Ranking the top 25 college football players midway through the 2026 season

After the first few weeks of the season, Kamario Taylor looked like a potential Heisman Trophy winner. Then he got hurt, and he has missed Mississippi State's past two games.

Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell might have been a Heisman favorite, too, right up until a nightmare performance in a loss to Tennessee in Week 7. Ditto Georgia QB Gunner Stockton.

Arch Manning was supposed to be a star, but instead, he has reverted to his first-half-of-2025 version. Leonard Moore is elite, but he has been banged up. Kewan Lacy, Dante Moore and Whit Weeks were preseason favorites but have sustained in-season injuries.

Our perception of the 2026 season has had more twists and turns than the average Tennessee coaching search.

In other words, finding the right 25 players to rank atop our midseason list of best performances was no easy task for ESPN's college football experts (Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg and Paolo Uggetti). Except, of course, for No. 1. That was obvious before the season, still is now, and probably will be two months from now, too. -- David Hale

25. Keelon Russell

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. Russell has shown good mobility, rushing for a touchdown in five of seven games and consistently extending plays. 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. Russell has struggled a bit recently but has avoided interceptions in five games and completed more than 65% of his passes in five of the past six contests. -- Rittenberg

24. Kamario Taylor

QB, Mississippi State, sophomore
2026 notable stats: 1,609 total yards, 18 total TDs, 4 INTs
2026 preseason ranking: NR

Taylor emerged as a genuine Heisman Trophy contender with his explosive start and 4-0 run through September with the Bulldogs. He left no doubt that he's one of the most talented young passers in the game while throwing for 1,450 yards on 9.4 yards per attempt and guiding wins over Minnesota, South Carolina and Missouri to climb to No. 16 in the AP Top 25. 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

23. Ashton Hampton

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. He's tied for third among Power 4 corners in contested targets (17), fourth in completion percentage allowed (24%) and fourth in opponent QBR (1.0). He's allowing .33 yards per coverage snap, and he has allowed just 62 total yards on 25 targets this season. -- Hale

22. Charlie Becker

WR, Indiana, junior
2026 notable stats: 39 receptions, 694 yards, 8 TDs
2026 preseason ranking: 17

Becker's transformation from primarily a special-teamer -- he had four career catches at this time last year -- to one of the nation's best receivers has been staggering. He has built upon his strong finish to last season, averaging 17.8 yards per reception with 79.5% of his catches going for first downs or touchdowns. He has made eight contested catches and has three multi-touchdown performances, while eclipsing 50 receiving yards in every game. Becker has become quarterback Josh Hoover's favorite downfield target, recording at least one reception of 35 yards or longer in six of seven games. -- Rittenberg

21. Bear Bachmeier

QB, BYU, sophomore
2026 notable stats: 16 total TDs, 1,257 passing yards, 82.5 Total QBR
2026 preseason ranking: NR

A career performance against then-No. 2 Notre Dame vaulted Bachmeier into the rankings, as he became the first BYU quarterback to record a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game since Steve Young in the 1983 Holiday Bowl. Bachmeier is averaging 5.8 yards per carry with six touchdowns, helping to steady BYU's run game with LJ Martin sidelined. He has improved as a passer from 2025, completing 65.8% of his passing attempts with just two interceptions and tallying four games with more than 215 yards. Other quarterbacks have gaudier stats, but Bachmeier's toughness and willingness to contribute in different ways has put BYU firmly in the CFP hunt. -- Rittenberg

20. A.J. Holmes Jr.

DL, Texas Tech, senior
2026 notable stats: 29 pressures, 18 total tackles, 4 sacks
2026 preseason ranking: 25

Holmes has been an elite disrupter for Texas Tech's reloaded defensive line and leads all FBS defensive tackles with 29 pressures this season, according to ESPN Research. 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. The Red Raiders had to replace six NFL draft picks on defense and lead the FBS yet again with 104 total pressures over their 6-0 start. -- Olson

