punters.)
Below is my attempt to gingerly weld those lists together. It seems like everybody on this list should be in the top 10. It feels like there are about 50 more players who should be in the top 25. This is impossible! But here goes nothing.
1. DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Key accomplishments: 2009 Lombardi Award, 2009 Outland Award, 2009 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, 2009 AP College Football Player of the Year, 2009 Heisman finalist; 49.5 career tackles for loss, 24 career sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 touchdowns.
A 4-star prospect from Oregon, Suh enjoyed 3 solid years before posting one of the most devastating individual seasons in college football history. Suh was unblockable in 2009. Despite triple-teams, endless holding penalties (called and uncalled), and entire game plans designed to avoid the middle of the field, he made 20.5 TFLs with 12 sacks. His performance in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas — seven TFLs, 4.5 sacks — was among the best ever. I know we don't give Heismans to defensive players, but it's still completely inexcusable that he didn’t win the Heisman that year. Best player of the 2000s and one of the best of all time.
2. QB Baker Mayfield, Texas Tech/Oklahoma
Key accomplishments: 2017 Heisman Trophy, 2017 Maxwell Award, 2017 Walter Camp Award, 2017 Davey O’Brien Award, 2015 and 2016 Burlsworth Trophy, 2017 unanimous All-American, 2015 first-team All-American, 2015 and 2017 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, 2015, 2016, and 2017 first-team All-Big 12; 14,607 passing yards and 131 touchdowns, 1,083 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.
In 3 seasons at Oklahoma, after a brief cameo as a true freshman walk-on starter at Texas Tech, Mayfield put up nearly the best combination of high-volume passing and high-level achievement you’ll ever see. He averaged almost 4,100 passing yards per season, led 3 straight Big 12 title runs, went 3-0 against Oklahoma State and 2-1 against Texas, and led road wins at Tennessee and Ohio State.
Mayfield was so good that he ended up as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft despite standing only 6 feet tall. The only thing missing from his resume: a national title. But it wasn't for lack of trying. It took the greatest game of the CFP era to keep him from having a shot at it.
3. QB Cam Newton, Florida/Auburn
Key accomplishments: 2010 Heisman Trophy, 2010 Maxwell Award, 2010 Walter Camp Award, 2010 Davey O'Brien Award, 2010 AP National Player of the Year, 2010 consensus All-American, 2010 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, 2010 first-team All-SEC; 2,908 passing yards and 30 TDs, 1,586 rushing yards and 24 TDs.
Once considered Tim Tebow’s heir apparent at Florida, Newton landed at Auburn after a controversial departure and recruitment. And he became perhaps the best one-year wonder in college football history.
Despite a defense that allowed at least 27 points in half its games, and despite having to play in seven games with a margin of one score, Auburn won the 2010 national title because the Tigers had Cam and their opponents didn’t. He threw for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns and ran for 1,473 yards and 20 more scores. He rushed for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns in one win over South Carolina, then threw for 335 and 4 scores in another. He led a historic comeback win over Alabama. He defined a championship team as much as anyone ever could.
4. QB Vince Young, Texas
Key accomplishments: 2005 Davey O’Brien Award, 2005 Maxwell Award, 2005 first-team All-American, 2005 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, 2005 first-team All-Big 12, 2005 national champion; 6,040 career passing yards and 44 TDs, 3,127 rushing yards and 37 TDs.
For the first half of his 3 seasons in Austin, Young was up and down, a spectacular athlete who was inconsistent as a true quarterback. But halfway through his sophomore season in 2004, everything fell into place. As a junior in 2005, Young became the first player to throw for at least 3,000 yards and rush for at least 1,000 in the same season — just 5 years earlier, it had been a big deal that Clemson’s Woody Dantzler hit even 2,000/1,000. And in Young’s final game, he threw for 267 yards and rushed for 200 with 3 touchdowns as Texas knocked off USC in one of the greatest games of the 21st century.
5. S Ed Reed, Miami
Key accomplishments: 2001 unanimous All-American, 2001 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, 2001 national champion, College Football Hall of Fame; 288 career tackles, 21 interceptions (fourth in NCAA history), 31 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles, 4 blocked punts, 5 touchdowns.
The most memorable player from one of college football’s most memorable teams. After recording 5 sacks as a linebacker in 1999, Reed moved to more of a safety role and proceeded to pick off 17 passes, including 4 pick-sixes, in 2000-01. He was also responsible for one of the most iconic plays of the century.
