Photo Credit: ESPN
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The 2026 college football season brings another loaded group of stars. ESPN released its annual preseason Top 100 on August 26. The ranking considers past production and projected impact. It also reflects the massive roster turnover across college football. That turnover makes preseason rankings especially difficult. New transfers and young players can quickly change the national picture. Still, several established stars lead the way. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith holds the No. 1 spot. Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore ranks second. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons follows at No. 3.
Miami receiver Malachi Toney rounds out the top four. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss completes the top five. Smith enters his junior season with enormous expectations. He earned first-team All-America honors during his first two seasons. He also caught 87 passes for 1,243 yards last season. Smith added 12 touchdowns during that impressive campaign. Chambliss also enters the season with major momentum. He threw for 3,937 yards during his first Ole Miss season. He also produced 30 total touchdowns in 2025. Meanwhile, Kewan Lacy returns after a spectacular season. The Ole Miss running back rushed for 1,567 yards. He also scored 24 rushing touchdowns.
That production earned him the No. 6 ranking. Quarterbacks dominate the upper portion of the rankings. CJ Carr, Julian Sayin, Jayden Maiava and Dante Moore all rank highly. Carr enters his second season as Notre Dame’s starter. He threw 24 touchdown passes during his first 12 starts. Sayin enjoyed an outstanding first season as Ohio State’s starter. He completed 77 percent of his passes. That mark nearly broke the FBS completion percentage record. Dante Moore also returns after an impressive campaign at Oregon. He threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2025. ESPN ranks him No. 11 entering the new season.
The list also highlights several elite defensive players. Simmons ranks third after another dominant season at Texas. Dylan Stewart ranks 14th after showing tremendous pass-rushing ability. Leonard Moore leads all defensive backs at No. 2. He earned unanimous All-American honors during the 2025 season. Oregon leads all schools with eight players inside the Top 100. Indiana and Texas each place seven players on the list. That balance shows the strength of several national contenders. It also creates plenty of potential Heisman Trophy candidates. However, rankings never tell the entire story. Last season provides an excellent example. ESPN’s previous preseason list missed Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy. It also missed Malachi Toney and Arvell Reese.
Fernando Mendoza eventually finished No. 1 in ESPN’s postseason ranking. Therefore, this list will change throughout the season. New stars will emerge once the games begin. Transfers will also receive opportunities to reshape their reputations. For now, though, these 100 players enter 2026 with enormous expectations.
The Top 100 Players for 2026
- Jeremiah Smith — WR, Ohio State
- Leonard Moore — CB, Notre Dame
- Colin Simmons — EDGE, Texas
- Malachi Toney — WR, Miami
- Trinidad Chambliss — QB, Ole Miss
- Kewan Lacy — RB, Ole Miss
- CJ Carr — QB, Notre Dame
- Julian Sayin — QB, Ohio State
- Jayden Maiava — QB, USC
- Carter Smith — OT, Indiana
- Dante Moore — QB, Oregon
- Trevor Goosby — OL, Texas
- Arch Manning — QB, Texas
- Dylan Stewart — DE, South Carolina
- Cam Coleman — WR, Texas
- A’Mauri Washington — DL, Oregon
- Charlie Becker — WR, Indiana
- Ahmad Moten Sr. — DL, Miami
- Jadan Baugh — RB, Florida
- John Henry Daley — DE, Michigan
