College football is currently a billion-dollar industry with more than 4,000 schools participating in the NCAA. The competition has been criticized for its difficulty and exclusivity while several lawmakers have pushed to change the game and make it less of an elitist sport. If college football’s future is anything like what we’re seeing today, teams stand to be major players in cryptogaming…
College football’s 2022 Way is the topic of discussion for this blog. The 2021-22 college football rankings are a hot topic in the sport.
In Dawg Land, they’re still celebrating Georgia’s first national title in 41 years, but it’s not too early to start planning for the 2022 college football season.
Our 2022 Way-Too-Early top 25 has already been revealed, and now it’s time to reveal our Way-Too-Early All-America team, which includes some well-known players like Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr.
A couple of the players have new homes after playing elsewhere last season, according to the transfer site. In 2022, nine of the 26 players on offense, defense, and Special forces will be on SEC clubs. Alabama got four picks, while Georgia and Ohio State each had three.
Offense
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young
Young was the finest quarterback in college football in 2021, and there’s no reason to believe that will change in 2022. Young’s fast release, understanding of where to go with the football, and ability to see the whole field even when under stress will shred defenses even without his top two receivers. Last season, Young established school records with 4,872 passing yards and 47 touchdown passes on his route to becoming Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner.
Bijan Robinson of the Texas Longhorns is a running back.
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Although the Longhorns were not particularly successful last season, Robinson remains one of the most explosive running backs in college football, rushing for 1,127 yards and 15 touchdowns in ten games. With a dislocated elbow, he has missed the past two games. With his ability to create plays in both the rushing and passing games, Robinson could have his greatest season yet in 2022.
TreVeyon Henderson of the Ohio State Buckeyes is a running back.
Henderson had a fantastic rookie season, running for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns on over 7 yards per carry. Henderson, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds, also caught 27 receptions for a total of four touchdowns. In 2022, the Ohio State offense will have plenty of talented playmakers, and Henderson may likely exceed his seven 40-yard plays from scrimmage from last season.
Jordan Addison of the Pittsburgh Panthers is a wide receiver.
Kenny Pickett had a record-breaking season for the Panthers in 2021, but don’t overlook the impact Addison had on that offense with 100 receptions and 17 touchdowns, which matched for the most in the country. As a true sophomore, the 6-foot-175-pound Addison earned the Biletnikoff Award as the country’s best receiver. He’s as explosive as he is acrobatic, catching everything thrown his way.
Ohio State Buckeyes WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The receivers room at Ohio State has been stacked with talent in recent years. Smith-Njigba, who led Ohio State with catches (95) and receiving yards (1,606) in 2021, is the next big thing (if he wasn’t already). Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, two probable first-round draft selections, were on the sidelines for his record-setting 347-yard effort in the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes’ quarterback, C.J. Stroud, is also back, making Smith-Njigba even more dangerous.
Brock Bowers of the Georgia Bulldogs is a tight end.
It’s quite impressive when you’re a rookie and Nick Saban deems you one of the best players in college football. Last season, Bowers more than lived up to his promise, leading all FBS tight ends with 13 touchdown catches and leading Georgia in receptions (56) and receiving yards (882). He’s a difficult matchup for opposing teams, and he’s constantly looking for new ways to get open and make huge plays.
Ohio State Buckeyes’ Dawand Jones (OT)
Jones decided to return to Ohio State for his senior season rather than enter the NFL draft, a choice that should benefit both him and the Buckeyes. His basketball background and 6-8, 360-pound build make him a natural pass protector, but he also clears the way for Ohio State’s rushing game from his right tackle position. Last season, Jones and the Ohio State offensive line had one setback against Michigan, which will further fuel his desire to become one of the best tackles in the nation by 2022.
Caleb Chandler of the Louisville Cardinals is the OG.
Chandler, who stands 6-4 and weighs 313 pounds, has been a mainstay on the Cardinals’ offensive line. He has made 40 career starts and considered going pro after the 2021 season, but opted to return for his redshirt senior year. He’s a strong run blocker and pass protector who was named to the All-ACC first team last season. Chandler was at his best in the second part of last season, and he expects to improve even more in 2022.
