SI Reveals Top 10 College Football Players of 2018

On Sports Illustrated‘s list of the top 100 college football players in the country, Houston defensive lineman Ed Oliver was the valedictorian.

In fact, the dominant tackle headlined a defensive-heavy top 10, which included just one quarterback —Khalil Tate of Arizona, who finished at No. 4. The top three were rounded out by Clemson defensive end Christopher Wilkins (#3) and Stanford running back Bryce Love (#2). Defensive end Nick Bosa, younger brother of San Diego Chargers star Joey, finished at No. 5.

Of the top pick, Sports Illustrated wrote: “We’ve been waiting to unequivocally say “Ed Oliver is the best player in the country” for two long years, ever since he sacked Baker Mayfield twice in the first game of the 2016 season and it was pointed out that that was a true freshman out there, terrorizing Oklahoma and its future Heisman winner on national television in his college debut. After two years of watching the 6’3″, 290-pound former five-star recruit slice through offensive lines that spent all week worrying about containing him, swim through the backfield with the agility of a cornerback and rip down ballcarriers with one hand, it’s clear now that there’s no one else like Oliver in the country.”