Good as gold: Top 25 would-be Olympians

ByESPN.COM

August 3, 2016, 10:50 AM

 -- With Mark Schlabach's most recent Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings as our guide, we have ranked everything from the weakest position groups to the best player with the game on the line. This week, which player from each team in the top 25 could have been an Olympian?

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

Marlon Humphrey, track and field

Track and field is in the cornerback's blood. His mother, Barbara, still holds the UAB record for the 400-meter dash. Marlon, for his part, was a dominant sprinter and hurdler in high school and helped Alabama to a record-setting time in the 4X400 relay as a freshman in 2014. -- Alex Scarborough

2. Clemson Tigers

Gage Cervenka, wrestling

If there's one guy you don't want to mess with on Clemson's roster, it's probably redshirt freshman Cervenka. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive end was a four-time state championship wrestler in high school, the only one ever in South Carolina. He finished his prep career with a record of 199-1. -- David M. Hale

3. Michigan Wolverines

Jabrill Peppers, handball

OK, the dynamic all-purpose star is probably best suited for the track after breaking the New Jersey state record in the 200-meter dash. But wouldn't it be more fun to see what Peppers could do with his athleticism if he dabbled on the handball court? People are already clamoring to let him play more offense for the Wolverines this season, so why not a sport that lets him do both all the time? -- Austin Ward

4. Florida State Seminoles

Mavin Saunders, basketball

At 6-foot-5 and 257 pounds, Saunders has the length and skill that would translate well to the international game. As a high school freshman, UConn basketball offered Saunders, who blends above-the-rim athleticism with a jump shot that puts defenders in a bind. -- Jared Shanker

5. Oklahoma Sooners

Connor Knight, javelin

According to teammates, Sooners tight end Connor Knight, the brother of now-Texas A&M QB Trevor Knight, can throw a ball more than 80 yards. If he ever gives it a shot, he just might be a natural for the javelin. -- Jake Trotter

6. LSU Tigers

Donte Jackson, track, or Malachi Dupre, jumps

At least two LSU players come from Olympic bloodlines. Offensive tackle K.J. Malone's dad, Karl, is a two-time gold medalist and was a halfway decent basketball player. Outside linebacker Corey Thompson's mom, Dyan, was an All-America sprinter in college and alternate on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. But as far as legit Olympic possibilities from LSU, cornerback Donte Jackson, one of the fastest players in the nation and a member of LSU's track team, and wide receiver Malachi Dupre, a high school state champion in triple jump, long jump and high jump, make sense. One more possibility: freshman wideout Drake Davis, who was a standout junior soccer player a few years back. -- David Ching

7. Stanford Cardinal

Harrison Phillips, wrestling

A few years back, we could have said big lineman David DeCastro, who still holds a 10-and-under swimming record in the state of Washington. Now, the mainstream choice would be Christian McCaffrey (decathlon). But Phillips was a multiple-time Nebraska state champion wrestler in high school whose trench skills still translate well to the mat. -- David Lombardi

8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Mark Harrell, archery

In another life, the offensive lineman could have been an Olympic archer. A quick scan of his Instagram page shows how passionate he is about hunting. Harrell uses a bow, and he has quite the resume to show for it, as his Instagram page will attest. -- Matt Fortuna

9. Ohio State Buckeyes

Billy Price, weightlifting

Hands down the strongest guy on the roster, there's no telling how much weight the junior guard could throw around if beefing up became his only focus. With his athleticism, Price could have perhaps made a push throwing the shot or the discus as well, but his maniacal work ethic might have produced some crazy totals as a full-time lifter. -- Ward

10. Tennessee Volunteers

Kahlil McKenzie, shot put

McKenzie, a defensive tackle, is still feeling his way around Tennessee, but if he wanted to try his hand at an Olympic bid, he might have a shot. The 6-foot-3, 325-pound mammoth could probably do a lot of heavy lifting in Rio, but he might be better suited in the shot put after he won the 2013 North Coast Section Meet of Champions shot put title while at De La Salle High School in Concord, California. -- Edward Aschoff

11. USC Trojans

Adoree' Jackson, gymnastics, or Wyatt Schmidt, ice hockey

Jackson didn't qualify for the Olympic team in the long jump, but he recently made a case to be on the gymnastics team by posting a video of an impressive wall flip. The Trojans might have also have a winter games candidate: Punter Wyatt Schmidt played junior ice hockey in South Dakota for a year before coming to USC. -- Lombardi

12. Georgia Bulldogs

Ben Cleveland, weightlifting

If you're looking for someone to lift his way to the gold, check out freshman offensive lineman Ben Cleveland. Before he even got on campus, Cleveland was benching pressing 450 pounds, power cleaning 355 pounds and now his squat is reportedly up to nearly 500 pounds. -- Aschoff

13. Ole Miss Rebels

14. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Bryce Balous, track and field

