Christian McCaffrey: College football’s most unique player

Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey is worth every ounce of hype as the nation’s most unique football player…

There’s no denying the playmaking ability and absolute dominance of Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, who is undoubtedly the most unique player right now in college football and thus, the most unique prospective professional football player.

When you watch McCaffrey play, you wonder if there’s anything he can’t do. The Heisman finalist rushed for 2,019 yards last season as a sophomore, averaging six yards per carry along the way. He caught 45 passes and added 645 yards as a receiver with five more touchdowns. He had 1,070 kick return yards on 37 returns and 130 yards on 15 punt returns, adding a pair of touchdowns as a returner.

In all, he racked up 3,864 yards in all last season, 2,664 from scrimmage. He had 15 total touchdowns, which wasn’t among the nation’s leaders, but it felt like every time McCaffrey touched the ball, there was the legitimate possibility if not probability that he was going to score.

In the Rose Bowl against Iowa, McCaffrey was unbelievable from the very first play from scrimmage. He caught a pass running a route out of the backfield, putting one move on an over-eager Hawkeyes safety (Jordan Lomax) before taking Kevin Hogan’s pass all the way to the end zone.

He was dominant all game, adding a touchdown as a runner and punt returner as well. It seems impossible that anyone could watch McCaffrey last season and deny him the Heisman trophy, and that’s not meant as a slight to Derrick Henry of Alabama, who won the award.

There is no player in all of college football who can match McCaffrey in versatility, and it’s reflected in the numbers he has put up.

Despite already having led the Pac 12 in carries last season (337), McCaffrey could be in line for an increase in touches this year with a new quarterback taking over for the Cardinal. Fans certainly won’t complain.

We all know McCaffrey is the son of Super Bowl champion WR Ed McCaffrey, one of the most beloved players in Denver Broncos history, but Christian is not like his father, who was a tall, lanky wideout. Christian definitely got the football genes, but he has used them to create for himself one of the most unique skill sets you will see from a young player.

Not only is he an incredible running back, averaging six yards per carry, but he can catch passes and be a threat as a receiver. He’s a phenomenal return specialist, and combines deceptive power with blazing speed and quickness. There’s almost no weakness to his game.

In fact, you’d have to get really nit-picky to find one that I would concede.

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It’s not to say that McCaffrey has no room for growth, but I don’t recall a player in college football either past or present who could run, catch, and provide a threat as a returner like McCaffrey does. Heck, the guy even threw a pair of touchdown passes last season on just three attempts.

He is such a good football player, and NFL teams are going to be chomping at the bit to get him. You can get him the ball in more ways than I’m sure we’ve all even imagined, and when he has the ball in his hands, he knows exactly what to do with it.

This player is absolutely unreal to watch. His vision, quickness, and deep speed are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his intangible qualities as a player. On the field and off, McCaffrey is a superstar. College football is privileged to have him for another season.