Pro Football Focus (PFF) came out with its list of the top 101 players in college football on Monday, and the Vols are well-represented with a trio of players making it.
This is a list of who PFF views as the best players in college football, not necessarily the top draft prospects. PFF evaluates players based on their film, using former coaches, scouts and other experts to come up with their rankings.
Here’s what they had to say about the three Vols that made the list:
No. 4 Derek Barnett
“Barnett’s career will always be compared to (Texas A&M DE Myles) Garrett’s, as they both took the SEC by storm as true freshmen. Barnett did it a little differently as he stepped right in as an outstanding run defender, posting the nation’s 12th-best grade in 2014. He was also strong as a pass rusher as a freshman, but he took it to a new level last season as he picked up 10 sacks, 10 QB hits, and 42 hurries on his 396 rushes, giving him 109 pressures on 736 rushes in his two years of college.
While the production ranks right up there with Garrett, Barnett wins more with power and good pad level, a big reason he was able to transition from high to the SEC so smoothly. While Garrett gets more hype, Barnett is right up there with him as one of the best edge defenders in the nation.”
No. 76 Jalen Hurd
“At a listed 6-foot-3 and reportedly closer to 6-foot-5, Hurd doesn’t have a classic running back build but he runs with power and surprising quickness. The Tennessee offensive line has done him few favors the last two years and his 57.7 elusive rating against Power-5 competition ranked 12th among returning running backs.”
No. 84 Cam Sutton
“After a strong 2014 season that saw Sutton rank among the top-25 cornerbacks in the nation, he took a step back in 2015 to grade right around average for the year. There were too many negatively-graded games and Sutton’s tackling issues crept up once again (20 misses on 85 attempts the last two years). However, a return to his 2014 form as a corner, combined with his All-SEC ability as a returner could put him among the nation’s top cornerbacks.”
