The best college football players of the decade: Clowney, Mayfield, Tua and more | ESPN

The last decade of college football has produced some of the best to play the game. Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel, Marcus Mariota, Deshaun Watson and Tua Tagovailoa make up the some of the best on the offensive side of the ball. Hard-hitters like Jadeveon Clowney, Luke Kuechly and Minkah Fitzpatrick round out the list on defense.
✔ Sign up for ESPN+: www.espn.com/watch/espnplus/
✔ Get the ESPN App: www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
✔ Subscribe to ESPN on KZbin: es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoKZbin
✔ Subscribe to ESPN FC on KZbin: bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoESPNFC
✔ Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on KZbin: bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoNBAonESPN
✔ Watch ESPN on KZbin TV: es.pn/KZbinTV
ESPN on Social Media:
► Follow on Twitter: / espn
► Like on Facebook: / espn
► Follow on Instagram: / espn
Visit ESPN on KZbin to get up-to-the-minute sports news coverage, scores, highlights and commentary for NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, College Football, NCAA Basketball, soccer and more.
More on ESPN.com: www.espn.com

[@alecnickel4572]

I think ESPN forgot that a decade is the last 10 years and not 5. Focused too much on college stars from the last two years

[@bengodwin3541]

Alec Nickel yeah I don’t think tua should have been on here, I think cam newton should have been here instead of him

[@jamesrobert8045]

Ben Godwin tyrann mathieu was the best college player this decade and it ain’t close

[@warninja1989]

ur claim really doesnt hold water because they left kyler murray off there and he was last years heisman trophy winner

[@raylewis8285]

James Robert they should have had Tyrann instead of minkah

[@standm1]

@@bengodwin3541 tua is just as good as cam newton

[@Vagaberry]

Tyrann Mathieu? Cam Newton? Lol

[@josiahbunton8092]

Stunna Island and lamar

[@jamiebrophy9623]

Stunna Island i was finna comment tyrann Mathieu like. Game changer

[@MultiKool13]

@@jamiebrophy9623 Tyrann Mathieu is probably the best college player I've ever watched

[@561brach]

Tyrann before 2010

[@MultiKool13]

@@561brach before 2010? His best season was 2011 though 🤔

[@joshmontanez9037]

Cam? SAQOUN? Zeke? Jameis? Derek henry?

[@RoscoeS-zo2cg]

Quiet now, you're making too much sense.

[@mrchang2144]

Chad kelly

[@jamesrobert8045]

Clout Chase tyrann mathieu

[@hunterrichie3235]

Christian McCaffrey the leader in all purpose yards in a season like fr? Derrick Henry Cam Newton RG3 Andrew Luck Patrick Peterson Saquon Barkley Johnathan Taylor Lamar Jackson Jalen Ramsey here’s some that I had they missed it’s like ESPN only looked back a 3 years

[@jacksonwatkins5887]

Braxton miller?

[@wesleycovey3050]

Kellen Moore 50-3 record All 3 of the losses by a COMBINED 5 points.

[@snorlaxthecat8834]

Played in the WAC/MTW

[@michaelcoleman496]

Snorlax The Cat he still beat top 10 teams np

[@michaelcoleman496]

Not only that but his all time record is 50-3 and he was 7-2 vs ranked top 25 opponents. Not to mention that all 3 of his loses came to a combined 5 points in total

[@snorlaxthecat8834]

Michael Coleman cough cough Nevada

[@mitchconner2021]

It's fucking Boise State. They haven't done anything nationally relevant since 06

[@caydensmith8805]

When you make a “best” video you’re just asking for trouble 😂😂

[@mumenrider1844]

But they generate views. And thats all they need

[@hunterrichie3235]

Christian McCaffrey the leader in all purpose yards in a season like fr? Derrick Henry Cam Newton RG3 Andrew Luck Patrick Peterson Saquon Barkley Johnathan Taylor Lamar Jackson Jalen Ramsey some of the players they missed

[@ledsohio]

?

[@houstonharris281]

that would be a long video

[@ok-zq7eh]

Zeke

[@jreidy2144]

Alright bro it’s a top ten not top twenty chill out

[@hunterrichie3235]

Jreidy214 Those are some of the best they missed the video title doesn’t say top 10 so They only named some of the past couple years when this decade was full of great players

[@BillyGeorgeBlessedByDaBest]

This is the absolute WORST list of the top players of the last decade!

[@ellists3163]

Awww can you not accept the fact that the sec is the best league?

