• Minnesota headlines the list: The Golden Gophers lead the way with three players who are the highest-graded at their position in the Power Five.

• Air Force tight end Kyle Patterson: He’s now the highest-graded player in the country with a 93.9 overall grade.

Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins

We’re nearly at the halfway point of the 2022 college football season, the point at which the best players and teams really start to separate themselves from the pack. Let’s take a look at the former here. These are the highest-graded Power Five and Group of Five players at each position through Week 5.

Quarterback

Power Five: Tanner Morgan, Minnesota Golden Gophers | 92.5

Next up: Drake Maye, North Carolina Tar Heels | 91.5

Tanner Morgan came crashing down to earth against Purdue, earning just a 55.6 grade in Minnesota’s first loss of the season. He made no big-time throws and three turnover-worthy plays in the 20-10 defeat. 

Morgan’s overall season has still been very impressive, with three of his five games finishing producing a 90.0-plus grade. He and Minnesota have off this week before looking to get back on track against Illinois.

Group of Five: Rocky Lombardi, Northern Illinois Huskies | 91.0

Next up: Todd Centeio, James Madison Dukes | 90.9

Rocky Lombardi missed the past two games with a knee injury, but he’s made the most of his time on the field. The former Michigan State quarterback has a 91.1 passing grade on the season, second to only Tanner Morgan in the country. If healthy, he’ll travel to Ypsilanti, Michigan, to face Eastern Michigan this week.

Running Back

Power Five: Miyan Williams, Ohio State Buckeyes | 90.5

Next up: Blake Corum, Michigan Wolverines | 89.6

Entering this season, Miyan Williams was seen as a complementary back to TreVeyon Henderson. So far, the opposite is true. 

Williams has averaged 7.8 yards per carry this season, second-most in the Power Five. At 5-foot-9 and 225 pounds, he’s a load to bring down. His 0.44 missed tackles forced per attempt is the sixth-best rate among Power Five running backs. No. 3 Ohio State travels to East Lansing to take on Michigan State this weekend.

Group of Five: Dae Hunter, Liberty Flames | 81.1

Next up: Nathan Carter, UConn Huskies | 80.9

Dae Hunter is a versatile stud for Liberty. The Hawaii transfer is the only running back with top-10 grades as both a runner and receiver in the Group of Five. On the ground, Hunter has 15 carries of 10-plus yards, tied for fourth-most in the Group of Five. He and the Flames are on the road to face UMass this week.