• Nobody can stop Ashton Jeanty: Among qualified running backs, Jeanty ranks first in yards per carry (10.5) and second in yards after contact per attempt (6.32).
• Get to know Buffalo's Shaun Dolac: Dolac helped lead the Bulls to a big upset of Northern Illinois this past weekend behind a 17-tackle performance, 13 of which resulted in defensive stops.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all 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: 7 minutes
QUARTERBACK
Power Four: Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss Rebels — 93.8
If the season ended today, Dart would be a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. His 1,554 passing yards lead the nation and also have him ranked first in PFF passing grade (93.7). Dart's 11 big-time throws rank third among all quarterbacks.
Group of Five: Blake Horvath, Navy Midshipmen — 92.9
Navy rarely throws the ball, but when doing so, it’s been extremely effective. That is thanks to Horvath, who is an exceptional talent. He had one of the most impressive quarterback performances of the young season against a great Memphis team, against which he recorded 192 passing yards, 224 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. He even caught a 13-yard pass.
RUNNING BACK
Power Four: Brashard Smith, SMU Mustangs — 93.8
Smith continues to dominate on the ground, notching another 100-yard, three touchdown-performance last weekend in a huge victory against TCU. He also caught a touchdown pass and broke two more tackles, which earned him an overall 89.8 PFF overall grade for the game.
Brashard Smith needs to be talked about more as a prospect this kids got a legit next level skillset
Explosive talent https://t.co/60C3AhhcG6 pic.twitter.com/68ACsAF9MS
— Joe O’Leary (@TheHQNerd) September 22, 2024
Group of Five: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State Broncos — 91.2
Among qualified running backs, Jeanty ranks first in yards per carry (10.5) and second in yards after contact per attempt (6.32). It can’t be understated what he means to Boise State's offense. Jeanty’s draft stock continues to rise each week.
WIDE RECEIVER
Power Four: Tai Felton, Maryland Terrapins — 91.3
After another 150-yard outing, Felton has taken hold of the highest-graded receiver position. He’s gone over 100 yards through the air in each of Maryland’s four games thus far and has not dropped a pass on 54 targets.
Group of Five: Nick Nash, San Jose State Spartans — 90.1
Scouts will fall in love with Nash closer to draft season, as his production is elite. Through four weeks, he leads the FBS in receiving yards (637), receptions (50) and touchdowns (eight).
TIGHT END
Power Four: Tyler Warren, Penn State Nittany Lions — 85.2
Warren made one of the nastiest catches you’ll see all year this past weekend, and he earned an 83.0 PFF receiving grade for the game. Penn State has run a lot of its offense through Warren this year, which has certainly helped quarterback Drew Allar find some rhythm. Warren is generating an outstanding 132.6 passer rating when targeted in 2024.
This catch was INSANE!!! 🤯
Tyler Warren only needs one hand 🤚😤@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/UcZlAzuoEQ
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 21, 2024
Group of Five: Harold Fannin Jr, Bowling Green Falcons — 94.2
Fannin continues to put college football on notice after another exceptional performance (81.6 PFF overall grade) against a Power Four team in Texas A&M. His 145 yards were almost enough to get the Falcons the win on the road. Fannin has accounted for more than half of Bowling Green’s passing yards this season and is generating a 104.2 passer rating when targeted.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Power Four: Wyatt Milum, West Virginia — 88.7
Milum boasts a 100% pass-blocking efficiency score this season. He hasn't allowed a single quarterback pressure across 123 pass-blocking snaps.
Group of Five: Lucas Scott, Army Black Knights — 92.9
Scott earned Team of the Week honors again as the nation’s highest-graded tackle for the second time this season (89.9 PFF overall grade). His 90.2 run-blocking grade is the main reason Army continues to be so dominant in the ground game, as the Black Knights currently rank second in college football in rushing yards per game.
OFFENSIVE GUARD
Power Four: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina — 84.3
Lampkin still hasn’t given up a sack this season. He was on the field for 86 snaps in a high-scoring Week 4 affair with James Madison, and to allow only three pressures all game in that environment is impressive.
