No kidding: These college football players provide comic relief

ByESPN.COM
July 12, 2016, 10:40 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 most likely future presidential candidates. This week, a little comedy. Which players on college football's top 25 teams could moonlight as stand-up comedians?

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide

Da'Shawn Hand

One of the best moments after Alabama won the national championship was when the players took over the SEC Now set after the game. The highlight was Hand, who looked like a natural in front of the camera as he made people laugh after commandeering the microphone from Joe Tessitore. From asking Tim Tebow questions about the game to his response to Kenyan Drake's touchdown, it was comedy gold. At one point, he even asked for the cameraman to zoom in on him. -- Greg Ostendorf

2.  Clemson Tigers

Jay Guillermo

The fifth-year senior center may have a case as the funniest player in college football. He has jokes, so stand-up would be a nice niche, but he's actually more likely to excel on "Saturday Night Live" due to his spot-on impressions. From Dabo Swinney's "Clemsoning" rant to O-line coach Robbie Caldwell's Southern charm, Guillermo knocks his impersonations out of the park and keeps his teammates doubled over in laughter. -- David M. Hale

3.  Michigan Wolverines

Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson

Seniors Kalis and Magnuson aren't just a pair of experienced, starting offensive linemen for the Wolverines. They're also a strong comedy duo who keep their teammates in stitches. They've honed their act by appearing on the radio together and once jokingly posed as Abercrombie & Fitch models. --  Brian Bennett 

4.  Florida State Seminoles

Keith Bryant

Bryant has not seen much time on the field, but the redshirt junior often holds the spotlight in the locker room. Bryant routinely cuts up in the Seminoles' facility. --  Jared Shanker

5.  Oklahoma Sooners

Dede Westbrook

The wide receiver keeps his teammates laughing with his constant banter. He also has a solid touchdown celebration. Apparently, Westbrook's brother also has a sense of humor. -- Jake Trotter

6.  LSU Tigers

Foster Moreau

The sophomore tight end was our pick as LSU's biggest prankster a few weeks ago, largely because the kid is straight-up silly. Moreau is the top choice here, too, even if his needling ways don't always go over so well on the practice field. Moreau always seems to be having fun, and that would serve him well if he tried to make people laugh for a living. --  David Ching

7.  Stanford Cardinal

Zach Hoffpauir

After a stint playing minor league baseball, Hoffpauir returns to the Farm, bringing with him his big hits and comedy routine. The safety is known for being able to do spot-on impersonations of everyone on the team. --  Kyle Bonagura

8.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Jay Hayes

Hayes has made his presence felt since day one, whether it was crashing press conferences as a freshman or doing bad lip-reading voiceovers with quarterback  Malik Zaire as a sophomore. Hayes' Twitter habits have drawn scrutiny, but there's no denying he's a character around the program. --  Matt Fortuna

9.  Ohio State Buckeyes

Cameron Johnston

The Buckeyes lost a ton of talent off last year's team and also some of the biggest characters in college football (Cardale Jones, Tyvis Powell, Joey Bosa, etc.). Someone needs to fill that comedy void, and perhaps it can be senior punter Cameron Johnston. Maybe it's just the accent, or how the Australian is willing to crack jokes at his homeland's expense on social media, but we'd definitely listen to Johnston on an open-mic night. --  Bennett

10.  Tennessee Volunteers

Joshua Dobbs

Quarterback Joshua Dobbs isn't the funniest guy -- and he'd be the first to admit that -- but he isn't afraid to get in front of his teammates and deliver the corniest jokes out there. His lack of stage fright and acknowledgment of his own corniness make him perfect for stand-up. He can take the heat and then dish out a lukewarm response that will at least get him rolling. -- Edward Aschoff

11.  USC Trojans

Zach Banner

Banner is one of the best offensive tackles in college football, and he's also one of the funniest. He has a sharp wit, and his performance in USC's renowned "Elevator Rap" was a highlight of the offseason.--  Bonagura

