MLB Watchability Index: Which teams are the most fun to watch this season?
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David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer
Welcome to the 2024 MLB Watchability Index! As ESPN NBA writer Zach Lowe would say — and we’re stealing this idea from his annual League Pass rankings — these are NOT power rankings, but a watchability rating. Imagine you’re sitting at home on a Saturday evening and you want to watch a baseball game, but perhaps your favorite team has already played. Which teams do you most want to watch? This is that list.
We’ve created a super complex formula to score teams in seven different categories, creating a possible maximum score of 50. These categories fit into the general idea of: “What makes baseball exciting?”
First, the 10-point categories (on a scale of 1-10 points maximum):
Star power: This is based off our annual MLB Rank of the top 100 players of the season, with points rewarded on how many players a team had in the top 100 and how high they ranked.
Youth: We love young players — especially promising, young players. I looked at each team’s projected FanGraphs WAR from players in their first or second seasons in the majors.
Baserunning: The new rules helped bring speed back into the game last season with more stolen bases, creating a more exciting — and watchable — version of baseball. I used FanGraphs’ team baserunning metric (which factors in stolen bases and running the bases) from last season, making some adjustments for major roster changes or additions.
And then there are the 5-point categories (on a scale of 1-5 points maximum):
4-and 5-star catches: The Baseball Savant site lists catch probability for outfielders, including the number of 4-star plays (catch probability of 26-50%) and 5-star plays (probability of 0-25%). Even 4-star catches are pretty rare. Ronald Acuna Jr., for example, had no 4-star catches last season. I looked at last year’s totals and again made estimated adjustments as necessary.
425-plus foot home runs: Long home runs are extra fun, so I looked at last year’s totals as a baseline. The league leader was somebody who signed a very large contract in the offseason.
Minutia: Ballpark, uniforms, mascots, unintentional comedy, etc. It’s more pleasing to watch a game from Wrigley than, say, Tropicana Field.
Bonus section: Anything else I want to add for a team at my whim, up to a maximum of five points.
Let’s dive right into it, starting with the lowest-scoring teams — i.e. the least watchable — to the highest-scoring teams that you should drop everything to sit down and watch. (The point total is next to each team’s name.)
Star power: 1 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 4.5 | Catches: 1 | 425+: 1 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 1, for the hope of seeing James Wood and Dylan Crews later in the season
This is a team trying to play Jesse Winker in left field and 32-year-old Eddie Rosario in center field — and you can guess how that’s going to work out. The youth score is surprisingly low and maybe a little unfair, but FanGraphs isn’t projecting much playing time or value for Wood or Crews and guys like Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore have been up long enough that they’re now in the unofficial post-youth phase of their careers. The Presidents Race is fun, though. Go Teddy!
Star power: 2 | Youth: 1 | Baserunning: 2 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 1
Bonus: 1, for the new “campfire milkshake” concession item
I’m pretty sure Luis Robert Jr. accounts for most of these points, from 4-star catches to speed on the bases to long home runs. The White Sox have done a nice job improving what was a weak farm system just a couple of years ago, but only Colson Montgomery is likely to make much of a contribution this season, so this rebuild is filled with older players. Unfortunately, “veteran leadership” does not score well in watchability.
Star power: 3 | Youth: 2.5 | Baserunning: 1 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 0.5, for all the times announcers will call Luis Arraez a “professional hitter”
The Marlins were crushed with pitching injuries in spring training, including Eury Perez, who accounted for a chunk of the above points with both star power (No. 67 in MLB Rank) and youth. That won’t help their viewing attractiveness, and neither do indoor games with empty seats. The Marlins are also not a young team — and not a fast one either, with the likes of Josh Bell, Jake Burger and Arraez clogging up the bases. There could also be some unintentional comedy with the infield defense. However, I do like their City Connect jerseys.
Star power: 1 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 1 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 2: +1 for Brenton Doyle‘s arm, +1 for the occasional Coors Field football score
I ran this list by a former Rockies fan who has been disillusioned by the team’s failures in recent years and his comment: “Too high.” Perhaps he is looking at Doyle’s batting average and not his defense! I mean, that’s understandable as Doyle’s 52 OPS+ was the seventh lowest since 1920 for an outfielder with at least 400 plate appearances. He won a Gold Glove as a rookie last season and simultaneously possesses perhaps the best range of any center fielder and the best throwing arm. I mean, we should probably subtract a point for his offense and maybe another point for the Rockies playing Charlie Blackmon in right field, but the point is Doyle is a human highlight film in center field.
Note as well: How were the Rockies the worst baserunning team in the majors a year ago? Playing in the large expanse of Coors Field should make it easy to go from first to third on base hits at will. But not for this team.
Star power: 1 | Youth: 6 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 1
Bonus: 2: +1 for fans protesting terrible ownership, +1 for those sweet Kelly green jerseys
OK, the A’s rank high in the youth category because they have a lot of it — somebody has to play and it sure isn’t going to be veterans making more than the league minimum (the A’s joined the Rockies and Nationals as the only teams with no players in our top 100). They had potential in the baserunning category, but they just sent speedster Esteury Ruiz down to the minors. Because, you know, why give the fans somebody exciting to watch?
Star power: 2 | Youth: 5 | Baserunning: 2.5 | Catches: 1 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 3: +1 for Mike Trout being Mike Trout, +1 for the inevitable showdown between manager Ron Washington and Anthony Rendon, +1 for Reid Detmers‘ curveball
Look, the Angels weren’t all that interesting even when they had Shohei Ohtani, so they sure aren’t going to be more interesting without him. I’ve always enjoyed watching games from Anaheim (and they do always draw well) and, hey, Trout just hit a 473-foot home run on Monday. This might be underrating the potential for the Angels’ season to go completely haywire, however — in a good or bad way, I have no idea. After all, Washington called a team meeting after two games as the team began the season with 11-3 and 13-4 losses. (And it worked: The Angels won their next two games.)
Star power: 2 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 2: +1 for Jhoan Duran‘s fastball velocity, +1 for Edouard Julien being French-Canadian (he spoke no English when he started in college Auburn)
This is our first reminder that this index is different — and should be different — from our weekly Power Rankings: The Twins, after all, are favored to repeat as American League Central champions. They scored low in all three of the 10-point categories, however, as their only two players in the top 100 were Pablo Lopez at No. 55 and Carlos Correa at No. 78. Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton certainly have top-100 potential, but the injury risk bothered our voters and Lewis has unfortunately already landed on the injured list. They do have one of the best uniform sets in the majors, though.
Star power: 4 | Youth: 1 | Baserunning: 1.5 | Catches: 5 | 425+: 1.5 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 3: +1 for Davis Schneider‘s mustache + goggles combo, +1 for play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman, +1 for Kevin Gausman‘s splitter
With Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho in the outfield, it’s no surprise that the Blue Jays rank best in the 4-star and 5-star catch category, but they had just three players in the top 100 (Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Gausman) and don’t appear to have much potential impact youth unless pitcher Ricky Tiedemann gets called up. They also fared poorly in FanGraphs’ baserunning metric and outside of Guerrero, they don’t hit many big blasts. Indeed, looking at this lineup and considering the offense was middle of the pack last season, the Jays might struggle to score runs.