- Tyrique Tucker — DL, Indiana
- KJ Duff — WR, Rutgers
- Darian Mensah — QB, Miami
- Brandon Finney Jr. — DB, Oregon
- A.J. Holmes Jr. — DL, Texas Tech
- Will Echoles — DT, Ole Miss
- Brice Pollock — CB, Texas Tech
- Xavier Atkins — LB, Auburn
- Mark Fletcher Jr. — RB, Miami
- Ahmad Hardy — RB, Missouri
- Gunner Stockton — QB, Georgia
- Drew Mestemaker — QB, Oklahoma State
- KJ Bolden — DB, Georgia
- Jordan Seaton — OT, LSU
- Isaac Brown — RB, Louisville
- Bray Hubbard — DB, Alabama
- Sam Leavitt — QB, LSU
- Ty Benefield — S, LSU
- Sammy Brown — LB, Clemson
- Kade Pieper — OL, Iowa
- Whit Weeks — LB, LSU
- Chris Cole — LB, Georgia
- Cayden Green — OL, Missouri
- Rasheem Biles — LB, Texas
- Rolijah Hardy — LB, Indiana
- Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele — QB, Cal
- Hollywood Smothers — RB, Texas
- Iapani Laloulu — OL, Oregon
- Trey’Dez Green — TE, LSU
- David Stone — DL, Oklahoma
- Anthonie Knapp — OL, Notre Dame
- Kelley Jones — CB, Mississippi State
- Nick Marsh — WR, Indiana
- Trevor Lauck — OL, Iowa
- Josh Hoover — QB, Indiana
- Drew Bobo — OL, Georgia
- Austin Siereveld — OL, Ohio State
- LJ Martin — RB, BYU
- Duce Robinson — WR, Florida State
- Clev Lubin — EDGE, Louisville
- Jayden Virgin-Morgan — LB, Boise State
- Suntarine Perkins — LB, Ole Miss
- Damon Wilson II — DE, Miami
- Demond Williams Jr. — QB, Washington
- Bo Jackson — RB, Ohio State
- Terrance Carter Jr. — TE, Texas Tech
- Ellis Robinson IV — DB, Georgia
- CJ Bailey — QB, NC State
- Shadre Hurst — OL, Houston
- DeSean Bishop — RB, Tennessee
- Jamari Johnson — TE, Oregon
- Zach Lutmer — DB, Iowa
- Kevin Jennings — QB, SMU
- Amare Ferrell — DB, Indiana
- Taylor Wein — DL, Oklahoma
- Teitum Tuioti — LB, Oregon
- Kam Robinson — LB, Virginia
- Koi Perich — DB, Oregon
- Anthony Smith — DL, Minnesota
- Princewill Umanmielen — DE, LSU
- Noah Fifita — QB, Arizona
- Dakorien Moore — WR, Oregon
- Trey White — OLB/EDGE, Texas Tech
- Cam Cook — RB, West Virginia
- Raleek Brown — RB, Texas
- Mario Craver — WR, Texas A&M
- Will Heldt — DE, Clemson
- Byrum Brown — QB, Auburn
- John Mateer — QB, Oklahoma
- Kenyatta Jackson Jr. — DE, Ohio State
- Brayden Jacobs — OL, Clemson
- Justice Haynes — RB, Georgia Tech
- Robert Fitzgerald — DB, Northwestern
- Ben Roberts — LB, Texas Tech
- Caleb Hawkins — RB, Oklahoma State
- Yhonzae Pierre — LB, Alabama
- Kemari Copeland — DL, Virginia Tech
- Adam Trick — OLB/EDGE, Texas Tech
- Ryan Coleman-Williams — WR, Alabama
- Jaxton Eck — LB, New Mexico
The 2026 season should bring plenty of movement within this ranking. Some players will exceed expectations and become national stars. Others will struggle against stronger competition. The biggest names will face the most pressure. Smith enters the season with the highest expectations of them all. However, several quarterbacks could challenge him for national honors. Dante Moore, Arch Manning and Julian Sayin all have massive opportunities. So does Trinidad Chambliss after his breakout 2025 campaign. The defensive side also features several potential game changers. Leonard Moore could establish himself as the nation’s best cornerback. Colin Simmons could make another major leap as a pass rusher.
Dylan Stewart could also push himself into the national spotlight. Ultimately, the rankings provide a starting point. The players will decide what happens once the season begins. That uncertainty makes college football so entertaining. Every Saturday creates another opportunity to change the conversation. By December, this list could look completely different. For now, these 100 players represent ESPN’s best entering the 2026 season.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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