The top 50 players of 2016 (10-1)

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

All week theScore has been counting down its top 50 players in college football and we've reached the cream of the crop.

Who will be No. 1? Find out here with our top 10 players in college football:

10. JuJu Smith-Schuster - WR, USC

Smith-Schuster is not only arguably the best receiver in the nation, but he also may be the toughest. After breaking his hand against Cal last season, the junior returned only a week later to torch Arizona for eight grabs, 138 yards, and a touchdown. Imagine what Smith-Schuster will be capable of in 2016 with two good hands.

9. Desmond King - CB, Iowa

The 2015 Jim Thorpe Award winner was a big reason Iowa came within a hair of winning the Big Ten title. King's eight interceptions tied a Hawkeyes' record and firmly established himself as one of the best corners in the country. The senior was ready to play as a true freshman and things have only gotten better from there. Expect King to take a starring role on Sundays in the very near future.

8. Jabrill Peppers - DB/LB, Michigan

Is there a more versatile player in the country than Peppers? The Michigan junior is a tremendous athlete that can play on both sides of the ball and Peppers recently said he may be on the field for 100 plays per game this season. Expect Peppers to line up at linebacker, defensive back, in the backfield, in the slot, and be a key contributor on special teams. He can simply do it all.

7. Cam Robinson - OT, Alabama

Robinson was named first team All-SEC in 2015 and helped pave the way for Derrick Henry's Heisman campaign. Henry rushed for 2,219 yards behind Robinson last season and the left tackle helped the Crimson Tide average nearly 200 yards on the ground per game. Robinson was also a force in pass protection during the College Football Playoff, not allowing a sack against Michigan State and Clemson. The junior will likely be a top-10 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

6. Baker Mayfield - QB, Oklahoma

Any player who can go from walk-on to starting quarterback at two Power 5 schools deserves to be on this list. Mayfield did just that at Texas Tech and Oklahoma, before announcing himself on the national stage last season with 3,700 yards passing. For his efforts, Mayfield wasn't even invited to the Heisman ceremony in New York last December, proving he still has a few doubters. Look for the signal caller to keep that chip on his shoulder this season and prove a few more people wrong.

5. Dalvin Cook - RB, Florida State

Cook is a threat to take it to the house anytime he touches the ball, making him one of the most scary backs in the nation to defend. The Florida State junior ran for nearly 1,700 yards last year, but his 7.4 yards per carry average was what made the elusive back stand out. Cook's punishing style of running is a nightmare for defenders and makes breaking multiple tackles look routine.

4. Myles Garrett - DE, Texas A&M

Garrett, as evidenced above, is a freak athlete that NFL teams will be lining up to get their hands on. The pass rusher has recorded 23.5 sacks in two seasons at Texas A&M and in 2015, he led the SEC in tackles for loss and forced fumbles. Garrett possesses an incredible balance of size and speed, which allows the junior to dominate offensive tackles with relative ease, and a burst to get around the edge with lightning quickness.

3. Christian McCaffrey - RB, Stanford

It's nearly impossible to defend McCaffrey. The Stanford running back can do it all for the Cardinal and he proved it in 2015 with an incredible display of versatility. McCaffrey ran for more than 2,000 yards, caught 45 passes, and returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns. If you plan to slow down the Heisman candidate, you better be prepared in three aspects of the game.

2. Leonard Fournette - RB, LSU

Fournette is one of those rare players that seems like he could have not only jumped to the NFL as sophomore, but excelled there as well. The LSU running back looked like he was on a different level than his competition in 2015, running for nearly 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns. Runs like this against Auburn further cemented Fournette as the most feared ball-carrier in the nation. Defenders in 2016 are surely already mentally preparing for the challenge of trying to take down the back one-on-one.

1. Deshaun Watson - QB, Clemson

Barring anything unforeseen this season, Watson will likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Making a claim that bold this early may seem premature, but the Clemson pivot is simply that good. The junior is so difficult to defend, and his more than 4,100 passing yards and 1,100 rushing yards last season are testament to that. Watson also knows how to find the end zone, totaling 47 scores in 2015. The Tigers fell just short of a national title after an undefeated season, so Watson could even be motivated to best last year's spectacular numbers.