C: Michigan Wolverines’ Olusegun Oluwatimi
In 2021, Michigan won the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in NCAA football, and three starters from that unit will return. The signing of Oluwatimi, who stands 6-3 and weighs 310 pounds, could help to alleviate the loss of experienced center Andrew Vastardis. Oluwatimi, a Virginia transfer, was a contender for the Rimington Trophy as college football’s best center a year ago and has started 32 consecutive games.
OG: Florida Gators’ O’Cyrus Torrence
Torrence, who started three years at Louisiana and twice earned All-Sun Belt Conference accolades, is a major pickup (literally) for the Gators after following Billy Napier to Florida. Torrence, who stands 6-5 and weighs 335 pounds, has played both left and right guard and has even stepped in at tackle on occasion. In the running game, he bullies opponents and was one of the most sought-after offensive lineman in the transfer market this offseason.
Northwestern Wildcats OT: Peter Skoronski
After Rashawn Slater established a name for himself as one of the NFL’s finest rookies this season, Skoronski is the next great offensive lineman to come out of Northwestern. Skoronski, who is 6-4 and 294 pounds, isn’t as large as Slater, but he has fast feet and good hands and has been the Wildcats’ starting left tackle since his freshman season in 2020, when Slater pulled out to prepare for the NFL draft.
Kansas State Wildcats’ Deuce Vaughn (AP)
Vaughn continues to build on his stellar resume at Kansas State, where he finished his sophomore season with four touchdowns in the Texas Bowl, a school record for a playoff game. Last season, the 5-6, 173-pound Vaughn was the only FBS athlete with over 1,400 running yards (1,404) and over 400 receiving yards (400). (468). He scored 18 running touchdowns and four receiving scores in 2018, and he’ll be back in 2022 as the country’s best all-purpose threat.
Defense
Washington Huskies DE Zion Tupuola-Fetui
The Huskies are keeping their fingers crossed for Tupuola-Fetui, who has elected not to pursue a professional career and is now enrolled in the school’s offseason conditioning program, but might yet transfer. Tupuola-Fetui, who stands 6-4 and weighs 260 pounds, had seven sacks and three forced fumbles in four games in 2000. Last season, he was out for seven games due to ailments, including a ruptured Achilles tendon in the spring. Tupuola-Fetui will be one of the top edge rushers in college football in 2022 if he stays healthy.
Jalen Carter of the Georgia Bulldogs is a defensive tackle.
Last season, Georgia’s defensive front received a lot of attention because of 360-pound nose tackle Jordan Davis, but numerous opponent offensive coordinators stated Carter, who is 6-3 and 310 pounds, is the more complete player of the two. He only played in two games, but he was second on the team in quarterback pressures with 33 and 8.5 tackles for loss. In the national championship game, he stopped a crucial field goal.
Bryan Bresee of the Clemson Tigers is a defensive tackle.
Wes Goodwin, the new Clemson defensive coordinator, is eager to have a healthy Bresee back in the center of the defensive line. Bresee, who stands 6-5 and weighs 300 pounds, was a freshman All-American in 2020 before injuring his ACL in the fourth game last season. He can shut down the inside running game as well as chase down the quarterback, and he’ll be the anchor of one of the top defensive lines in the nation in 2022.
Army Black Knights DE Andre Carter II
Carter emerged as one of college football’s greatest breakout performers this past season from his edge rusher position, despite only earning two starts in 2020. In 13 games, he had 15.5 sacks (leading all FBS players in sacks per game) and four forced fumbles. The 6-7, 250-pound Carter, a third-team AP All-America pick, may become one of the highest-drafted service academy athletes since Navy offensive guard Mike Wahle was selected in the second round of the 1998 supplemental draft.
Alabama Crimson Tide LB Will Anderson Jr.
It’s a mystery why Anderson wasn’t a Heisman Trophy contender in 2021. Anderson, a 6-4, 243-pound outside linebacker who piled up 34.5 tackles for loss, including 17.5 sacks, was the most imposing defender on the field. Nick Saban noted last fall that Anderson has a shot to be the best defense he’s ever taught, which is terrible news for Alabama’s 2022 opponents given Anderson’s outstanding work ethic.
