HERO Sports is counting down the days until the kickoff of the 2018 college football season on Saturday, Aug. 25, by featuring the best player in the FBS at each jersey number, from 99-1. Each day, from May 18 through Aug. 24, we'll publish one article showcasing the best player whose jersey number matches the number of days remaining.
[divider]RANKINGS: Top 100 Teams for 2018
TRIVIA: Daily FBS Trivia Question
MORE: Best FCS Player for Each Jersey Number[divider]
No. 45 Jaylon Ferguson
Louisiana Tech – DE
Jaylon Ferguson could've been a second-day pick had the Louisiana Tech defensive end declared for the 2018 NFL Draft after registering 27.5 sacks over the last three years, said draft analyst Eric Galko of Optimum Scouting in May.
But since the 6-foot-5, 269-pound native returned for his redshirt senior season, he could enter the first-round discussion.
"Coming into next year, he has a chance to be a late first-round guy," Galko added. "He's a guy NFL teams are really excited about because of that potential on the edge. His strong hands to play on the inside. The best part about Ferguson is he's flashed NFL ability throughout his career."
Since redshirting in 2014, Ferguson, a former three-star recruit who was the 1,623rd-ranked player in the 2014 class, has been a dominant force for the Bulldogs. In addition to his 27.5 sacks — which included a school-record 14.5 sacks in 2016 — he also has 40.5 tackles for loss and is a three-time all-conference selection.
Jaylon Ferguson is the best No. 45 in college football.
PREVIEW: 2018 Louisiana Tech
