Good morning. This is LEADOFF, an early look at Atlanta sports.
This is the time of year for prematurely ranking everything about the coming college football season. Yesterday, we told you where CBS Sports ranks this state's four FBS-level teams among 130 programs nationwide. And just in case that compilation left you wondering where individual players rank among the nation's best, Sports Illustrated is out with a ranking that answers.
Two University of Georgia players rate among SI’s “Top 100 Players” in college football for 2017, although neither is in the top 50.
Defensive lineman Trenton Thompson is ranked No. 62. "At full strength, the 6' 4", 295-pound junior can function as a wrecking ball that cramps the pocket and storms the backfield," SI writes.
And tailback Nick Chubb is ranked No. 66. "When healthy, he's shown he can be the best back in the SEC on a given Saturday," SI writes.
No other player on any team in the state of Georgia made the top 100.
You can read the full report, 1 through 100, here.
And by the way, SI also ranks its top 25 teams. Alabama and Florida State are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. They'll open the season against each other in a Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 2.
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