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ESPN Ranks Top 25 College Football Players Midseason
Confirmed
In Short: ESPN's college football experts released a midseason ranking of the top 25 players, highlighting standout performances.
ESPN's college football experts, including Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg, and Paolo Uggetti, have released their midseason ranking of the top 25 players.
Russell, the sophomore quarterback for Mississippi State, has maintained a strong performance despite recent struggles, avoiding interceptions in five games and completing over 65% of his passes in five of the last six contests.
Taylor, the Bulldogs' quarterback, has emerged as a Heisman Trophy contender, leading Mississippi State to a 4-0 run through September.
Bachmeier, the quarterback for BYU, has demonstrated toughness and versatility, contributing to the Cougars' 6-1 start and their position in the College Football Playoff (CFP) hunt.
Holmes, a defensive tackle for Texas Tech, has been an elite disrupter, leading all FBS defensive tackles with 29 pressures this season.
Hampton, a cornerback for Clemson, has been a standout player in an otherwise forgettable season for the Tigers.
Weigman, the senior quarterback for Houston, has turned his career around under coach Willie Fritz, leading the team to a strong start.
Becker, a junior wide receiver for Indiana, has transformed from a special-teams player to one of the nation's best receivers, recording 39 receptions for 694 yards and 8 touchdowns.
The Red Raiders' defense, despite replacing six NFL draft picks, has continued to excel, leading the FBS with 104 total pressures over their 6-0 start.
Kewan Lacy, Dante Moore, and Whit Weeks, preseason favorites, have sustained in-season injuries, impacting their teams' performances.
Finding the right 25 players to rank atop the midseason list was challenging, given the twists and turns of the 2026 season.
Taylor's recent injury has put his Heisman Trophy chances in jeopardy, as he has missed Mississippi State's past two games.
What this adds
ESPN's midseason rankings highlight the top 25 players based on their performances so far, with a focus on quarterbacks and defensive players.
The rankings reflect the impact of injuries and transfers on team dynamics and individual player success.
The midseason rankings are subject to change as the season progresses and more games are played.
Background
Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons will miss the entire 2026-27 season after tearing his right Achilles tendon during practice.
What's confirmed
- ESPN's college football experts, including Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg, and Paolo Uggetti, have released their midseason ranking of the top 25 players.
- Russell, the sophomore quarterback for Mississippi State, has maintained a strong performance despite recent struggles, avoiding interceptions in five games and completing over 65% of his passes in five of the last six contests.
- Taylor, the Bulldogs' quarterback, has emerged as a Heisman Trophy contender, leading Mississippi State to a 4-0 run through September.
- Bachmeier, the quarterback for BYU, has demonstrated toughness and versatility, contributing to the Cougars' 6-1 start and their position in the College Football Playoff (CFP) hunt.
- Holmes, a defensive tackle for Texas Tech, has been an elite disrupter, leading all FBS defensive tackles with 29 pressures this season.
- Hampton, a cornerback for Clemson, has been a standout player in an otherwise forgettable season for the Tigers.
- Weigman, the senior quarterback for Houston, has turned his career around under coach Willie Fritz, leading the team to a strong start.
- Becker, a junior wide receiver for Indiana, has transformed from a special-teams player to one of the nation's best receivers, recording 39 receptions for 694 yards and 8 touchdowns.
- The Red Raiders' defense, despite replacing six NFL draft picks, has continued to excel, leading the FBS with 104 total pressures over their 6-0 start.
- Kewan Lacy, Dante Moore, and Whit Weeks, preseason favorites, have sustained in-season injuries, impacting their teams' performances.
- Finding the right 25 players to rank atop the midseason list was challenging, given the twists and turns of the 2026 season.
- Taylor's recent injury has put his Heisman Trophy chances in jeopardy, as he has missed Mississippi State's past two games.
What's still developing
- The No. 1 quarterback recruit in the 2022 class led the Cougars to a 10-win season last year and continues to build on that momentum with a 6-1 start and No. 14 ranking in the AP Top 25.
- -- David Hale QB, Alabama, sophomore 2026 notable stats: 1,746 passing yards, 12 passing TDs, 4 INTs 2026 preseason ranking: NR The first-year starter has helped Alabama rev up its downfield passing attack, averaging 13.5 yards per completion with three performances that netted a QBR of 96.2 or better.
- His chemistry with Ryan Coleman-Williams has jumped out, as the junior wideout has bounced back from a poor sophomore season with 415 receiving yards on 23 receptions.
- Our perception of the 2026 season has had more twists and turns than the average Tennessee coaching search.
- That was obvious before the season, still is now, and probably will be two months from now, too.
- The 6-foot-3, 300-pound big man is tied for second in the Big 12 in sacks and has helped Texas Tech once again field a top-five run defense nationally.
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- Still, there’s plenty enough football in the books to start looking at who the top transfers through the first half of the season have been.
- Breaking down the opening odds for every game featuring a top-25 team in Week 8 of the college football season.
- UW is coming off a 16-13 overtime win at San Jose State, which snapped an eight-game road losing streak dating back to last season.
- What a wild day in college football, and that was especially true in the SEC.
- "I'm sure everybody is disappointed because they still have the national championship hangover," coach Curt Cignetti said after his game, "but I can't do anything about that."