Star power: 3 | Youth: 4.5 | Baserunning: 4 | Catches: 1 | 425+: 1.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 1.5: +1 for Logan Webb‘s sinker, +0.5 for the beer shower given to Jung Hoo Lee after his first home run
The Giants’ offseason additions make them a lot more intriguing than they were a season ago: reigning National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell, center fielder Lee, Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman and DH Jorge Soler. Snell and Chapman cracked the top 100 alongside Webb (runner-up to Snell) and the early returns on Lee have been positive — we’ll see if he can improve the team’s lackluster catch rating. Rookie Kyle Harrison has a chance to give the Giants one of the best pitching trios in the league. They also rate well in minutia: great ballpark, great announcers, classic uniforms.
Star power: 3.5 | Youth: 3.5 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 3.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 1.5: +1 for Masyn Winn‘s arm, +0.5 for players going wild when manager Oli Marmol got a two-year extension and the ensuing uproar every time a bullpen decision backfires
The Cardinals are sort of in no-man’s-land right now: They have a couple of declining superstars in Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt (44th and 47th in our top 100) and some intriguing young players in Jordan Walker and Winn, but nobody clearly in their prime. If only they could combine Walker’s offensive potential with Winn’s defense. The Cardinals don’t fare very well in baserunning or fantastic catches — and Tommy Edman, the best in both categories, is currently out with a wrist issue. Victor Scott II is a speedster who made the Opening Day roster after stealing 94 bases in the minors, but he’s probably around only until Edman or Lars Nootbaar return.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 5.5 | Catches: 4 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 2.5: +1 for knowing Bobby Witt Jr. will be a Royal for the long term, +1 for Cole Ragans‘ changeup and potential to be the best KC starter since Kevin Appier, +0.5 for Salvador Perez
The Royals have been awful since 2018 — three 100-loss seasons since then, including 106 in 2023. That means the rebuild hasn’t just been slow, it hasn’t made any progress. Believing they can contend in a weak AL Central, the Royals went out and signed some veteran starters. Still, it’s a big leap from 56 wins to 86. Anyway, Witt is worth the price of admission all by himself, Ragans might be a potential ace and Kyle Isbel apparently makes a lot of great plays in the outfield. Plus, the fountains at Kauffman Stadium are a pleasant backdrop for viewing any Royals game.
Star power: 6 | Youth: 2.5 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 3.5: +1 for George Kirby‘s control, +1 for Julio Rodriguez‘s energy, +1 for every reference to Cal Raleigh‘s nickname (“The Big Dumper”), +0.5 for the yellow metal trident used for home run celebrations (all fun and games until Julio pokes his eye out)
The Mariners have J-Rod and a strong starting rotation — Luis Castillo, Kirby and Logan Gilbert, ranked 39th, 40th and 62nd in our top 100 — so they get a solid star power figure. But outside of Rodriguez, they don’t do much on the bases or in the field (there’s a strong likelihood they’ll get no 4- or 5-star catches from their corner outfielders). T-Mobile Park also suppresses offense in general, so you’ll see a lot of low-scoring games when the Mariners are at home. Still, there’s nothing like seeing the cameras showing Mount Rainier on a sunny afternoon and the Mariners’ Sunday cream jerseys are among my favorites (the black pants on their City Connect uniforms are an abomination, however).
Star power: 2 | Youth: 5.5 | Baserunning: 5 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 1.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 3: +1 for when Tarik Skubal wins the Cy Young Award, +1 for stealing Jason Benetti from the White Sox, +1 for the pizza spear home run celebration (all fun and games until Spencer Torkelson pokes his eye out)
The Tigers are sneakily interesting, especially if Torkelson and Riley Greene can build upon their 2023 seasons. Colt Keith and Parker Meadows give them two high-profile rookies and if Meadows is as advertised in center field, that catch score could improve. Maybe we’ll even see top prospect Jackson Jobe join the rotation or bullpen later in the season. Here’s a question: Is Javier Baez a negative or positive viewing experience at this point in his career? He’s still astonishing at times on defense, but he’s probably the most frustrating batter to watch in the majors: low batting average, terrible OBP and he doesn’t hit for any power anymore.
Star power: 9 | Youth: 1 | Baserunning: 2.5 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 3 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 4: +1 for Ronel Blanco maybe throwing another no-hitter, +1 for Jose Altuve still doing Jose Altuve stuff, +0.5 for the ridiculous movement on Framber Valdez‘s pitches (maybe too much, he walked six in his first start), +0.5 for annoying home runs hit into the Crawford Boxes, +0.5 for the fear you feel every time Yordan Alvarez steps into the box, +0.5 for living legend Justin Verlander
Look, there’s no denying the Astros’ star power: They tied with the Braves for the most players in the top 100 at eight, with Alvarez (No. 8), Altuve (No. 26) and Kyle Tucker (No. 28) each cracking the top 30. Tucker is a potential 30-30 threat (he stole 30 bases and hit 29 home runs last season), but they’re pretty station-to-station on the bases. Of course, we’ll now see if Blanco is the real deal after his no-hitter against the Blue Jays and I’m curious to see if Hunter Brown breaks out. Plus, we’ll get Verlander back at some point. Subjectively, I’d probably put the Astros higher, but this is where our highly scientific system puts them.
Star power: 3.5 | Youth: 8 | Baserunning: 7 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 1 | Minutia: 2 |
Bonus: 3: +1 for the Naylor brothers, +1 for Andres Gimenez‘s range at second, +1 for Shane Bieber looking healthy again after striking out 11 on Opening Day (even if it was against the A’s)
With second-year starters Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Gavin Williams, plus sophomore catcher Bo Naylor, the Guardians fare very well in the youth category, and they also run the bases well, with four players stealing at least 20 bases last season (although Myles Straw‘s bat has him back in the minors). The lack of power means they have to win with pitching, defense and speed — a formula that worked in 2022, but not as well in 2023. If Bieber can regain his Cy Young-level form and rookie Brayan Rocchio can provide some offense at shortstop, they have a chance.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 4.5 | Baserunning: 10 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 1
Bonus: 4: +1 for Randy Arozarena‘s celebrations, +1 for Zach Eflin‘s immaculate strike-throwing ability, +0.5 for Pete Fairbanks‘ fastball, +0.5 for Jose Caballero‘s confidence, +0.5 for their ability to turn every no-name reliever into a good pitcher, +0.5 for Yandy Diaz‘s biceps
The Rays’ athleticism certainly shows up on the bases, where they’re annually one of the best and most aggressive teams. Oddly, it didn’t show up as much in outfield defense, where Arozarena had just one 4-star catch (no 5-star ones) and Josh Lowe had none of either (Jose Siri is outstanding in center, however) last season. Arozarena and Diaz were the only two Rays to crack the top 100 list, although Eflin, Lowe and Isaac Paredes could all get there and Brandon Lowe has been there in the past. The big negative: Watching games from the Trop is like watching a game played in some 16th-century dungeon in a cold, moldy English castle.
