There were plenty of big winners from Saturday's slate of college football action but, on an individual level, few come close to earning the praise and recognition that Georgia running back Todd Gurley did.
After gashing Clemson's defense for a school-record 293 all-purpose yards and leaping to the front of the Heisman Trophy race, Gurley earned even more recognition from legendary tailback Herschel Walker.
"Todd is the best back in college football," Walker told Sports Illustrated. "Right now, you can't argue that point.
"Every time he touches the ball, you're looking for something to happen."
It's hard to argue with that point, even if the former Bulldogs tailback might be a little biased toward his alma mater's star player.
Gurley ran for 193 yards yards in the opener and added a 100-yard kick return for good measure in a four-touchdown effort. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound junior is already widely considered to be one of the best in the nation at his position and Saturday's performance did nothing to dissuade anybody from that opinion after he showed plenty of power and enough speed to hit the edge.
This isn't the first time Walker, a Heisman Trophy winner and former Pro Bowler himself, has heaped plenty of praise on the Bulldogs' lead running back. Back in July, the Georgia legend said Gurley has what it takes to play in the NFL and become a lead back.
"Todd is a tough, tough ballplayer," Walker said at the time. "He's a very, very good ballplayer. The guy has got so much talent, and when you watch him play, you know that he can go to the next level with no problem."
Considering the amount of talent Gurley has already shown, that might be a safe bet at this point. If there's anybody who can reverse the trend of running backs being passed over in the first round of the draft, Gurley could be college football's best hope as its best back to come along the past several seasons.
One thing is for sure either way, he's got quite the supporter in his corner in Walker.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