[@nicholaswoods4055]

Trash

[@jacobm4444]

I just realized, manziel looks like he should be a jockey for seabiscuit

[@xyphor317]

😂😂😂

[@mikerobinson3640]

Cam ? Zeke ? Saquon ? Dalvin Cook ? Jameis ?

[@bradley2060]

Mike Robinson take out 5 players

[@garrisonridgway7494]

chubb?

[@lgrw9883]

Derrick Henry > All those scrubs. Come on man. Get real.

[@lgrw9883]

Mike Robinson ^^

[@l99a91]

@Rowdy Jr. wilson wasnt that good in college. I mean, he was good but he was taken in the 3 round for a reason. Obviously looking back I would have taken him 1 overall

[@DTJNEWS]

Lamar Jackson.

[@loganconn4225]

@Mack yea he won the Heisman and should of won the second. The guy was a freak hes was in college and people were already saying he was better than Vick

[@loganconn4225]

@Mack he will be

[@KevinTkt14]

@Mack stats say different

[@garrisonridgway7494]

nick chubb

[@benwiles1859]

While Lamar is amazing now, in college the lack of being able to throw accurately mixed with the coaching staff he had at Louisville caused him to not be able to capitalize on his amazing talent. As a Louisville fan I can say that I don’t think he belongs on this list

[@cherdank8862]

WHERE TF IS SAQUON BARKLEY! HE WAS A BEAST AT PENN STATE!

[@bradley2060]

Tommy Chernansky not Better than Zeke

[@masonclark2755]

He had one good season

[@garrisonridgway7494]

or nick chubb

[@lgrw9883]

Mack true but he’s not as good as Derrick Henry. King👑Henry best nfl player right now better than mahomes.

[@pablostacotruck2136]

L G R W I love Derrick but McCaffrey best RB right now he just needs a better QB

[@takow6241]

The fact that the honey badger wasn’t on this list....

[@calebstansberry6343]

wow forgot cam newton and jamies winston and also derrick henry

[@WilliamsWrestlin]

Yep

[@garrisonridgway7494]

and nick chubb

[@kimjongoof5308]

McCaffrey

[@meget157]

What about Kyler Murray

[@corysonnier3248]

Joe burrow

[@samlopatin2750]

How do u not put Jameis. The man never lost a regular season game and won the championship

[@JulianWavy]

Lamar should be on this list I don't care what anybody says

[@Prince-yb4sy]

No cam no honey badger no Lamar Jackson??wow

[@loganconn4225]

Ikr

[@gotootherxtzwolf711]

Minka is in this

[@codyjboudreaux]

No Badger?

[@garrisonridgway7494]

Cody Boudreaux or chubb

[@themadlad8540]

No but why would there be?

[@lgrw9883]

Derrick Henry > shitty Badger

[@Theothersheppard]

L G R W dumbest thing I’ve ever heard

[@gotootherxtzwolf711]

Jonathon Taylor or Melvin Gordon

[@loganconn4225]

Lamar jackson? The guy took over and almost won 2 Heisman

[@nojo9684]

Same with jameis Winston

[@batjohn6187]

Why does ESPN hate FSU and Auburn. Like where TF is the Famous Jameis, or Cam Newton.

[@garrisonridgway7494]

BatJohn or nick chubb

[@toddtaylor8368]

Rapeis Winston

[@batjohn6187]

@@toddtaylor8368 Manziel was on here and he was definitely not an angle.

[@clemsonfox]

Jameis Winston is just a moron. Cam Newton is a Sextist

[@robloxianamericanfootballl1973]

They hate Washington

[@doublepumpzzz2479]

Also What about Cam Newton and Jameis Winston or Saquon Barkley They were absolutely Amazing and made a Difference in College Football

[@joshube]

Zeke? Y’all crazy

[@MillerRettig]

Jabrill literally played all the positions on Michigan!

[@austinbowen2665]

No Cam Newton? Julio Jones?

[@Brandon-xq1rt]

Ameer Abdullah was cold back in his Nebraska days, how could you forget about him. Along with Tavon Austin, DeAnthony Thomas, Cam Newton, RG3, Jabrill Peppers

[@lukelombardo3671]

Where is Saquon Barkley

[@colefountain1030]

Luke Lombardo on the New York Giants

[@lukelombardo3671]

Cole Fountain I meant that he should be in this video

[@colefountain1030]

Luke Lombardo yeah ik, I was just kidding. I saw someone else in the comments make that joke lol.

