Devy 100: 45-41

Rob Willette Posted On August 7, 2018

It is time for the annual installment of the Devy 100, the third-most ballyhooed set of devy rankings completed within the greater Southwest Minneapolis area. As always, whittling this down to a mere one hundred was no simple task. If there is anybody you believe was omitted erroneously, feel free to pop in the comments and express your displeasure.

The Devy 100 is designed for the community of DLF to be as informed as possible about all the college prospects and future dynasty stars whether they play in devy leagues or not. Remember, all this information becomes archived in our library of content and goes into our annual Rookie Draft Guide for you to review when each of these players becomes eligible for traditional rookie drafts.

45. Travis Homer, RB Miami Hurricanes

Profile: Travis Homer has always had bankable speed. It was his tenacious style in 2017 which helped him smoothly transition into the feature back role for Miami following Mark Walton’s season-ending ankle injury. An underrated aspect of Miami’s resurgence was Homer’s ability to keep the offense afloat after the loss of arguably their best offensive player. Offering a rapidly improving game and a versatile skill-set, Homer is woefully underrated. The only thing absent from his resume at this juncture is a full season of production as the Hurricanes’ lead back.

2018 Outlook: A full season of production – with the obvious caveat being he avoids injury – is on tap for Homer in 2018. He returns as the clear lead back for Mark Richt’s squad and should easily hold off DeeJay Dallas and Lorenzo Lingaard, neither of whom looks ready for a heavy workload. It should be a rapid ascent for Homer, as workloads could be heavy given Malik Rosier’s inconsistency under center.

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44. Denzel Mims, WR Baylor Bears

Profile: Lost in Baylor’s abysmal 1-11 2017 campaign was the ascension of Denzel Mims. With a large frame and sprinter speed, Mims jumps off the screen and he has the innate ability to maintain acceleration whether he is running a route or tormenting defenses after the catch. Mims battled issues with concentration drops early in the year and still has work to do in beating press coverage, but there is little separating him from the top prospects in the 2019 class.

2018 Outlook: Despite struggles in Matt Rhule’s first year, things are looking up in Waco. Rising sophomore quarterback Charlie Brewer looks poised to become a mainstay under center, offering stability at a position which has been a bit of a revolving door since the transfer of Jarrett Stidham. Quarterback issues did not prevent Mims from stockpiling 1,000 yards in his sophomore season and he has earned the right to be the centerpiece of this offense. Disregard the stigma attached to Baylor receivers. This is a new regime, a new scheme, and Mims is his own man. I’m always a sucker for talented players who have gone largely ignored by the devy community-at-large, and Mims is one of my favorites this year.

43. Ty Chandler, RB Tennessee Volunteers

Profile: A change-of-pace option behind offensive heartbeat John Kelly, Ty Chandler nonetheless flashed feature back chops in his inaugural season. A big play specialist in high school, Chandler’s one game cameo as lead back in replacement of the aforementioned Kelly demonstrated his ability to grind out tough yards. His ability to gain tough yards should endear him to new head man Jeremy Pruitt, a coach who has preached toughness during his early tenure in Knoxville.

Chandler is adept at playing a north-south game, yet has the feet to beat defenders once he ducks out of the much in the front seven. With as well-rounded a skillset as you could ask for from a young back, Chandler is poised to become one of the SEC’s best.

2018 Outlook: It is always tough to tell how depth charts shake out with a new coaching staff in town, but Michigan State transfer Madre London and other young backs on the roster do not figure to push Chandler too much for reps. He’s the most talented player in this backfield and arguably on the entire Volunteer offense. As the team grows with its new coach, it could lean on Chandler to pave the way in 2018.

42. Derion Kendrick, WR Clemson Tigers

Profile: Derion Kendrick has already made a huge impression at Clemson camp. A devastating talent after the catch, the high school quarterback lacks nuance in his game as a wind-up toy with the ball in his hands but figures to move into a high volume role for a Clemson offense which has always done an excellent job of featuring its receivers in the Dabo Swinney Era. While the Sammy Watkins comparisons are drawn in the linked article, he may prove to be more of a souped-up, bigger version of former Tiger Artavis Scott.

2018 Outlook: An early-enrollee, there is opportunity early and as only Tee Higgins and Hunter Renfrow return with prominent roles and neither possess the skill-set of Kendrick. He could have an inside track to a lot of intermediate targets. If Clemson gets improved passing efficiency from its quarterback, Kendrick could head the list of 2021 receivers at this juncture next year.

41. Jerry Jeudy, WR Alabama Crimson Tide

Profile: An extremely polished high school receiver, Jerry Jeudy was able to contribute immediately. While the 14-264-2 line is modest, there were merely scraps leftover given Calvin Ridley’s status as a target hog. Jeudy’s advanced route-running and elite body control offered a glimpse at why he was often compared to the aforementioned Ridley coming out of South Florida. With a slight build and good – if not great – athleticism, I am not as bullish on Jeudy’s long-term upside as I am other Tide receivers, but Jeudy’s skillset is still a valuable one which should be highly coveted in a few years.

2018 Outlook: The departure of Ridley leaves a massive target void in the Alabama offense. Jeudy’s traits closely match Ridley’s, and he could naturally slide into the number one receiver. While he will dominate the target share in the same capacity, he’s the favorite to pace Alabama in receiving. Despite plenty of competition at receiver, Jeudy is positioned to post a strong sophomore campaign, especially if Tua Tagovailoa can kickstart the passing game.

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