BIG BOARD 2026

Downs, who transferred from Alabama last offseason, has been the most valuable safety in college football over the past two seasons, according to PFF's Wins Above Average metric. His 91.7 overall PFF grade in that span is second among all FBS safeties, while his 91.2 PFF coverage grade is third. Downs is also a fantastic run defender, leading all players on this list with 35 run-defense stops and an 88.5 PFF run-defense grade since 2023. Downs is an incredibly versatile player who can thrive at free safety, slot corner or in the box. Not to mention, he's a dynamic punt returner as well.

Parker's 12 sacks in 2024 led all returning Power Four edge rushers, and he's one of three in that same group who posted 80.0-plus PFF grades as a both pass rusher and as a run defender. Parker has a devastating bull rush thanks to his power at 6-foot-3, 265 pounds. He has all the makings of a top-10 selection next April if he can put together a similarly strong junior year.

Between Parker and Woods, Clemson projects to have two top-five picks along its defensive line next year. The latter spent the majority of his sophomore year playing out of position at edge defender and still earned an 83.3 overall PFF grade on the season. Over his first two seasons of college football, he's both the highest-graded and most valuable returning Power Four defensive tackle, according to PFF's wins above average metric. Woods leads that same group with an 89.7 PFF run-defense grade and 14.9% pass-rush win rate since 2023. His power and agility at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds makes him a nightmare for any offensive lineman.

Manning's placement on this list was easily the hardest to figure out. Even though he's only started two games in his career against bad competition (Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State), the rising redshirt sophomore is still the betting favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy (+700 on DraftKings Sportsbook). His 88.1 overall PFF grade was 13th among FBS quarterbacks who played at least 200 snaps, and Manning was 16th in both big-time throw rate (6.4%) and turnover-worthy play rate (1.9%) as well. Manning is a much better athlete than either of his legendary uncles in Peyton and Eli, rushing for four touchdowns on just 21 attempts last year including a 67-yarder.

There might not have been a more improved quarterback in college football than Klubnik this past season. After placing 102nd among FBS signal-callers in 2023 with a 63.9 PFF passing grade, he was fifth in 2024 with an 87.7 mark. Only Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders threw more touchdowns than the junior (36), and those two were regarded as two of the best quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Klubnik was also fifth among all quarterbacks in America with 28 big-time throws. The former top quarterback recruit in the 2022 high school class is finally starting to live up to the hype and has the potential to take a loaded Clemson roster to the promised land as a senior.

Proctor was tasked with protecting Jalen Milroe's blindside in each of his first two seasons. While he took his lumps as a true freshman in 2023, the former five-star recruit showed serious improvement down the stretch of the season, which carried over into his sophomore campaign. Since Week 8 of 2023, Proctor has earned a 76.5 overall PFF grade, which is eighth among SEC tackles. Some of his best performances have come against some elite defensive lines as well. Across three games against Georgia and South Carolina, the Iowa native recorded a 90.4 PFF pass-blocking grade with only one pressure allowed on 96 pass-blocking snaps. Proctor is a dancing bear at 6-foot-7, 369 pounds with preposterous athleticism at that monstrous size. If he can play at a more consistent level, he has the upside of being a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Fighting Irish's elite run game and stellar defense led them all the way to the National Championship Game this past season, and the former should still be present in 2025 thanks to the return of Love. The sophomore was the second-most-valuable back in the nation, according to PFF's wins above average metric, while his 91.0 overall PFF grade was fifth. Love's 38% forced missed tackle rate also ranked second among Power Four running backs this past season, while his 6.9 yards per carry sat third. His fantastic athleticism allows him to run through or hurdle defenders and makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

The current favorite to be the top corner selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, McCoy was a lockdown player for the Volunteers after transferring in from Oregon State. His 89.6 PFF coverage grade in 2024 is second among returning Power Four corners, while his four interceptions were tied for second in that same group. McCoy has great ball skills with phenomenal movement ability, scoring a near-perfect 99.9 in PFF's Game Athleticism Score metric.

