Devy 100: 100-96

Rob Willette

As dynasty owners putter about the interwebs discussing short shuttle times and dissecting the nuances of the Dominator Rating, devy owners are intently watching spring practices and eyeing key positional battles. They say dynasty football never sleeps, but devy football never even rests. From Signing Day (both of them) to fall camp, devy calendars are chock-full of important dates.

The Devy 100 is a breakdown of some of the best collegiate talent around. Players will be missed; others will emerge. My rankings will be cursed from Juneau, Alaska to Key West, Florida. Yet hopefully it provides a modicum of assistance to those navigating the murky waters of deep leagues, struggling to identify their tenth-round selection as they decide between Auburn’s third-string running back and an incoming freshman receiver at Ohio State. Without any further inane ramblings, on to the list.

100. Larry Rountree, RB Missouri

The Skinny: Larry Rountree has been a revelation for Mizzou. A modest recruit with only two Power 5 offers (Missouri and Boston College), it was expected Rountree would serve as depth in the Tigers backfield. Instead, he took over for an injured Damarea Crockett in 2017 and has never looked back, eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing in 2018 and quietly establishing himself as one of the better runners in the SEC.

There are few backs who compete like Rountree; he’s not shy about taking the fight to the defense and his legs are likely churning for extra yards as I write this piece. Rountree will give you an honest days’ work between the tackles, and while he’s not going to breeze past defenders at the second level, he has enough juice in his legs to create havoc in the open field. A tough runner who has already eclipsed even the most enthusiastic observer’s expectations, Rountree is an underrated asset whose profile should grow as the clear feature piece in 2019.

2019 Outlook: Crockett has gone to test his wares in the NFL. Also gone are star quarterback Drew Lock and lid-lifting receiver Emanuel Hall. The Missouri offense will have an entirely new look in 2019, though the arrival of Kelly Bryant at least gives them experience under center. Bryant, of course, is a limited passer and building an offense around Rountree figures to be the best way to pile up yards in the rugged SEC.

Talented ascending sophomore Tyler Badie is the only thing standing between Rountree and 250+ touches. If Rountree can expand his passing game role (only 19 receptions in two years), he will add his name to an already silly deep group of 2020 running backs.

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99. Wandle Robinson, WR Nebraska

The Skinny: From the football fields of Kentucky to the All-American Game, Wandale Robinson has dazzled at every turn. The comparisons to Rondale Moore are natural; they’re both joining the same conference with the same type of ‘pull you out of your seat’ dynamism which makes the game fun to watch. Moore has a bit more long speed yet both are chess pieces who can eviscerate a defense in the blink of an eye.

Of course, expectations should be tempered for Robinson, as freshman seasons like Moore’s are rare. It is unclear whether Robinson settles in with the official title of running back or wide receiver, but he’s likely to pepper television screens with highlight plays starting in 2019.

2019 Outlook: The Huskers return J.D. Spielman as the team’s top playmaker. However, their backfield is in total flux. Tre Bryant retired; Devine Ozigbo is off to the NFL, and Maurice Washington has a pending legal issue looming. Robinson could get early touches as a back while contributing in the passing game. One of Scott Frost’s feature pieces in his first full recruiting cycle, he could carve out a major role early.

98. Tarik Black, WR Michigan

The Skinny: It all started so swimmingly. Black burst past the Florida secondary, tracked the sky ball from Wilton Speight, and hauled it in for his first career touchdown on his first career catch. Part of a monster recruiting class at receiver for the Wolverines, Black was a devy favorite and the quick ascension to the top of the Michigan depth chart had hearts fluttering.

Two weeks later, Black was diagnosed with a broken foot, abruptly wiping out a promising freshman season. A second foot injury truncated his sophomore season, limiting black to four receptions in three games and leaving devy owners wondering why the universe is such a dark, cruel void.

2019 Outlook: With an improved albeit still limited passing offense in 2018, both Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nico Collins established themselves as legitimate weapons. A healthy Black jumps right back in the mix, and while it remains to be seen how much Shea Patterson can elevate a passing offense, we can expect Black to get ample opportunity in what is obviously a key campaign for him.

The devy community, in general, is a bit more bullish on Black than I. While it is no fault of his own, I have a difficult time taking the leap of faith required to consider Black more than a flyer at this juncture of his career.

97. Joe Ngata, WR Clemson

The Skinny: He’s a receiver attending Clemson, and as such, it is wise to immediately welcome him into your stream of consciousness. Of course, while the Tigers have done an excellent job developing players at the position, they’ve also recruited elite athletes and Joe Ngata is no different.

Ngata is already close to being NFL ready from a physical standpoint, and he simply manhandled defensive backs at the high school level with his frame and tenacity. He has the type of skill-set which can seamlessly work its way into any offense, making him a perfect fit for a Clemson offense which often has its receivers complement each other with varying toolkits.

2019 Outlook: Clemson has an established depth chart. Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross are established stars, while Amari Rodgers and hyped 2018 recruit DK Kendrick figure to get more action with Hunter Renfrow exhausting his fourteenth year of eligibility. No bother. The Tigers have done an excellent job working in players up and down their depth chart. It is unlikely we see Ngata breakout as a freshman, though something along the lines of Kendrick’s freshman campaign (15 receptions for 210 yards) could be a good benchmark.

96. Michael Warren, RB Cincinnati

The Skinny: The breakout star of a breakout team, Warren pinned his name on the devy map with a cool 1,329-rushing-yard, 19-touchdown season. Perhaps most importantly, Warren flashed receiving chops, hauling in 25 passes for 232 yards and a score. It was a special season for Warren as he went from relative unknown to valued commodity.

A bowling ball runner whose frame belies excellent feet, Warren can do dirty work between the tackles while also offering the juice to get outside, even if his long speed is lacking. While maybe not special in any area, Warren has a well-rounded skill-set which checks nearly every box you’re utilizing when analyzing a running back prospect.

2019 Outlook: The Bearcats have some depth at running back, including rising sophomores Tavion Thomas and Charles McLelland. Yet it should be Warren’s backfield as he matches or surpasses 2018’s total count of 269. With two years of feature back duties under his belt and an intriguing skill-set, Warren is shaping up to be yet another gifted back in 2020.

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rob willette