It’s already tough enough as it is to pick an All-American team every year, but FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt took on an even tougher challenge: naming an All-Century Team.
In a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt picked which players have been the best at each position in college football since the turn of the century. That leads to plenty of debates at several positions, including quarterback. Four quarterbacks have won the Heisman, a national championship and have been the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft since 2000. And that list doesn’t include other talented college quarterbacks, like Vince Young, Tim Tebow and Matt Leinart.
That’s just one of the many debates Klatt had to solve when picking his All-Century Team, as he also named finalists for each position. Let’s take a look at his All-Century Team as we’re roughly one quarter of the way through the 21st century.
OFFENSE
Finalists: Cam Newton (Auburn), Tim Tebow (Florida), Joe Burrow (LSU), Matt Leinart (USC)
Klatt’s thoughts: “How do you pick between [all of these quarterbacks]? … Here’s the deal: I came down to [these finalists] because you kind of have to win a national championship. I know there are other national champions on this list, but you had to win the national championship and carry your team at some point.
“I know this might be a little bit biased because I had to play against him, but the pick is Vince Young. If I had one game and I had to pick one quarterback from the last 25 years to go and play that game, my All-Century quarterback is Vince Young. This guy was unbelievable. He went 30-2 as a starting quarterback. That undefeated season in ‘05 for a national championship was remarkable. There were times where he had to put that team completely on his back.
“This guy was incredible. I know there might be some debate, but I don’t think I’m going to get a ton of pushback about that.”
Finalists: Reggie Bush (USC), Christian McCaffrey (Stanford)
Klatt’s thoughts: “I’ve got to pick one of these guys? That’s why I did not want to be in 11 personnel. So, I thought let’s get down to three finalists.
“But even with that big list, I got down to two really fast: Reggie Bush and Adrian Peterson. I’m a huge Reggie Bush guy. He was electric. He changed the game in so many ways. I played against Adrian Peterson. His true freshman season was one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen from a running back. He led the country in carries as a true freshman and ran for 1,900 yards. Remarkable, absolutely remarkable stuff. Yet, Reggie Bush wasn’t on the field on fourth down for the three-peat. How could you be my 11 personnel, single running back if you weren’t on the field for the most important snap in your team’s history?
“It’s not [Bush’s] fault … but for that reason, I went with Adrian Peterson. If you had one game and you need a guy to tote the rock for 20, 25 carries per game, who are you taking? AP!”
Finalists: DeVonta Smith (Alabama), Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)
Klatt’s thoughts: “I know some people might one Calvin Johnson on this list, but I think I hit the nail on this one. You’ve got great individual seasons and careers on here.
“I could put Larry in the slot. Crabtree was incredible at Texas Tech. Julio was just an absolute boss on the outside. Does anyone remember who Larry Fitzgerald’s quarterback was at Pitt? Rod Rutherford — anyone remember that name? I don’t, and I work in the sport. … If I had to take one, it was Larry Fitzgerald.
Larry Fitzgerald had 161 receptions for 2,677 yards in 26 games in his college career, finishing second in the Heisman voting in 2003. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
“Then, you think about Michael Crabtree and Crabtree was insane. He had one of the great seasons in all of college football history. His performance against Texas in that game when both of those teams were undefeated was insane.
“I know the numbers might not support [Julio Jones making this list] against some of the other candidates … but he was doing this for a team that was primarily run-oriented in an era in which the SEC was absolutely loaded. I mean, a lot of the defensive backs I’m going to hit on later were from the SEC in this era, and he was an absolute boss.”
Finalists: Kyle Pitts (Florida), Tyler Warren (Penn State)
Klatt’s thoughts: “I think [Bowers] was the best tight end I’ve ever seen in college football. … This pick was very easy for me. He was a two-time national champ, two-time Mackey Award winner, and if he doesn’t make a couple of insane plays, they don’t win the second national championship because they don’t beat Ohio State in that semifinal.”
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Finalists: Penei Sewell (Oregon), Jake Long (Michigan), Tristan Wirfs (Iowa)
Klatt’s thoughts: “This was the second-easiest pick for me behind Brock Bowers. Bryant McKinnie was an absolute animal. He was a monster in that 2001 season for Miami. He’s the last offensive lineman to finish in the top 10 in Heisman voting. Joe Thomas, he won the Outland for the Badgers. I tried not to think of NFL careers, but isn’t it difficult not to? You kind of have to at some point. Joe Thomas was incredible.”
