Devy 100: 95-91

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.

95. Tre’Shaun Harrison, WR Florida State (2021 Eligible)

The Skinny: It was a modest debut season for Harrison, though not much can be gleaned from the 2018 Seminole offense given it operated as smoothly as a Dave Gettleman front office. Harrison posted a meager ten receptions for 66 yards and a score, yet was able to flash his upside during his brief appearances in the boxscore.

An incredibly sudden athlete, Harrison has the potential to be a RAC menace and at 6’2” and 191 pounds has the size which belies such grace. The former Oregon commit followed Willie Taggart to Tallahassee and after playing all over the gridiron in high school, had a longer than usual learning curve at receiver. The early returns, however, are promising, and Harrison’s current price of essentially free is the ultimate lottery ticket.

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2019 Outlook: Tamorrion Terry returns as the Seminoles alpha at receiver. Nyqwan Murray, however, graduates, leaving a lot of targets on the table to be divvied up between Harrison, Keith Gavin, and DJ Matthews. Florida State has larger issues to resolve, both under center and along the offensive front, but an opportunity to break out in 2019 is there for the taking for Harrison.

94. Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Missouri (2020 Eligible)

The Skinny: I wisely chose to insert Okwuegbunam towards the bottom of the rankings to get the spelling out of the way early. The Mizzou tight end is listed at 6’5” and 255 pounds yet looks bigger on the field, ragdolling defenders and operating as a bully in the red zone.

He’s a cement-mixer in the open field; he is not going to make anyone miss with dancer’s grace but he can power his way to extra yards. He’s more than just a bruiser, as he can get vertical in a hurry and press the defense at the second level. His calling card is his ability to present mismatches with his size and ball skills, but he can surprise defenders with his burst.

2019 Outlook: The Missouri offense is experiencing a rather major overhaul. Gone are top target Emanuel Hall and four-year starter Drew Lock under center. In is Clemson transfer Kelly Bryant. Despite the different look, there should be ample opportunity for Okwuegbunam to post another strong year and cement himself as one of the top tight ends available in 2020.

93. Ty Jones, WR Washington (2020 Eligible)

The Skinny: It was a mini-breakout in 2019 for Jones, as he posted 491 yards and six scores for a Washington offense which never seemed to evolve with Jake Browning as the triggerman. Jones could test as a poor man’s DK Metcalf given his size and speed combined with sluggish lateral movements; however, where Jones wins is in the vertical game and at the catch point, two valuable traits which always have value at the next level.

Expected starter Jacob Eason has his warts but could open up this passing offense and allow us to truly see the potential of Washington’s receivers. Jones has always been a bit of a projection at the position and was a late-bloomer in high school; it is very possible he can level-up during his junior season.

2019 Outlook: The Huskies return several prominent players at receiver and have promising young players such as Marquis Spiker, Austin Osborne, and Nuka Pacua pushing for playing time. Jones’ role, however, seems pretty secure as a big-bodied receiver who can win in tight spaces and make plays on the football his peers simply cannot.

It is unlikely to be a major statistical breakout for Jones, though it would be a massive step forward if he can start demanding looks which would have otherwise gone to a chain-mover like Andre Baccellia.

92. James Cook, RB Georgia (2021 Eligible)

The Skinny: If analyzing Cook as a pure runner, you’re likely to be underwhelmed. He’s excellent in space, yet lacks any semblance of thump in his game and can struggle to do the requisite dirty work as a runner. However, Cook is a natural pass-catcher who has soft hands and wastes no time in turning from receiver to runner.

His slashing style as a runner shows up after the catch, and leads Cook to profile as a player who can eviscerate defenses over the middle of the field. While far from a traditional player, Cook’s game is tailor-made for today’s space and pace game and he could do be very impactful as a versatile weapon out of the backfield.

2019 Outlook: You may have heard the Georgia backfield is fairly deep. On the plus side for Cook, only D’Andre Swift has passing game skills which can approach Cook’s. Even though unlikely to surpass 100 carries, Cook can make an impact in the Georgia offense and expand his profile in what has thus far been a rather lackluster 2021 group of runners.

91. Reggie Corbin, RB Illinois (2020 Eligible)

The Skinny: If you were thinking you should give Illini games a miss each Saturday afternoon, well, you thought right. But they’re not totally devoid of intrigue, and senior runner Reggie Corbin is the biggest reason why.

Corbin floats around the football field with effortless movement; he hits the hole with force and utilizes incredible feet to chew up yardage. Also an accomplished pass-catcher (16 for 176 in 2018) Corbin has the type of space skills which make him an excellent dart throw late in devy drafts.

2019 Outlook: Corbin will share backfield work with another intriguing Illini runner in Mike Epstein, but he is the clear lead runner. Last year’s 144 touches should be the floor if Lovie Smith is interested in jumpstarting his program.

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rob willette