Is the Best Player in College Football Coming Off the Bench?

By Ron Schiltz

Oregon football is synonymous with speed.  Every year Chip Kelly sets out to find the best and fastest athletes in the country to come play for his team in Eugene, Ore.  Two years ago he found a player in Los Angeles on Snoop Dogg’s (or Snoop Lion’s whichever you prefer) youth team.  This player was De’Anthony Thomas. 

(Getty Images/Jonathan Ferrey)

Thomas was that number one recruit in the country in the class of 2011, according to ESPN’s Top 150.  De’Anthony was heavily recruited to his hometown college of USC, but ultimately chose Oregon because he fit more into their style of play.  De’Anthony posted a blistering sub 4.4 40-yard dash time in high school and has undoubtedly gotten even faster since he’s become a Duck.

Last year, Chip Kelly used Thomas to bolster an offense that already boasted the likes of star running back, LaMichael James.  De’Anthony scored 16 touchdowns on 101 touches last year and came into this season as a sure Heisman candidate.

Thomas has started this year like he really wanted that Heisman trophy, coming off the beach behind Duck’s starting running back Kenjon Barner.  On his first 31 touches he scored seven touchdowns.  That’s a touchdown almost every four times he touches the ball.  The last two games have seen Thomas bottled up a bit as he’s only scored once on 26 touches. 

CBS Sports College football blogger Chris Huston has Thomas ranked at number six in his current Heisman rankings. 

“He is one or two exhilarating punt or kick returns away from jumping back into serious contention,” said Huston in his blog on Sunday.

Oregon’s next test is at home against PAC-12 rival Washington, number twenty-third in the country.  The game is to be nationally televised on ESPN and is just another chance for De’Anthony to prove to the nation that he is the best and most versatile player in the county.