NCAAF teams
ESPN staff 9y

#CFBrank: 71-80

College Football, Ole Miss Rebels, Ohio State Buckeyes, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Virginia Cavaliers, Duke Blue Devils, Oregon Ducks

What is #CFBrank?
#CFBrank is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along.

How did we rank the players?
We asked 43 of ESPN's college football writers, editors and analysts to rate players on a scale of 0-10 based on their expected contributions for the 2015 season.

Full player rankings:
1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 | 51-60 | 61-70 | 71-80 | 81-90 | 91-100


T-71. DeForest Buckner
Oregon Ducks
Senior | Defensive end
Score: 6.84

Buckner's decision to return to Eugene for his senior season was a boon to Oregon's defensive line, which lost first-round pick Arik Armstead. He led the Ducks with 13 tackles for loss, including four sacks, and was the team's fourth-leading tackler (81). Expect Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum to lean heavily on this 6-foot-7, 290 pound workhorse.


T-71. Alex Collins
Arkansas Razorbacks
Junior | Running back
Score: 6.84

One half of the nation's only 1,000-yard rushing duo is back after a 1,100-yard, 12-touchdown season. With unapologetically old-school Bret Bielema calling the shots, the Hogs will continue to run the ball at a heavy clip, so another 1,000-yard season should be on deck for the 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior.


T-73. Jeremy Cash
Duke Blue Devils
Senior | Safety
Score: 6.81

After transferring from Ohio State early in his career, Cash has found a home at Duke, where he's blossomed into one of the most physical safeties in the country. In the past two seasons, Cash has racked up 232 tackles, including 20 for a loss, to go with six interceptions. Cash was a second-team All-American last year.


T-73. De'Mornay Pierson-El
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Sophomore | Wide receiver/Returner
Score: 6.81

An electric performance on special teams earned acclaim for Pierson-El as a true freshman in 2014. His three punt-return touchdowns tied for the national lead as he accumulated 596 yards on punt returns -- more than any other team nationally. The Huskers are just as excited this year about his seemingly perfect fit into coach Mike Riley's offense. Look for Pierson-El on the jet sweep and in the return game after he made 23 catches last year.


T-75. Quin Blanding
Virginia Cavaliers
Sophomore | Safety
Score: 6.74

One of just two freshmen in the nation to record 100 tackles last season, Blanding -- a former five-star recruit -- quickly emerged as one of the ACC's most feared defenders. Starting on an aggressive Virginia defense, Blanding racked up 123 tackles -- good for third in the conference -- and recorded three interceptions.


T-75. Jonathan Williams
Arkansas Razorbacks
Senior | Running back
Score: 6.74

The 6-foot, 223-pound Williams was the Razorbacks' leading rusher last season (1,190 yards, 12 touchdowns) and should approach those totals again as he enters his senior campaign in Fayetteville. He'll combine with fellow tailback Alex Collins (No. 71 on this list) to create one of the most feared rushing attacks in the country.


T-77. Jonathan Allen
Alabama Crimson Tide
Junior | Defensive lineman
Score: 6.72

The junior emerged last season with 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks for the Crimson Tide and blocked what turned out to be a decisive extra point attempt in a 14-13 win over Arkansas. The defensive end is a playmaker who has steadily produced when given the opportunity.


T-77. Evan Engram
Ole Miss Rebels
Junior | Tight end
Score: 6.72

He led SEC tight ends in receiving yards with 662 in 2014, an Ole Miss single-season record for a tight end. As long as the Rebels can straighten out their quarterback situation, look for his 2014 total of 38 receptions to go up this fall as the sure-handed Engram enters his junior season.


T-77. Cardale Jones
Ohio State Buckeyes
Junior | Quarterback
Score: 6.72

The nation was quickly introduced to Jones last December as he came off the bench in place of the injured J.T. Barrett (and Braxton Miller) to direct the Buckeyes' unstoppable offense in victories over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon. Jones showcased a cannon arm and brute running style, accumulating 832 yards of offense as Ohio State averaged 47.6 points in his starts. He quarterbacked the Buckeyes in the spring and enters this preseason as a forceful presence.


T-77. KeiVarae Russell
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Senior | Cornerback
Score: 6.72

Russell was on the cusp of becoming one of the nation's top cornerbacks before an academic misconduct issue ended his 2014 season before it began. Russell had started all 26 games of his college career before that, tallying 109 total tackles, three picks, 10 break-ups and 13 passes defended. His Instagram has chronicled much of his time away from training back in Washington, and he figures to be one of the best athletes on an Irish D filled with them.


Voters: Andrea Adelson, Dane Beavers, Brian Bennett, Kyle Bonagura, Ryan Canner-O'Mealy, Brandon Chatmon, David Ching, Chris Cotter, Jeremy Crabtree, Heather Dinich, Brad Edwards, Chris Fallica, Matt Fortuna, Kevin Gemmell, Travis Haney, Brock Huard, Chantel Jennings, KC Joyner, Sharon Katz, Sam Khan, David Lombardi, Chris Low, Greg McElroy, Erik McKinney, Ted Miller, Josh Moyer, Dan Murphy, Conor Nevins, Max Olson, Greg Ostendorf, Adam Rittenberg, Alex Scarborough, Joe Schad, Mark Schlabach, Jared Shanker, Mitch Sherman, Phil Steele, Joe Tessitore, Jake Trotter, Derek Tyson, Tom VanHaaren, Austin Ward, Jeremy Willis

^ Back to Top ^