Two Longhorns make ESPN’s top 100 college football players
There is a plethora of talent around the college football world, and with some games kicking off as soon as this week, ESPN ranked the top 100 players in college football for this season.
The talent across the country is so deep that only two Longhorns were apart of the rankings, even what with could be the one of the most talented Texas teams we have seen in over a decade.
Now whether these two players were properly rated, underrated, or even overrated is all objective. However, the two Longhorns that made the list have consistently been viewed as the team’s two best players.
They were both extremely productive, with one of them being a star on the defensive side of the ball, that after a position change truly showed how much of a playmaker he could be. Under new defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, his numbers are expected to be even higher.
On the opposite side of the ball, this star running back is not only one of Texas’ best players, but one of the top players in the nation. He was limited by last year’s staff, but is expected to explode onto the scene under Steve Sarkisian.
Let’s take a look at who, and where, these two Texas players ranked on ESPN’s top 100.
Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
No. 85 DeMarvion Overshown, Linebacker
After being stuck behind younger defensive backs and never really finding a role on defense, Overshown got his time to shine after a position change to linebacker. He registered 60 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions last season under Chris Ash.
He is viewed as the leader of the defense, and is likely one of the few players on the team that had his spot locked down as soon before the new staff even set foot on campus. Here is what ESPN had to say about Overshown:
The 6-4, 223-pounder moved from defensive back to linebacker before last season and finished the year as the defensive MVP of the Alamo Bowl, where he had six tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries. After undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and missing the spring, Overshown, known as “Agent Zero” for the number he wears, is going to be a centerpiece of new defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s scheme at inside linebacker.
Texas is expecting a even bigger season out of him, as the new-look defense should have him flying all over the field.
Next, Texas’ top overall player
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No. 14 Bijan Robinson, Running Back
The lack of use for Robinson last season was borderline criminal, as he was limited to about nine carries per game, and was often off the field for drives at a time. It was almost as if Tom Herman did not want him to rush for 150 yards and a couple touchdowns a game, because there is no other explanation as to why he was so mismanaged. Even in his limited carries, he still showed why he will be one of the best players in college football this season, as he posted 703 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 8.2 yards per carry. Here is what ESPN had to say:
In the last four games of his freshman season, Robinson went off: 47 rushes for 522 yards and four touchdowns, eight catches for 129 yards and two more scores. The No. 21 prospect in 2020’s ESPN 300 could be a go-to for Steve Sarkisian’s first Longhorn offense.
Robinson is expected to get north of 20 carries per game under Sarkisian, and if he is able to run with the authority he did in his limited chances last year, he could very well rush for over 2,000 yards and find himself as a Heisman finalist.
