The Athletic Ranks 100 College Football Players for 2026, Putting Jeremiah Smith No. 1
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 25
The Athletic Ranks 100 College Football Players for 2026, Putting Jeremiah Smith No. 1
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 25
Summary
The Athletic’s 2026 top-100 college football list puts Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1 and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore at No. 2.
Smith earned the top spot after leading the Big Ten with 87 catches and 1,243 receiving yards while posting an 80.6% catch rate with only two drops in 2025.
Moore, ranked as the top defensive player, was a 2025 Thorpe Award finalist and finished with five interceptions, 7.7 yards allowed per catch and a 45.9 passer rating against.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is No. 3 after throwing for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns and adding 527 rushing yards, with Texas edge Colin Simmons and Miami receiver Malachi Toney rounding out the top five.
The ranking is based on player ability, past production and projected 2026 impact rather than NFL Draft value, using offseason input from coaches, general managers and scouts.