Is Denard the most valuable player in college football?

The big news in college football yesterday was LSU dismissing Tyrann Mathieu, a Heisman finalist last season and electric player for the Tigers.

Despite losing a skilled player, I suspect LSU has plenty of depth to make up for his loss. SEC teams tend to reload, not rebuild.

But still, that got me thinking. Just how valuable was Mathieu to LSU? Sure he made big plays, but do any of us doubt that the Tigers won’t miss much of a beat in replacing him?

When you look at a number of the top players in the country and many of the Heisman favorites, I don’t think there is any single player that is more valuable to his team than Michigan’s Denard Robinson.

Taking Robinson off the Michigan roster would have a greater impact than removing any single player from another team.

You have the likes of USC’s Matt Barkley or Landry Jones at Oklahoma, but those programs have proven to develop great quarterbacks year-after-year.

Clemson’s’ Sammy Watkins is lightning in a bottle, but he doesn’t touch the ball on every play like Robinson does.

In 2010, Robinson pretty much was the Michigan offense, rushing for 1,702 yards and 14 TD’s while throwing for 2,570 yards and 18 scores.

Last year, Brady Hoke adjusted how Robinson was used, but he still posted 2,173 passing yards with 20 TD’s and 1,176 rushing yards with 16 scores.

While nobody will call Robinson the definition of what you expect a quarterback to be, he has all the quickness and speed of an elite running back with an above-average arm.

If Watkins had the ability to throw the ball like Robinson, don’t you think Clemson would put him behind center?

Robinson has been so vital to Michigan’s offense over the last few years, it is interesting to think about just what the Wolverines will look like without him next season.

The debate on Robinson is always going on as some feel he shouldn’t be a quarterback and others feel the numbers speak for themselves. Pat Caputo points that out in his latest column.

Brady Hoke recognizes the importance of having your best player get the ball as much as possible, but he also wants to limit the hits he takes.

Regardless, I think it is best to let Robinson do his thing. He makes some mistakes with his passing, no question.

He also has the ability to score on every play, which he has shown time after time.

His “home run” ability is what makes him stand out as more valuable than any other player in college football.