Top-10 Players in College Football 2026
- Zak Drapeau
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
by Zak Drapeau
Sportz Nation - 8/18/2026
10. Cam Coleman
WR Texas
Let's start this list off with a wild card pick straight away! Truth be told I'm not too sure if this pick is indeed a hot take because Cam Coleman is an elite WR athlete who will be joining a Texas team with one of the best QBs in the country in an offensive-friendly system.
In two seasons at Auburn, Coleman did well statistically but didn't take the year 2-progression that we all expected, partially due to Auburn as a whole having a very disappointing season. Now with Arch Manning throwing him the ball in a Steve Sarkisian offense that also has Ryan Wingo to take pressure off of him getting singaled out by every defensive secondary, I believe that 2026 will show how athletically-gifted and talented Coleman is on the outside.
9. Kewan Lacy
RB Ole Miss
I am hesitant to put stock into any Ole Miss player who will be playing their first season without Lane Kiffin, (cough cough Trinidad Chambliss cough cough) but what I do like about Lacy is that he should be getting 300-350 touches again this season. I would have Ahmad Hardy higher than Lacy on this list if not for the injury he's dealing with but I would've still had no doubt that Lacy would be in talks for the Doak Walker award this year.
8. C.J. Carr
QB Notre Dame
I have seen a lot of people who have C.J. Carr somewhere in there Top-5 and as high as #2 and while I really... REALLY like the kid and Notre Dame in general this season, I think we need to pump the breaks just a bit. #8 best player in the country is still a huge honor and I fully expect him to live up to it especially with the roster Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman has put around him.
Carr did a lot with less last season. Heading into 2026, Notre Dame may have their best receiving core since the last 2000's. Bringing back leading receiver Jordan Faison and standout slot Jaden Greathouse should right away pick up where they left last season but the Irish also went and brought in Ohio State receivers Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter who are talented enough to themselves challenge for WR1 & 2 numbers.
Here's the thing, Carr's season will hinge on 2 games: Miami in South Bend in Week 10 and their first matchup in the CFP. Right now, I just don't have enough on Carr that I feel exceptional about to say that he'll perform elite in those games. Even if he plays average and they barely win, that narrative of Notre Dame having the season they'll have will be just about their cupcake schedule and Carr's season will be a product of that.
7. Carter Smith
OT Indiana
In what looks to be a weak 2027 Draft Class for offensive lineman, Carter Smith is easily the best of the group with LSU's transfer Tackle Jordan Seaton not too far behind. Smith may have gotten torched against Miami in the Natty but against two, first-round picks that is understandable. For the rest of the 15 games he started at Left Tackle for the undefeated Hoosiers, he was lights out.
Smith may be a bit small for a Tackle at under 310 pounds but he is by far the best pass blocker in the country. With only 6 pressures allowed all season before the title game, Smith should theoretically be even better as he returns for his 4th season as a starter. If Smith is as good as he was last year he'll easily earn this Top-10 player in the country billing. If he does get even better, we're looking at a generational Tackle season and one that could possibly lead to the Hoosiers shocking us all again.
6. Collin Simmons
Edge Texas
There is only 2 defenders in my Top-10 this year and they are both game wreckers in different ways. First on the board is Collin Simmons who even in his freshman and sophomore seasons was competing as the best edge rusher in the country. Now that he's a year older after showing improvements year after year, Simmons should be in store for a monster 2026.
Here's where I may lose some people; Simmons is a Top-3 player in the country but in terms of what players will have the best season, he has to drop down the list a bit for one glaring reason.
He will be double-teamed on EVERY. SINGLE. PLAY.
That's not an exaggeration. Texas' defense lost a ton of talent to the draft last year and left Simmons as not only their best defender, but their only elite pass rusher. Simmons is such freaky athlete with such good rushing tools that he will still beat these double teams and get a high pressure-rate again this season but with teams now game planning for him as much as anyone on Texas, we'll see a dip in numbers. Again, he's as good as maybe even my #2 player on this list but from a strictly-performance based narrative, he might disappoint some people if he only gets 9 or 10 sacks and 12 to 15 hurries on the season.
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Authors Note: As outstanding as the 10-5 slots are, it has to be noted just how high of a jump the Top-5 are. These players are completely elite and will fully be in Heisman and #1 draft pick talks
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5. Arch Manning
QB Texas
It pains me to put Arch Manning as high as #5 on my rankings but that's how good the talent is in College Football in 2026. Manning started last season with ungodly expectations and even though he had a really good season, people were disappointed.
And he DID have a great season. His averages in Texas' last 6 games were 62% completions, 320 total yards, over 3 TDs and only 2 total interceptions while the Longhorns went 5-1 with wins over Mississippi State, Vandy, Texas A&M and Michigan.
It was clear that he started the season off mediocre but by mid season and through the stretch, Manning found it. Now that he's got it, Texas went out and got vastly better on offense around him. They brought in WR Cam Coleman from Auburn who I already spoke about how good he could be this year and two very good RBs in Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown. Manning will also get his veteran, pass-blocking Tackle Trevor Goosby who passed on the draft to return to Texas for his 4th season.