[@garrisonridgway7494]

or nick chubb?0

[@williamwillis4460]

Garrison Ridgway hes on the Cleveland browns

[@AuburnFanSince2010]

Cam Newton

[@xavierduke4952]

Tua has been tearing it up and came in as a freshman during halftime and won a national championship. He deserves to be on this list

[@williamb2552]

Xavier Duke dude is so overrated. he’s a talented player, but wayyyy overhyped. off the top of my head i can name 10 that deserve it over him AND minkah

[@xavierduke4952]

William B numbers don’t lie and his have looked really good the last two seasons regardless of injuries or not winning a championship either season which is crazy to be the standard of your program

[@williamb2552]

Xavier Duke you’re right in that numbers don’t lie, but they also don’t tell the whole story. when you’re playing at a school the caliber of Alabama, of course you’re gonna fuckin destroy those small teams that you face. when they have big games, he generally does not perform. the consistency is not there.

[@BobPapadopoulos]

​@@williamb2552Uh... he had one of the best single-season efficiency ratings of all time. lol

[@grantrogers1958]

Tua isn’t even a heisman winner and the seasons he started he didn’t even win a natty. Also he won’t even be close to the first qb pick this draft

[@truthseeker9688]

He’s still phenomenal.

[@CPF222]

so tht takes away him probably being the most accurate qb? and breaking records week in and week out? yeah ight

[@grantrogers1958]

famous chrisss he breaks records Alabama for quarterbacks. Idk if you know or not but alabama hasn’t had many major qbs going to the NFL and having a decent career

[@grantrogers1958]

Sarah Lloyd yes he’s a phenomenal player and person but he still hasn’t had any rewards like other greats of the past decade. It’s just my opinion but I would rather see a story on a national championship winning, heisman winning, nfl mvp cam newton🤷🏻‍♂️. For all we know tua could be the greatest nfl qb of all time(brady😂) but right now it kind of looks like he is injury prone(rip rg3)

[@truthseeker9688]

Oh, grant....Bart Starr?? Joe Namath?? Snake Stabler??.....

[@nikaoharbour6962]

Mayfield doesn't even have a standout play. In a few years you'll forget he was a heisman trophy winner. Cam made you watch college football. Jameis DESTROYED the league

[@colton9941]

devin johnson In Winston’s best year he had more picks less tds less yards a worse completion % less yards per attempt and adjusted yards per attempt and a worse passer rating than mayfields best year

[@colinmidgley1530]

Baker Mayfield is arguably the best college quarterback ever. He was INCREDIBLE

[@walkersmith4984]

Trevor Lawrence? James Winston? Cam Newton? Jalen Hurts

[@Arnav-Shanbhag]

Walker Sports not jalen

[@walkersmith4984]

Sundergoose Man uh yeah jalen he is one of the best qbs he has the ability to run and throw he has been to the championship many times and he has proven himself more than anyone

[@Arnav-Shanbhag]

Walker Sports he has not performed as well was Cam or Jameis, and Trevor is already better. Jalen was literally a backup for half of his collegiate career.

[@TheJFS123]

Nathan Peterman?

[@colinmidgley1530]

Trevor Lawrence is just fundamentally sound. He does not have the best stat line he is going to be picked high because he is the picture perfect NFL QB. He does not have a good enough stat line to be among the top

[@chiefs816kc]

This is the MOST POPULAR players of the decade. There were 10 players better than Mariotta, Minkah, and system QB Baker Mayfield. Thinnk about Honey Badger, McCaffrey, Saquan, Cam, Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson

[@SavingSoulsMinistries]

melvin ingram, Clowney on the same d line is so incredibly scary

[@bigboijames5246]

Lamar maybe even teddy

[@williamb5426]

9:47 kinda scared me 🚫🧢

[@parkerjones6598]

I hope this is a part 1

[@evanisrawasf2968]

Jameis,dalvin cook, jalen Ramsey...

[@grantamos8517]

Putting Tua on here and not Haskins? 50 TDs and only 8 INTs is definitely worthy of making this list...

[@ScXD-ir6bc]

Thank you

[@bambang303378]

Dear ESPN. FYI, decade is 10 years not five.

[@brian2440]

bambang303378 they literally excluded the all time leading NCAA QB in passing yards, passing completions, passing Touchdowns and Total Touchdowns for any player... Still hasn’t been beaten since being out of the league since 2011... Yet they chose Manziel and Mariotta... Yeah let’s not remember the QB that swept Oregon and finished 50-3 for the all time best record in NCAA history... Apparently they don’t look at stats to historical significance.

[@marcoakatheprince9713]

@@brian2440 Keller Moore ?