Star power: 6.5 | Youth: 3.5 | Baserunning: 1.5 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 4: +1 for the Juan Soto Shuffle, +1 for large human Aaron Judge playing center field, +1 for Marcus Stroman‘s six-pitch repertoire and succeeding as a 5-foot-7 pitcher, +0.5 for the potential of Carlos Rodon‘s slider, +0.5 for the hot start
Wait, the Yankees, the crown jewel franchise of the majors, rank only in the middle of the pack? Pinstripes! Yankee Stadium! John Sterling! A fearsome one-two punch in Judge and Soto and homers galore from the likes of Judge, Soto and Giancarlo Stanton certainly means the Yankees should rank higher, right? While Judge (No. 2), Soto (No. 3) and Gerrit Cole (No. 7) all ranked in the top 10, the only other Yankees player in the top 100 was Anthony Volpe at 95. I also discounted the point total a bit since Cole is out at least a couple of months. Of course, the best thing about the Yankees in 2024: If they return to the top of the division after missing the playoffs in 2024, that’s a great story, especially if Judge and Soto tear up the league; if they miss the playoffs again, that’s also a great story.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 7 | Baserunning: 8.5 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 4: +1 for Elly De La Cruz‘s arm, +1 for the possibility De La Cruz will hit a pitch that bounces over the fence, +1 for the hope of seeing De La Cruz going home to third on a triple, +1 for Hunter Greene‘s potential (and blazing fastball)
De La Cruz is a great example of how one off-the-charts rip-roaring ball of dynamite can make an otherwise pedestrian team (other than their overall youth) must-watch viewing. But you know what’s not exciting? Strikeouts, which he has a lot of. At this point, De La Cruz is more hype and potential than actual production (although he did come in at No. 72 in our top 100). Losing Matt McLain to shoulder surgery is a big loss for the Reds, and their ultimate success will depend on their young rotation. If the pitching improves and De La Cruz hits, this Reds team will climb higher on this list.
Star power: 7.5 | Youth: 3 | Baserunning: 6 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 3: +1 for Dylan Cease‘s slider, +1 for Ha-Seong Kim‘s defense, +1 for watching games from San Diego and wishing you were there
The Padres have lost Soto, Snell and Josh Hader yet still have Fernando Tatis Jr. (No. 14), Manny Machado (25), Cease (57), Xander Bogaerts (58) and Kim (83) in the top 100, with Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove having top-100 ability at their best. It feels like everyone ignored Tatis last season — which is understandable following the missed season and PED suspension, but he’s still one of the more exciting all-around players in the game. He won the Platinum Glove as the best overall defender in the NL in 2023 after a full-time move to right field, earned due to a combination of range and a strong throwing arm. He stole 29 bases and hit 25 home runs. He’s off to a good start this year and I think the offense improves. I’m also a big fan of the Padres embracing their history and going all-in on brown for their uniforms.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 7.5 | Baserunning: 6 | Catches: 5 | 425+: 1.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 3: +1 for Jackson Chourio hype, +1 for Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker, +0.5 for Abner Uribe‘s fastball, +0.5 for Devin Williams‘ changeup (would get more points, but he’s out for a couple of months)
This surprised me a bit as the Brewers are lacking in star power after trading away Corbin Burnes (they had three players in the top 100, but Willy Adames was the highest at No. 86), but they have young, exciting players all over the field, starting with Chourio, Kiley McDaniel’s No. 2 prospect heading into the season. The outfield defense will be spectacular with Chourio, Sal Frelick, Blake Perkins and Joey Wiemer and the double-play combo of Adames and rookie Joey Ortiz will also be stellar. Rhys Hoskins has already given them a little edge on the field as well. Bonus points for an enthusiastic fan base, Bernie Brewer and the sausage races.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 6 | Baserunning: 5.5 | Catches: 4 | 425+: 3.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 4.5: +1 for Oneil Cruz doing all the same things we said about Elly De La Cruz, +1 for Andrew McCutchen, +1 for Jared Jones‘ slider, +1 for Ke’Bryan Hayes‘ defense, +0.5 for the hot start that gives hopes and dreams to Pirates fans
This is not an overreaction to Pittsburgh’s hot start. Nope. THIS IS A SCIENTIFIC SURVEY. I don’t know if the Pirates are going to be good, but they’re going to be more fun than they’ve been in the past. The return of Cruz is a huge part of that, of course, but they’ve added an excellent fly ball chaser in center fielder Michael A. Taylor while Jones’ debut start with 10 strikeouts and the pending arrival of Paul Skenes and his 100-mph heater helps the youth score. Mix in a great ballpark, classic jerseys and the Roberto Clemente Bridge and I’ll be watching more Pirates games than I have in years (assuming they keep winning).
Star power: 5 | Youth: 3 | Baserunning: 7 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 3.5 | Minutia: 5
Bonus: 3.5: +1 for the Mets’ broadcast booth, +1 for Edwin Diaz and Timmy Trumpet, +1 for Mr. Met, +0.5 for Brandon Nimmo‘s smile
Whoa, the Mets over the Yankees? How can that be possible? The Mets are awful! (So far.) Well, yes, you’re overlooking the unintentional comedy factor here — the Mets will apparently be the Mets, even with a new manager and new president of baseball operations. We’re not even a week into the season and the Mets have already: (1) Instigated a benches-clearing incident and intentionally thrown at a batter; (2) Lost a game in extra innings with two bad fielding plays; (3) Scored eight runs in four games; (4) Stressed that they’re not in panic mode. Tell that to Mets fans.
Star power: 3 | Youth: 8 | Baserunning: 6 | Catches: 3.5 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 3: +1 for Brayan Bello‘s changeup, +1 for Triston Casas‘ upside (1.034 OPS in the second half), +0.5 for Tyler O’Neill‘s physique, +0.5 for Greg Weissert‘s sweeper
It’s the new-look Red Sox: faster, better defense and a whole lot more entertaining. The Red Sox have been mediocre and uninteresting the past two seasons, but with rookie Ceddanne Rafaela in center, flanked by Jarren Duran and O’Neill, they’ve dramatically upgraded their outfield defense and their overall team speed. Throw in a couple big bashers in Rafael Devers and Casas (the only two Red Sox in the top 100) and this should be a fun offense to watch. Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford also looked outstanding in their first starts as new pitching coach Andrew Bailey may already be improving the staff. Red Sox fans are understandably cranky after the team didn’t spend much this offseason, but I think they’ll grow to like this team — it has a chance to surprise.
