College football is less than a week away! The first games kick off on Saturday, Aug. 26. The 2023 season is highly anticipated and will hold a special place in football fan's hearts. It is the last season with conferences as we know them, as conference realignments will blow up the football scene in 2024.
2023 is a season with not only familiar faces but a lot of new names on the block as well. Tons of sophomores and juniors are expected to dominate the NCAA this year, but who does ClutchPoints expect to be the best? Here are the top 25 players for the 2023 college football season.
25. Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas, sophomore
Ewers is the most uncertain choice on this list. The former top-ranked recruit had an underwhelming first year in Austin. He threw for just 2,177 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first year as the starter. He is even at risk of being dethroned as the starting quarterback to Arch Manning. Still, Ewers flashed signs of brilliance and still has all of the raw potential in the world. If he puts everything together, he can be one of the best players in the country.
24. Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa, junior
Cooper DeJean is a ball-hawking defensive back, and when he gets his hands on the ball, he is likely to take it all the way. Three of his 5 interceptions were pick-sixs in 2022. DeJean also isn't afraid to put his head down and make a play on a ball carrier. His 75 total tackles were third on the Hawkeyes last year.
23. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU, senior
Arguably the best dual-threat quarterback in the nation, Jayden Daniels, is poised for a big 2023. The LSU star was the only FBS player with more than 2,900 (2,913) passing yards and 800 (885) rushing yards. He had 28 total touchdowns and brought the Tigers back to prominence.
22. Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State, senior
Jordan Travis has improved in every one of his seasons, and there is no reason to think he won't do it again in his senior year. Travis has a great deep ball and can also run the football. He had 3,633 yards of total offense and 32 total touchdowns last year, including a receiving touchdown.
21. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington, junior
Rome Odunze will form half of one of the best quarterback-to-receiver combinations in the league this year with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The duo was a force to be reckoned with last year, as Odunze had 75 catches for 1,145 yards and seven touchdowns. With great receivers like Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk creating one of the deepest receiver rooms in the nation, corners won't be able to single in on Odunze, meaning the WR is sure to put up big numbers.
20. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame, junior
Notre Dame has a history of producing stellar offensive linemen, and Joe Alt is the most recent example. Alt looks like a future first-round pick, as the offensive tackle only allowed three pressures last year. At 6-foot 8-inches, there aren't many athletes with his physical traits. Alt was a First-Team AP All-American last year.
19. Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington, junior
Washington's football team is stacked with talent this year, with three players cracking our top 25. Trice is their best defensive player. Trice is very fast twitched, and it is hard for big offensive lineman to get their hands on him. He recorded 10 sacks last season.
18. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss, sophomore
Herschel Walker – who ClutchPoints ranked as the greatest college football player ever – is the only player in SEC history to rush for more yards as a true freshman than Quinshon Judkins did last year. Judkins can run inside or outside of the tackles, as displayed by his 1,567 rushing yards last year. He also had 17 total touchdowns.
17. Travis Hunter, ATH, Colorado, sophomore
There is tons of buzz in Boulder, Colo., right now. Head coach Deion Sanders has completely overhauled the program that only had one win last year. His biggest move? Getting the former number one ranked recruit and five-star who was a player of his at Jackson State to make the move with him to Colorado. Travis Hunter is one of the most talented cornerbacks in the nation, but he is also expected to play both sides of the ball. Hunter has all of the talent in the world, and the biggest question mark will be how he handles facing superior FBS competition.
16. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington, senior
Michael Penix Jr's. 357 passing yards per game led the nation in 2022. He had 4,631 yards and 31 touchdowns through the air last season in Washington. The southpaw has the weapons around him to have an even bigger season in 2023. Originally an Indiana Hoosier, this is Penix Jr's. sixth season in college football, and that experience is likely to help him in a hunt for the Heisman Trophy.
15. Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas, junior
Expectations are high for the Texas offense this season, and for them to live up to their expectations, Xavier Worthy will have to return to his 2021 self. With running back Bijon Robinson off to the NFL, that is totally possible. Even after regressing last year, Worthy still put up 760 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. At 160 pounds, Worthy is small in stature, but he has blazing speed and is one of the best deep threats in the country.
14. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State, junior
If Emeka Egbuka didn't have to concede targets to Marvin Harrison Jr., he would likely be the best receiver in the nation. Still, he is the 1B to Harrison's 1A and forms one of the best pass-catching duos in NCAA history. Regardless of who was lined up on the other side of him, Egbuka had 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. Ohio State is called “Wide Receiver University” by many, and Egbuka is another example of why.
13. Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State, junior
An Albany transfer, Jared Verse was a beast in his first year in the FBS. Last year, he had 9 sacks and 31 quarterback pressures. Verse knows how to get after the quarterback. His 24.4% pass rush win rate was fourth in the FBS.
12. Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia, sophomore
Mykel Williams is yet another stud for the Georgia defensive line. He had the same amount of quarterback hurries (31) as his 2022 teammate Jalen Carter, who was viewed by many as the best player in the nation last year. Williams had 6 sacks last season, which tied for the lead for true freshman.
11. Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State, junior
Olu Fashanu is the best offensive lineman in the nation. The Penn State tackle is a mountain of a man, standing at 6-foot 6-inches and 323 pounds. Fashanu excels both in pass and run protection.
10. Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson, junior
A true chess piece of a player, Carter is one of the most versatile players in the nation. Cut from the same cloth as former Clemson star Isaiah Simmons; Carter could line up all over the field if need be. Carter does it all, as last season he filled up the stat sheet with 5.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss, 8 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, and 73 tackles. Carter is a blur and moves exceptionally quickly for a linebacker.
9. Raheim Sanders, RB, Arkansas, junior
Arkansas has one of the best rushing attacks in the nation, and Sanders is the main piece that makes it work. The junior ran for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022, but he is also one of the best pass-catching backs in the league as well. He was the only running back with more than 1,400 rushing yards and 250 receiving yards.
8. Harold Perkins JR., LB, LSU, sophomore
Perkins can play linebacker or edge rusher, and he is an animal regardless of where he lines up. As a true freshman in the SEC, Perkins had 8.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. Expect those numbers to jump in his second season.
7. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon, senior
Bo Nix greatly improved his reputation and production once he transferred from Auburn to Oregon. As a Duck, Nix set career bests in every major statistical category. He threw for 3,593 yards and 29 passing touchdowns last year. Nix had 14 rushing touchdowns in 2022 as well, showing he vastly improved as a runner.
6. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan, senior
The Big Ten Running Back of the Year, Blake Corum is the best returning ball carrier in the nation. Last season, he ran for 1,463 yards. A true bell cow back, he had eight straight 100-yard games en route to 18 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus gave Corum a 96.2 grade last year; that is the highest grade PFF has given to any Power Five player, regardless of position, since they started grading in 2014.
5. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama, junior
There are a lot of great names in college football in 2023 and Kool-Aid McKinstry is definitely one of them. The Alabama cornerback is also one of the best players in the nation. He has started on stacked Alabama defenses since his freshman year and is a true lockdown corner. His 18 forced incompletions were the second-best in the nation last year. McKinstry is also arguably the best punt returner in the nation. His 332 punt return yards last season led all Power Five players.
4. Drake Maye, QB, UNC, sophomore
The top four returning players – ending with Drake Maye – are a leg above the rest of the pack. Maye is perhaps the most likely to give Williams a run at his money for the Heisman. As only a freshman, Maye accounted for 45 total touchdowns and threw for 4,321 yards; he ran for an additional 698 yards. Maye is great at reading a defense, and he can make any throw.
3. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia, junior
With some positions, it can be debated who is the best returning player. The tight end position is not one of those. Brock Bowers has been arguably the best tight end in the nation in each of his first two seasons. Bowers can do it all; he has sure hands and catches everything thrown his way, and he is hard to take down when the ball is in his hands. Bowers even has 4 rushing touchdowns in his career. He is also a great blocker, a rarity for modern-day superstar tight ends. With Stetson Bennett gone, the only question mark for Bowers is how he will fair with a new quarterback under center. Last season, Bowers had 790 receiving yards and 9 total touchdowns.
2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State, junior
Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the most talented wide receivers we have seen in a long time. Known for making acrobatic catches, Harrison can also run any route in the route tree. In 2022, he had 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. His dad is a Hall of Famer, so he clearly was taught how to play the game from a young age, and he has the genetics to make you think he can break out even further this season. At 6-foot 4-inches, Harrison Jr. has a scary speed/size combo that is nearly impossible for smaller defensive backs to cover. He gave many of the top cornerbacks in the league fits last season.
1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC, junior
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, was unstoppable in his first year at USC. The clear-cut future number one overall draft choice, Williams is the odds-on favorite to take the Heisman again. While only one player has ever won the award twice (college football royalty Archie Griffin), no one is going to count out Williams, especially considering he was only the sixth sophomore to win the award. Williams can do it all on the field. He has a rocket for an arm, and he is mobile enough to move around in the pocket to create time for his receivers to get open. Last season, Williams threw for 4,537 yards and had 52 total touchdowns, including a nation-leading 42 through the air.
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