3 SEC players on NFL.com list of 16 fastest in CFB
We’ve all heard the term “SEC speed” brought up when discussing college football, but does the conference truly have the fastest players?
Not exactly, according to NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread, who named the 16 fastest players in college football as part of an offseason “16 for ’16” series.
Three SEC players make the list, but none crack the top five. The conference players listed are:
- Mississippi State DB Brandon Bryant (No. 14)
- LSU CB Donte Jackson (No. 7)
- Alabama DB Tony Brown (No. 6)
Goodbread cites Brown’s recent performance at the 110-meter hurdles in ranking him the fastest player from the SEC:
The Alabama cornerback, a former five-star recruit, ran a 13.81 in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA Track and Field Championships earlier this month to earn All-America honors. The football program has timed him at 4.34 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Brown is currently facing an indefinite suspension from football by the NCAA.
The No. 1 overall spot went to Oregon WR Devon Allen:
Last fall, it was fair to wonder if the Ducks’ wide receiver/track star had lost a step due to a knee injury. Now, it’s fair to assume he hasn’t. He won his second NCAA title in the 110-meter hurdles event earlier this month with a time of 13.50 seconds, and earlier in the track season, he posted a 100-meter dash time of 10.36. He’ll compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials on July 9 in the 110-meter hurdles event, where a top-three finish would qualify him for the Summer Games in Rio. Understandably, Allen is pondering his future in both sports. Two years ago, Allen clocked the second-fastest 110-meter hurdles time in NCAA history at 13.16. The knee injury happened against FSU in a College Football Playoff semifinal. With his recovery validated by the 2016 track season, Allen this fall looks to return to his 2014 football form, when he caught 41 passes for 684 yards.
The full list of 16 players can be viewed here.
Do you think he missed any SEC speedsters who should have made the list? Are any of the three who made the cut underrated?
Donte Jackson is the fastest on the LSU team. He may be underrated as a CB, but he gets due recognition as a speedster. Unfortunately, his participation in both football and track has taken a toll on his grades. Not sure what’s going to come of that.
Freshman Drake Davis clocked 4.3, dude gonna be a monster for LSU this year.
Auburn laser timed like 3-4 guys under 4.3
I’m sure they did. Can you provide a link to a story or is this just something your AU buddies told you?
He’s actually right. Can’t put up a link, but Javaris Davis(one of the fastest kids coming out of florida) John Franklin III(FSU’s 4×1 team) and One other kid ran 4.2 laser times. Just type up their name on google and add 40 time to the link and it should show the videos.
Surprised Evan Berry isn’t mentioned at all, he was timed as a prospect at 4.3 in the 40 and his kickoff returns last season appeared to back that up.
Even Berry is gearing up for a Heisman trophy this year my friend!! He’s just like Percy Harvin but more athletic and goes to a great institution in U-T, not some crap hole in the swamp!
As I recall, the whole “SEC Speed” thing was more about team speed, especially among the DL and LBs, not individual players. Football skills have a huge say in the matter as well. Just because you’re a track star doesn’t mean you have great hands, cover skills, or cutting ability. It’s the blend of speed and skills that, I think, makes the SEC superior. The SEC is just loaded with fast dudes who can ball. The fastest 40 time in this year’s NFL combine was run by a UGA back who rarely got to touch the ball.
I’m also confused about the author’s criteria. If you read the actual article, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason with his rankings. There are a lot of hurdlers and 110 hurdle times on his list. That’s great, but the 40 is the holy grail in football for a reason. The fastest 40, and even 100 times he mentions, are not his “fastest” guys. This seems to be a very subjective article. For my money, the whole individual speed versus team speed thing was best illustrated when Auburn beat Oregon for the NC in 2010.
was gonna say the same thing Mountain Dog. I don’t think anyone is claiming that the SEC has the fastest timed 40’s by skill position players. In fact, that makes me think about the Big 12 and Pac 12. The difference is supposed to be that it doesn’t matter in the SEC, because our DE’s, LB’s, and even DT’s are so big AND athletic that the rb’s, qb’s, and wr’s don’t ever get to showcase that speed in the open field. Take LSU-Oregon a few years back in the season opener. I don’t think I saw a single analyst pick LSU to win because “Oregon was too fast”. But it rarely mattered because they weren’t fast ENOUGH to beat LSU to the edge… or even out of the backfield sometimes…. to get that top speed going.
You’re both spot on and you each gave very good examples of why “team ” speed is so vital as it trumps individual pos speed. What’s the use in having the fastest guy on the field as ur rb if he can’t beat bigger lb’s round the edge?
Arkansas WR Dominique Reed isn’t far behind at 4.35
Someone tell me how Brandon Bryant for Mississippi state is not in top 3 with a forty time of 4.25
Because his time would’ve distorted the attempt to show how the SEC isn’t actually the fastest conf. That’s how.