Two Tigers ranked in Top 100 CFB Players

Watson and Alexander are young but experienced players

by Tony Crumpton - Assoc. Editor - Wed Jul 29 08:23:43 GMT-04:00 2015

Sportsonearth.com released its latest article which ranked College Football's Top 100 College Football Players of 2015.

The rankings were based on three major factors including on-field production, talent and potential at the college level.

Clemson had two football players on the list - cornerback Mackensie AlexanderMackensie Alexander
RS So. Cornerback
#2 5-10, 190
Immokalee, FL
View Full Profile and quarterback Deshaun WatsonDeshaun Watson
So. Quarterback
#4 6-2, 205
Gainesville, GA
View Full Profile .

Red-shirt sophomore defensive back Mackensie Alexander was rated #42 overall on the ranked list.

"The front seven got all the attention for Clemson's superb defense last season, and all that talent up front -- and the pressure it got on opposing quarterbacks -- made life easier for the secondary," writer Matt Brown said. "Still, Alexander's performance as a redshirt freshman shouldn't be discounted. A five-star recruit in 2013, Alexander missed that season with an injury, but he quickly became an integral part of the Tigers defense last year, shutting down opposing wideouts and rarely getting targeted."

Sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson was ranked the #1 quarterback and #10 overall in college football.

"We ranked Watson No. 1 among college quarterbacks despite several caveats: His injury struggles as a freshman, the loss of offensive coordinator Chad Morris and an unproven offensive line that just lost left tackle Isaiah Battle to the supplemental draft," Brown said. "Still, this ranking is based on the assumption that Watson has the most natural talent and upside among any quarterback currently in college football. He averaged 10.7 yards per attempt in eight games last year (better than Marcus Mariota), throwing 14 touchdowns and two picks, and he can run too. He's a great athlete who shows maturity and poise with a strong command of the offense from the pocket. The sky's the limit, assuming he bounces back well from his torn ACL -- an injury he played on while still accounting for four total touchdowns in a 35-17 win over South Carolina."

Other ACC players ranked in the Top 100 include Brad Kaaya (#95 overall), Justin Thomas (#88 overall), Sheldon Rankins (#80 overall), Landon Turner (#73 overall), Dadi Nicolas (#64 overall), Quin Blanding (#49 overall), Jeremy Cash (#37 overall), Tyler Boyd (#36 overall), James Conner (#35 overall), Kendall Fuller (#11 overall), and Jalen Ramsey (#2 overall).

Deshaun Watson