The definitive walk-ons receiving scholarships power rankings

Game shows? Santa Claus? Cops? Rocky?! Only one kind of moment in college football can cast such a wide net of props or visitors ... and emotions. That, of course, is when walk-ons are given scholarships.

Fortunately for those of us who aren't in the team meeting rooms when scholarships get issued, social media has helped turn these awards into something of an annual event every August during camps across the country. Once again, this year did not disappoint.

No one is better at creating elaborate scholarship reveals than P.J. Fleck and Western Michigan, which is basically the Alabama of walk-on surprises, but there were plenty of other chilling moments across the country.

Today, we present to you the ultimate power rankings of walk-ons earning scholarships.

10. Chris Finke, Notre Dame, 2016

Notre Dame's WOPU Nation is no laughing matter. From Chris Salvi to Joe Schmidt, no shortage of contributors started their college careers as members of the Irish's Walk-On Players' Union. This month, cornerback and WOPU general Jesse Bongiovi -- yes, the son of that Bongiovi -- had a few words about a soon-to-be-former compadre after practice. Coach Brian Kelly took it from there, announcing that Finke, a redshirt freshman receiver, would be put on scholarship. The player reactions, as always, are the best part.

9. Gabe Ovgard, Oregon State, 2016

Ovgard, a scout-team receiver-turned-starting safety last season, was one of the Beavers' feel-good stories. To honor Ovgard's work, coach Gary Andersen gathered players before a winter workout and had them pick "prizes" out of a hat for their teammates. The final prize, of course, was a surprise full-ride for Ovgard. (Ovgard medically retired from football this month, saying he had suffered four concussions in the past year.)

8. Clark Eyers, Ford Howell and Josh Taylor, NC State, 2016

Coach Dave Doeren has been a huge champion of walk-ons during his time with the Wolfpack, giving out 13 scholarships to walk-ons since his arrival in 2013. Doeren went the surprise route this time, putting on a comedy bit in a team meeting that compared NC State players and coaches to their celebrity lookalikes. You know how this one ends.

7. Grant DePalma, Western Michigan, 2014

It says something about WMU that the use of Santa Claus to issue a scholarship isn't even one of the Broncos' most creative ways of surprising walk-ons. Still, the presence of St. Nick in a team meeting before a bowl game was certainly a special moment for DePalma, who received the most-expensive Christmas gift of his life: a full ride.

6. Danny Doyle, Duke, 2016

Credit coach David Cutcliffe for having a few tricks up his sleeve, as the 61-year-old Duke coach shocked Doyle, a defensive end, by having Doyle's parents call during a post-spring meeting and deliver him the news. It's nice to see parents be a part of moments like these, too, since they're the ones who often foot the college bill for their kids.

5. Josh Anderson, Notre Dame, 2015

Notre Dame checks in on this list twice, thanks to Brian Kelly's creativity. The Irish were revealing their one-off Shamrock Series uniforms, and they granted Anderson the honor of "modeling" them for his teammates. As if that moment wasn't exciting enough for a group of college kids, Kelly then announced that Anderson, a running back, was a "model" student-athlete at Notre Dame, and that he'd be going on scholarship because of it.

4. Kyle Seger, Ball State, 2016

Who doesn't love game shows? First-year Ball State coach Mike Neu decided to put a local spin on the game, having player personnel director Tilmon Clark dress up as a host for "The Cardinal Is Right." Clark calls players up individually to guess what is on the screen behind them, with the help from their position groups. When Seger finally gets called and his answer pops up, the entire team storms the stage. Hilarious and chilling, all at once.

3. Trevor Sweeney, Western Michigan, 2015

An onside kick? With a note wrapped around the football? So much planning had to go into this WMU surprise, and even then, so much had to go exactly right: The kick, the recovery, the teammates keeping their straight faces for so long. In the end, we get Sweeney being lifted by fellow players as he reads a letter from coach P.J. Fleck. Amazing.

2. Daniel Maynes and Rob O'Connor, UMass 2012

Cops interrupted a team meeting and said they had documents with Maynes' and O'Connor's names on them. The concerned looks on the players' faces -- and on coach Charley Molnar's, who was in on the act -- were priceless. Credit Molnar and UMass for being forward-thinking here, as this stunt came in 2012, way before awarding scholarships became a fashionable moment to film and post.

1. Kasey Carson, Western Michigan, 2016

It's not enough that the 35-year-old Fleck comes out in full uniform here. Or that he challenges a player to the Oklahoma drill, with a potential night off as the winning prize. Or that the player, Carson, wins. Fleck then directs the team to the videoboard, where Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, appears with former WMU letterman Alec Gores to tell Carson he has a scholarship. There may be some boat-rowing -- and drinking -- involved at the end, too. Incredible.