• Travis Hunter features on offense and defense: Colorado's two-way superstar is one of the best wide receivers and cornerbacks in college football, which is why he’s the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
• Ashton Jeanty is the easy choice at running back: With one of the greatest collegiate running back seasons of all time, Jeanty is an obvious pick for this All-American team.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
With college football's conference championship weekend in the rearview mirror, it's time for bowl season and, more importantly, the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
Before those games kick off, let’s look back at the top players in college football at every position with PFF’s 2024 All-America team.
Quarterback: Cam Ward, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
Ward launched himself up draft boards with a stellar 2024 season for the Hurricanes. The projected top-five pick leads all FBS quarterbacks with a 92.6 PFF grade and 36 passing touchdowns while placing second with 4,123 passing yards. Ward’s 28 big-time throws are tied for the third most, too.
Running Back: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State Broncos
Jeanty is having one of the greatest college running back seasons ever, whether based on traditional stats or PFF’s advanced metrics. His 2,497 rushing yards are 131 away from Barry Sanders’ single-season FBS record, and his 29 rushing touchdowns are tied for sixth all time. Jeanty has also already set numerous PFF College records.
Ashton Jeanty’s Historic 2024 Season (Ranks Since 2014)
| Statistic | Jeanty | Previous Record |
| Rushing Grade | 97.8 | 96.2 (Blake Corum, 2022) |
| Yards After Contact | 1,882 | 1,355 (Jonathan Taylor, 2017) |
| Forced Missed Tackles | 135 | 104 (Bijan Robinson, 2022) |
Jeanty’s 1,882 yards after contact are more than any other FBS running back’s total rushing yards this season. Keep in mind that he still has at least one playoff game to add to his totals.
Wide Receiver: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona Wildcats
McMillan was one of the few things that went right for Arizona this year in a disappointing 4-8 season. The projected top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft leads all Power Four players with 1,316 receiving yards and is tied for third in the FBS with his 18 contested catches. McMillan was also incredibly dangerous after the catch, placing fourth among the nation’s wideouts with 28 forced missed tackles on receptions.
Wide Receiver: Nick Nash, San Jose State Spartans
Nash leads college football with 104 catches, 1,382 receiving yards and 16 touchdown receptions this year. Thirty-nine of his catches went for at least 15 yards, six more than anyone else in the country.
Tight End: Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green Falcons
We were splitting hairs between Fannin and Penn State’s Tyler Warren for this spot, as each turned in incredible seasons. Bowling Green’s star gets the nod here. His 1,342 receiving yards are the second most in the nation, regardless of position. That figure is also just 10 yards away from the all-time single-season record for a tight end, set by Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro in 2013. Fannin could easily break that mark if he plays in the Falcons’ bowl game.
His 95.9 PFF overall grade is the best in college football. And for those questioning Fannin’s level of competition: He posted a 94.1 PFF receiving grade with a combined 282 receiving yards against Penn State and Texas A&M this season.
Flex: Travis Hunter, Colorado Buffaloes
This isn’t the last time you’ll see Hunter on this list, which is why he’s the heavy favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy. Colorado’s two-way superstar leads the Power Four with 14 receiving touchdowns and ranks third with 1,152 receiving yards. His 86.2 PFF offensive grade places fifth among all wideouts in college football.
Left Tackle: Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas Longhorns
Banks has all but cemented himself as a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft due to a stellar junior season. He ranks third among FBS tackles in PFF's wins above average metric and PFF pass-blocking grade (90.3). Banks has surrendered pressure on just 1.5% of his pass-blocking snaps, the third-best rate among Power Four offensive tackles.
Left Guard: Dylan Fairchild, Georgia Bulldogs
Fairchild has powered college football's best interior offensive line. He was the only left guard in America to post top-15 grades both as a pass protector and a run blocker. On 466 pass-blocking snaps, Fairchild surrendered only three combined sacks and hits.
Center: Jake Slaughter, Florida Gators
Slaughter has endured a murderers' row of a schedule this season, facing projected Day 1 and Day 2 picks, such as Walter Nolen, Shemar Stewart, Deone Walker, Omarr Norman-Lott and Alfred Collins.
