Who's the best runner to play QB in college?

[TACKLE]

How has nobody mentioned Matt Jones. He was a ridiculous runner in college.

[steelernation77]

Antwaan Randle El should be in the discussion. 3,895 rushing yards, not sure how many rush TDs. One of the best college players ever.

[Cigaro]

Originally Posted by Staubach12

I would say Vick. He was an incredible weapon and leader at Virginia.

Tech. And yes, there is a difference.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by TigerBait45

He wasn't the best, but I used to love watching Reggie McNeal.

He may have been a complete douchebag but I loved watching "Real Deal"

[ThePudge]

Originally Posted by Halsey

Don't try to say Harvin gets all the credit for Tebow's running. Tebow ran all over Florida State and Alabama last year when Harvin was injured. Weak argument. It's only easy to run up the middle on SEC defenses from a messageboard. It's not so easy on the actual field.

Tebow doesn't deserve a mention if we are talking about the best.

He is a very good runner. He's one of the best college football players ever, and a huge factor there is his ability to keep defenses off balance with his ability to run. He's a tackle breaker, a QB with a linebacker's mentality. He'll fight for an extra inch on the football field. On 3rd and 1 or 4th and inches, there may never have been a player so dominant.

Still, does that make him a better runner than some of those that came before him? No, not at all. Is he more dangerous a runner than Michael Vick? Not a chance and you know it. How about Pat White or Brad Smith, more dangerous than either of those players? Nope. These guys may not have had the Td total that Tebow has accumulated thus far, and it's not because they weren't as good or better runners. It comes down to: A) opportunity, Tebow is given the green light in the red-zone and is Florida's premier threat inside the ten; B) a gimmicky, deceptive spread offense, with four receivers spread wide and a tailback next to him for deceiving the defense. It is very hard to stack the box, to key in on a QB, when you have three athletic receivers spread wide, an athletic tight end in the slot, and a dynamic outside threat in the backfield. Teams know they must stop Tebow, and they can't. Who gets the credit? Tebow or Urban Meyer.

What I am trying to say.... Tebow has tremendous rushing statistics, and he is a very good runner. Still to call him as natural and fear-inducing as, say, Vince Young, Pat White, Michael Vick, or Brad Smith? It'd be ridiculous. He's not a threat to go the distance. He has never had a run exceeding 30 yards. His stats are as gaudy as they are because of opportunities he has been given (and seized) and an offense that could make Reggie Ball look like an All-Conference type player. He's not fast, he's not sudden, he's not elusive. He has size, power, and most importantly (and most characteristically) the will. He puts defenses off balance and draws mismatches, but ultimately I'm not overly concerned about Tim Tebow's rushing ability when I have him pinned inside his own 25-30 yard line and that's because he's not, nor will he ever be, a home run threat.

In recent memory...Vince Young took a broken play, ran it 80 yards and made it look easy. Michael Vick was a 4.3 athlete and as elusive as anyone, he'd take a broken play and turn it into a 25 yard run, he had 11 runs over 30 yards in two years. Pat White was fast, he was smooth, he was elusive and he had a run over 50 yards... 9 times. I could not count how many runs he had over 30 yards because so often he broke two, three, or even four runs over that in a given game.. and he did it over four years.

Tim Tebow is going to go down as one of the best college players ever. Who knows, maybe he wins another Heisman and National Championship and he's the best college player ever. I can give him that, but regardless if his TD total running the ball ends up at 70-75, he's not the best running QB.

[YAYareaRB]

G.O.A.T.

[MarylandScout24]

Tommie Frazier

/thread

[Brent]

Originally Posted by YAYareaRB

G.O.A.T.

he isnt even the best QB in his school's history

[Shane P. Hallam]

Originally Posted by MarylandScout24

Tommie Frazier

/thread

Easily Easily Easily agree.

[wicket]

are we talking about the best runner(regardless of how he throws) or about the best dual threat qb?

[Ozzy]

Hard topic because it becomes an issue most dangerous runner or most productive runner. Clearly some quarterbacks on this list cannot throw a lick, thus they run the ball more and get more statistics. Does not mean they are that dangerous in the open field however.

