ESPN's 2026 College Football Top 100 Players Revealed
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- ESPN published its 2026 preseason top 100 college football player rankings, compiled by Max Olson alongside experts Bill Connelly, David Hale, Adam Rittenberg, and Paolo Uggetti, with no debate about the top of the list and little disagreement on the top five.
- Oregon led all programs with eight players on the list after successfully convincing many to turn down the NFL draft to chase a national title, while defending national champion Indiana and Texas each placed seven.
- Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy-winning Indiana quarterback who finished No. 1 in ESPN's end-of-season rankings, was not on last year's preseason top 100 — along with Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, Malachi Toney, and Arvell Reese — a gap ESPN flags as evidence of how quickly new stars rise.
- John Mateer (Oklahoma QB, transfer from Washington State) rushed more than 10 times per game in his first season, leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff despite a hand injury, while Byrum Brown (Auburn QB, transfer from South Florida) posted 42 total touchdowns and the highest Total QBR of any Group of 5 quarterback.
- Caleb Hawkins (Oklahoma State RB, transfer from North Texas) led the FBS with 25 rushing touchdowns and 62 broken tackles as a freshman, following ex-North Texas coach Eric Morris to Stillwater.
- Kenyatta Jackson Jr. (Ohio State DE) is one of only three returning defensive starters from a Buckeyes defense that produced three first-round NFL draft picks in April, with 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss last season.
- Yhonzae Pierre (Alabama LB) recorded eight sacks with a 17.5% pressure rate, piling up eight tackles for loss with five sacks across wins over Missouri, Tennessee, South Carolina, and LSU during Alabama's midseason playoff push.
Why it matters: ESPN's own framing concedes its last preseason list missed the eventual No. 1 player (Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza), so the ranking functions more as conversation starter than predictive document. Oregon loading eight players — including several who spurned the NFL draft — signals the Ducks' 2026 roster as the program to beat, while the heavy transfer-portal presence throughout the 100-85 tier underscores how roster turnover continues to scramble preseason evaluation.
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