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Top 25 College Football Players: 2024 CFN Preview Rankings
By College Football News,
12 hours ago
Who are the 25 best college football players going into the 2024 season?
No, this isn't a list of the best pro prospects - that's coming later. It's a combination of talent, who will be a star, and what each of these guys will do at the college level. (And, yeah, it's a little bit about NFL potential.)
One key thing to note - value at the position matters. There are a TON of great quarterbacks. This could be a list of 25 QBs and it would still be off.
We'll do this again at the midseason and at the end, so if your guy isn't here, or is too low, give it a few moments.
The 25 best players going into the 2024 college football season are ...
5 players who should be in the top 25 Yell at us all you want on these five. They belong somewhere in the top 25 ( someone had to be left out.) In alphabetical order Josh Conerly, OT Jr. Oregon Dontay Corleone, DT Jr. Cincinnati Dillon Gabriel, QB Sr. Oregon Nick Jackson, LB Sr. Iowa Patrick Payton, DE/EDGE Jr. Florida State
25 Luther Burden, WR Jr. Missouri
Ultra-fast and deadly in the open field, he’s slippery-smooth to go along with the explosion. He’ll push for 90 catches and close to 1,500 yards.
24 Walter Nolen, DT Jr. Ole Miss
There was a reason he was a 5-star must-have for Texas A&M. Now Nolen will be the anchor and star of an improved Ole Miss defensive front before starting for some NFL interior.
23 Tetairoa McMillan, WR Jr. Arizona
The definition of a matchup nightmare, the 6-5 target gets deep, and he’s unstoppable when getting him the ball in the red zone. He’s about to blow up more in the Big 12.
22 Malaki Starks, S Jr. Georgia
He won’t get as much national attention as some of the other Georgia stars, but there’s a shot he turns into the best defensive player on a national title-level D loaded with NFL talent.
21 Ollie Gordon, RB Jr. Oklahoma State
Can he do THAT again? When he was on, he was special. Now the best running back of 2023 will be a marked man, but the talent is there to push for another Doak Walker.
Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter (11) motions to the crowd during a White Out game against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. Carter, a sophomore, has recorded 11 total tackles, one sack and one interception through the first four games of the season.
He wears No. 11, but no, he’s not Micah Parsons, but forgetting those impossible standards, he’s still one of the best all-around and versatile defenders in America. The sack numbers are about to blow up.
19 Ashton Jeanty, RB Jr. Boise State
A special star back who can do everything right, he’ll be a workhorse for the Bronco backfield and should push for 50 grabs, too. He'll get more and more attention as the season goes on.
18 Harold Perkins, LB Jr. LSU
Everyone keeps waiting for him to blow up more as a pass rusher. What gets forgotten is how good he is against the run with 147 stops in his first two years.
17 Jay Higgins, LB Sr. Iowa
This could be fellow Hawkeye tackling machine Nick Jackson here - he should be a top 25 player, too. Higgins will once again eat up everything for another great Iowa defense.
16 JT Tuimoloau, DE/EDGE Jr. Ohio State
The tone-setting defender on a D loaded with tone-setting defenders, he’s the constant energy and effort star who’s as badass as it gets up front.
15 Deone Walker, DT Jr. Kentucky
He’s what every coach is looking for - the 6-6, 345sh pound interior pass rusher. Crazy quick for his size, he brings the power, too.
14 Benjamin Morrison, CB Jr. Notre Dame
So good and so smooth, there’s no debate here if you think he’s the nation’s best corner. He can hit, do big things with the ball in his hands - he can do it all.
13 Travis Hunter, CB Jr. Colorado
He’s a weeee bit overhyped because he does so many things well. He’s here as an all-around star, but his real talent is as a corner.
12 Nic Scourton, DE/EDGE Jr. Texas A&M
Good luck, SEC. The former Purdue pass rushing terror brought his talents to College Station, and now he’s about to dominate as one of the nation’s best playmakers behind the line.
11 Will Campbell, OT Jr. LSU
All the next-level tackle skills are there. Right size, right feet, right quickness considering his bulk - he wears the weight well.
April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass while warming up ahead of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
He's only this low because of the position - there are SO many great quarterbacks; at least 15 could be here. Even so, think of it this way - he’s keeping Arch Manning on the bench (for now).
9 Jahdae Barron, S Jr. Texas
A special playmaker who doesn’t get the national exposure of other top Texas players, he’s a difference-making defender who does everything right.
8 Mason Graham, DT Jr. Michigan
This year’s best defensive tackle, he’s not a giant anchor and he’s not an elite pass rusher, but his all-around ability on the inside of another great line will once again stand out.
7 Carson Beck, QB Sr. Georgia
Remember, this is mostly about how good the players will be this college football season and not on pro projection. Beck will be loved by the NFL types, but … no complaints if you think he should be No. 1 overall here.
6 James Pearce Jr., DE/EDGE Jr. Tennessee
He still has to prove he can rock against the run, but the burst and pass rushing ability are already next-level good.
5 Mykel Williams, DE/EDGE Jr. Georgia
A wee bit more of a projection here than proof, he might not have the stats of other top edge rushers, but there’s No. 1 overall draft pick potential here if everything goes right.
4 Shedeur Sanders, QB Sr. Colorado
Way tougher and better than you think - the hype gets in the way of the talent - he’s about to bomb away in another fun year for the Buff attack.
3 Will Johnson, CB Jr. Michigan
The best all-around corner in college football will be a superstar shutdown force on one side. Don’t get weird about the stats - no one will throw his way.
2 Jalen Milroe, QB Jr. Alabama
In an MVP (guy got Bama an SEC title to the CFP), Player of the Year (was a fourth down away from probably winning the national championship), Signature Moment (Auburn) way he deserved more credit for an amazing 2023. Now he’s running the Kalen DeBoer attack. Get ready for the kaboom.
1 Caleb Downs, S Soph. Ohio State
Yeah, he’s a safety, and yeah, there are about 25 quarterbacks who could be here. And yeah ... Caleb Downs is the best player in college football.
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