12.  Georgia Bulldogs

Davin Bellamy

Outside linebacker Davin Bellamy can deliver those quick-witted, creative insults made for a stand-up routine. The more you respond to him, the funnier he gets and the harsher his barbs are. No heckler could stop his flow. -- Aschoff

13.  Ole Miss Rebels

Carlos Davis

Need a good laugh? Go browse through Davis' Instagram account. There are videos where he digitally added makeup to both himself and his teammates. There's a video of him and Alabama wide receiver  ArDarius Stewart doing the "running man." And then there's the video of him pranking former teammate Laremy Tunsil from a few years back. If Davis ever wants to do stand-up comedy, he's got the personality and charisma to pull it off. -- Ostendorf

14.  Oklahoma State Cowboys

Jesse Robinson

Robinson is one of the most experienced offensive linemen on the team and one of its most gregarious personalities. The junior has started games in each of his first two seasons and is a candidate to be a future comedian as one of the funniest players on the roster. --  Brandon Chatmon

15.  Michigan State Spartans

Matt Macksood

The senior receiver hasn't played much during his Spartans career, but he may have a future on stage as an impressionist. He made a splash impersonating coaches, teammates and analyst Lou Holtz before the 2015 Cotton Bowl. Check it out starting at the 0:35 mark of this clip. --  Bennett 

16.  Washington Huskies

Jesse Sosebee

Better known as "Boomer," Sosebee is also known as one of the funniest guys at Washington -- his grooming is on point as well. --  Bonagura

17.  Houston Cougars

Garrett Davis

To do stand-up, you need to be charismatic, outgoing and, most importantly, quick-witted. Davis is all of those things. The Houston defensive back can always slide in a clever joke in a short amount of time. He's one of the more gregarious players on the team. And coach Tom Herman has said Davis could be a future presidential candidate, which goes to show how much charisma he has. -- Ostendorf

18.  North Carolina Tar Heels

Tommy Hatton

The Tar Heels' young center brings a bit of New Jersey flair to the South, and it makes for an amusing addition to the locker room. Hatton isn't exactly "Jersey Shore" material, but he's definitely a bit of an atypical personality among all the Carolina guys at UNC, and he gets more laughs because of it. --  Hale

19.  Oregon Ducks

Arrion Springs

A natural entertainer, the starting cornerback's game-sealing interception against Arizona State last year allowed him to show how comfortable he is in front of a microphone. --  Bonagura

20.  TCU Horned Frogs

L.J. Collier

As one of the funniest players on the Horned Frogs squad, the redshirt sophomore could have comedy in his future if he desires. A defensive end who played in four games and recorded one tackle in 2015, Collier should have an expanded role in 2016. -- Chatmon

21.  Texas A&M Aggies

Conner McQueen

The redhead is the Aggies' third-string quarterback, and he's the first to make jokes about himself -- and that type of humor is among the funniest when it comes to stand-up comedy. He has the type of personality that would fit a comedian. He's also one of the better Twitter follows on Texas A&M's football team. -- Ostendorf

22.  UCLA Bruins

Takkarist McKinley

McKinley's plan to bribe Kenny Clark with sandwiches to get him to return for his senior year didn't work, but you can't fault McKinley for trying. --  Bonagura

23.  Iowa Hawkeyes

Derrick Mitchell Jr.

The receiver/running back has been known to perform silly dance moves in order to disrupt a teammate's interview -- as seen here (wearing No. 85). The Hawkeyes voted him as most likely to cause a belly laugh. -- Bennett

24.  Miami Hurricanes

Sunny Odogwu

All you need to do is hear the offensive lineman talk about his touchdown versus Duke last year and the ensuing laughter from reporters to get a glimpse of Odogwu's personality. Intense on the field, Odogwu keeps it light off of the field, and his delivery of his stories captivates an audience. --  Shanker

25.  Louisville Cardinals

Shaq Wiggins

Wiggins has a personality to light up a room. The cornerback's teammates speak of his trash-talking in legendary terms. And in his statement to 247Sports two years ago upon transferring from Georgia, Wiggins described himself, in part, as "jovial, carefree and a bit of a jokester." --  Fortuna