He responded by grading as the Power Four’s best center, posting an 82.6 mark this year. Slaughter’s 79.1 PFF run-blocking grade is also the best in the Power Four, and he has allowed pressure on just 2.3% of his pass-blocking snaps.
Right Guard: Addison West, Western Michigan Broncos
West has been college football's most dominant guard all season. His 96.3 PFF overall grade is more than eight points better than any other FBS guard, and he leads the nation in both PFF pass-blocking grade and PFF run-blocking grade.
While his overall level of competition in the MAC is worse than others in consideration for this spot, he didn’t surrender a single pressure across 41 pass-blocking snaps against Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Right Tackle: Spencer Fano, Utah Utes
Fano’s ability to maul defenders in the run game made him the most valuable FBS tackle, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. His 91.8 PFF run-blocking grade is more than three points better than any other offensive tackle in college football. The true sophomore is no slouch in pass protection, either, earning an 80.3 PFF grade in that aspect.
Interior Defender: Mason Graham, Michigan Wolverines
Not much went right for Michigan in its national title defense this season, as the Wolverines finished with just a 7-5 record. Their defensive line remained dominant, though, headlined by Graham in the middle. His 92.4 PFF run-defense grade leads all FBS interior defensive linemen this season, while his 34 pressures are tied for the third most.
Interior Defender: Walter Nolen, Ole Miss Rebels
Aside from Michigan's Graham, Nolen is the most valuable Power Four interior defender, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. Nolen's 13 tackles for loss or no gain lead all defensive tackles, while his six sacks are tied for the eighth most.
Edge Defender: Abdul Carter, Penn State Nittany Lions
Carter is a top-five prospect on PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft Big Board and is currently the most valuable edge defender in the nation, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. He ranks third in PFF pass-rushing grade (91.8) in just his first season as a full-time edge rusher after spending his first two years as an off-ball linebacker.
Edge Defender: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College Eagles
Ezeiruaku is a true ironman for the Eagles’ defense, pacing all Power Four edge defenders with 766 snaps. He is incredibly productive on such a high snap count, earning an 89.8 PFF overall grade. Ezeiruaku’s 14 sacks lead the Power Four, as do his 30 run-defense stops.
Linebacker: Jay Higgins, Iowa Hawkeyes
Higgins is both the highest-graded and most valuable Power Four linebacker this year, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. He leads the nation with a 93.9 PFF coverage grade, and his four interceptions are tied for the most in the Power Four.
Linebacker: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo Bulls
Dolac leads FBS linebackers in PFF overall grade (92.2), interceptions (five) and plays with first contact on the ball carrier (99). His 21 tackles for loss or no gain are also tied for the second most at the position.
Cornerback: Jahdae Barron, Texas Longhorns
Barron is the highest-graded cornerback in college football this season (90.9) grade. He has surrendered just a 27.8 passer rating into his coverage. For reference, spiking the ball on every play nets a 39.6 rating.
Cornerback: Travis Hunter, Colorado Buffaloes
Hunter’s 90.9 PFF coverage grade ranks third among all cornerbacks. His 42.0 passer rating allowed places ninth among Power Four cornerbacks, while his four interceptions are tied for the fourth most among that same group. And he did all that while also starting at wide receiver for the Buffaloes.
Safety: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Last year’s Nagurski Trophy winner — awarded to college football's best defensive player — is once again a ball hawk for Notre Dame, tying for first among FBS safeties with five interceptions. His 30.4 passer rating allowed ranks fifth among Power Four safeties.
Safety: Michael Taafe, Texas Longhorns
Taafe is both the highest-graded and most valuable college safety this season, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. The former walk-on’s 91.3 PFF coverage grade leads all players at his position, as he has surrendered only 12 catches while coming up with seven combined interceptions and forced incompletions.
Flex: Malachi Moore, Alabama Crimson Tide
Moore is tied with Taafe as the most valuable safety in the country this season. The versatile veteran in Alabama’s secondary notched two interceptions and seven forced incompletions while allowing only 13 catches. He’s also a very capable run defender, earning a 78.2 PFF grade there.
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