• Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: The son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison is picking up where his dad left off as the highest-graded wide receiver in college football.
• Minnesota C John Michael Schmitz: The sixth-year senior has a 92.1 grade this season, which is the highest in the nation among offensive linemen.
• Texas State DI Levi Bell: With a 93.1 grade, the Louisiana Tech transfer is the highest-graded defender in college football.
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We’re now in the penultimate week of the college football regular season, the time for the top teams and players to separate themselves from the pack. So, who exactly have been the best players in the country so far this season?
Here are the highest-graded Power Five and Group of Five players at every position through Week 11.
Quarterback
Power Five: Drake Maye, North Carolina Tar Heels | 92.5
Next up: Hendon Hooker, Tennessee Volunteers | 91.2
Maye was given the tall task of following in the footsteps of Sam Howell, arguably the best quarterback in North Carolina history.
Not only has Maye held down the fort, but he could become the Tar Heels' first-ever Heisman winner. The redshirt freshman currently has the third-best odds to win the trophy (+500), per BetMGM. His 32 big-time throws are four more than any other quarterback in college football. Maye is also an incredible dual threat, as his 417 rushing yards after contact are the second-most among FBS quarterbacks.
With the win over Wake Forest, Maye and No. 13 North Carolina clinched a trip to the ACC championship game to face No. 10 Clemson. Next up for the Tar Heels is a home contest against Georgia Tech.
Group of Five: Kurtis Rourke, Ohio Bobcats | 92.7
Next up: Todd Centeio, James Madison Dukes | 91.4
Maye isn’t the only quarterback who’s filling big shoes.
Kurtis Rourke’s older brother, Nathan, is one of Ohio football's greatest quarterbacks. He has the second-most passing yards, the second-most passing touchdowns and is tied for the most rushing touchdowns in program history.
Kurtis has followed his brother up nicely. He has 28 big-time throws this season, trailing only Drake Maye. Ohio travels to Ball State on Tuesday.
Running Back
Power Five: Blake Corum, Michigan Wolverines | 94.8
Next up: Bijan Robinson, Texas Longhorns | 91.8
If the Heisman Trophy is truly for “the most outstanding player in college football,” then Blake Corum has as good a case as anyone. His 94.8 grade is the highest among all players in the country. In fact, the gap between him and the second-highest-graded running back, Bijan Robinson, is larger than at any other position.
Biggest Grading Gaps in College Football | 2022
Name | Position | School | Grade | Gap to 2nd |
Blake Corum | Running Back | Michigan | 94.8 | 3 points |
John Michael Schmitz | Center | Minnesota | 92.1 | 2 points |
O’Cyrus Torrence | Offensive Guard | Florida | 88.6 | 1.7 points |
Corum is currently fourth in BetMGM’s Heisman odds (+600). The junior is trying to become the first running back since Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015 to take home the award. No. 3 Michigan hosts Illinois this weekend.
Group of Five: Brad Roberts, Air Force Falcons | 89.8
Next up: Carson Steele, Ball State Cardinals | 88.4
Playing in Air Force’s triple-option offense, Brad Roberts has the fifth-most carries in the country (235). Despite the heavy workload, he’s still gained positive yardage on 96.6% of his attempts, the sixth-highest rate in the nation. And the senior’s 70 rushing first downs/touchdowns are also tied for the fifth-most. Air Force is at home against Colorado State this week.