19. Conner Weigman

QB, Houston, senior
2026 notable stats: 2,000 total yards, 26 total TDs, 2 INTs
2026 preseason ranking: NR

After a tough stint at Texas A&M, Weigman has totally turned his career around at Houston under coach Willie Fritz. 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. Weigman is off to a really efficient start to his senior season, too, ranking fourth nationally in QBR (87.7) and averaging a career-high 8.9 yards per passing attempt. He's coming off a big night against No. 18 Oklahoma State with 395 total yards and five TDs in a 35-32 victory and has the Cougars positioned to be serious contenders in the Big 12 title race. -- Olson

18. Jordan Seaton

OT, LSU, junior
2026 notable stat: 0 sacks allowed
2026 preseason ranking: 34

The former five-star, top-20 prospect from IMG Academy left Colorado after a brilliant season in which he allowed just three pressures and no sacks in nine games. He has been every bit as good in the SEC. He has had five perfect games, with no blown blocks in seven starts, and he has been a godsend for an offense with almost exclusively new pieces and a team that hasn't had a stable offensive line in quite a while. -- Connelly

17. KJ Duff

WR, Rutgers, junior
2026 notable stats: 42 receptions, 741 yards, 9 TDs
2026 preseason ranking: 22

Rutgers' season might not be heading in the right direction, but that hasn't stopped Duff from proving he's one of the best offensive players in the sport. This shouldn't come as a surprise -- Duff surpassed 1,000 receiving yards last year, and he's already more than halfway to that total this season just six games in on 42 targets. Duff is a bona fide downfield threat, having already caught two passes longer than 70 yards. Only Oregon State's Jesse Legree has more. With Legree and Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith lighting up box scores at the position, it's easy to overlook Duff, but his season has been undeniably great so far. -- Uggetti

16. Xavier Lewis

DL, North Carolina, sophomore
2026 notable stats: 21 pressures, 7 sacks, 10 TFLs
2026 preseason ranking: NR

Lewis has been a revelation for the Tar Heels' defense, blossoming into a force up the middle. He ranks second nationally with 19 pressures from the interior, while in the top 10 nationally with seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Lewis has more run stuffs (four) than missed tackles (three). Only Texas' Colin Simmons has a better average depth of tackle than Lewis (-0.3). -- Hale

15. Tobi Osunsanmi

DL, Indiana, senior
2026 notable stats: 7 sacks, 1 FF, 11.5 TFLs
2026 preseason ranking: NR

The Kansas State transfer has become an impact defender for the Hoosiers right away, wreaking havoc on opposing offenses every week. At 6-2, 250 pounds, Osunsanmi's versatility has resulted in him getting in offensive backfields early and often. Indiana has one of the five best passing defenses in the country, and a large part of that is due to the fact that it gets after the quarterback. Only three teams have more sacks than the Hoosiers, and only three players in the sport have more sacks than Osunsanmi. -- Uggetti

14. Trevor Goosby

OL, Texas, junior
2026 notable stat: 0 pressures allowed
2026 preseason ranking: 12

The 6-7, 325-pound left tackle bypassed the NFL draft to come back and prove he's an early-first-round talent. Texas' offense is working through some issues at the moment, but Goosby hasn't been one of them. He's one of just four FBS starting tackles who hasn't allowed any pressures through six games, per ESPN Research, and has yet to draw a penalty this season. He has been solid in the run game, too, with a blown block rate of 3.6%. Goosby suffered a bone bruise in his left knee midway through preseason camp but hasn't missed any games and has played 93% of Texas' offensive snaps. -- Olson

13. Gunner Stockton

QB, Georgia, senior
2026 notable stats: 1,570 passing yards, 16 passing TDs, 4 INTs
2026 preseason ranking: 31