Mauigoa has been starting at right tackle for the Hurricanes since his true freshman season. The former five-star recruit showed marked improvement as a pass blocker during his sophomore campaign, allowing just two combined sacks/hits on 534 pass-blocking snaps. He was the only FBS tackle with two or fewer knockdowns allowed on 500-plus pass-blocking snaps. Mauigoa's 71.4 PFF run-blocking grade since 2023 is also tied for fourth among ACC tackles. There's still some overall refinement needed in his game, but he's one of the favorites to be OT1 in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Fano led all FBS tackles with a 93.0 overall PFF grade this past season. That's mainly due to his dominance in the run game, as the Utah native's 93.6 PFF run-blocking grade was the best in the country by over three points. He also finished as the second-most-valuable Power Four tackle according to PFF's wins above average metric, trailing only top-10 pick Kelvin Banks Jr. Fano is no slouch as a pass protector either, earning a top-30 PFF pass-blocking grade among Power Four tackles (79.5). While some length concerns could push him inside to guard in the NFL, he's still an elite athlete with dominant tape as just a true sophomore.

The younger brother of current Atlanta Falcons corner A.J. Terrell, Avieon is projected to follow in his brother's footsteps from Clemson to the first round of the NFL Draft. The younger Terrell is a much better run defender than his brother, placing fourth among all cornerbacks with a 90.7 PFF run-defense grade this past season, and his three forced fumbles tied for second. Terrell is still excellent in coverage as well, leading all Power Four corners with 14 forced incompletions in 2024. While not the biggest at just 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Terrell plays with outstanding physicality for the position and has the speed to stick with receivers in man coverage.

A calf injury kept Bain from taking a significant jump in his sophomore year like many were expecting, but he still deserves a spot toward the top of this list for how good he's been over his first couple of seasons. Bain's 73 pressures since 2023 stand third among returning Power Four edge defenders, while his 16.9% pass-rush win rate is fourth. His 82.7 pff run-defense grade this past season is also fourth in that same group. Bain can line up anywhere on the defensive line at 6-foot-3, 275 pounds and should remind many why he's a first-round caliber talent now that he's fully healthy.

Hill entered college as a five-star recruit and immediately lived up to the hype, starting immediately as a true freshman. He's constantly around the football, whether that's as a run defender, pass rusher or in coverage. Since 2023, his 32 coverage stops are tied for the most among FBS linebackers, while his 10 sacks and five forced fumbles are tied for the most among those in Power Four. Hill has had 127 plays where he's made first contact on the ball carrier in that same span, the most of any returning Power Four linebacker. Hill is a versatile athlete who wears many different hats for the Longhorns' defense and could find his way into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Tyson enjoyed a massive breakout year with the Sun Devils, tallying 1,098 yards as a redshirt sophomore. The only returning Power Four receiver who posted more was Smith. Something clicked for the Colorado transfer in the second half of the season. In Arizona State's final six games of the regular season, Tyson led the nation with 729 receiving yards, while his 4.03 yards per route run were second among Power Four wideouts. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury in the final regular-season game, which kept him out of the Big 12 title game and College Football Playoff quarterfinal — the latter of which the Sun Devils lost in double overtime.

Slaughter was the only Power Four center with 80.0-plus PFF grades both as a pass blocker and as a run blocker. Making that even more impressive is the fact that he faced a murderer's row of defensive tackles like Walter Nolen, AlfredCollins, Shemar Turner, Deone Walker, Omarr Norman-Lott and Joshua Farmer, all of whom were picked in the first four rounds of this year's draft. Slaughter's 85.8 overall grade since 2023 trails only Jackson Powers-Johnson among Power Four centers. He moves very well at 6-foot-4, 308 pounds which allows him to dominate in a zone-blocking scheme.

Faulk has been one of Auburn's starting edge defenders in each of his first two seasons and took a major step forward as a sophomore. His 83.8 overall PFF grade was more than 16 points better than what he posted as a freshman and is the fifth-best mark of any returning Power Four edge rusher. The former four-star recruit is at his best in the run game, tying for eighth among Power Four edges with 23 run-defense stops last year. Faulk is still developing moves as a pass rusher, but he did show improvement there with nine sacks and 45 pressures last year. Both those figures stood in the top-20 of the Power Four.

While his performance in the final game of the season was rough (36.6 PFF passing grade), Allar quieted many critics by quarterbacking the Nittany Lions all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals this past season. He finished as the nation's sixth-most valuable signal-caller in the process, according to our wins above average metric. His 21 big-time throws were a top-20 mark in America, while Allar's 2.1% turnover-worthy play rate was 21st. He showed off his rifle right arm far more as a junior, increasing his average depth of target by over a yard. There are still some things to clean up in terms of his footwork and accuracy and plenty of questions surrounding Penn State's wide receiver room, but Allar will enter his senior season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. With a loaded roster surrounding him, he has the potential to take the Nittany Lions on an even deeper run next year.

