The Biggest College Sports Stars of the Past 20 Years, Ranked
From college legends like Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush to this era's superstars in Caitlin Clark and Zion Williamson, we ranked the biggest college sports stars of the past 20 years.
Deion Sanders brought college football to the forefront of sports discourse with his start at Colorado. Whether you're a big sports fan or not, you probably heard of Coach Prime in some capacity. It's hard to avoid him. He's a terrific coach but he's also an elite marketer and he's brought attention to the sport like no other. Colorado's double-overtime victory against Colorado State tallied 9.3 million viewers to make it the most-watched late-night college football game ever on ESPN. The fact Deion can have people staying up until 3 a.m. to watch Colorado is an accomplishment in itself. While Colorado failed to make a bowl game in its first year under Prime, there will be higher expectations next season with a better roster.
Coach Prime's stardom and effect on college sports triggered the topic of other athletes & names who have caught the country's attention during their careers. From older college legends like Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush to this era's superstars like Caitlin Clark and Zion Williamson, there's always a few standout college athletes who steal the spotlight of America.
The Complex Sports team put together a ranking of the biggest college stars of the past 20 years. The list was based off the players' impact within the sport but also how well they reached the outside sports audience who may not necessarily watch their sport. This is NOT a ranking based of how good the players were but their performance does factor into their fame. Coach Prime was an outlier as he is the only coach listed but his situation is unique and deserved placement on this list. College football does dominate the list as it's the most popular collegiate sport in America but other athletes were under consideration as well.
16.Angel Reese at LSU
Not many college women's basketball players have reached the stardom of Angel Reese. It's not only on the court but off the court as well. How many college stars have appeared in music videos with Cardi B and Latto as a student. Reese set the internet ablaze after the national championship with her the on-the-court actions and her messages postgame. Her notorierty spike when she declined Jill Biden's apology to her for inviting both LSU and Iowa to the White House.
When we first curated this list, Reese was arguably a bigger name than her rival Caitlin Clark fresh off a title but she and LSU's spotlight has dimmed down a bit since. All eyes will be on LSU during March Madness to see if the Tigers can repeat. The SEC and NCAA Tournament will certainly reignite that flame but it may not peak as much as last year's run. Reese still ranks No. 8 in NIL valuation among all athletes in college.
15.Manti Te'o at Notre Dame
While you may say he was a star for the wrong reasons, the entire world knew the story of Manti Te'o whether you were a football fan or not. For those that still may not know, Te'o admitted that his "girlfriend" who passed away from leukemia was not actually really. Te'o claimed he was catfished by a man pretending to be a woman. It obviously turned from a heart-warming story to a confusing mystery quickly but he did have everyone's attention. Although he still was a Heisman candidate as a linebacker, it wasn't his play that drew attention but more so people rooting for him and eventually, clowning him. It will go down as maybe the most bizzare story in sports history and even after a Netflix documentary, it still doesn't make sense. Due to the magnitude of the story, we thought it was fair to include him on this list as well.
14.Vince Young at Texas
Vince Young was a star in his own right, but he never had full control of the spotlight with Reggie Bush (also listed) being dominant in his era as well. Vince Young did steal that spotlight temporarily in January of 2006 when Texas defeated USC in the Rose Bowl in an all-time classic. The hype train bandwagon on Vince was at full capacity following that victory. Vince Young set the standard for Texas football, tallying a 30-2 record as a starter during his time.
13.John Wall at Kentucky
John Wall's impact on college basketball flies a bit under the radar. He ushered in the one-and-done era and did it with style. Teaming up with Demarcus Cousins, Kentucky had one of the most exciting duos and overall teams in college basketball history. It set the precedent for blue bloods in recruiting and elite high school basketball talents teaming up in college. There would likely be no Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish at Duke if John Wall didn't start the trend at Kentucky. Everyone wanted to see Wall hoop in college especially after his high school tape, which may go done as the best tape ever.
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11.Lamar Jackson at Louisville
Lamar Jackson doesn't get enough credit for what he did in college football. Louisville was always known for its basketball but Lamar had everyone tuned in to see him put on a show. Who can forget his dominant performance against No. 2 Florida State or his back-and-forth battle with Deshaun Watson on the road against Clemson. Lamar was so good in college, Louisville retired his number immediately and announced he was getting his own statue. He was must- see TV every time he walked out on that field.
10.Cam Newton at Auburn
Cam Newton was truly the big man on campus. While we only got one year of Cam at Auburn, it was a special season. Newton was electric on the ground and in the air. Playing in the toughest conference in college football, he and Auburn ran through the likes of Alabama, LSU, and ranked South Carolina twice. His personality coupled with his play made Cam the talk of country for one year.