In 2025, Stockton completed 69.7% of his passes and led Georgia to another SEC title through pure, relentless efficiency. This year, he's making a point to look more downfield, and as it turns out, he's great at it. He has gone from averaging 10.8 yards per completion to 13.4, and he has somehow improved his completion rate at the same time. Turnovers were an issue against Auburn in Week 7, but that's not a concern just yet. But the increase in upside has been noticeable. -- Connelly

12. Nate Sheppard

RB, Duke, sophomore
2026 notable stats: 138 carries, 1,079 total yards, 12 total TDs
2026 preseason ranking: NR

Sheppard has been arguably the most dominant player in the country this year, given the lack of supporting cast at Duke and his continued production despite so much attention from opposing defenses. He's the first power-conference player with 1,000 total yards and 12 touchdowns through six games since Chuba Hubbard in 2019. Sheppard leads the Power 4 in rushing yards per game (136.7) and ranks third nationally with 48 forced missed tackles, and as opponents have loaded the box against him in recent weeks, he has posted 18 catches for 189 yards over the past two games. -- Hale

11. Trinidad Chambliss

QB, Ole Miss, senior
2026 notable stats: 1,676 passing yards, 14 passing TDs, 4 INTs
2026 preseason ranking: 5

After a near-4,000-yard passing season and plenty of highlights to go with it, Chambliss came into the season as the unquestioned top quarterback in the sport. Following up a season like last year's has been no easy task, but Chambliss is on his way. Aside from the four interceptions he has thrown (he threw only three all of last season), he's averaging about the same yards per throw (8), roughly the same passer rating (153) and a slightly better completion percentage (67.1) than he did last season. More importantly, he has put Ole Miss back in the playoff hunt yet again. -- Uggetti

10. CJ Carr

QB, Notre Dame, sophomore
2026 notable stats: 1,639 passing yards, 16 passing TDs, 1 INT
2026 preseason ranking: 7

After a fantastic debut as Notre Dame's starter in 2025, Carr lost four of his top five targets but hit the ground running in 2026 all the same. He has improved his already excellent Total QBR and completion rate, and he has become almost unsackable, taking only two in his first seven games this season. He didn't get enough run support and faced a lot of third-and-longs against BYU, but he still came within 8 yards of a top-10 road win. He'll get another chance at a marquee win soon against Miami. -- Connelly

9. Sammy Omosigho

LB, UCLA, senior
2026 notable stats: 3 sacks, 5 FFs, 2 PDs
2026 preseason ranking: NR

One of the few key transfer portal additions who didn't come from James Madison -- where first-year head coach Bob Chesney was before taking the UCLA gig -- Omosigho has been an absolutely essential force for the Bruins' stout defense. The 6-2, 239-pound Oklahoma transfer has already matched his solo tackle total and surpassed his sack total from last year. He has been a crucial part of UCLA's defense, which is allowing under 100 rushing yards per game and has so far forced 19 turnovers (second most in the sport). Omosigho is responsible for five of those alone. -- Uggetti

8. Princewill Umanmielen

DE, LSU, senior
2026 notable stats: 15 solo tackles, 8 sacks, 11 TFLs
2026 preseason ranking: 80

Umanmielen followed coach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU and has been a valuable addition for a defensive front needing a premier pass rusher. He had two sacks in the season opener against Clemson and then followed with three the next week against Louisiana Tech. The 6-4, 256-pound Umanmielen is tied for second nationally in sacks and tied for third in tackles for loss. He's well on pace to surpass last year's sacks (nine) and tackles for loss totals at Ole Miss (13), which ranked third and eighth in the SEC, respectively. -- Rittenberg

7. Malachi Toney

WR, Miami, sophomore
2026 notable stats: 50 receptions, 758 yards, 8 TDs
2026 preseason ranking: 4

Here's a chicken-and-egg argument: Who's more responsible for Miami's exceptional start, its quarterback or its uber-talented sophomore receiver? As good as Darian Mensah's stat line looks, Toney has been on the receiving end of most of those big throws. Toney ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards per game (126.3), is third in catches (50) and is third among Power 4 receivers (min. 25 targets) in reception percentage (84.7%). Toney has been targeted 59 times this year without a drop. He has scored eight times through the air -- and had three other touchdown catches called back by penalties. -- Hale