The real X-factor that people just don't talk about enough is how good Manning is with his legs. 1 yard shy of 400 yards and 10 TDs on the ground last season in a system that was not built on QB keepers, it was centered around the fact that Manning is elite when sensing pressure and can scramble when plays break down.
It's no secret that for the 2nd season in a row, Manning will be the most watched and under pressure player in the NCAA. But this year feels so much better after he found his groove late last season and with what Texas did in the offseason. I won't give away my pick yet, but Manning will be either my first or second choice for the Heisman.
4. Julian Sayin
QB Ohio State
Sayin and Manning are two completely different Quarterbacks in style but come into this season as the two players under the most pressure in the country. They will also be heading up the two best offenses in the country and even though I think skill-wise, Manning is the better of the two, Sayin should be better by a hair thanks to Ohio State's passing offense.
Sayin is the perfect Quarterback, in the perfect situation for Ohio State. Sayin is a pocket passer, ultra-accurate at times too-system reliant game manager. But he is perhaps the best version of a game manager I've seen in College Football in a very long time and having receivers like Carnell Tate, Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss and Chris Henry Jr. is and will be a huge reason why.
Fans and analysts alike will be asking the 21-year old to open the game up more and make riskier throws in 2026. With Sayin's accuracy and the physical ability of his receivers, should he decide to throw more deep balls and riskier throws, I think he'll complete throws at a smaller rate but with exceedingly surprising results.
I put Sayin over Manning because at their ceilings in 2026 are just about the same even with Arch's running ability but at their floors, Sayin is much, much higher.
3. Leonard Moore
CB Notre Dame
Leonard Moore is the best defender in College Football this year and if you're enough of a fan of College Football to read this list but not as crazy about it as some of us, you might be saying, "Wait I haven't really heard about this guy?" The old saying goes that the less you hear about Cornerbacks, the better they are and for the last two seasons in South Bend you haven't heard anything from Moore.
Moore is a true, island-Cornerback that can be elite in any kind of coverage all while having the size, (6'2", 200 lbs) and speed, (rumored 4.42) to hang with the best receivers in the country and even in the NFL next season. He will be a HUGE part of a Notre Dame defense that should rank very high in total defense by the year's end and not just because their schedule is 80% against High School teams.
Moore will have a HUGE test in Week 10 when Miami and Malachi Toney come to town. I fully expect Moore to shut down one of the best receivers in the game that week and for Marcus Freeman to let him shadow Toney that entire game. After that we'll see him matchup with better talents in the playoffs but from Weeks 1-9 and 11-15, you won't hear much from this dude again and that's exactly the way it should be.
2. Dante Moore
QB Oregon
I am BIG on Oregon this year and it starts with Dante Moore who returns in 2026 instead of being the likely #2 draft pick in this year's draft. Moore is a big-bodied gunslinger who can fit his spiral into very tight windows and has gotten scary good at pre-play reads. He has had moments and turnovers where you say, "Where the heck did that come from?", and his game against Indiana last year was concerning, but with this, stacked Oregon team behind him I not only have him as the #2 player, but my pick for the 2026 Heisman trophy winner.
Moore is surrounded by playmakers at all levels to throw to. Tight End Jemari Johnson is a stud and should lead all Tight Ends in receiving this year. They return 3 of their Top-4 receivers from last year including veteran Evan Stewart and true Sophomore Dakorien Moore who is one of the fastest in the country and a top draft pick for next year's class. Then he has the big, dependable Jordan Davison behind him in any short yardage situations.
Oregon's O-line is definitely in transition and would be the only reason Moore could be less than elite early in the season. Moore isn't a dual threat Quarterback but can make throws off a platform when he needs to and he will likely need to more than a few times this season.
Overall, I have very high expectations for Oregon in 2026 and that includes hardware, and if Moore improves on his already stellar 2025 season this year, along with winning titles and conferences, it will be very hard for us not to say he isn't in the Top-2 and maybe even give him #1 by year's end.
1. Jeremiah Smith
WR Ohio State
This is no surprise as the #1 player in the country and on my board has almost been the best player in the nation since he stepped on the field in OSU three years ago. Smith is as generational of a Wide Receiver as we've ever seen and has no weaknesses as a player.
To make his 2026 season even easier for him, he will be playing with one of the best Quarterbacks in the country, on one of if not THE best program in the country, and teams can't even double team him as much as they like because Ohio State has two more behind him in slot-specialist Brandon Inniss and true freshman Chris Henry, (who is getting early praise as the "Next One" for OSU's wide receiver factory.
Will Jeremiah Smith win the Heisman?
No.
Will he go #1 in the draft?
Probably not... but I wouldn't even be surprised to see it.
Is he the best player in the country at his specific position?
Yes... and it's not even close.
Smith is listed at 6'3" and 220 pounds with blazing speed, great hands and a beautiful route tree. Smith has 3 career drops for a 1.8% drop rate in 216 targets with 163 catches for a 75% catch radius. There are hardly any Cornerbacks in the country that stay in coverage with him and of they do, they can't win jump balls against this monster. Even if Smith was on Boston College he'd be the best player in the country so when you put him on the best team in the country... he is going to have a FREAKY season.
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-Z.D.
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