1. DE Samuel Castillo (Georgia) Last Year: 2nd

Georgia's sackfense is led by none other than the two-time reigning Bronko Nagursky Award winner Samuel Castillo. Voted best defensive player in the nation, Castillo has compiled 62 sacks in the last two seasons and as become the premiere edge defender in the league. After being selected with the second overall pick in the 2021 draft it took Castillo a few years to find his rhythm. A good player early on he has progressed into game changer that feasts on quarterbacks. Castillo is only the second defensive player (Keith Thomas) to ever be selected as the league's top player.

2. QB Mary Plank (USC) Last Year: 3rd

After finishing second in the coveted Heisman race in 2024 Plank wasn't going to be denied last season as he became the first USC player to win the award in the program's history. Plank is your typical big strong armed QB that has pin point accuracy while throwing from the pocket. He's proven to be capable of being a down the field passer as well as a short intermediate passer in the two years he's been starting. He's recorded a staggering 123 TD's while only throwing 29 INT's in the last two season. USC has established themselves as a top flight program and much of the credit has to fall on the broad shoulders of Mary Plank.

3. WR Chester Castle (USC) Last Year: 16th

Over the last two years there's been no weapon quite as explosive or productive as USC's Chester Castle. Castle led the league by almost 400 yards receiving in 2025 and his 15 TD's were 6 better than the second best receiver. Castle is a veteran wideout that combined speed with incredible courage to fight and claw for every inch. He may not have the same overall athleticism he once had but whenever you have the league's best QB and one of the league's most talented #2 WR's playing alongside of you you can bet he will still be productive.

4. QB Larry Ricketts (BYU) Last Year: Unranked

After an up and down career BYU's Larry Ricketts has come into his own in the last couple seasons. Ricketts led the league in rating with 121.1 and threw for a career high 36 TD's with only 9 interceptions. Ricketts has become more than just a game manager as his success has catapulted the Cougars into the big stage leaving them just 3 points short of making the National Title game. Coming into the 2026 season BYU is ranked #1 in the nation and much of their success will be determined by their veteran leader.

5. QB Randy Williams (Navy) Last Year: 12th

The former Oklahoma St. standout Randy Williams found himself at a crossroads after the 2024 season. Scholarship revoked, Williams was one of the most coveted transfers to hit the portal in NCAA history. Williams handpicked his next team and caught many pundits by surprise when he chose the erratic Navy Midshipmen. Not only did Williams ressurrect thoughts of retired Hall of Famer James Sherwood but he showed that he could one up the former Navy legend. Williams led Navy to an incredible 14-2 record but took the Midshipmen on the road for three straight bowl victories and sealed it off with the program's first national title. Williams wasn't as productive statistically as he's been in past seasons but his leadership and ball security took the team to another level. Surely a future Hall of Famer, Williams still has a few years to add to his illustrious career.

6. CB Ryan Hensel (Georgia) Last Year: Unranked

7. DE Steve Entmen (Washington) Last Year: Unranked

8. RB Charleston Rambo (Oklahoma) Last Year: Unranked

9. DE Jordan Silva (Navy) Last Year: Unranked

10. CB Jonathan Rice (USC) Last Year: 30th

Positional Breakdown
QB-6 (6)
RB-6 (6)
WR-4 (4)
TE-3 (3)
OL-3 (3)
DL-12 (12)
LB-6 (6)
DB-10 (10)