ESPN 2026 college football rankings: Jeremiah Smith tops list as quarterbacks dominate
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is ranked the best player in the country, while Oregon’s Dante Moore and Texas’s Arch Manning sit just outside the top ten in ESPN’s new preseason list.
ESPN has released its preseason top 100 player rankings for the 2026 college football season, placing Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at number one. The list is notably quarterback-heavy, featuring 18 quarterbacks in total, yet no signal caller occupies the top four positions. Trinidad Chambliss is the highest-ranked quarterback on the list, sitting at number five.
The distribution of talent across conferences highlights a competitive landscape, with the SEC accounting for seven of the top 15 players. Oregon leads all teams with eight selections, while the Big 12 has 12 players on the list, six of whom are from Texas Tech. Miami leads the ACC with five preseason selections, and New Mexico’s Jaxton Eck is the only non-Power 4 player included, ranked at number 100.
ESPN’s panel, comprising Bill Connelly, David Hale, Adam Rittenberg and Paolo Uggetti, faced debate over the placement of high-profile quarterbacks. Oregon’s Dante Moore, a preseason Heisman Trophy contender, is ranked number five, while Texas quarterback Arch Manning is placed within the top 15 but outside the top 10. Several reporters noted that both players, who are considered potential number one picks in the next NFL draft, may be ranked lower than their status warrants.
The rankings also identify potential risers who could climb the list during the season. Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman is highlighted as a player who may enter the top 10 by the end of the year, while South Carolina edge defender Dylan Stewart is identified as a prospect who should be in the top 10 by November. These assessments reflect the panel’s view that the current list serves as a baseline for expectations rather than a final judgement on player value.
The absence of significant non-Power 4 representation has drawn attention, with only one player from outside the major conferences making the cut. This mirrors recent trends in the NFL draft, where the first three rounds recently featured only three non-Power 4 players in the top 100 picks. The list underscores the depth of talent within the Power 4 conferences, particularly in the Big Ten and SEC, which together account for 65 per cent of the names on the list.
As the 2026 season approaches, the rankings provide a framework for evaluating team strength and individual player impact. The inclusion of players such as Michigan’s John Henry Daley and Oklahoma’s John Mateer, both returning from injury, suggests that the list will be subject to significant revision as the season progresses and players demonstrate their readiness.
