Five Alabama football players made ESPN's Top 100, with more worthy of consideration
By Ronald Evans
According to ESPN's latest ranking of college football's Top 100 players, only two quarterbacks are better than Jalen Milroe. Several days ago, Bama Hammer compared Milroe to the other 15 SEC QBs, concluding only one 'might' be better. Take away 'might' distinction and ESPN agrees.
In the Top 100, Jalen Milroe is ranked No. 22. QBs ranked about the Crimson Tide leader are Oregon's Dillon Gabriel at No. 16 and Georgia's Carson Beck at No. 7. Five other SEC quarterbacks made the Top 100 list. They are Quinn Ewers (Texas) at No. 23; Jaxson Dart (Ole Mis) at No. 41; Brady Cook (Missouri) at No. 65; Conner Weigman (Texas A&M) at No. 81 and Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee) at No. 92.
Other Alabama football players in ESPN's Top 100 are No. 31, Tyler Booker, No. 60, Deontae Lawson, No. 68 Parker Brailsford, and No. 99, Malachi Moore.
Describing the list, ESPN stated that the 100 players chosen included "relatively few established superstars." If that rather vague supposition is correct, it also indicates that many players not included in the Top 100 could earn the distinction during the season. Many teams have players worthy of future consideration. Alabama Football is certainly one of them.
Potential End Season Alabama Crimson Tide Top 100 Players
Note: Not including the five already selected by ESPN.
- No kickers or punters made the Top 100 list, but at season's end, Graham Nicholson and James Burnip could easily be rated as two of college football's most valuable players.
- Alabama Offensive players - Kendrick Law, Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard, Justice Haynes, Jam Miller, Jaeden Roberts, and Kadyn Proctor.
- Alabama Defensive players - Jihaad Campbell, Tim Keenan III, Domani Jackson, and Keon Sabb. A reason why no Alabama player at the Bandit and Wolf positions is likely to be recognized in a Top 100 is the Tide's roster is so loaded, that the frequent rotation of players will diminish the stats of individual players.
The panel of ESPN experts who compiled the list are David Hale, Adam Rittenberg, Bill Connelly, Chris Low, and Paolo Uggetti. Thanks for their efforts and willingness for their results to predictably, be widely criticized.