T.J. Yeldon, Alabama's junior running back, led the Crimson Tide with 1,235 rushing yards last season and earned every one of them with most opposing defenses stacking the box to stop the run.
He is also skilled as a receiver and in picking up blitzes in pass protection, two factors which have helped keep him atop Alabama's well-stacked depth chart at the position. He'll have to solve his fumbling issues this year if he expects to lead the team in carries for the second straight season.
Pulling back the curtain on the vote
Five of the seven analysts left Yeldon completely off their top-20 player list, while two ranked the Alabama running back in their top 10. Why the polarization? Perhaps it's because some consider his backfield teammate, budding sophomore Derrick Henry, a better player, in terms of raw ability and pro potential. Yeldon, who ranked 24th in FBS rushing last season, is certainly the more proven back.
What some of our analysts are saying about Yeldon
"He runs a little upright but he can make defenders miss and he has the power to pull through tackles." -- Daniel Jeremiah
"Yeldon is a collision runner who creates space for himself, and is at his best in big games." -- Charles Davis
"He's a good straight-line back, but he benefits greatly from the line they have at Alabama. I'm not sure he's putting up those numbers if he's at Ole Miss." -- Gil Brandt
Where do fans rank Yeldon?
We asked Twitter and Facebook users who they considered the best player in college football. Yeldon ranked 13th, capturing about 1 percent of the more than 19,000 votes.