Star power: 9 | Youth: 1 | Baserunning: 5 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 5: +1 for Trea Turner‘s slides, +1 for Bryce Harper‘s designer cleats, +1 for Zack Wheeler‘s fastball, +1 for Brandon Marsh‘s and Matt Strahm‘s hair, +1 for the best set of uniforms in the majors (yes, that’s technically part of the minutia category, but they’re getting a bonus point anyway)
Subjectively, I might’ve ranked the Phillies first: They have star power, they have personality, they’re good, their fans are loud and into the game, Marsh and Johan Rojas give them two plus outfielders and Harper is always a guy you can’t take your eyes off. Alas, since this is an established team of veterans, they score at the bottom of the youth scale and that hurts their overall ranking. They’re also lacking a bit on the bases, even with Turner’s electric speed and slides, and surprisingly, they didn’t earn a full “5” in the 425-plus foot home run category — they only ranked eighth in the majors in that department last season.
Star power: 4.5 | Youth: 6 | Baserunning: 10 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 1 | Minutia: 5
Bonus: 3: +1 for Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner turning two, +1 for “Go Cubs Go,” +0.5 for Justin Steele’s slider, +0.5 for stealing manager Craig Counsell from the Brewers
The Cubs have a lot of items in their favor: They were tied with the Rays as the best baserunning team in the majors last season (Hoerner led the way with 43 steals, but they were efficient and opportunistic up and down the lineup), they get to include Shota Imanaga in the “youth” category alongside Jordan Wicks, and they had a solid four players in the top 100 (and that didn’t include Seiya Suzuki, who I think will crack that list next season after a big 2024). And, of course, the Cubs have Wrigley Field. Baseball perfection on a summer afternoon.
Star power: 8 | Youth: 9 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 5: +1 for when Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer return, +1 for manager Bruce Bochy, +1 for Evan Carter‘s plate discipline, +1 for Marcus Semien never taking a day off, +0.5 for Adolis Garcia‘s arms, +0.5 for Corey Seager‘s ability to crush the first pitch
The Rangers win the World Series and now add Carter for a full season plus fellow super rookie Wyatt Langford. What a turnaround for this franchise in such a short time. If they do manage to get a healthy deGrom and Scherzer back in the second half, maybe they can become the first team to repeat since the 2000 Yankees. The dynamic offense is going to score a ton of runs. The only negatives here are a lack of action on the bases — although Carter and Langford will add more speed — and the antiseptic nature of watching a game from Globe Life Field. The jersey set is pretty bland other than the throwback baby blues.
Star power: 6 | Youth: 10 | Baserunning: 7.5 | Catches: 4 | 425+: 3 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 3: +1 for Gabriel Moreno‘s arm, +1 for Zac Gallen‘s ability to change speeds, +0.5 for Eugenio Suarez‘s infectious personality, +0.5 for Corbin Carroll‘s swagger
OK, there’s a lot of Carroll in this ranking: He was No. 10 in the top 100, he still qualifies as a part of the “youth” category, he’s the best baserunner in the game and he was the only outfielder with four 4-star catches last season. He even hit a respectable five home runs of 425-plus feet. He’s not a one-man “SportsCenter” highlight, however: The Diamondbacks have four other players in the top 100 (Gallen, Ketel Marte, Moreno and Merrill Kelly) and have other young players to watch, including Moreno and second-year righty Brandon Pfaadt. If only they’d figure out the uniforms.
Star power: 10 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 8 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 5: +1 for Spencer Strider‘s mustache, +1 for Strider’s new curveball, +1 for Ronald Acuna Jr.’s flair, +1 for Matt Olson‘s swing, +1 for Charlie Morton still going strong
No shock here as the Braves are overloaded with top-echelon talent and are likely on their way to a third straight 100-win season, which the Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz Braves did from 1997 to 1999. If you like offense, the Braves are your team. If you like speed, the Braves have it with Acuna and Michael Harris II and were a top-five baserunning team in 2023. If you like defense, the Braves are solid across the board. If you like pitching, the Braves have even more of it than last season, and Strider would top many lists as the No. 1 must-see starter in the game. Last season, they staked their claim as one of the best single-season lineups. If they do it again — and top it off with a World Series title — they go down as maybe the best ever.
Star power: 6 | Youth: 10 | Baserunning: 9 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 5
Bonus: 5: +1 for Gunnar Henderson making The Leap (he will), +1 for Corbin Burnes‘ cutter, +1 for Kyle Bradish‘s slider/curveball combo, +1 for Adley Rutschman‘s leadership, +1 for being so good they didn’t even need Jackson Holliday to start the season
It’s not just that the Orioles are young and good and got even better in adding an ace in Burnes, but they play such a clean, efficient brand of baseball. They run the bases, they execute on defense and they don’t just rely on home runs to score runs (which is harder to do anyway with the deeper left field at Camden Yards). They still have Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez as sophomores and no-doubters to improve, and then they’ll be adding Holliday, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad during the season as needed. They play in one of the best parks in the majors, have a timeless set of uniforms and have a fan base that is going to fill the park this season.
Star power: 10 | Youth: 6.5 | Baserunning: 6 | Catches: 4 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 5
Bonus: 5: +1 for Mookie Betts playing shortstop, +1 for Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s splitter, +1 for Tyler Glasnow‘s curveball, +1 for Freddie Freeman‘s doubles, +1 for Shohei Ohtani
You probably knew this was coming even if you’re on the side of Dodger Hater. The only negative for Dodgers fans — aside from Max Muncy‘s defense — might be that they’re going to be leading a lot of games 7-2 in the sixth inning. Here’s one surprising thing about the Dodgers: They didn’t hit many 425-plus foot home runs last season. Betts and Freeman only hit three apiece. They found a way to fix that by adding Ohtani, who topped the majors with 21 such blasts (and he brings speed on the bases). Teoscar Hernandez also brings power and the occasional 4-star catch (even though overall he’s not a great defender). On top of that, you get Dodger Stadium with that perfect “Dodgers” script and the sun shining bright.
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Max Olson
Ole Miss linebacker Suntarine Perkins, defensive tackle Will Echoles, center Brycen Sanders and defensive back Antonio Kite have committed to returning in 2026, the school announced Thursday.
All four starters have signed deals with the school to return under new coach Pete Golding next year, a source told ESPN, ahead of the Rebels’ first-ever College Football Playoff game.
The Rebels are working to retain their key returning players amid former coach Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU and the impending opening of the transfer portal window on Jan. 2. Kiffin is taking several assistant coaches and staffers with him to Baton Rouge.
Echoles earned second-team All-SEC honors and leads all Power 4 defensive tackles with 26 pressures this season, according to ESPN Research. Perkins was a third-team All-SEC selection in 2024 after recording a team-high 10.5 sacks.
The Rebels are also attempting to bring back star running back Kewan Lacy, the SEC’s second-leading rusher, and starting quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has said he’ll weigh his options if he receives an NCAA waiver for an additional season of eligibility.
