Urban Meyer's been about as dominant a head coach in college football could be since he took the reins at Bowling Green State University.
Ohio State marks Meyer's fourth (and likely final) stop in a coaching career that started in 2001 with the Falcons and stretched to the University of Utah, the University of Florida and finally back home in Columbus.
Meyer's .845 winning percentage (142-26) as a head coach is easily the best among active Division I head coaches with at least 10 years of experience and is good for fourth-best all-time.
He's got three national championships in his career, 2006 and 2008 at Florida and then 2014 with Ohio State. Though he had great success both at Bowling Green and Utah, because he didn't win a national title at either place, we're going to keep the great players he coached there out of this list.
It seems a little unfair to try and pick out just one player at each position who played under Meyer either at Florida or Ohio State, but we're going to (mostly) do it anyway.
Here's the list I came up with. Keep in mind that this is for what these guys did at the collegiate level, not in the NFL or elsewhere, but the years listed after their names represent when they entered the league. There are no current Ohio State players listed because they're still playing for Meyer.
Offense
Quarterback
Tim Tebow, Florida, 2009 — A pair of SEC and national title rings, a Heisman Trophy, two-time All-American, three-time first team All-SEC and winner of the O'Brien, Maxwell (twice), Sullivan and Manning Awards make this about as much of a no-brainer as you can get for this team. Whether you like him or loathe him, Tebow's the best most decorated quarterback Meyer's ever coached.
Running Back
Carlos Hyde, Ohio State, 2014 — A bulldozer with ample speed to finish off huge runs in the end zone, Hyde transformed the Buckeye offense in 2013 behind a powerful offensive line that has three guys starting in the NFL right now and another (Taylor Decker) on the way. Hyde averaged 7.3 yards per carry that season and scored 15 touchdowns in 12 games and also caught three passes for scores.
Hyde was a monster in 2013.
H-back
Percy Harvin, Florida, 2009 — As silly as it might seem to think Meyer and his coaching staff always has to be looking for "The Next Percy Harvin" to make the offense be the way they want it, there's a reason the role is named after Harvin. Lighting fast and possessing an outstanding array of moves with the football in his hands, Harvin was another huge reason the Gators won the 2008 national championship. He finished that year with 660 rushing yards and 644 receiving yards to go with 17 total touchdowns, the perfect compliment for Tebow's power running between the tackles.
Wide Receiver
Corey "Philly" Brown, Ohio State, 2014 — Though he wasn't the flashiest of players, Brown grew into an excellent possession receiver for the Buckeyes in 2013. He wasn't always going to wow you with the big plays, but had great hands and often made the tough catch in traffic to finish his senior year with 63 receptions, 771 yards and 10 scores. That was after snagging 60 passes for 669 yards and three touchdowns the year before. Brown was key in taking some of the pressure off Braxton Miller those two years.
Riley Cooper, Florida, 2010 — Cooper caught 51 passes for 961 yards and nine touchdowns from Tebow in 2009, the last player before Devin Smith a year ago to flirt with the 1,000-yard mark under Meyer. A possession guy like Brown, Cooper was an integral part of Florida's offense that year.
Smith made plenty of huge catches in 2014.
Devin Smith, Ohio State, 2015 — Speaking of Smith, he makes the team because he, to use Meyer's words, was "the best deep-ball catcher in America" in 2014. It's hard to argue, considering he led the nation with a ridiculous 28.2 yards per catch average. His 931 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns led the team, and his speed alone makes the case for him to be on the team. There probably won't ever be another guy like Smith.
Tight End
Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State, 2015 — Heuerman was a huge leader for Ohio State during it's national title run, battling through injuries and staying on the field as much as he could as a captain. His stats weren't great (17 catches, 207 yards, two touchdowns) but its the effect he had in the ground game that earned him a spot on this list.
Note: I kept a certain former Gator and New England Patriot off the team for reasons that hopefully shouldn't need to be explained.
Offensive Tackle
Jack Mewhort, Ohio State, 2014
Marcus Gilbert, Florida, 2011
Both of these guys are having successful careers at the next level — Mewhort as a guard with Indianapolis and Gilbert at tackle for Pittsburgh — and the latter was part of Florida's 2008 national championship squad. Mewhort was a leader on the offensive line for Ohio State and a big reason why Hyde's numbers were so good in 2013.
Offensive Guard
Mike Pouncey, Florida, 2011
Andrew Norwell, Ohio State, 2014
Pouncey and Norwell both started a bunch of games for their respective schools in college. Pouncey even moved to center his senior year to replace his brother, who left for the NFL.
Center
Maurkice Pouncey, Florida, 2010 OR Corey Linsley, Ohio State, 2014
It's hard to choose between either of these guys. Pouncey started and won the 2008 national title with the Gators and Tebow, and Linsley earned "The Apex" as a nickname from Meyer. Both are smart, hardworking and really, really good players.
Defense
Defensive End
John Simon, Ohio State, 2013
Ever since Simon graduated, Meyer seems to be in constant search mode for the next guy to be a leader like Simon both on and off the field. His on-field prowess was outstanding — 44 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and a team-leading 9.0 sacks in 2012 — but the leadership he displayed off it was instrumental during the undefeated season.
Carlos Dunlap/Jarvis Moss, Florida
You could even throw Derrick Harvey in this line to make it a trio simply for what he and Moss did to Ohio State in the 2006 BCS National Championship game, but Dunlap and Moss were just as dominant in their careers. A total of 45 sacks between the three of them is enough for anyone to be happy with any of them starting opposite Simon.
Defensive Tackle
Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State, 2013 — Meyer didn't recruit Hankins, but the big guy had a solid Buckeye career. He finished with 137 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.
Michael Bennett, Ohio State, 2015 — Bennett was criticized for appearing to take a few plays off early last season, but came on strong in the post-season. A team captain who played through injury in the College Football Playoff, Bennett still produced.
Bennett performed best late in the year.
Linebacker
Ryan Shazier, Ohio State, 2014 — Shazier's numbers are staggering (he amassed more than 300 tackles in the three years he was in Columbus) and he was the guy who made all the plays for a 2013 defensive unit that struggled to make many. No-brainer.
Brandon Spikes, Florida, 2010 — A two-time All-American who finished with 31.5 tackles for loss while being the leader of Meyer's defenses at Florida, Spikes is about as solid as they come. Also a no-brainer.
Jonathan Bostic/Jelani Jenkins, Florida — Both players still produced after Meyer left Florida, finishing with 35.5 tackles for loss combined in their careers.
Cornerback
Joe Haden, Florida, 2010 — He was a star at Florida and 2009 All-American when he picked off four passes, finished with 3.0 sacks and 68 total tackles. Not bad for a cornerback.
Bradley Roby, Ohio State, 2014 — The All-Big Ten corner finished his three-year Buckeye career with 180 tackles and eight picks.
Safety
Major Wright, Florida, 2010 — One of the hardest hitters to ever play for Meyer at safety, Wright was a key cog in the defense that helped Florida win the 2008 BCS National Championship. He finished with eight interceptions and more than 160 tackles in his career.
Reggie Nelson, Florida, 2007 — Another All-American, Nelson was a ball-hawking defender who bookended the back line of Florida's defense in the 2006 national title season. He finished that year with six interceptions.