Group of Five: Michael McAninch, Air Force Falcons — 91.7
Air Force primarily runs the ball, which puts a lot of pressure on its guards to pave the way. McAninch has been dominant in that aspect with a 92.4 run-blocking grade. On 164 snaps, he has been called for only one penalty.
CENTER
Power Four: Gus Zilinskas, Rutgers Scarlet Knights — 83.4
Rutgers has the highest-graded Power Four offensive line in the country, and Zilinskas is a big reason for that. He allowed his first pressure of the season in Week 4, which now puts his pass-blocking efficiency rate at 99.4%.
Group of Five: Costen Cooley, Air Force Falcons — 90.0
Cooley and McAninch have formed a dynamic duo for Air Force on the interior. Across 150 run-blocking snaps, Cooley has a near-elite 89.1 PFF run-blocking grade.
INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
Power Four: Rene Konga, Louisville Cardinals — 90.4
Konga finished with an elite 91.0 PFF overall grade in Week 4, which earned him Team of the Week honors. All five of his tackles against Georgia Tech resulted in failures for the offense.
Group of Five: Peyton Zdroik, Air Force Falcons — 93.4
Zdroik continues to be the nation’s highest-graded defensive tackle, which is no surprise when looking at his production. Through three games, he has racked up nine pressures, six run stops and one forced fumble.
EDGE DEFENDER
Power Four: Josaiah Stewart, Michigan Wolverines — 92.9
Stewart in Week 4 had arguably the best game of any defender this season, which ultimately won the game for Michigan. Eight pressures, two tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble were enough to earn him an elite 95.8 PFF overall grade, which now makes him the highest-graded edge rusher in the country.
Michigan EDGE Josaiah Stewart vs USC:
• 8 pressures
• 2 sacks
• 3 QB hits
• 5 stops
• 95.8 PFF gradeThis Michigan defense is STACKED with 2025 NFL Draft talent 👀 pic.twitter.com/lmFGxmecKM
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 23, 2024
Group of Five: Jackie Johnson III, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors — 85.9
Johnson racked up three more pressures, two hurries and a sack to keep hold of his title as the highest-graded Group of Five edge defender.
LINEBACKER
Power Four: Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss Rebels — 91.3
Paul had his best game of the season against Georgia Southern, with seven pressures, two sacks, 10 tackles and a forced fumble. He has been elite on all three levels of the field for Ole Miss' defense, which continues to impress.
Chris Paul Jr. (#11) was one of our top LB's in the portal this past cycle. He's been a monster this year.
Makes a one armed tackle while being held here #OleMiss pic.twitter.com/2X09n6U5wp
— Clint Brewster (@clintbrew247) September 20, 2024
Group of Five: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo Bulls — 87.6
Dolac helped lead the Bulls to a big upset of Northern Illinois this past weekend behind a 17-tackle performance, 13 of which resulted in defensive stops. He also notched his second interception of the season. That stat line resulted in an 84.2 PFF overall grade for the fifth-year senior.
CORNERBACK
Power Four: Jermari Harris, Iowa Hawkeyes — 90.3
Iowa’s secondary is filled with NFL talent year in and year out, and Harris is turning into the next superstar for the Hawkeyes. His five pass breakups rank second in the nation at his position. When Harris is targeted in coverage, opposing quarterbacks are posting an extremely poor 5.4 passer rating.
Group of Five: Brian Blades, FIU Panthers — 85.7
Blades’ 88.8 PFF coverage grade is a top-five mark in the FBS, which is no surprise: He just recently allowed his first nine yards after the catch this season. Now having been targeted 15 times, Blades has allowed just seven catches for 44 yards.
SAFETY
Power Four: Terry Moore, Duke Blue Devils — 90.3
Moore has Duke’s secondary humming right now with a 91.3 PFF coverage grade, which ranks seventh in the FBS. His stat line includes 18 tackles, nine stops, two interceptions and three pass breakups. Opposing quarterbacks are not having much luck when targeting Moore, generating only a 34.5 passer rating into his coverage.
Group of Five: Josiah Cox, New Mexico State Aggies — 89.7
Cox earned Team of the Week honors after producing a 94.3 PFF coverage grade against Sam Houston State. He picked off both passes that were thrown his way. After not playing much in Week 1, Cox has quickly gained the trust of his coaching staff.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.