Kiffin left for SEC rival LSU on Nov. 30 and will not coach Ole Miss in the CFP. Golding, the Rebels’ defensive coordinator for the past three years, was promoted to permanent head coach.
The No. 6 seed Rebels host No. 11 Tulane on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, TNT/HBO Max/truTV) in their first-round game, a rematch of a nonconference meeting the Rebels won 45-10 on Sept. 20.
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Mark Schlabach
Quarterback Beau Pribula is on the move again.
Pribula, who spent this season at Missouri after transferring from Penn State, has informed the Tigers’ coaching staff that he plans to enter the transfer portal, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
Pribula doesn’t plan to play for the Tigers (8-4) when they take on No. 19 Virginia (10-3) in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Dec. 27 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC), sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Pribula, a senior from York, Pennsylvania, helped the Tigers to a 6-1 start this season, with the only loss coming against then-No. 8 Alabama. But then he was hurt early in the third quarter of a 17-10 loss at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25. His left ankle was placed in an air cast and trainers carted him off the field.
Doctors determined that Pribula dislocated the ankle but didn’t fracture it. He missed two games before returning to play in a 17-6 loss at then-No. 8 Oklahoma. He also played in the Tigers’ 31-17 win at Arkansas in Missouri’s regular-season finale.
In 10 games, Pribula completed 67.4% of his passes for 1,941 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 297 yards with six scores.
Pribula battled Sam Horn for the starting job in training camp, and both quarterbacks were expected to play in the opener. Horn, however, suffered a fractured right leg on his first play of the game in a 61-6 win against FCS program Central Arkansas and missed the rest of the season.
Freshman Matt Zollers ran the offense when Horn and Pribula were sidelined, and coach Eli Drinkwitz said Thursday that Zollers will start in the Gator Bowl.
Pribula, who was ranked the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2022 by ESPN, spent his first two seasons at Penn State. He left the Nittany Lions before their CFP first-round game in December 2024 after starter Drew Allar announced he was returning in 2025.
CBS Sports first reported Pribula’s intention to transfer.
Skim through the Heisman Trophy voting, and seven of the top 10 players will be on the field in this year’s College Football Playoff. Our apologies to Jeremiyah Love, whom we’d love to see there, too, but that’s an issue for Notre Dame and the ACC to work out.
But that list only scratches the surface of the depth of talent that will be showcased in this year’s playoff. From Ohio State‘s wealth of riches to James Madison’s band of upstarts, the 12 teams that made this year’s playoff are loaded with future NFL draft picks, college stars and under-the-radar gems just waiting to become household names on the sport’s biggest stage.
Before the games kicked off, ESPN’s panel of experts (Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg) attempted to whittle down those 12 rosters to provide the definitive ranking of the 50 best players in this year’s playoff. It was no easy task. We’ve left off a bevy of names that we’ll no doubt come to regret — Georgia’s KJ Bolden, Oregon‘s Bear Alexander and Alabama‘s Germie Bernard and Kadyn Proctor — but that’s only another reminder of just how much star power will be on display in the coming weeks.
The criteria for our list is much like the process used by the College Football Playoff committee, insofar as we mostly made it up as we went. But the bigger point here was to identify not only the players who put up the best numbers during the regular season or the biggest names on the teams most likely to make a deep run, but to find the best players, the ones who’ll have a chance to have postseason star turns the way Will Howard, Cam Skattebo and Jack Sawyer did in 2024.
So, who will be this year’s most impactful playoff performers? The list starts here. — David Hale
OG, Tulane, redshirt junior
2025 notable stats: 849 snaps, 2 pressures, 0 sacks allowed
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The 6-foot-2, 293-pound big man has developed into a three-year starter at left guard for the Green Wave and has earned first-team All-American Conference honors in back-to-back seasons. Veteran leaders such as Hurst are a big reason why this squad was able to reload for 2025 after losing top players to the portal and pull off an 11-win season and a run to the CFP. — Max Olson
WR, Oklahoma, redshirt junior
2025 notable stats: 65 rec, 948 rec yards, 7 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The Arkansas transfer who emerged as a No. 1 receiver and All-SEC performer has been a massive development for helping Oklahoma overcome its recent offensive struggles. Sategna’s explosive touchdowns in close wins over Missouri and LSU played a big part in helping secure the Sooners’ CFP bid, and his 1,273 all-purpose yards were second most among all SEC wideouts. — Olson
QB, James Madison, redshirt junior
2025 notable stats: 2,533 yards, 21 TDs, 61.2 QBR
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The Sun Belt Player of the Year has enjoyed a terrific two-year run as the Dukes’ starter with 6,117 total yards, 68 touchdowns, just 12 interceptions and a 20-5 record. He led his squad on an undefeated run through Sun Belt play with eight wins by double-digit margins and surpassed 300 total yards in five games, including a 448-yard performance against Old Dominion. — Olson
LB, Indiana, senior
2025 notable stats: 35 solo tackles, 7 TFLs, 2 INTs
2025 preseason ranking: 77
Fisher, a three-year starter, was a first-team All-American in his debut season with the Hoosiers after transferring from James Madison and had another highly productive year as a key leader for the No. 2 scoring defense in FBS. The 6-foot-1, 231-pound senior had a season-high 13 stops in the Hoosiers’ pivotal road win at Oregon and opened their victory over UCLA with a pick-six. — Olson
QB, Miami, redshirt senior
2025 notable stats: 3,072 yards, 25 TDs, 80.5 QBR
2025 preseason ranking: 29
Beck bypassed the NFL draft for a sixth year in college and one more chance to make a deep CFP run with the Hurricanes. He returned from an elbow injury and in form this season with the second-best completion percentage in FBS and the top QBR in the ACC. Beck led four wins over AP top-25 opponents and has boosted his career record as a starter to 34-5. — Olson
QB, Texas A&M, redshirt sophomore
2025 notable stats: 2,932 yards, 25 TDs, 77.8 QBR
2025 preseason ranking: NR
After taking over as Texas A&M’s starter during the 2024 season, Reed took a big step forward in his third year with nearly 3,400 total yards and a top-five QBR in the SEC (77.8). He had what it took to lead the Aggies to a last-minute road victory at Notre Dame and a 27-point comeback against South Carolina on their way to an 11-0 start. When he gets hot, few dual-threat quarterbacks are more fun to watch. — Olson
OT, Ohio State, redshirt junior
2025 notable stats: 759 snaps, 0 sacks allowed
2025 preseason ranking: NR
After earning six starts at left guard last season for the national champions, Siereveld moved to left tackle and proved he could be among the Big Ten’s best, earning second-team all-conference honors from the league’s coaches. Siereveld and his fellow starters up front kept quarterback Julian Sayin protected throughout his run to becoming a Heisman finalist, with only 11 sacks allowed through 13 games. — Olson
DL, Oklahoma, senior