Finalists: Zack Martin (Notre Dame), Chance Warmack (Alabama)
Klatt’s thoughts: “I think people forget about David Decastro, but I’m not forgetting! Do we remember how dominant that Stanford team was running the football? … Decastro was incredible.
“Then, my second one, this was a little bit more difficult. … Nelson was a two-time All-American at Notre Dame. I just don’t think you can go wrong with Quenton Nelson and David Decastro.”
Finalists: Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa), Landon Dickerson (Alabama)
Klatt’s thoughts: “Barrett Jones did everything for those Bama teams in the early 2010s. He started at guard, tackle and center. He won the Outland at left tackle in 2010 and then won the Rimington at center in 2012.”
Finalists: Travis Hunter (Colorado), Tavon Austin (West Virginia)
Klatt’s thoughts: “Sometimes, you’ve just got to trust the smart people in the room. Urban Meyer won multiple national championships as a head coach and is considered one of the great head coaches we’ve had in the history of the sport. I get the pleasure of working with Urban and he’s said to me many times that Percy Harvin is the best football player he’s ever coached. Guess what? That’s good enough for me. When Urban says that, I need him on my team.”
DEFENSE
Finalists: Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina), Myles Garrett (Texas A&M), Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan)
Klatt’s thoughts: “Does anybody remember Terrell Suggs’ season in 2002? Animal. He had 24 sacks and 31 tackles for loss — both FBS records at the time. Suggs had four games with at least three sacks that year, and the crazy game was against Washington: 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss.
“Will Anderson, when Nick Saban says that he’s kind of the alpha of alphas that he’s had at Alabama, then I listen. He had 34.5 sacks and 62 tackles for loss in three seasons in the SEC.”
Finalists: Vince Wilfork (Miami), Tommie Harris (Oklahoma), Glenn Dorsey (LSU)
Klatt’s thoughts: “Suh in 2009 was insane. He finished fourth in the Heisman voting. He had 12 sacks and 20 TFLs — as a tackle! As dominant as any player I’ve ever seen.
“Aaron Donald holds the FBS career record TFLs with 66 — as a tackle! And we know what he was in the NFL, but he was that at Pitt. I think the only offense ever created that could move the ball on this defense is the offense that I just created.”
Finalists: Manti Te’o (Notre Dame), Derrick Johnson (Texas), Roquan Smith (Georgia)
Klatt’s thoughts: “How do you take two of those? At this point, you’ve just got to go with your gut. Kuechly might be the smartest linebacker in history. Micah Parsons might be the greatest Swiss army knife at linebacker that we’ve ever seen. Kuechly holds the FBS record for tackles per game in a single season with 15.9 — almost 16 tackles. He also leads the FBS in career tackles per game with 14. He had 180 tackles in each of his last two seasons.
Luke Kuechly had 532 total tackles in three seasons at Boston College. (Photo by Damian Strohmeyer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“I know Parsons only played two seasons at Penn State, but he was a force. He was a freshman All-American and then an All-American as a sophomore and he was playing as a normal linebacker in those days and he was still dominant.”
Finalists: Terence Newman (Kansas State), Jalen Ramsey (Florida State), Morris Claiborne (LSU)
Klatt’s thoughts: “This is a tough one. I’m going to take Patrick Peterson, though. He was going up against guys like A.J. Green and Julio Jones and others in that SEC era. He won the Thorpe and the Bednarik. Patrick Peterson is one of my guys.
“I’ve got to take Patrick Surtain, don’t I? He had 38 straight starts at Bama. He was an All-American, lock-down guy. Right now, he’s the best corner in the National Football League. So, I’m gonna go with Surtain there.”
Finalists: Caleb Downs (Ohio State), Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama)
Klatt’s thoughts: “I’ve got to take the Honey Badger. The Honey Badger was just cut from a different cloth. He had an aura about him when he was out on the field. He was kind of like the college version of Ed Reed. He was all over the place. Quarterbacks had to be aware of him. Offensive coordinators had to be aware of him. So, Honey Badger has got to be on defense. I can’t have a defense for an All-Century team and not have the Honey Badger.”
Finalists: Sean Taylor (Miami), Roy Williams (Oklahoma), Eric Berry (Tennessee)
Klatt’s thoughts: “I do find it a little interesting that all of these guys played in the pre-targeting era. Don’t you love the physical, old safeties that could absolutely knock people’s heads off? I loved that.
“I know you can make an argument for Sean Taylor, but Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed as your safeties with the Honey Badger as your nickel — no one is scoring on this team. Ed Reed was a two-time All-American and led one of those Miami teams to a title. Polamalu, I got to see him play in college before anyone ever knew who he was and had the hair and all of that.”