Redshirt freshman defensive back Bryce Balous has blazing speed. Once timed at 10.34 in the 100-meter dash (wind-aided) in high school, Balous is a member of the Oklahoma State track team and if he wanted to focus solely on track may have been able to make a run at the Olympics someday. -- Brandon Chatmon

15. Michigan State Spartans

Jalen Watts-Jackson, relay team

There may still be a limited sample size to evaluate, but the sophomore defensive back needed only one shot to show what he could do if the baton was handed to him. In his case, of course, it was actually a loose football he reached back to grab with his right hand. But even without a running start he showed he could find the finish line in a hurry during his unforgettable 38-yard scamper in the wild upset over Michigan last year. -- Ward

16. Washington Huskies

Tevis Bartlett, wrestling

He was unstoppable as a high schooler in Wyoming, winning wrestling state championships in all four of his years there and finishing 100-0 as an upperclassman. Bartlett also won two wrestling national championships in high school, but chose football moving onto college. -- Lombardi

17. Houston Cougars

Kyle Postma, decathlon

Some around the Cougars program call quarterback Kyle Postma "Jim Thorpe" because of his athleticism and versatility. Although he's primarily Houston's backup quarterback -- he led the comeback win over Memphis last season -- Postma also played some wide receiver in 2015. He also punted during the spring and has earned teammates' praise as one of the best basketball players on the roster. In high school, he won a district championship in the long jump and high jump. In other words, it would not be a huge surprise to see someone with that level of athleticism try his hand at an event like decathlon -- just like Thorpe a century ago -- and be successful. -- Ching

18. North Carolina Tar Heels

Austin Proehl, table tennis

Tar Heels players in the team lounge have learned a valuable lesson about taking on Proehl in a game of ping-ping. The junior receiver is a whiz with a paddle in his hand, and he's taken to dominating teammates, with the notable exception of allowing Mitch Trubisky to score a few points. A good receiver always keeps his QB happy. -- Hale

19. Oregon Ducks

Devon Allen, track and field

Who could have been an Olympian? How about: Who is an Olympian? Allen scorched his way to Rio in the 110-meter hurdles at last month's trials, blasting the competition by two-tenths of a second, setting the stage for the 2016 Olympics-college football double. Ducks coach Mark Helfrich quipped that Allen has the best excuse ever to miss training camp. -- Lombardi

20. TCU Horned Frogs

Brandon Bowen, track and field

A late addition to the Horned Frogs' incoming class of freshmen after he defected from Baylor over the summer, Bowen won the Texas 6A state title in the high jump as a junior. He bettered his clearance this year, jumping 6 feet, 9 inches to place third. At 6-4 and 235 pounds, he's blessed with the athleticism that runs in his family. Former NBA star Bruce Bowen is his uncle, and Brandon's father, Ryan Bowen, a first-round MLB draft pick in 1986, pitched five seasons for the Astros and Marlins. -- Mitch Sherman

21. Texas A&M Aggies

Josh Reynolds, track and field

As a high schooler, Aggies wide receiver Josh Reynolds at one point considered a partial scholarship offer to join the A&M track team before opting to enroll in junior college instead. Reynolds has been only a football player since joining the Aggies in 2014, but perhaps those old track skills -- he stood out as a triple jumper, high jumper and hurdler in high school -- would have been enough to help Reynolds crack an Olympic roster. -- Ching

22. UCLA Bruins

Soso Jamabo , track and field

One of the first things fans will notice about Paul Perkins' successor at running back is his height: At 6-foot-2, Jamabo is at the tall end for the position. But the formerly touted recruit has posted a 4.5 40-yard dash. Give those long strides some space to pick up steam, and Jamabo could excel at a race such as the 400 meters -- although not at football weight. -- Lombardi

23. Iowa Hawkeyes

Josey Jewell, rugby

There isn't much the junior linebacker can't do on the football field, and his athleticism proved pretty versatile in high school when he was competing in some Olympic sports in track and field -- most notably discus. But the clearest path for Jewell to the medal stand might be taking off the pads but still getting the chance to fly around and embrace his physical side. -- Ward

24. Miami Hurricanes

Mark Richt, diving

While the Hurricanes have always had their share of elite athletes, the potential Olympian in their locker room might be the head coach. OK, so Richt isn¹t likely to win gold on the high dive, but the longtime coach has made a ritual of enjoying the pool during his 15 years coaching Georgia, and he¹s only refined those skills at Miami. -- Hale

25. Louisville Cardinals

Reggie Bonnafon, decathlon

There's a reason the man who wins the decathlon is often referred to as the "world's greatest athlete," and who better than Bonnafon to display those athletic feats? He started at quarterback as a freshman, has transitioned to receiver, is among the fastest players on the team and, as captured on video this spring, jumped 43.5 inches as part of offseason physical testing, which would have been the best at this year's NFL Combine. - - Fortuna