2025 notable stats: 21 pressures, 6.5 sacks, 9.5 TFLs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Thomas has played in only nine games, yet still earned first-team All-SEC honors from the conference’s coaches. He has been that impressive as a pass rusher and logged all 6.5 of his sacks in SEC play for a Sooners defense that’s leading the country in TFLs and sacks. Thomas sat out most of November because of a quad injury and is working to try to get back on the field for the CFP. — Olson
LB, Alabama, redshirt senior
2025 notable stats: 75 tackles, 37 solo, 3 TFLs
2025 preseason ranking: 27
Lawson put in the work to come back from a torn ACL sustained late in the 2024 season and again played at an All-SEC level for the Crimson Tide as a senior. The two-time team captain delivered two of the biggest plays of the season for Alabama’s defense with his fourth-quarter strip against South Carolina and his fumble recovery against Auburn to clinch close victories. — Olson
QB, Alabama, redshirt junior
2025 notable stats: 3,268 yards, 26 TDs, 76.7 QBR
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Simpson did what QBs rarely do these days in waiting until Year 4 to become a starting QB. He proved he can perform under pressure in leading a run of four consecutive victories over ranked SEC foes to kick off conference play, and he went on to earn second-team All-SEC honors from the conference’s coaches. — Olson
DL, James Madison, redshirt freshman
2025 notable stats: 16 solo tackles, 7 sacks, 1 FF
2025 preseason ranking: NR
West put together a remarkable redshirt freshman season at JMU after logging only seven snaps a season ago. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive end earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors this season and currently ranks second in the conference in TFLs and third in sacks. He brought his best in the Sun Belt title game with nine pressures and three sacks in a 31-14 victory over Troy. — Olson
DT, Oregon, junior
2025 notable stats: 4 TFLs, 29 total tackles, 6 PBUs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
He fortified Oregon’s defensive line in his first season as a starter, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors and contributing 29 tackles, four for loss, with five quarterback hurries and six pass breakups. Washington helped the Ducks rise to No. 9 nationally in points allowed. Oregon ranked 20th nationally against the run. — Adam Rittenberg
DT, Ole Miss, sophomore
2025 notable stats: 55 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 8 TFLs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The 310-pound sophomore from Houston, Mississippi, was one of the stars of Ole Miss’ 2024 recruiting class, and he has enjoyed a breakout campaign as a first-time starter. He has made 45 of his 55 tackles against the run — five of his 11 run stops (tackles at or behind the line) came in tight midseason wins over LSU and Washington State — but he has also had 4.5 sacks. — Bill Connelly
OLB, Texas Tech, senior
2025 notable stats: 47 tackles, 9 sacks, 46 pressures
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Playing for his fourth school in five years, Height has been the perfect foil for any offense that tries to focus too much attention on David Bailey. The 24-year-old pass-rush specialist has nine sacks and an elite 18.4% pressure rate, and he has been remarkably consistent all season: He has recorded at least three pressures in 12 of 13 games, with at least a half-sack in eight. — Connelly
RB, James Madison, junior
2025 notable stats: 190 carries, 1,263 yards, 10 total TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The 5-foot-7, 190-pounder has evolved into the most important player on the JMU offense. He has produced at least 85 yards from scrimmage in 12 of 13 games and produced 223 in the Sun Belt championship game win over Troy. He only grows more effective over time, too: He averages a strong 6.8 yards per touch in the first three quarters and an incredible 9.7 in the fourth. — Connelly
OLB, Oregon, junior
2025 notable stats: 61 tackles, 13 TFLs, 2 FFs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The former blue-chipper was a contributor from almost day one at Oregon and has blossomed into almost the perfect outside linebacker. He set career highs in TFLs (13), run stops (14), sacks (seven) and forced fumbles (two), and when he missed a tackle against Washington in the fourth quarter of Oregon’s 12th game, it was his first official miss all season. — Connelly
CB, Indiana, junior
2025 notable stats: 39 tackles, 31 solo, 8 PDs
2025 preseason ranking: 82
A freshman All-American at James Madison, Ponds has been a huge part of the Indiana rebuild from Curt Cignetti’s first day in charge. He can line up wide or in the slot, and he’s one of the nation’s surest tacklers at the cornerback position. Don’t even bother targeting him downfield: On passes of 10 or more air yards, he has given up only a 28% completion rate. — Connelly
WR, Georgia, junior
2025 notable stats: 73 rec, 744 yards, 5 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
As an extension of the run game, Branch catches most of his passes near the line of scrimmage but averages 8.1 yards after catch. After a reasonably slow start, Branch averaged 6.6 catches and 64.7 yards over his past seven games. He also might be the scariest return man in the CFP. — Connelly
WR, Indiana, junior
2025 notable stats: 58 rec, 804 yards, 11 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Cooper combined with Elijah Sarratt to provide the perfect 1-2 punch for Fernando Mendoza. He enjoyed two perfect games this season (he caught a combined 18 of 18 passes for 322 yards against Indiana State and Michigan State), and with Sarratt hurt, he made the catch of the year against Penn State with a toe-tapping touchdown with 41 seconds left. — Connelly
DE, Miami, senior
2025 notable stats: 52 tackles, 12 TFLs, 7 sacks
2025 preseason ranking: NR
A sixth-year senior and West Virginia transfer, Mesidor has been a fantastic battery mate for Rueben Bain Jr., either tying or setting career highs this season in TFLs (12), run stops (10), sacks (seven), pressures (42) and pressure rate (13.9%). Following Miami’s back-to-back losses, he raised his game down the stretch, helping to assure the Hurricanes’ rebounded in the CFP rankings. — Connelly
DE, Oklahoma, sophomore
2025 notable stats: 43 tackles, 12 TFLs, 6 sacks
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Oklahoma lost R Mason Thomas to injury in November, and Wein, who entered the season with only one career tackle, made sure it didn’t matter in the slightest. He recorded at least one TFL in 10 of 12 games, and he made 2.5 sacks with seven pressures in late wins over Alabama and Missouri. Thomas’ return to the lineup could take the focus off of him and also make him more effective. — Connelly
S, Oregon, junior
2025 notable stats: 31 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
After serving his time at Purdue, Thieneman moved to Eugene and quickly thrived as a patrolman in the back. Oregon ranks fifth nationally in yards allowed per dropback (4.7) and ninth in interception rate (4.0%), and Thieneman’s fingerprints are all over that. His overtime interception against Penn State both clinched a CFP berth for the Ducks (in retrospect) and sent the Nittany Lions spiraling. — Connelly
S, Indiana, senior
2025 notable stats: 67 tackles, 6 INTs, 2.5 TFLs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
A former junior college player who sued for an extra year of eligibility, Moore transferred back to Indiana after a year at Ole Miss, and he has become a wonderfully effective ball hawk for a defense that is tied for sixth nationally with 25 takeaways. An active defensive front creates pressure and then Moore swoops in to pounce on a quarterback’s mistakes. — Connelly
QB, Ole Miss, senior
2025 notable stats: 3,016 yards, 19 total TDs, 86.0 QBR
2025 preseason ranking: NR
A year ago, Chambliss was leading Ferris State to the Division II title. Now he’s leading Ole Miss into its first CFP. Austin Simmons began the season as the Rebels’ starter but sustained an early injury. Chambliss made the most of his 10 starts, finishing fifth in Total QBR and eighth in the Heisman voting. He’s a passer first, but he will torch you with his legs if you let him. — Connelly
