The inaugural list included junior defensive tackle Maliek Collins (35), sophomore wide receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El (201) and junior safety Nathan Gerry (226).
When 247Sports analysts and college writers elected to move forward with our rankings, it began a month-long process of pre-ranking to come up with more than 300 names. That was followed by several days where analysts, spread out throughout the country and with different areas of expertise, met on conference calls to debate the merits of SEC linebacker A versus Pac-12 receiver B.
What qualifications did we use to make the list?
1. We were looking for the best player.
2. Yes, production matters. But production was probably secondary to …
3. Ability. Ability is nebulous term that is defined in different ways by different people. But if you see a running back who had 800 yards last year ahead of one who had 1,200, chances are, we just thought Player A had more ability.
4. Position matters. All things being equal, take the left tackle over the guard.
And there was probably a draft aspect to it. Not necessarily the pure “is this guy a better NFL prospect” conversation, but rather a discussion through the lens of a potential college draft. The question became: “If you’re building a college team, would you take this guy high?” There’s certainly a difference between the two. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, for instance, doesn’t project as a top NFL draft pick. But when building a college offense, the athletic Boykin with a rocket for an arm would be an outstanding primary building block.