6. Xavier Gilliam

DL, Tennessee, sophomore
2026 notable stats: 9.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, 10 run stops
2026 preseason ranking: NR

Jim Knowles brought three Penn State defenders with him when he left PSU to take the Tennessee defensive coordinator gig. Linebacker Amare Campbell leads the Vols in tackles, and safety Dejuan Lane has three INTs with four pass breakups. But Gilliam has been even more of a game changer. The sophomore had just 2.5 TFLs last season, but he has already nearly quadrupled that production in Knoxville, and he's providing massive disruption against the running and passing games. Tennessee is allowing just 15.3 points per game in SEC play, and Gilliam is the No. 1 reason why. -- Connelly

5. Jesse Legree

WR, Oregon State, freshman
2026 notable stats: 46 receptions, 1,040 yards, 14 TDs
2026 preseason ranking: NR

In the most surprising star turn in maybe the entire decade, this 5-10 freshman from Baltimore's St. Frances Academy chose Oregon State sight unseen and boasted only a single power-conference offer. He was listed as an athlete who could end up playing either wide receiver or defensive back. He and the Oregon State coaching staff made the right choice. As a receiver, he has gained at least 100 receiving yards in every game and torched Texas Tech for 240 yards in September. He has a legitimate shot at breaking the single-season receiving record of 2,060 yards ... as a freshman. -- Connelly

4. Chris Cole

LB, Georgia, junior
2026 notable stats: 48 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 PDs
2026 preseason ranking: 42

On a team known for its defense, 6-3, 235-pound Cole has been able to stand out every week with the way he goes after the ball. Watching him move, there's no tackle he can't seem to make and no runner he can't seem to chase down. His combination of size and speed has propelled him into being one of the best defenders in the sport during his third season and a top-10 prospect ahead of next year's draft, according to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. -- Uggetti

3. Darian Mensah

QB, Miami, junior
2026 notable stats: 1,764 passing yards, 18 TDs, 89.4 Total QBR
2026 preseason ranking: 23

Miami went big to land Mensah in the transfer portal this offseason, and its investment in his deal is paying big dividends. Mensah has been nearly flawless -- becoming just the second quarterback in the past 20 years to complete 80% of his throws through six games to go with 20 touchdowns and just one turnover. He's averaging more than 10 yards per dropback, and he leads the FBS in Total QBR for the No. 1 team in the country. -- Hale

2. Colin Simmons

Edge, Texas, junior
2026 notable stats: 16 TFLs, 10.5 sacks, 2 FFs
2026 preseason ranking: 3

Simmons is expected to be sidelined for the next few weeks with a high ankle sprain, but he has absolutely played at an All-America level through six games. He's the national leader in tackles for loss (16) and sacks (10.5) and ranks fifth in the FBS in pressures (25), per ESPN Research. Simmons has leveled up his game under new DC Will Muschamp and put together a career-best day with 5.5 sacks in a road win over Tennessee. If you're facing third-and-long against Texas, good luck. Simmons has already delivered seven sacks on third downs this season to kill drives. The Longhorns need to get him back on the field as soon as possible. -- Olson

1. Jeremiah Smith

WR, Ohio State, junior
2026 notable stats: 52 receptions, 984 yards, 12 TDs
2026 preseason ranking: 1

Smith's first half following consecutive All-America seasons has sparked debate about whether he's the greatest college wide receiver of all time. The 6-4, 222-pound junior has been unstoppable, recording four or more receptions in every game, a touchdown in all but one contest, two 200-yard receiving performances, and four games with 100 yards or more. Smith leads the nation in first-down receptions with 42. He has set Ohio State's career records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches and tied the Big Ten career touchdown catch record with his 39th. Smith needs 247 yards to become the Big Ten's leading career receiver. -- Rittenberg