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

11. LB Harold Masters (Florida) Last Year: Unranked

12. CB Jesse James (Georgia) Last Year: 48th

13. CB David Orange (Alabama) Last Year: 7th

14. TE John Amaya (BYU) Last Year: Unranked

15. WR Rosario Curtis (USC) Last Year: 39th

16. WR Andrew Jetton (Texas) Last Year: Unranked

17. CB Inman Marshall (USC) Last Year: Unranked

18. RB James Smith Jr. (Navy) Last Year: Unranked

19. TE Rafael Fuller (Texas A&M) Last Year: Unranked

20. TE Joseph Chow (Navy) Last Year: Unranked

21. S Robert Montgomery (USC) Last Year: Unranked

22. DE Paul Landis (Florida St.) Last Year: 23rd

23. CB Charles Woodson (Michigan) Last Year: Unranked

24. G Christian McGrew (Alabama) Last Year: Unranked

25. DE Brandon Shih (Oklahoma) Last Year: Unranked

26. QB Paul Johnson (Miami) Last Year: 38th

27. DE Rick Grimes (Alabama) Last Year: 24th

28. LB John Chaplin (Syracuse) Last Year: 6th

29. LB Alvin Cutright (Georgia) Last Year: 45th

30. RB Lane Edwards (Michigan) Last Year: Unranked

31. RB Stephen Carr (USC) Last Year: Unranked

32. DE Leslie Miller (Miami) Last Year: 20th

33. LB Allen Norton (UCLA) Last Year: 31st

34. DE Michael Wilkerson (Alabama) Last Year: 37th

35. QB Carroll McCartney (Texas) Last Year: 12th

36. S Gary Edmonson (Rutgers) Last Year: Unranked

37. LB Pepper Johnson (Ohio St.) Last Year: Unranked

38. CB Seth Lee (Syracuse) Last Year: Unranked

39. DE Albert Johnson (Kentucky) Last Year: 14th

40. DE John Torrez (Miami) Last Year: Unranked

41. CB Larry Navarro (UCLA) Last Year: Unranked

42. T Armando Peters (Stanford) Last Year: Unranked

43. RB Brian Chavis (Iowa) Last Year: Unranked

44. RB Najee Harris (Alabama) Last Year: Unranked

45. LB Lewis Clark (Oregon) Last Year: Unranked

46. DE Mariano Gilmore (UCLA) Last Year: 36th

47. QB Nicholas Smitherman (Georgia) Last Year: Unranked

48. WR Ray Ferguson (BYU) Last Year: Unranked

49. DE Enrique Boyer (Florida) Last Year: Unranked

50. G Dru Samia (Oklahoma) Last Year: 40th