Best individual seasons of the last 20 years: No. 2 - Christian McCaffrey in 2015

Over a two-week period, theScore's NCAAF editors will be taking a look at the best individual seasons across the college football landscape over the last 20 seasons, focusing specifically on players from the Power 5 conferences.

Each day we will be counting down the top 10 that college football has had to offer over the last two decades.

No. 2 - Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey's 2015 season

He was recruited out of Valor Christian High School as an athlete - not a running back. Soon after Christian McCaffrey arrived at Stanford, it became clear why.

Perhaps no player in NCAA history brought more offensive versatility to the table than McCaffrey. In 2015, he broke the NCAA's single-season record for all-purpose yards.

It's hard to fathom but McCaffrey wasn't the Heisman Trophy winner in 2015 - that distinction went to fellow running back Derrick Henry of Alabama - because his season was one for the ages.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

The stats

Mr. Do It All made contributions in the running, passing, and return games. His numbers over 14 contests were nothing short of mind-blowing:

Rushing

Receiving

Returning (kickoff and punt)

What made the season so special?

It was record-setting. The nation began watching McCaffrey with baited breath as the season wore on, wondering if he could challenge Barry Sanders' single-season record of 3,250 all-purpose yards.

Not only did McCaffrey challenge it, he surpassed it, finishing the campaign with 3,864 all-purpose yards. Coincidentally, Sanders' son, Barry J. Sanders, and McCaffrey were teammates at Stanford.

McCaffrey was virtually unstoppable in 2015: if teams contained him on the ground, he'd torch them in the passing game; if they limited him in the air, he'd get to them in the return game. No matter the opponent, McCaffrey had an answer. He had at least 100 all-purpose yards in each outing and went over 100 yards rushing 11 times in 14 contests.

As a sophomore, McCaffrey produced five different types of touchdowns - rushing, receiving, passing, kickoff return, and punt return. He finished the year with 17 total touchdowns and was among the most compelling weekly programs on cable TV.

The moments

McCaffrey's crowning moment came during the Pac-12 championship game when he broke Sanders' record, which had stood for 27 years. He posted 207 rushing yards against USC that night, averaging nearly twice as many yards per attempt as the Trojans had surrendered for the season.

The star Cardinal topped the century mark in rushing, receiving, and returning - the only time all year he achieved that feat - to help Stanford claim Pac-12 glory. Seemingly just for fun, he threw an 11-yard touchdown, too.

McCaffrey shined on the national stage once more in the Rose Bowl a month later. He began the outing with a thrilling 75-yard touchdown reception, and he scored again on a 63-yard punt return in the second quarter.

He was utterly unstoppable all afternoon, as he set a new record for all-purpose yards in a Rose Bowl. He led Stanford to a 45-16 bashing of Iowa in "The Granddaddy of Them All."

After the Rose Bowl, McCaffrey was serenaded with chants of "Heisman," courtesy of some guy on the field.

Previous

• No. 10 - Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh
• No. 9 - Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel
• No. 8 - Auburn QB Cam Newton
• No. 7 - Arizona State DE Terrell Suggs
• No. 6 - USC RB Reggie Bush
• No. 5 - Clemson QB Deshaun Watson
• No. 4 - Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree
• No. 3 - Texas RB Ricky Williams
• No. 1 - Florida QB Tim Tebow