“It’s going to be a very long time before any of us get to see a player as exciting and thrilling as Reggie Bush.”
That is FOX Sports college football analyst RJ Young’s take on the former USC standout, who is among 18 players in the 2023 class for the College Football Hall of Fame.
Young took at look at the list in the latest episode of his podcast, “The Number One College Football Show,” counting down the top five.
Ranking the HOF Class of 2023
RJ Young shares his list of top players in the 2023 class for the College Football Hall of Fame.
Here’s a look at Young’s list and a breakdown of each player:
5. Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
College stats: 532 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, seven interceptions
Accolades: Three-time first-team All-ACC, two-time consensus All-American, ACC Rookie of the Year (2009), ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2011), Butkus Award winner (2011), Lott Trophy winner (2011), Lombardi Award winner (2011), Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner (2011), broke the ACC career tackles record (532)
Young’s take: “The man ate film. All the stuff you love from your favorite college football analysts, the Joel Klatts of the world, that can see the play before the play and tell exactly what’s gonna happen and explain what’s gonna happen. … He was doing that in the middle of the game and making a tackle. That was who Luke Kuechly was. It was a lot of fun watching that man play football.”
4. Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
College stats: 245 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, 14 interceptions, three touchdowns
Accolades: Two-time first-team All-SEC, two-time unanimous All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2008), Jim Thorpe Award winner (2009), two-time Jack Tatum Trophy (2008, 2009)
Young’s take: “Eric Berry was a no-fly zone as a safety, which was real difficult to undertake. You are responsible for the run before you were responsible for the pass, and this man could still do both.”
3. Derrick Johnson, LB, Texas
College stats: 458 tackles, 10.5 sacks, nine interceptions, 11 forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries
Accolades: Big-12 Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year, three-time first-team All-Big 12, two-time consensus All-American, Jack Lambert Trophy winner (2004), Bronko Nagurski Trophy (2004), Dick Butkus Award (2004)
Young’s take: “This dude was my favorite linebacker in high school. He played inside linebacker the way most people played outside linebacker. He could come off the ball, he would get into the backfield, and he would take the ball away from you.”
2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
College stats: 9,285 passing yards, 88 passing touchdowns, 16 interceptions, 2,947 rushing yards, 57 rushing touchdowns
Accolades: Three-time first-team All-SEC, two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-American (2007, 2008), second-team All-American (2009), AP College Football Player of the Year (2007), Davey O’Brien Award winner (2007), two-time Maxwell Award (2007, 2008), Heisman Trophy (2007), BCS National Championship Game MVP (2008), two-time BCS national champion (2006, 2008)
Young’s take: “He was the QB on one of the great teams of college football: The 2008 Florida Gators. He was the dude. … Heisman Trophy winner. It’s one thing to be a Heisman Trophy winner. It’s another thing to be the QB on a Florida Gators team that nobody felt good about playing.”
1. Reggie Bush, RB, USC
College stats: 3,169 rushing yards, 7.3 yards per carry, 25 rushing touchdowns, 95 receptions, 1,301 receiving yards, 13 receiving touchdowns, 1,522 kick return yards, one kick return TD, 559 punt return yards, three punt return touchdowns
Accolades: Two-time consensus All-American, two-time Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year (2005), Heisman Trophy (2005-vacated), Walter Camp Award (2005-vacated), Doak Walker Award (2005-vacated), two-time AP national champion (2003, 2004), BCS National Championship (2004)
Young’s take: “He lost two football games in his entire USC career. Reggie [Bush] was the closest to Deion [Sanders] in my lifetime, which is another way of saying ‘I’m going to take control of this game because once I touch the ball, you will not touch me.’”
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