College Football Playoff 2019: Ranking This Year's 10 Best Players
By Sean Facey
This year's College Football Playoff seems particularly flush with talent in every way, shape and form. Plenty of players have either come out of nowhere to establish themselves as their team's savior or reaffirmed themselves as the best of the best at the collegiate level.
But these 10 players in particular are the cream of the crop in the 2019 College Football Playoff.
10. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
Simmons has been a force of nature on the defensive side of the ball for Clemson. He's done it all at linebacker, racking up seven sacks, two interceptions and 93 total tackles. As the old saying goes, defense wins championships, and Simmons is doing everything in his power to make that a reality for the Tigers.
9. Travis Etienne, Clemson
When the Tigers need an explosive play on offense, Etienne is the guy they turn to. The junior running back has been nothing short of brilliant this year, racking up an even 1,500 rushing yards, 298 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns. His blazing speed makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses.
8. J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
Dobbins finished sixth in Heisman voting in 2019 and arguably should have finished even higher. Ohio State's star running back accumulated 2,029 yards from scrimmage this year, a ridiculous 1,829 of which came on the ground. His 20 rushing touchdowns prove his strength as a bruising, scoring machine.
7. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
Lamb followed up an impressive 2018 campaign with an even better 2019 season for the Sooners. He amassed a career-high 1,208 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns and was an integral part of Oklahoma's high-flying offense that scored an absurd 43.2 points per game.
6. Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
LSU's offense was ruthlessly efficient this year thanks in part to Chase's absurd year at wide receiver. The sophomore star totaled 1,498 receiving yards and earned himself the Biletnikoff award. He was the gold standard for receivers in 2019 and is most definitely the gold standard in the College Football Playoff.
5. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Thirty-four touchdowns, 3,172 passing yards and a 68.8% completion percentage are what apparently qualifies as a "down year" for Lawrence. After guiding the Tigers to an undefeated season last year, he has done the exact same in 2019, at least through the regular season. He's a special quarterback talent and is near the top of the pile in this year's College Football Playoff.
4. Justin Fields, Ohio State
Fields was, for lack of a better word, otherworldly in 2019. The sophomore transfer threw for 40 touchdowns and just one interception as part of an absurdly good Buckeyes offense. His levels of efficiency and accuracy were simply spectacular, and they were enough to make him stand out among the best in the nation.
3. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Hurts exacted his revenge on the college football world in 2019. After being unseated at Alabama by Tua Tagovailoa, he found new life under head coach Lincoln Riley. Hurts completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,634 yards and 32 touchdowns while adding an additional 1,255 yards on the ground, all of which was enough to have him finish second in the Heisman voting.
2. Chase Young, Ohio State
Young has been nothing short of brilliant on defense this year. Even after serving a suspension, he amassed 16.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles in a campaign unlike any other for an edge rusher. If he were to declare for the NFL draft, he'd likely be the top pick. He's not only the best defensive player in the CFP, he's the best defensive player in the nation.
1. Joe Burrow, LSU
To say Joe Burrow was something special in 2019 would be a massive understatement. The Heisman winner shredded every defense he came across this year, amassing 4,715 passing yards and 48 touchdowns. He transformed the Tigers into a juggernaut that ended up as the No. 1 seed in this year's CFP, and he has rightfully earned recognition as the best player in all of college football.