Breaking down the top 50 players in college football ahead of 2026
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The college football season is right around the corner, and the 2026 season will be filled with exceptional players. Quarterbacks will likely rule once again, with the likes of Dante Moore, Arch Manning, and CJ Carr all having a shot at the Heisman Trophy.
Pro Football Focus ranked the top 50 players heading into the 2026 season and the first three players on the board weren’t quarterbacks.
MORE: 5-star QB Trae Taylor on why he picked Nebraska over other blue-blood programs
Top 10 players in college football
According to PFF, Ohio State and Texas both have two players ranked in the top 10. OSU QB Julian Sayin is also the first quarterback listed, which is very interesting with other signal callers out there.
- WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
- CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
- Edge Colin Simmons, Texas
- QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State
- WR Malachi Toney, Miami
- RB Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
- QB Dante Moore, Oregon
- OL Carter Smith, Indiana
- QB Arch Manning, Texas
- RB Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
Top QBs, RBs, and WRs
The new-school college football fans want to see excitement and touchdowns. Some time ago, especially if you watched Big Ten football, defensive showdowns ruled college football, but now, you can expect to see shootouts in any conference you watch.
Which leads us to PFF’s QB rankings and how it ranked the skill positions.
Top 5 QBs in 2026
- Julian Sayin, Ohio State
- Dante Moore, Oregon
- Arch Manning, Texas
- Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
- CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Top 5 RBs in 2026
- Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
- Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
- Caleb Hawins, Oklahoma State
- Jadan Baugh, Florida
- LJ Martin, BYU
Top 5 WRs in 2026
- Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
- Malachi Toney, Miami
- KJ Duff, Rutgers
- Mario Craver, Texas A&M
- Cam Coleman, Texas
Don’t forget about the defense
Explosive plays and touchdowns do rule college football, but again, it used to be defense that was king. But there are standout defenders in college football and likely all the defensive players ranked will be playing on Sundays in the next few years.
- CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
- Edge Colin Simmons, Texas
- S KJ Bolden, Georgia
- DL AJ Holmes Jr., Texas Tech
- S Bray Hubbard, Alabama
- LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame
- Edge Clev Lubin, Louisville
- DL Will Echoles, Ole Miss
- Edge Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
- LB Rasheem Biles, Texas
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