WR, Ohio State, senior
2025 notable stats: 48 rec, 838 yards, 9 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: 67
The best No. 3 receiver in the country last season, Tate has become maybe the best No. 2 in 2025. He has topped 100 yards four times this season — including a 183-yard effort against Minnesota — and he has caught at least one touchdown pass in eight of the 10 games he has played. Tate sat out three games in November but returned to catch the clinching 50-yard TD against Michigan. — Connelly
DT, Texas Tech, senior
2025 notable stats: 11 solo tackles, 8.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Part of Texas Tech’s lucrative defensive transfer class, Hunter arrived from UCF and immediately had an impact on the Red Raiders’ front. Hunter earned third-team AP All-America honors and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection after fortifying the interior line with 34 tackles. The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Hunter regularly commanded double-teams and helped Texas Tech become the nation’s best against the run. — Rittenberg
QB, Georgia, redshirt junior
2025 notable stats: 2,691 yards, 31 total TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Stockton waited his turn to become Georgia’s starter as a fourth-year junior and was certainly up for the challenge, leading the Bulldogs to another SEC title with a nine-game win streak since an early loss to Alabama. He currently ranks No. 6 nationally in QBR (85.8) and offered plenty of proof in tough tests against Ole Miss, Texas and Tennessee that he’s capable of taking his team on another title run. — Olson
TE, Oregon, junior
2025 notable stats: 40 rec, 490 yards, 8 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
In a season in which injuries hit Oregon’s wide receiver room especially hard, Sadiq emerged as a capable target. He earned second-team AP All-America honors and was named the Big Ten’s Tight End of the Year after recording eight touchdown catches — most among FBS tight ends — and a team-high 40 receptions. Despite sitting out some time because of injury, Sadiq recorded 490 receiving yards and became the first Oregon tight end to be a finalist for the Mackey Award. — Rittenberg
WR, Indiana, senior
2025 notable stats: 51 rec, 687 yards, 12 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: 78
One of coach Curt Cignetti’s plug-and-play transfers from James Madison, Sarratt followed a third-team All-Big Ten season in 2024 with a second-team selection this fall, despite sitting out some time because of a hamstring injury. Sarratt recorded touchdown catches in all but two games he played and had three multi-touchdown performances and four with seven or more receptions. Sarratt has 186 receptions for 2,835 yards and 28 touchdowns during the past three seasons. — Rittenberg
LB, Ohio State, senior
2025 notable stats: 45 solo tackles, 1 FF, 1 INT
2024 preseason ranking: 62
The 6-foot-5, 243-pound playmaker has performed at an All-America level for the Buckeyes and should be a first-round NFL draft pick next spring after shining under new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. He’s the leading tackler on the No. 1 defense in the country, had a season-high 12 stops in the Big Ten title game and ranks fourth among all starting linebackers in Pro Football Focus grading this season. — Olson
0:33
Alabama comes away with a big-time INT in the 3rd quarter
Bray Hubbard hauls in the tipped ball for a big-time Crimson Tide interception.
S, Alabama, junior
2025 notable stats: 4 INT, 6 PBU, 3 FFs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
After emerging as a starter in 2024 and leading the team with three interceptions, Hubbard solidified himself as one of the nation’s best defensive backs this season. The junior safety from Mississippi earned first-team All-America honors and again led Alabama with four interceptions, while contributing 66 tackles and a team-high six pass breakups. Hubbard had an interception and a forced fumble in Alabama’s narrow win against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. — Rittenberg
OT, Miami, junior
2025 notable stat: Nation’s third-highest pass-blocking grade (88.8)
2025 preseason ranking: 24
A mainstay at right tackle for the past three seasons, Mauigoa earned first-team AP All-America honors this fall after anchoring one of the nation’s top offensive lines. Miami ranks fifth nationally in fewest tackles for loss allowed (3.5 per game) and tied for eighth in fewest sacks allowed (.92 per game), while averaging 37.8 points during the final four regular-season games. He won the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy and earned the nation’s third-highest pass-blocking grade (88.8) from Pro Football Focus. — Rittenberg
QB, Oregon, sophomore
2025 notable stats: 2,733 yards, 24 TDs, 77.8 QBR
2025 preseason ranking: NR
After starting five games as a true freshman at UCLA in 2023, Moore took the rare step of transferring to a place where he knew playing time would be limited. He used the gap year in 2024 to refocus and blossomed this fall for the Ducks, completing 72.5% of his pass attempts with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. Moore helped rally Oregon to road wins against Penn State and Iowa and had 849 passing yards in his final three regular-season games that has him projected as possibly the top pick in the 2026 NFL draft. — Rittenberg
OT, Indiana, junior
2025 notable stat: No. 2 graded offensive lineman in the Power 4
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The Hoosiers prioritized upgrading their offensive line after 2024 and made several key additions through the portal. Their best blocker though turned out to be a holdover in Smith, who started the previous two seasons for the Hoosiers at left tackle. He protected the blind side of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and became the first Indiana player named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. Smith also is the first IU tackle to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors since Charley Peal in 1977. — Rittenberg
LB, Ohio State, junior
2025 notable stats: 6.5 sacks, 10 TFL, 62 total tackles
2025 preseason ranking: NR
A new set of stars emerged to lead the nation’s No. 1 defense this fall, and Reese was undeniably front and center. He has thrived under new coordinator Matt Patricia, recording 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss from the edge position and finished second on the squad with 62 total tackles. One of three Buckeyes defenders named a first-team AP All-American, Reese was named Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year and recorded a sack in six of Ohio State’s first eight games of the season. — Rittenberg
WR, Miami, freshman
2025 notable stats: 84 rec, 970 yards, 7 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The Miami native dazzled in his home area during his freshman year at the U, recording twice as many receptions than any other Hurricanes player this season, while leading the ACC in touchdowns and ranking fourth in the league in receiving yards, which marked a Miami freshman record. Toney had four 100-yard receiving performances, including in each of his final two regular-season games. A second-team AP All-America selection, Toney earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors after leading FBS freshmen in receptions. — Rittenberg
G, Oregon, senior
2025 notable stat: 87.3 pass-blocking grade
2025 preseason ranking: NR
A key member of an Oregon offensive front reshaped through the transfer portal, Pregnon earned first-team AP All-America honors during his first season with the Ducks. After starting two seasons for USC, Pregnon helped protect quarterback Dante Moore, giving up no sacks and only three pressures on 335 pass-blocking opportunities. Oregon enters the CFP ranked sixth in fewest tackles for loss allowed. — Rittenberg