6. QB Tim Tebow, Florida
Key accomplishments: 2007 Heisman Trophy, 2007 and 2008 Maxwell Award, 2007 Davey O’Brien Award, 2007 AP College Football Player of the Year, 2007 consensus All-American, 2008 and 2009 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, 2007, 2008, and 2009 first-team All-SEC, 2006 and 2008 national champion; 9,285 career passing yards and 88 TDs, 2,947 rushing yards and 57 TDs.
After serving as a short-yardage, red zone specialist during Florida’s 2006 national title run, Tebow moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and immediately became the game’s best and most defining player. He won the Heisman in 2007 while combining 3,286 passing yards with 895 rushing yards and 55 total TDs. He produced 77 more touchdowns in 2008 and '09, leading Florida to a national title in 2008 and coming just short in a quest for a third ring as a senior. Does your home stadium have a plaque immortalizing a postgame speech from its starting quarterback? Because Florida’s does.
7. RB Reggie Bush, USC
Key accomplishments: 2005 Heisman Trophy (for real!), 2005 Doak Walker Award, 2005 Walter Camp Award, 2005 AP National Player of the Year, 2004 and 2005 consensus All-American, 2004 and 2005 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year; 3,169 career rushing yards and 25 touchdowns, 1,301 career receiving yards and 13 touchdowns; 4 career return touchdowns (one kickoff, 3 punt).
It was like watching a player from the future. Bush was equally terrifying as a runner or receiver. He wasn’t just faster than everyone else; he also seemed to have different instincts. He saw and tried things others couldn’t. And if you couldn’t rein him in before he got to the edge, he was going to hit the afterburners.
All of Bush’s strengths coalesced in one perfect night. In a wild, late-season track meet against Fresno State, Bush produced 294 rushing yards, 68 receiving yards, and 151 return yards. In one game.
8. OT Bryant McKinnie, Miami
Key accomplishments: 2001 Outland Trophy, 2001 unanimous All-American, 2000 and 2001 first-team All-Big East, 8th in the 2001 Heisman voting as an offensive lineman, College Football Hall of Fame.
For all of the absurd skill-position talent Miami had during its early 2000s renaissance — Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Najeh Davenport, Ken Dorsey, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow — the most important player was McKinnie, who served as the linchpin of the offensive line, who provided Miami’s true edge.
There is a reason McKinnie was a first-team All-Big East pick and top-10 Heisman finisher as an offensive lineman. It’s also worth noting that he was an all-conference defensive lineman at Miami before switching to the other side of the line.
9. LB Patrick Willis, Ole Miss
Key accomplishments: 2006 unanimous All-American, 2006 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, 2006 first-team All-SEC, 2007 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, College Football Hall of Fame; 77 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 16 pass breakups, 2 interceptions.
Willis was consistently dominant as a sophomore and junior, setting the bar for SEC linebackers while also demonstrating a wide range of skills in both coverage and run defense. He piled up 152 tackles, 10 TFLs, and 5 sacks as a junior and became the best linebacker in college football.
10. RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
Key accomplishments: 2007 Heisman Trophy finalist, 2006 and 2007 Doak Walker Award, 2006 and 2007 consensus All-American, 2007 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, 2006 and 2007 first-team All-SEC; 2,834 career rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, 2,171 career receiving yards and 8 touchdowns.
The 2006 and 2007 seasons were back-to-back years of Darren McFadden's utter dominance. He broke the 1,500-yard mark in both seasons and scored 28 rushing touchdowns in that time. His 322 rushing yards in a 2007 game against South Carolina stands as one of the great single-game performances of the century.
11. WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
Key accomplishments: 2006 unanimous All-American, 2006 ACC Player of the Year, 2006 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, 2006 Biletnikoff Award, 2005 and 2006 first-team All-ACC; 2,927 career receiving yards and 28 touchdowns, 200 career catches.
Johnson’s combination of size, speed, and athleticism made him nearly impossible to stop in college. His catch radius was unmatched, his physicality too imposing, and he played with an intensity that other receivers couldn’t match.
12. WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
Key accomplishments: 2003 consensus All-American, 2003 Biletnikoff Award, 2003 Big East Offensive Player of the Year, 2003 Big East Co-Player of the Year; 2,677 career receiving yards and 34 touchdowns, 92 career catches.
Fitzgerald was a dynamic force with the ball in his hands. His ability to track and adjust to the ball, combined with his exceptional hands, made him an elite target. In 2003, he broke all the records for a single season, cementing his place as one of the best college receivers of the century.
13. RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
Key accomplishments: 2004 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, 2004 consensus All-American, 2004 Big 12 Freshman of the Year; 1,925 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Peterson’s freshman season was nothing short of historic. He set numerous records and became one of the most dominant players in college football history with a combination of speed, power, and vision.
14. DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
Key accomplishments: 2009 consensus All-American, 2009 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, 2009 Lombardi Award finalist; 13 sacks, 24.5 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles.
McCoy was a game-changer in the defensive line, demonstrating exceptional athleticism and technique. He was a major factor in Oklahoma’s defensive success during his tenure.
15. S Troy Polamalu, USC
Key accomplishments: 2003 consensus All-American, 2003 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, 2003 first-team All-Pac-10; 12 interceptions, 4 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 touchdown.
Polamalu was known for his exceptional instincts and playmaking ability. His performances in crucial games and his leadership on the field made him a standout player.
16. WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
Key accomplishments: 2007 and 2008 Biletnikoff Award, 2007 and 2008 unanimous All-American, 2007 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year; 3,127 career receiving yards and 41 touchdowns, 231 career catches.
Crabtree’s ability to make spectacular catches and his consistency made him a dominant force in college football. His 2007 season was particularly impressive, helping to establish him as one of the best receivers of the decade.
17. CB Patrick Peterson, LSU
Key accomplishments: 2010 consensus All-American, 2010 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, 2010 Thorpe Award, 2010 first-team All-SEC; 8 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, 5 sacks.
Peterson was a shutdown corner with exceptional coverage skills and playmaking ability. His performances in key games showcased his talent and made him one of the top defensive players in the country.
18. LB LaVar Arrington, Penn State
Key accomplishments: 1999 consensus All-American, 1999 Butkus Award, 1999 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, 1999 first-team All-Big Ten; 187 career tackles, 16 sacks, 6 interceptions.
Arrington’s combination of speed, power, and intelligence made him one of the most feared linebackers in college football. His impact on the field was significant, leading to numerous accolades and recognition.
19. RB Eddie George, Ohio State
Key accomplishments: 1995 Heisman Trophy, 1995 Maxwell Award, 1995 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, 1995 first-team All-Big Ten; 3,765 career rushing yards and 44 touchdowns.
George’s ability to dominate on the ground and his consistency throughout his career made him one of the top running backs of the 1990s. His Heisman-winning season was particularly impressive.
20. QB Joe Burrow, LSU
Key accomplishments: 2019 Heisman Trophy, 2019 Maxwell Award, 2019 Walter Camp Award, 2019 AP National Player of the Year, 2019 unanimous All-American, 2019 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, 2019 national champion; 5,671 passing yards, 60 touchdowns.
Burrow’s remarkable season in 2019, leading LSU to a national championship, was one of the most impressive performances in college football history. His precision passing and leadership were exceptional.
21. RB Bo Jackson, Auburn
Key accomplishments: 1985 Heisman Trophy, 1985 consensus All-American, 1985 SEC Player of the Year, 1984 first-team All-SEC; 4,303 career rushing yards and 43 touchdowns.
Jackson’s combination of speed, power, and athleticism made him a standout player in college football. His Heisman-winning season showcased his incredible talent and impact on the game.
22. OT Orlando Pace, Ohio State
Key accomplishments: 1996 Outland Trophy, 1996 consensus All-American, 1996 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, 1995 first-team All-Big Ten; College Football Hall of Fame.
Pace’s dominance on the offensive line was evident throughout his career. His ability to protect the quarterback and open running lanes made him one of the top linemen of the decade.
23. RB Marshall Faulk, San Diego State
Key accomplishments: 1992 consensus All-American, 1992 Doak Walker Award, 1992 WAC Offensive Player of the Year, 1991 and 1992 first-team All-WAC; 4,589 career rushing yards and 57 touchdowns.
Faulk’s exceptional ability to run, catch, and block made him one of the top running backs of his era. His performances in college football set the stage for a successful NFL career.
24. CB Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh
Key accomplishments: 2007 unanimous All-American, 2007 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, 2007 first-team All-Big East; 6 interceptions, 1 touchdown, 1 sack.
Revis was known for his exceptional coverage skills and ability to shut down opposing receivers. His performance in college football was a precursor to his successful NFL career.
25. WR A.J. Green, Georgia
Key accomplishments: 2008 and 2009 consensus All-American, 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year, 2008 first-team All-SEC; 2,619 career receiving yards and 23 touchdowns, 147 career catches.
Green’s combination of size, speed, and hands made him one of the top receivers of the decade. His ability to make plays and produce big numbers was impressive throughout his college career.