[@brian2440]

marcoakatheprince No the first is Case Kennum he played for UH from 2006-2011, and recorded 3 seasons with 5,500 or more passing yards. The second is Kellen Moore though.

[@connerautry4820]

Y’all clearly forgot Roquan Smith

[@CoryLowe]

Ahh I remember the combination of Mark herzlich and Luke kuechly at Boston College that was fun to watch!

[@meget157]

Were is Kyler Murray

[@drew9631]

at the end when they showed her... my face was like 😮

[@storminnorman6727]

They showing all then Baker highlights vs OSU like he didn't get BLOWN OUT by Ohio State the year before in Norman Oklahoma lol

[@colenalley]

Marcus Lattimore? The guy was an absolute beast

[@delilahpuddingstash5592]

Jambalaya Joe burrow!!!!!

[@hhjffnbbjoy310]

He’s not on the list Bc he sucks and his team was really good he had Jefferson chase and moss also Clyde and ofc the man that made it all happen joe brady

[@papichico9170]

@@hhjffnbbjoy310 true and lol

[@AuburnFanSince2010]

Minkah Fitzpatrick is a legend. Alabama fans really thought Patrick Surtain Jr was next.

[@hahahlol9724]

But he's our best corner.

[@jamesrobert8045]

Lol and tyran mathieu was 2x better than minkah

[@devilshit2949]

Marcus mariota is a beast, I live on U of O campus (university of oregon) I grew up in the town of eugene and I would go to the natives longhouse a lot because my grandpa managed and built it up from nothing, marcus mariota has been my idol since 2012 when I was a kid.

[@jacksonwarner6822]

How Minkah on here😂 that’s bs

[@Covy19]

and no tyrant mathieu

[@luminance9201]

Brody Lair exactly

[@gotootherxtzwolf711]

He was a god

[@paulschild8924]

Part 2?

[@thechodestar3051]

Surely there is a Part 2. Too many players ESPN missed

[@ryanclay9140]

Clowney ❤️

[@rickwilliams5524]

Paul is a genius everyone knows that

[@shanemccloskey568]

Imagine disrespecting manti like this

[@JWNimble]

song?

[@cjmeyer550]

Minkah Fitzpatrick? But no Zeke, Lamar, Cam, Jameis, Saquon

[@jasonbranch9870]

CJ Meyer or Mathieu or burrow

[@jonathanwhitehead8567]

I got chill pumps when Clowney hit the Michigan runningback

[@crazyxpizza2264]

Braxton Miller

[@dababybaby1647]

Dame no me I feel attacked 😂

[@dylanrylant7810]

Yo Jamal tell Joe if he trades yo I will give him a purple nurple

[@jackcorcoran1778]

The fact that Lamar Jackson was left off here is indefensible

[@voiceofreason2674]

He went out bad versus Lsu that game almost destroyed his draft stock

[@Ilikepats]

How can you not include RG3????

[@phxturbo]

Look who got burn’t GO TIGERS 8:51

[@ledsohio]

We may be seeing the best one this season in Joe Burrow. If he finishes his last two games the way he has played all the other ones it will be the best season by a quarterback I've ever seen. It's hard to get a perspective while in the moment but we're witnessing history.

[@BobPapadopoulos]

...and then most of his records got beat by 3* career backup Mac Jones a year later.

[@blakeburke5572]

Justin Blackmon: 2010: 1782 yrds, 20 TDs, Belitnokoff winner, finished 5 in Heisman voting 2011: 1522 yrds, 18 TDs, Belitnokoff winner If you're gonna have a list, you should include the most dominant player of the decade at a position.

[@jamesjones3738]

This is why I don’t take ESPN seriously

[@6Snaus]

This list is lacking, and that's putting it nicely. Cam Newton, Melvin Gordon, Tyrann Mathieu, Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Roquan Smith, Nick and Joey Bosa, Zeke Elliott. That's just a few of the guys that need to be on this list. It honestly should've been it's own hour long special to truly look at a full decade of greatness in college football.

[@theartofkombatt]

Finally Mariota gets some respect

[@jacobpeel7515]

the fact that tua and manziel are on this list but not aj mccarron or jalen hurts is absurd

[@Anthony-dy2cv]

Tavon Austin was something else at West Virginia. Yall forgot about one of the most electric players in college from this decade. Heck, his senior tape could make me say he IS the most electric player from this decade.