Here are a few that come to mind, dangerous runners that were big play threats at any moment.



Michael Vick- arguably the most explosive and dangerous runner of them all
Vince Young- his long stride made him cover a lot of ground in a hurry
Antwaan Randle El- flat out elusive, at times no one could touch him

[YAYareaRB]

Originally Posted by Brent

he isnt even the best QB in his school's history

IMO, he is.

[FUNBUNCHER]

You guys are skipping all the great option QBs who played for Oklahoma and Nebraska in the late '70s, '80s, and early '90s.

Oklahoma's Charles Thompson and Jamele Holieway, Nebraska's Tommie Frazier and Syracuse's Donovan Mcnabb, as well as Vick at Va Tech are in a class beyond Tebow as runners.

[YAYareaRB]

Originally Posted by FUNBUNCHER

You guys are skipping all the great option QBs who played for Oklahoma and Nebraska in the late '70s, '80s, and early '90s.

I'm not (10 Char.)

Originally Posted by YayareaRB

G.O.A.T.

[YAYareaRB]

Originally Posted by FUNBUNCHER

You guys are skipping all the great option QBs who played for Oklahoma and Nebraska in the late '70s, '80s, and early '90s.

Oklahoma's Charles Thompson and Jamele Holieway, Nebraska's Tommie Frazier and Syracuse's Donovan Mcnabb, as well as Vick at Va Tech are in a class beyond Tebow as runners.

Also McNabb wasn't as threatening, although VERY GOOD, on the ground as he was throwing the ball. His running game was a compliment to that cannon of his attached to his shoulder.

I think there's a lot of people who have mentioned Vick and Frazier though. I'm looking up Thompson and Holieway as we speak.

[murdamal86]

Originally Posted by YAYareaRB

G.O.A.T.

first he'd have to be the best runner at his own school

[YAYareaRB]

Originally Posted by murdamal86

first he'd have to be the best runner at his own school

Like I said in a couple posts back.. IMO, he is.

[wonderbredd24]

I went through the entire thread and unless I'm mistaken, I did not see anyone mention the late Steve McNair... he did it all at Alcorn St.

Antwan Randel El stacks up against just about anybody though

[FUNBUNCHER]

Originally Posted by TACKLE

How has nobody mentioned Matt Jones. He was a ridiculous runner in college.

With all the project QBs in the NFL, I wonder why some team didn't decide to keep Matt Jones at his natural position and develop him.

With that height, speed, and probably strong arm, you'd think he'd be worth coaching up for 3-4 years.

[murdamal86]

Originally Posted by YAYareaRB

Like I said in a couple posts back.. IMO, he is.

Ohh that's a tough one because Frazier was aided by some helluva RB's with Phillips and Green

[Babylon]

Kansas fans must wonder what Bobby Douglas and Nolan Cromwell are doing these days.

[DragonFireKai]

Well, if we're talking about the best athletes to play QB, the conversation would not be complete without mention of Terry Baker.



In 1962, Baker amassed 3,476 passing yards and 23 TDs, he also ran for 1,503 yards and 15 TDs. He won the heisman trophy, the maxwell award, SI's Sportsman of the Year, and was named to 11 different All American teams. Then he went and led the basketball team to the final four as their All American Point Guard. Then he became the first pick in the NFL draft.

[FUNBUNCHER]

The Baker drop was nice, a forgotten superstar from another era.

Elway, Staubach, Steve Young and Cunningham have been the very close, but I'm still waiting to see the 'ultimate weapon' at QB; a player with the passing tools of Peyton Manning combined with the wheels of Michael Vick.

I don't think there is a defense that could stop such a player, but as of yet no such player exists or ever has.

Terry Baker's Heisman season was ridiculous!!

What were Vince Young's stats his last year at Texas, btw??

[SuperKevin]

Roger Staubach

[Sniper]

Originally Posted by FUNBUNCHER

What were Vince Young's stats his last year at Texas, btw??

212/325, 65.2%, 3036 yards, 9.3 ypa, 26 TD, 10 INT, 163.95 rating
155 carries, 1050 yards, 6.77 ypc, 12 TD