After sitting on the bench for three years, Nussmeier finally received his chance to start for the Tigers as a redshirt junior. He extended the flashes of brilliance he had as a backup over a full season and finished the year with the fifth-most passing yards in the nation (4,043) and tied for seventh in big-time throws (26). Nussmeier is still a bit of a gunslinger, as his 18 turnover-worthy plays were among the 20 most in the nation. He also adds virtually nothing as a runner, his 93 rushing yards in 2024 were easily the fewest of anyone on this list. But he's still a tough quarterback who's fearless in the pocket and is capable of making almost any throw on the field.

Thieneman's sophomore season at Purdue wasn't nearly as good as his freshman year. He posted just a 72.4 overall PFF grade after earning an 89.5 overall PFF grade in 2023. Much of that can be attributed to the Boilermakers lining him up at free safety far less, a role he excels at with his elite speed and ball skills. His 89.4 overall PFF grade since 2023 is still fourth among returning FBS safeties, and he has 80-plus PFF grades in coverage and run defense in that span. Thieneman is arguably the best center fielder in college football and is one of the best athletes in the nation as well. Dan Lanning should have a lot of fun incorporating his range into his defense.

Overton was a top-15 overall recruit in the 2022 class but failed to live up to the hype during his first two seasons at Texas A&M, posting a 61.5 overall PFF grade in that span. A transfer to Alabama did wonders for his development, as he ended the year as one of the 15 most valuable edge defenders in America. Overton's 18% pass-rush win rate was a top-30 mark in the nation, while his 81.7 PFF run-defense grade was 25th. He blurs the line between an edge rusher and defensive tackle at 283 pounds and can line up anywhere along the defensive line and succeed.

The Crimson Tide are losing a stud linebacker in Jihaad Campbell, but they still have another stud patrolling the middle of the field in Lawson coming back. His eight forced incompletions since 2023 are tied for the most among all returning linebackers in the nation, while his 56 run-defense stops in that same span stand third among returning Power Four ones. Lawson takes on blocks very well due to his strong build at 6-foot-2, 239 pounds and does an outstanding job at reading the quarterback's eyes in zone coverage.

After spending one season at Michigan State, Leavitt transferred to ASU and was one of the biggest reasons why the Sun Devils went from back-to-back 3-9 seasons to winning the Big 12 and making the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The redshirt freshman's 89.1 overall PFF grade was ninth among FBS quarterbacks, and he was the only Power Four signal-caller with 80.0-plus PFF grades both as a passer and as a runner. Leavitt was fourth among all quarterbacks in America with a 1.1% turnover-worthy play rate, while his 34 forced missed tackles on the ground were fifth among Power Four ones. With superstar running back Cam Skattebo off to the NFL, there'll be even more pressure on Leavitt to carry Arizona State's offense to similar heights.

Like Anthony Hill Jr., York has been a starter in each of his first two seasons. But unlike Hill, he was just a three-star recruit coming out of high school. York has proven those rankings wrong thus far, leading all returning Power Four linebackers with 59 run-defense stops since 2023. His 122 first contacts on the ballcarrier are tied for fourth among that same group. York has a stocky build at 6-feet, 235 pounds and is an excellent tackler.

Singleton is now with the Tigers after two seasons at Georgia Tech. His 1,468 receiving yards across his two years with the Yellow Jackets stands second among returning Power Four wideouts. He also scored above the 99th percentile in PFF's Game Athleticism Score metric. As that figure might suggest, Singleton has track speed with the ability to hit a home run at any point. His 664 receiving yards on deep balls since 2023 lead all returning Power Four receivers.

The Longhorns may have lost a first-round cornerback in Jahdae Barron, but they're still in a great spot with Muhammad returning for his junior season. Only three returning Power Four corners have been more valuable than him over the last two seasons according to our WAA metric. He has 17 forced incompletions in that span despite only being targeted on 12.1% of his coverage snaps. While not an elite athlete, Muhammad wins with his instincts and ability to click and close in coverage.