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ESPN Unveils Midseason Top 25 College Football Players
· Confirmed
In Short: ESPN's college football experts, including Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg, and Paolo Uggetti, have unveiled their midseason rankings of the top 25 players in college football.
ESPN's college football experts, including Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg, and Paolo Uggetti, have unveiled their midseason rankings of the top 25 players in college football.
Mississippi State's sophomore quarterback Will Russell, despite recent struggles, has avoided interceptions in five games and completed over 65% of his passes in five of the past six contests. He leads the SEC in total offense with 321.8 yards per game.
BYU's quarterback Jaren Bachmeier, the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the 2022 class, has led the Cougars to a 6-1 start and a No. 14 ranking in the AP Top 25. His toughness and willingness to contribute in various ways have put BYU in the College Football Playoff (CFP) hunt.
Texas Tech's defensive tackle Keion Holmes has been an elite disrupter, leading all FBS defensive tackles with 29 pressures this season. He is tied for second in the Big 12 in sacks and has helped Texas Tech field a top-five run defense nationally.
Indiana's junior wide receiver Ty Becker has transformed from a special-teams player to one of the nation's best receivers. He has 39 receptions for 694 yards and eight touchdowns, a staggering improvement from his previous career total of four catches.
Houston's senior quarterback Clayton Weigman has turned his career around under coach Willie Fritz, leading the team with 2,000 total yards, 26 total touchdowns, and only two interceptions.
Alabama's sophomore quarterback Bryce Young has helped revitalize the Crimson Tide's downfield passing attack, averaging 13.5 yards per completion with three performances that netted a QBR of 96.2 or better.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day expressed support for the potential expansion of the CFP to include 24 teams, noting that it would allow nonconference games to be played earlier in the year, which is beneficial for the game.
Georgia's defense is among the best in the nation, giving up just 3.5 yards per play and allowing only 202 rushing yards. The Bulldogs lead the nation in scoring with 54.8 points per game and rank second nationally with 8.2 yards per play.
For fantasy players seeking additional data and tools, PFF+ offers access to fantasy and betting resources, the Mock Draft Simulator, and more for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
Clemson's junior cornerback Andrew Hampton has been a standout in an otherwise forgettable season for the Tigers. He is tied for third among Power 5 corners in contested targets, fourth in completion percentage allowed, and fourth in opponent QBR.
The midseason rankings highlight the diverse talents and performances across college football, showcasing the top players who have made significant impacts so far this season.
What this adds
ESPN's midseason rankings provide a snapshot of the top players based on their performances through the first half of the season.
What's confirmed
- ESPN's college football experts, including Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg, and Paolo Uggetti, have unveiled their midseason rankings of the top 25 players in college football.
- Mississippi State's sophomore quarterback Will Russell, despite recent struggles, has avoided interceptions in five games and completed over 65% of his passes in five of the past six contests. He leads the SEC in total offense with 321.8 yards per game.
- BYU's quarterback Jaren Bachmeier, the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the 2022 class, has led the Cougars to a 6-1 start and a No. 14 ranking in the AP Top 25. His toughness and willingness to contribute in various ways have put BYU in the College Football Playoff (CFP) hunt.
- Texas Tech's defensive tackle Keion Holmes has been an elite disrupter, leading all FBS defensive tackles with 29 pressures this season. He is tied for second in the Big 12 in sacks and has helped Texas Tech field a top-five run defense nationally.
- Indiana's junior wide receiver Ty Becker has transformed from a special-teams player to one of the nation's best receivers. He has 39 receptions for 694 yards and eight touchdowns, a staggering improvement from his previous career total of four catches.
- Houston's senior quarterback Clayton Weigman has turned his career around under coach Willie Fritz, leading the team with 2,000 total yards, 26 total touchdowns, and only two interceptions.
- Alabama's sophomore quarterback Bryce Young has helped revitalize the Crimson Tide's downfield passing attack, averaging 13.5 yards per completion with three performances that netted a QBR of 96.2 or better.
- Ohio State coach Ryan Day expressed support for the potential expansion of the CFP to include 24 teams, noting that it would allow nonconference games to be played earlier in the year, which is beneficial for the game.
- Georgia's defense is among the best in the nation, giving up just 3.5 yards per play and allowing only 202 rushing yards. The Bulldogs lead the nation in scoring with 54.8 points per game and rank second nationally with 8.2 yards per play.
- For fantasy players seeking additional data and tools, PFF+ offers access to fantasy and betting resources, the Mock Draft Simulator, and more for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
- Clemson's junior cornerback Andrew Hampton has been a standout in an otherwise forgettable season for the Tigers. He is tied for third among Power 5 corners in contested targets, fourth in completion percentage allowed, and fourth in opponent QBR.
- The midseason rankings highlight the diverse talents and performances across college football, showcasing the top players who have made significant impacts so far this season.
What's still developing
- Taylor exited the Bulldogs' loss to Alabama with a turf toe issue and is working to come back from it, but he's still the SEC leader in total offense at 321.8 yards per game. -- Olson CB, Clemson, junior 2026 notable stats: 12 solo tackles, 1 INT, 9 PDs 2026 preseason ranking: NR In an otherwise forgettable season for Clemson, Hampton has been a star.
- Then he got hurt, and he has missed Mississippi State' s past two games.
- 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.
- With the anticipation that the CFP will expand to include 24 teams, Day showed support of the idea.
- 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.
- "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."
- "People want to see the best teams in the Playoffs. There's not 24 teams in the country that deserve to be in the playoffs," he started.
- College football's Week 3 slate looked like it had a few memorable matchups, but it delivered a weekend that we'll remember for a while.
- The debate starts with multiple candidates for the title of college football’s best team at the one-third mark.
- At some point those roles flip and an actual football game takes over.
- A beloved Hawkeye returned to Iowa City this weekend as part of ESPN's College GameDay broadcast.
- The first full month of the 2026 college football season is in the books, and already a distinct power structure is taking shape four weeks in.