The Devy 100 Countdown: 81-90

Rob Willette

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Editor’s Note: This article is a Dynasty Scouts exclusive. Remember, our new Dynasty Scouts section focuses on the stars of tomorrow, with a laser focus on High School recruits and College players who look to have the talent to be future assets in dynasty leagues and have value today in devy leagues. 

One of the more intriguing aspects of devy leagues is the number of opinions they inspire.  With over 100 Division I programs and regional broadcasting, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and vice versa.  Outside of the elite prospects known to all, it is really a matter of personal preference. In the Devy 100 series, we’ll look at the top 100 developmental prospects in college football.  This is catered to those in deep leagues in which a lot of players are already owned – a majority of devy leagues only allow a few players to be rostered at a time.  A few important notes:

  • I’ll give the nod to a true freshman I view to have a high ceiling versus an upperclassmen who may top out as a complementary player at the next level.  I’d rather swing for the fences in these cases. I feel many talents who are safe bets to reach the NFL yet never make a huge splash are easily replaceable via rookie drafts and savvy transactions.  This strategy certainly has its flaws; it does, however, account for the lower ranking of a few guys.
  • This list will surely omit several worthy talents.  I don’t claim to have an omniscient grasp of the college football landscape.  There are players I have never heard of who will emerge as top draft picks over the next few years.

*The year following each player denotes the first year they will be draft eligible, or, for seniors, their final draft opportunity.

#90 – Shaq Roland, WR South Carolina Gamecocks (2015)

A Gamecock receiver with inconsistent hands conjures up painful memories of Troy Williamson.  However, Roland’s issues are not nearly that bad (whose are?) – his habit of body catching is problematic, but he demonstrates the ability to get open both the intermediate and deep game.  He is a bit of a tweener in that he does not have elite size or athletic ability, but he has enough tools to put something on the devy radar.

#89 – Keith Ford, RB Oklahoma Sooners (2016)

A highly touted recruit out of high school, Ford played sparingly as a freshman and fell behind many other freshman backs in the devy pecking order.  With a bruising, workmanlike mentality, he should earn more work as a sophomore and may turn out to be the perfect complement to the versatile, wiry Joe Mixon.  He needs to make strides if he is going to maintain any value.

#88 – Kenneth Dixon, RB Louisiana Tech Raiders (2015)

Dixon is the rare small school player who found his way onto the devy landscape early in his career.  A physical, efficient runner who seldom leaves yards on the field, Dixon was not quite as dominant as a sophomore, but still tallied over 1,000 total yards for the Raiders.  An uber-productive back with the requisite size and adequate physical tools, Dixon is an under the radar talent who merits consideration in deep leagues.

#87 – Travis Rudolph, WR Florida State Seminoles (2017)

The first freshman in the Top 100, Rudolph has blitzed his way up most recruiting rankings thanks to a senior year surge capped by strong performances at numerous postseason events.  Rudolph’s mature game should translate to early production for a Seminoles squad that loses Kelvin Benjamin and Kenny Shaw; with only pedestrian size and straight line speed you question the long-term upside.  He may replace Rashad Greene as an excellent college player whose pro potential is a bit of a question mark.

#86 – Altee Tenpenny, RB Alabama Crimson Tide (2016)

One of approximately 72 running backs currently on the Crimson Tide depth chart, Tenpenny contributed mainly on special teams as a true freshman, though the fact he was able to find the field at all behind a bevy of other runners is a good sign.  He was able to stave off Tyren Jones and Alvin Kamara and join Derrick Henry as the only true freshman runners to find a role for the Tide.  With good size and quick feet, he appears fourth in line for carries behind T.J. Yeldon, Kenyon Drake, and Derrick Henry, though at Alabama that is generally enough to give you devy value.

#85 – Asiantii Woulard, QB UCLA Bruins (2016)

Generally, the notion of losing a two year starting quarterback to the NFL Draft is a daunting one for college fanbases.  But UCLA had reason to be optimistic even if Brett Hundley had not opted to return for his junior season.  Woulard (a former South Florida commit) was a camp darling in 2013 and has displayed a huge arm along with elite athleticism.  Quarterbacks are a difficult crop to assess, especially when they have yet to play a down of college football.  However, Woulard’s upside is so immense he is worth a flier to see what the future holds.

#84 – Sony Michel, RB Georgia Bulldogs (2017)

Tabbed by many as an elite running back recruit, Michel may prove to be more Keith Marshall than Todd Gurley in a stacked Georgia backfield.  A fluid athlete, Michel’s a smooth operator in the open field, yet can run a bit soft and may run behind Nick Chubb during his college career.  Michel should find a role in Athens – he’s just not in a league with some of the other premier freshman runners.

#83 – Derrick Green, RB Michigan Wolverines (2016)

Much like Keith Ford, Derrick Green was a major recruit who failed to really establish himself as a top devy prospect during the 2013 season.  A massive back with a good build and pile-moving ability, Green may lack the movement skills to ever establish himself as a top prospect for the next level.  Still, a power back with an NFL-ready frame is worth monitoring and Green could become a Carlos Hyde-type of player if he can round out his game and find a way to contribute on all three downs.

#82 – Greg Bryant, RB Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2016)

Yet another member of the 2013 recruiting class at running back, Bryant ended up redshirting after battling tendinitis throughout much of the fall, potentially ceding his expected role to fellow freshman Tarean Folston.  It was a lost year for Bryant and those are crucial for running backs given the limited shelf life they already have.  However, there’s still plenty of time to rehab his stock and he looked like one of the more natural runners in the 2013 class with a good frame to boot.  2014 will be pivotal for his developmental – you want to see young players produce early in their career as it is a great indicator of future success.

#81 – Antwan Goodley, WR Baylor Bears (2015)

Goodley came out of nowhere to become one of the most productive players in the country.  Built like a running back, Goodley has an odd frame reminiscent of former Big 12 receiver Josh Boyce.  With gamebreaking open field ability and plenty of ball skills, Goodley is somewhere between Terrance Williams and Tevin Reese as a prospect.

rob willette