Malachi Toney and Jeremiah Smith share the top spot: The Miami and Ohio State wide receivers lead all non-quarterbacks with 0.323 PFF wins above average (WAA) through Week 9.
Sammy Omosigho leads the defensive selections: The UCLA linebacker ranks third overall with 0.262 WAA and has generated 27 quarterback pressures.
Wide receivers and cornerbacks dominate the rankings: Four receivers and four cornerbacks appear among the 11 listed players, including Indiana's Charlie Becker and Mississippi State's Jett Jefferson.
There was a time when debating which college football player you'd most like to see suit up for your favorite team was little more than a barroom exercise in wishful thinking. But in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, those once-fanciful conversations aren't quite so far-fetched.
And that makes the question all the more compelling: If you could add any player in college football to your program, who would it be? And maybe more importantly, which player would provide the most value?
Of course, the answer will vary depending on who's being asked. Casual fans, scouts and coaches all have different ideas about what makes a player valuable, and those opinions can differ considerably. That's why PFF developed its wins above average (WAA) metric.
Created to bring greater objectivity to player evaluation, WAA measures how many additional wins a player provides compared to an average college football player. It combines PFF grades with the relative importance of each facet of play to winning football games, allowing players across different positions to be evaluated on the same scale.
So, here are the most valuable non-quarterbacks in college football through Week 9, ranked by PFF WAA.
Toney leads FBS wide receivers in PFF receiving grade (95.0), and his 4.30 yards per route run ties for first at the position. He has caught 73 passes for 1,027 yards, the third-most among FBS receivers, and his 13 receiving touchdowns are tied for the national lead.
Toney has also generated 497 yards after the catch and 18 missed tackles forced on receptions.
Smith matches Toney's 0.323 WAA and ranks second among FBS wide receivers in PFF receiving grade (93.1). His 1,067 receiving yards rank second at the position, while his 13 touchdowns are tied for first.
Smith has averaged 4.30 yards per route run, tied for the FBS lead, and his 48 combined first downs and touchdowns rank second.
Omosigho has earned a 91.9 PFF grade, the second-highest mark among FBS linebackers. His 92.3 run-defense grade ranks fifth at the position, while his 90.6 pass-rush grade ranks third.
He also leads all linebackers in the dataset with 27 quarterback pressures and has recorded 34 defensive stops.
Jefferson ranks third among FBS cornerbacks in PFF grade (90.0), while his 88.6 coverage grade ranks fifth in that same group. He has allowed 22 receptions for 253 yards on 40 targets across 280 coverage snaps. His 10 forced incompletions are tied for fourth among FBS cornerbacks, and his 89.4 run-defense grade ranks seventh at the position.
Gordon leads FBS cornerbacks in both overall grade (90.8) and coverage grade (90.9). He also leads the position with 13 forced incompletions. Across 53 targets, Gordon has allowed 27 receptions for 249 yards while recording two interceptions.
Group of Six Cornerbacks
Week 1-9
The same players and metrics are available as a sortable table on each team's Leaders tab.
Becker ranks fourth among FBS wide receivers in PFF receiving grade, at 89.7. His 875 receiving yards rank sixth at the position, while his nine touchdowns are tied for fifth. Becker has also produced 38 combined first downs and touchdowns, the sixth-most among FBS wide receivers, and he averages 3.59 yards per route run.
Parker has earned a 92.1 PFF rushing grade, ranking second among 273 FBS running backs. He has rushed for 726 yards and nine touchdowns on 109 designed carries. Parker has been particularly effective after contact, averaging 4.76 yards after contact per attempt, the 13th-highest mark among FBS running backs, while forcing 39 missed tackles on rushing attempts.
Nestor ranks second among FBS cornerbacks in both overall defensive grade (90.5) and coverage grade (89.9). He has allowed just 15 receptions for 98 yards on 29 targets across 253 coverage snaps. Nestor has also earned a 90.5 run-defense grade, the fourth-highest mark among his peers.
McLaughlin has earned a 90.2 PFF coverage grade, ranking second among FBS safeties. His six forced incompletions tie for second at the position, while his three interceptions tie for eighth.
Buchanan has caught 37 passes for 609 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 2.79 yards per route run. His 29 combined first downs and touchdowns rank 27th among qualifying wide receivers.
Obidegwu has earned an 87.2 PFF coverage grade, the seventh-highest mark among FBS cornerbacks. He has allowed just 10 receptions on 26 targets across 229 coverage snaps, surrendering 128 receiving yards. His eight forced incompletions tie for eighth at the position — he has recorded seven pass breakups and an interception.
Power Rankings are PFF’s NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season.
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