Iowa OT Brandon Scherff is a brute as a run-blocker; once he gets locked in, the defender is going to be on his back or steered away from the play. At 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, he has surprisingly quick feet and is a solid pass protector, as well. Scherff considered entering the NFL after last season, when he was an All-Big Ten selection, but decided to stay for his senior year. He shows up all over the place on College Football 24/7's "14 for '14" series previewing the coming season.
Pulling back the curtain on the vote
While all seven panelists put Scherff in their personal top-20 player lists, there was no consensus about where he should be placed. He was ranked as high as the No. 2 player in the nation and as low as 20th. The second-place vote was one of three top-10 rankings.
What some of our analysts are saying about Scherff
"He's a mauling run blocker that plays with a nasty demeanor." - Daniel Jeremiah
"Dominant offensive tackles with his combination of strength, power and athleticism are hard to find in today's game." - Bucky Brooks
"Plug in the 2013 Iowa vs. Ohio St. tape and watch Scherff. He dominated." - Charles Davis
"He can power anybody off the line of scrimmage but is surprisingly agile for a player his size at left tackle. Scherff is smart and can handle just about anything a defense throws at him." - Bryan Fischer
"On third-and-1, there might not be a better blocker to follow in the nation. Scherff is at his best at the point of attack." - Chase Goodbread
"When you talk about linemen who blow people up, this small-town Iowa native has to be leading the conversation. He is a prototypical offensive lineman." - Mike Huguenin
Where do fans rank Scherff?
We asked Twitter and Facebook users who they considered the best player in college football. Scherff didn't receive a vote among the more than 19,000 fans who cast a ballot. He's an offensive lineman from Iowa, what did you expect?