9.Joe Burrow at LSU
The Joe Burrow hype at LSU was brief but it was loud. Leading arguably the greatest college football team ever, Burrow was the talk of the country. It helped to play with the amount of talent he did but as the quarterback and the Heisman winner, Burrow took all the headlines. By season's end, Burrow's name was known across the country and he might have one of the most iconic post-championship scenes in sports history. Unlike Newton, Burrow was in the prime of the social media era so that amplified his status a bit more than older players on this list.
8.Jimmer Fredette at BYU
Before Steph Curry took over the NBA, it was Jimmer Fredette who had the world reputation for pulling up from 30 feet for no reason. "Jimmer range" used to be a term used for people taking unnecessarily deep threes. Basketball fans everywhere ran to the TV to watch BYU play basketball on national television, anticipating an explosive scoring performance from Jimmer. If Jimmer played in the peak of social media, he might be higher on this list. He was breaking social media metrics before social media was what it is today. Jimmer's highlights from China or the TBT still go viral even today.
7.Caitlin Clark at Iowa
Save your women's basketball slander for someone else. Before LSU took the spotlight last April, Caitlin Clark was the main event of men's and women's college basketball. Everyone wanted to see the "Steph Curry" of women's basketball. Iowa's Elite 8 game on ESPN had more TV viewers than any NBA game on the network last season and that was due to Caitlin Clark. With the evolution of social media, she brought new viewers to women's basketball last season and ultimately set the foundation for the revolution of women's college basketball. No other college athlete in the past 25 years has transcended their spot like Clark has. You can't really argue that women's college basketball is at its peak in popularity right now and it'll likely dominate headlines over the men this year during March Madness.
She now sits atop the record books for career points for both men's and women's college basketball. She's had an entire football stadium filled for a preseason game and had a worldwide star like Travis Scott fly to Iowa to watch her play. Unlike many on this list, she's been the center of attention of sports for over two years and that will continue that into her WNBA career. The only thing missing to complete her illustrious career is a national title.
6.Tim Tebow at Florida
Tim Tebow's spot on this list can range anywhere from No. 1 to No. 5. You can make a solid case that he was the biggest star on this list especially when you look at this resume. This list isn't based off merit but Tim Tebow's status continued to grow the more he won. Two national championships and a Heisman is a rare feat but it was his character and leadership that captivated the country. Who can forget his postgame speeches that would be played on SportsCenter over and over again. He won the national championship as a freshman and played three more years after that as a starter. He had a lot of time to build up his stardom and by his senior year, he was one of the biggest names in all of sports.
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4.Zion Williamson at Duke
You can simply put it like this. Barack Obama, Jay-Z, and LeBron James all pulled courtside at Duke games to watch Zion Williamson. This is a player who had Drake wearing his jersey in high school and had rappers like Travis Scott and Gunna pulling up to Durham, North Carolina. On the court, he was the greatest show in sports. Everyone stayed up late to watch Duke dismantle Kentucky in the college debut of Zion, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish. There would be a viral highlight every week from Zion. He was so good that people started to admit that they actually liked a Duke team. He cruised to National Player of the Year honors despite missing some games due to injury. He was a once-in-a-generation college talent and with the high school to NBA rule possibly changing soon, he may be the last talent like that to ever play in college again. Unlike most on this list, Zion's impact went global.
3.Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders at Colorado
It may seem to early to put Deion up here but you probably stayed up until 2:30 a.m. to watch Colorado play Colorado State. How many Colorado-Colorado State games have you watched in your lifetime? Exactly. Deion's presence along with his son Shedeur and his star player Travis Hunter have the country locked in on Colorado football. Some are watching to root for him and others are watching to pray on his downfall but he has everyone watching. The dynamic between him and son to go along with the power of marketing has the whole country tuned in. From The Rock to legendary rappers like Lil Wayne to big advocates like LeBron, Deion has the country in his hands. Yes, he's not a player like others on this list and he had his time at Florida State to shine but we've never seen a coach be the star of his program like this. Yes, people are tuning in to watch Shedeur and Travis Hunter but everyone is really tuning in to see if Deion can silence the critics.
2.Reggie Bush at USC
Reggie Bush was the greatest show on grass (or turf) during his years at USC. While they can take away his Heisman, they cannot take away his impact on sports. USC might've been a storied program with great tradition before Reggie but Reggie brought a new flavor and audience to USC football. He was a flat out star on the field. He had people mimicking every spin and juke he made on that field. When you think of Reggie Bush, his NFL career doesn't pop up as your first thought. You think of the greatness you saw on the field at USC.
1.Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M
The swag. The confidence. The dominance. Johnny Football was a moment. Similar to Deion, Johnny Manziel had the whole country watching Texas A&M football. He caught the attention of the world when Texas A&M upset No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He had youth football players around the world wearing the one long sleeve with a visor and doing the money sign every time they score. He became an instant star and even had the Drake co-signed. Drake said he spent the offseason with Manziel to give him wisdom on dealing with the spotlight and scrutiny. Who can forget "Draft Day, Johnny Manziel..."
