The highest-graded units in college football heading into Week 7

• West Virginia has the highest-graded offensive line: The Mountaineers’ front five has dominated the run game and pass-blocking this year.

• Texas has the highest-graded secondary: What was a weakness for the Longhorns in 2023 has become one of their biggest strengths in 2024.

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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Now that we’ve reached the midpoint of the 2024 college football season, the elite teams and players are starting to distinguish themselves.

The same holds true for position units. After ranking the nation's best units last offseason, we're now revisiting those assessments. Here are the highest-graded units across the Power Four and Group of Five through Week 6 of the season.

Quarterback Room

Power Four: Miami (FL) Hurricanes – 93.4

Since there’s only one quarterback on the field at any given time, this is mostly due to Cam Ward tying for first among Power Four signal-callers with a 92.3 grade this year. His 17 big-time throws are also second among all quarterbacks in the nation. While it’s come on only 32 snaps, it should be noted that sophomore backup Emory Williams has a 93.5 overall grade as well.

Group of Five: Army Black Knights – 92.8

Bryson Daily is the second-highest-graded quarterback in the nation, posting a 92.2 mark this year. That’s mainly due to his work as a runner, as his 598 rushing yards lead all FBS quarterbacks and are a top-15 mark in the country, regardless of position. His backup, Dewayne Coleman, also has an 87.1 grade this year on 43 snaps.

Running Back Unit

Power Four: Ohio State Buckeyes – 90.9

Ohio State entered the year with my top-ranked running back unit and has shown why thus far. Quinshon Judkins is third among all backs in the nation with a 90.1 PFF grade, while TreVeyon Henderson is 33rd with a 79.8 mark. The Buckeyes’ tailbacks lead the Power Four as a unit with seven yards per carry.

Group of Five: Boise State Broncos – 95.3

When you have easily the best running back in college football, you’re likely going to have the best running back unit. Ashton Jeanty is on pace to shatter every rushing record this season. He currently leads the nation with a 99.8 rushing grade; yes, you read that correctly. Only two other running backs in the country, Kaleb Johnson and Omarion Hampton, have more total rushing yards than Jeanty’s 755 yards after contact. He’s currently the betting favorite to win the Heisman, which has only been done by one Group of Five player since the 1960s (BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990).

Receiving Corps

Power Four: Indiana Hoosiers – 88.5

One of the biggest reasons for Indiana’s surprise 6-0 start has been the stellar play of its receiving corps. Three Hoosier receivers have earned an 80-plus grade this year: Omar Cooper Jr., Ke’Shawn Williams and Elijah Sarratt. The latter’s 513 receiving yards this year are a top-15 mark in the FBS this season.

Group of Five: Army Black Knights – 84.5

While Army’s receiving corps is the highest-graded unit in the Group of Five, it’s not for the reasons you might expect. Since the Black Knights throw the ball at easily the lowest rate in college football (13.1%), it’s imperative that their receivers are capable blockers. Army’s wide receivers and tight ends are more than capable, as it leads all FBS receiving corps with an 82.8 run-blocking grade. That figure is seven points higher than the next-closest school.

Offensive Line

Power Four: West Virginia Mountaineers – 86.9

West Virginia’s offensive line is the only one in the country that’s earned 84-plus grades both in pass-blocking and run-blocking this season. Four of the five starters have a 70-plus PFF grade this season, with the star being left tackle Wyatt Milum. The projected top-50 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft leads all tackles in the nation with a 90.9 grade. He’s the only offensive tackle in the FBS with 80-plus grades as a pass-blocker and run-blocker, and he’s at an 87.0 mark or higher in each. 

Group of Five: Army Black Knights – 93.9

As mentioned earlier, Army lives and dies by its rushing attack. The Black Knights’ front five leads the country with a 93.1 run-blocking grade this season. Even though opposing defenses know what’s coming and stack the box, Army still leads the nation with 3.8 rushing yards before contact before attempt, a testament to how well the offensive line is blocking.

Defensive Line

Power Four: Ole Miss Rebels – 92.1

In an amazing turn of events, a Lane Kiffin-coached team’s best unit comes from the defensive side of the ball. All seven of Ole Miss’ interior defensive and edge defenders who’ve played at least 125 snaps this year have at least a 75.0 PFF grade, with three crossing the 85.0 threshold. The Rebels’ defensive line leads the country with a 93.1 run-defense grade, while its 86.6 pass-rushing grade is third. As a team, Ole Miss is second in the FBS with 2.9 yards per attempt allowed while leading the nation with 138 total pressures.

Group of Five: Texas State Bobcats – 82.1

The 12 highest-graded defensive lines in America come from the Power Four, but Texas State’s has still played at a very respectable level this year. The Bobcats’ front leads all Group of Five defensive lines in pass-rushing grade (84.0) and is second in run-defense grade (83.6). Two of their edge defenders, Ben Bell and Kalil Alexander, are tied for fourth in the nation at their position with a 90.1 pass-rushing grade each.

Linebacker Unit

Power Four: Miami (FL) Hurricanes – 90.2

Miami’s linebacker unit is second in the nation with a 91.5 coverage grade this season. It’s also one of only three FBS linebacker units with an 80-plus grade both in coverage and in run defense. Wesley Bissainthe is above 80.0 in both categories, one of two linebackers in the country to accomplish that feat.

Group of Five: Buffalo Bulls – 86.3

Buffalo’s linebacker unit is the only in America with 80.0-plus PFF grades in run defense, coverage and pass rush. The star of that group is Shaun Dolac, whose 88.0 grade is fourth in the nation at the position. His 90.3 coverage grade in particular is second, as he already has two interceptions, tied for the national lead at the position.

Secondary

Power Four: Texas Longhorns – 92.2

Texas’ secondary went from the team’s biggest weakness last year to one of its biggest strengths this season. The Longhorns lead the nation in coverage grade and have only surrendered a 57.7 passer rating, the third-lowest in America. Five of the six defensive backs with at least 125 snaps have at least a 70.0 PFF grade this season.

Group of Five: UNLV Rebels – 90.5

UNLV’s defensive backs are tied for sixth in the nation with seven interceptions this year while placing in the top 15 for yards per coverage snap allowed (3.35). In particular, the Rebels’ safeties have been outstanding, as both Johnathan Baldwin and Jalen Catalon have earned PFF grades above 80.0 this year. They’re one of only three safety duos in the country to accomplish that feat, joining Ole Miss’ and Ohio State’s respective pairs.