[@Ej2kutt]

Thank you

[@boomersooner2735]

Coming from a sooners fan,Kyler Murray is like CLEARLY better than Baker Mayfield and was in college.He had better stats in literally everything,threw the ball more accurately,and ran much faster

[@nikaoharbour6962]

Have to do more than 10 Cam Joey Bosa Manziel Manti Teo Jameis Clooney Luke Watson Fournette Lamar Tua Daquan Zeke Mariota

[@gyoyobw123]

Trevor Lawrence

[@garrisonridgway7494]

nick chubb

[@nataliejones2127]

Marcus!!!

[@James-oq7uv]

Cam newton,tyrann Matthieu, saquon, burrow, Derrick Henry

[@GeorgeuSuzuki]

Zeke and Henry were goated too

[@vincewhite8043]

I got caught off guard at the end when they switched to the commentators face

[@nickjaggi7113]

ESPN really just pretends that FSU does not exist. Having Mariota but no Jameis in this video was no surprise

[@allwhiteaf1s80]

This is invalid, I can name about 10 more.

[@Moonroofmusik]

This is like cool

[@holt6092]

1. Robert Griffin 3 2. Cam Newton 3. Johnny Manziel 4. Jadevon Clowny 5. Tyrann Matheiu 6. Braxton Miller 7. Lamar Jackson 8. Marcus Mariota 9. Deshaun Watson 10. Zeke Just my opinion

[@idkwatnametouse6914]

So its clearly starting with the best since baker is the best of the 2010s clearly no one else is even close

[@papichico9170]

Yep

[@aaronrush1017]

why is the music so loud

[@frankbob337ttv9]

Joey Julius? 😂

[@kiangibson7571]

This video should have been 10 minutes longer because there was so many talented guys that were left off but the ones that they did mention were really amazing. Johnny Manziel was the most exciting college football player I have seen since Reggie Bush.

[@brian2440]

Kian Gibson I mean there’s exciting and then there’s just plain facts... - Case Keenum STILL holds the the all time record in passing yards, passing completions, passing TDs and Total TDs for any player in Division 1. Kinda of a problem to exclude him... Oh but UH wasn’t a great team... Ok, then how about the ALL TIME BEST RECORD TEAM in NCAA History who went 50-3. They even had a decent QB: - Kellen Moore - 14,600 passing yards - 70% completion rate - 180 avg QB rating Or how about any of the following QBs that we’re not only dominant in CFB but are also starting franchise QBs in the NFL: - Andrew Luck - Lamar Jackson - Cam Newton - Andy Dalton

[@kiangibson7571]

Brian Yeah I agree there is a difference between exciting and actually good. Manziel was exciting but he never won the National championship and he literally just lobbed it up to Mike Evans every play but it was fun to watch. Do you remember Deanthony Thomas? That guy was fucking electric but not the best RB

[@astoria9332]

The year Derrick Henry beat McCaffery on the heisman was bs. Christian M was the best college football player of all time. His stats and highlights say it all. He was top tier at everything, played QB, RB, WR, PR, KR, and more. He was a beast

[@dcs3o]

i know chase young only had 1.5 years of glory, but the dude is arguably the best college de of the CENTURY

[@justawhiteguywitharocketla590]

7:25 I'm a Michigan fan but holy sh**

[@jamenthomas9837]

SCar had Clowney and Ingram wow

[@joebarksdale6437]

The fact that Manziel was the first true freshman Heisman winner is the biggest joke in college football history.

[@brett216]

Fitzpatrick killing on the Steelers

[@Robbem909]

NCAA 25 goin b crazy

[@bryceray8428]

Should have tavon Austin, Ezekiel Elliott, and Derrick Henry on this list

[@maddawgs1394]

Nick chubb, Sony Michel, Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian mccafree, Alvin kamara lol. Where the Rbs at? Somebody trippin'. Them boys took beatings.

[@nicholaswoods4055]

Cam had the best season ever

[@yengvang8737]

Pittsburgh Steelers when they have Minkah Fitzpatrick .... better watch this video!

[@mrsaturdaytm7558]

Geno Smith✔

[@kylepaulson6918]

Did you forget the heisman winner with the biggest landslide vote aka Joe Burrow

[@kasonrote2122]

WHAT WHERE'S MY BOY SAQUON!

[@bravesbaseball55]

The disrespect leaving Saquon out of this video

[@JakeYaks]

No cam newton lol

[@houstonbrock32]

Honey Badger, Cam, Burrow, Mark Ingram, Zeke...

[@theovernightsnail]

Bruh Cams stats were insane how is he not on her

[@colton9941]

The Overnight Snail less than 3000 passing yards only a 184 passer rating and less than 6 yards per carry. Those aren’t insane stats