DL, Ohio State, junior
2025 notable stats: 28 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 2 FFs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Running against Ohio State is no easy task, thanks in large part to the work of McDonald around the line of scrimmage. McDonald racked up 16 run stuffs this season — stops on runs at or behind the line — while making 60 total tackles on plays that gained an average of just 1.1 yards. McDonald missed only two tackles all season, making him one of the most reliable defenders on the D-line in the country. — Hale
RB, Ole Miss, sophomore
2025 notable stats: 258 carries, 20 TDs, 1,279 yards
2025 preseason ranking: NR
After playing sparingly for Missouri in 2024, Lacy became one of the top impact transfers in the country under coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels. He set an Ole Miss single-season record with 20 rushing touchdowns and became the school’s first finalist for the Doak Walker Award. Lacy leads the nation in rushing touchdowns and is fourth nationally in points per game. According to Pro Football Focus, he is second nationally in missed tackles forced (84) and fourth in yards after contact (809). Lacy had at least one rushing touchdown in all but one game. — Rittenberg
DL, Ohio State, senior
2025 notable stats: 36 solo tackles, 11 sacks, 1 FF
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Curry was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks this season, racking up 11 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, six QB hurries and 40 pressures. Curry’s versatility allowed him to create havoc on the edge and inside throughout the season, and his ability to move in space and play physical helped him rack up 62 total tackles, most in the Big Ten by a defensive lineman. — Hale
WR, Texas A&M, junior
2025 notable stats: 886 yards, 9 TDs, 12 total TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
No incoming transfer this season has affected two phases of the game as much as Concepcion, who won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player. The NC State transfer earned first-team All-SEC honors at wide receiver, return specialist and all-purpose player, after leading the league with nine receiving touchdowns and 480 all-purpose yards. He became the first A&M player in the modern era to score on a reception, a rush and a punt return in the same year. Concepcion had 57 receptions for 886 yards. — Hale
DL, Miami, junior
2025 notable stats: 19 solo tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT
2025 preseason ranking: 33
The numbers don’t exactly scream superstar. Bain had 4.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and 37 total tackles. But ask any QB or offensive coordinator who faced Miami this season who the best player on the field was, and the answer probably would be unanimous. Bain’s motor is unrivaled, and the attention he commands at the line of scrimmage opens up lanes for others on Miami’s front. For the season, Bain racked up 48 pressures — tops in the ACC — and 18 stops at or behind the line of scrimmage. — Hale
LB, Georgia, junior
2025 notable stats: 45 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 FFs
2025 preseason ranking: 38
Perhaps the most fierce player on the Dawgs’ defense, Allen is a machine in the middle for Georgia, racking up 85 total tackles, including eight for a loss. He added four PBUs, two QB hurries, two forced fumbles and contested seven of 16 targets while in coverage. — Hale
CB, Ohio State, junior
2025 notable stats: 18 solo tackles, 1 INT
2025 preseason ranking: 3
Downs picked off two passes this season, which is far more impressive than it sounds, because despite playing 322 snaps in coverage, opposing QBs targeted him only 20 times. Downs gave up only nine catches all season as the primary defender, accounting for only 72 yards and no touchdowns. The longest completion he gave up was 17 yards. A 14-yard completion in the second quarter of the Big Ten title game was the first one he’d given up in nearly two months. There is not a more lockdown corner in the country than Downs. — Hale
DL, Texas A&M, senior
2025 notable stats: 19 solo tackles, 11.5 sacks, 1 FF
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The problem, according to Miami coach Mario Cristobal, with trying to control Texas A&M’s pass rush is that the Aggies so rarely need to bring extra help. The front four dominates on its own. There’s plenty of praise to go around, of course, but the leader of that group is Howell, who led the SEC with 11.5 sacks and finished fourth with 14 tackles for loss. Howell added five QB hurries, six PBUs and a forced fumble for good measure. If the Aggies are going to make a deep run, it probably will be because of the chaos created up front by Howell & Co. — Hale
QB, Ohio State, sophomore
2025 notable stats: 3,323 passing yards, 31 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
When Will Howard left after winning a national championship last season, Ohio State could’ve chased another veteran in the portal. Instead, the Buckeyes handed the keys to the best roster in college football to a player with no real previous experience. Sayin didn’t flinch. From beating Texas in Week 1 to blossoming into a Heisman finalist by year’s end, Sayin never appeared overwhelmed by the moment, racking up an eye-popping stat line that included 31 touchdown passes, only six interceptions and a nearly 79% completion percentage. Sayin’s 182.2 passer rating was the best in the country, and if he makes a similar leap in the playoff as Howard did last year — there might be no stopping Ohio State from a repeat. — Hale
OLB, Texas Tech, senior
2025 notable stats: 27 solo tackles, 13.5 sacks, 3 FFs
2025 preseason ranking: 57
One of the best pass rushers in the country, Bailey led all Power 4 players in sacks with 13.5. He finished the regular season with 17.5 tackles for loss, 13 QB hurries, 65 pressures, a ridiculous 19.9% pressure rate and three forced fumbles. The Red Raiders’ defensive front was its best weapon, and no one on that D-line created more havoc in 2025 than Bailey. — Hale
LB, Texas Tech, senior
2025 notable stats: 117 tackles, 61 solo, 7 FFs
2025 preseason ranking: 92
Arguably the best defensive player in the country in 2025, Rodriguez dominated in all areas for Texas Tech this season. He racked up 117 tackles, second most in the Big 12. He picked off four passes, had 11 tackles for loss, broke up six passes and forced seven fumbles. And as if it wasn’t enough to dominate on defense, Rodriguez even got into the action on offense, rushing twice and scoring both times. — Hale
WR, Ohio State, sophomore
2025 notable stats: 1,086 rec yards, 11 TDs
2025 preseason ranking: 1
If we’re ranking based on talent alone, there’s a good argument that no player comes close to matching Smith’s ability. Smith caught 80 balls for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, but that doesn’t really tell the story. It’s how he has done it. Smith commands double-teams constantly, draws the attention of everyone’s best corner, and has every defensive coordinator he faces scheming to slow him down. And none of it has mattered. Smith continues to produce big play after big play, opening up options for Ohio State’s offense all over the field. — Hale
QB, Indiana, junior
2025 notable stats: 2,980 passing yards, 39 total TDs
2025 preseason ranking: NR
The Heisman Trophy winner has to top the list. Mendoza was a force for Indiana, as the Hoosiers took the next step from playoff Cinderella in 2024 to the No. 1 team in the country entering the 2025 postseason. Mendoza’s final numbers tell the story: more than 3,200 total yards, 39 touchdowns and only six interceptions for the last undefeated team in the country. — Hale
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