Trenton Simpson of the Clemson Tigers is a linebacker.
Simpson, who stands 6-3 and weighs 225 pounds, is so flexible that the Tigers can use him almost everywhere on the field. He carves out his proper spot among college football’s elite linebackers by combining sure-handed tackling, coverage abilities, and pass-rushing power. Simpson had 12 tackles for loss last season, including six sacks, and he’s a key part of a Clemson defense that finished second in the country in scoring defense in 2021.
LB: Alabama Crimson Tide’s Dallas Turner
Despite the fact that Turner lacks the experience of some of the other linebackers, he shown enough as a true freshman to indicate that he will develop into one of the finest defenders in the nation by 2022. With Anderson on the other side, the Crimson Tide will have the most talented set of outside linebackers in the country. Turner, a 6-4, 245-pound true freshman, had 8.5 sacks as a true freshman (four of them in the postseason) and will give the Crimson Tide the most talented set of outside linebackers in the country.
Kelee Ringo of the Georgia Bulldogs is a cornerback.
Ringo’s final appearance on a football field came in the national championship game, when he ran 79 yards for a score on a pick-six to complete Georgia’s 33-18 victory against Alabama. Ringo, who stands 6-2 and weighs 205 pounds, is a great tackler with the size and technique to smother receivers. As a redshirt freshman, he started his last 12 games and is expected to be one of college football’s top all-around cornerbacks in 2022.
Riley Moss of the Iowa Hawkeyes is a cornerback.
Moss was awarded the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2021 after regularly being one of the most effective defenders throughout his career at Iowa. That’s why the Hawkeyes were ecstatic to have him return for a second season after the 6-1, 195-pound Moss first accepted a Senior Bowl invitation but then opted to stay in college for another year.
S: Alabama Crimson Tide’s Jordan Battle
Battle, who was considered as one of the top 10 safety prospects by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper, was one of Alabama’s most essential recruits this summer. Battle, a 6-1, 210-pound safety with the experience, abilities, and stature that every defensive coach covets, is a stabilizing presence on the back end of the Alabama unit. Last season, he recorded 85 tackles and three interceptions.
Brandon Joseph, Fighting Irish of Notre Dame
With the arrival of Joseph, a consensus All-American for Northwestern in 2020, the Irish have struck gold in the transfer portal. Joseph, who stands 6-1 and weighs 192 pounds, had nine interceptions in the last two seasons and should fit in perfectly with the Notre Dame secondary now that safety Kyle Hamilton has left for the NFL draft. Joseph can also return punts, and in a game against Indiana State last season, he had 111 return yards.
Special forces
PK: Missouri Tigers’ Harrison Mevis
Mevis has made 88.6 percent of his field-goal tries in two seasons as Missouri’s kicker. He was 23-of-25 last season and made all three 50-yard tries, including one from 56 yards. Mevis, who is 5-11 and 236 pounds and looks like a fullback, has yet to miss an extra point try and is about as automatic as it gets whenever the Tigers draw near to the 35-yard line.
Arizona Wildcats’ Kyle Ostendorp
Ostendorp missed the truncated 2020 season due to an ankle injury, but he returned this past season to establish himself as one of the best bettors in the nation. He established a school record for average yards per punt (49.2) and led the Pac-12 with 28 punts of 50 yards or more. Off the field, Ostendorp is a standout performer. He has a 4.0 GPA and is majoring in aeronautical engineering.
South Florida Bulls’ Brian Battie (KR)
In 2021, Battie, a 5-8, 165-pound rushing back, had a breakthrough season. As a kick returner, he was named to the NCAA All-America team and became just the second player in NCAA history to have two 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game, which he accomplished against Houston. Against Tulsa, Battie recorded his third 100-yard kickoff return for a score, and he ended as South Florida’s all-purpose yardage leader (1,035).
The “college football top 25 rankings” is a ranking of the best college football teams in the nation. The list, which is published every week during the regular season, takes into account both performance and strength of schedule.
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