• Rutgers' offensive line is showing out thus far: Tackle Tyler Needham and guard Kwabena Asamoah lead their respective positions in PFF overall grade.
• Harold Fannin Jr. continues to impress at Bowling Green: Even having played one fewer game than most, he ranks first among tight ends in total yards (204) and yards after the catch (131).
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Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
QUARTERBACK
Power Four: Cam Ward, Miami (FL) Hurricanes — 93.4
Ward has taken Miami's offense to new heights behind his incredible arm talent, already putting up a nation-leading nine big-time throws. Three 300-yard games in a row have been enough to earn Ward three straight 90.0-plus PFF passing grades.
CAM WARD ARE YOU KIDDING
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 31, 2024
Group of Five: Ben Wooldridge, Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns — 90.6
Wooldridge came out firing in Week 1 with three touchdown passes but experienced three drops that would’ve boosted his stats even more. This puts his adjusted completion percentage at 89.6% — the highest mark in the FBS. Wooldridge had a bye in Week 3 but now has a tough matchup against Tulane in Week 4.
RUNNING BACK
Power Four: Brashard Smith, SMU Mustangs — 91.5
Smith has forced 17 missed tackles, which ranks just outside the top 10 among college football running backs. He has also caught all seven targets sent his way, gaining 47 receiving yards to go with his 254 rushing yards.
Group of Five: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State Broncos — 91.3
Jeanty could find himself at the Heisman Trophy ceremony if he keeps up this pace. There’s no debate as to who the best halfback in college football is right now. Jeanty leads the country in rushing touchdowns (nine), ranks second in yards (459) and ranks fourth in broken tackles (21).
WIDE RECEIVER
Power Four: Tre Harris, Ole Miss Rebels — 91.1
Harris and Jaxson Dart may be the best WR-QB duo in college football right now. Harris has gone for over 100 receiving yards in all three games and holds a 139.6 passer rating when targeted. His 202 yards after the catch rank fourth in the FBS.
Group of Five: Nick Nash, San Jose State Spartans — 90.9
Nash is coming off a 225-yard, three-touchdown effort to earn an 89.5 PFF receiving grade. He has the most yards (485), receptions (34) and targets (44) among all wide receivers in college football.
Nick Nash is a WR you should get familiar with after last Saturday
17 Rec 🏈
225 Yards 🏈
3 TDs 🏈Leading SJSU to a 3-0 record 👀 pic.twitter.com/KBR35zIWKx
— 229 Sports (@229Sports_) September 17, 2024
TIGHT END
Power Four: Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech Raiders — 83.7
Conyers doesn’t get the ball a lot, but he certainly makes the most of every touch. He has caught all 11 passes thrown to him and sports a 146.0 passer rating when targeted. Texas Tech likes to use Conyers as a blocker, a facet in which he has vastly improved.
Group of Five: Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green Falcons — 94.1
Fannin almost single-handedly beat Penn State two weeks ago, going for 11 catches and 137 yards. Even having played one fewer game than most, he ranks first among tight ends in total yards (204) and yards after the catch (131).
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Power Four: Tyler Needham, Rutgers Scarlet Knights — 90.0
Needham is the senior leader of a dominant Rutgers offensive line that has mauled both teams in its path so far. On 48 pass-blocking snaps, Needham has given up just one quarterback hurry.
Group of Five: Lucas Scott, Army Black Knights — 89.5
Scott has propelled Army's high-volume run game with an 85.2 run-blocking grade. The Black Knights are coming off a bye week, with Rice up next on their schedule.
OFFENSIVE GUARD
Power Four: Kwabena Asamoah, Rutgers Scarlet Knights — 85.4
Between Needham and Asamoah, the right side of Rutgers’ offensive line is elite. Neither player has allowed a sack. Not many defenders will be getting through the B-gap against the Scarlet Knights.
Group of Five: Michael McAninch, Air Force Falcons — 91.7
Air Force is another team that primarily runs the ball, which puts a lot of pressure on their guards to pave the way. McAninch has been dominant in that facet, earning a 92.4 PFF grade. He dealt with his toughest test yet last week against Baylor and still allowed no quarterback pressure.
CENTER
Power Four: Connor Tollison, Missouri Tigers — 86.5
Tollison has been the leader of Missouri's offensive line for a few years now and has improved each season. His 86.5 PFF pass-blocking grade has helped the unit rank in the top five in that metric. He was perfect in pass blocking on the year before allowing his first pressure of the season in Week 3.
Group of Five: Costen Cooley, Air Force Falcons — 90.0
Cooley has formed a dynamic duo in the interior with McAninch, opening up the A-gap for the Air Force run game. Through three games, Cooley has a near-elite 89.1 run-blocking grade.
INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
Power Four: Thomas Collins, Oregon State, 89.4
Collins has been elite from a pass-rushing perspective, already racking up 10 pressures and nine hurries.
Group of Five: Peyton Zdroik, Air Force Falcons — 93.1
Zdroik has led the nation in PFF overall grade for a few weeks now, which is not surprising when looking at his production. Through three games, he has nine pressures, six run stops and one forced fumble.
EDGE DEFENDER
Power Four: Jared Ivey, Ole Miss Rebels — 92.5
Ivey racked up three sacks and five pressures against Wake Forest on his way to a 90.3 PFF pass-rushing grade. Ole Miss' defensive line is proving to be one of the best in the nation.
Group of Five: Jackie Johnson III, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors — 91.3
Johnson opened the season with one of the most dazzling individual performances, tallying seven pressures and five hurries — one resulting in a sack — and a forced fumble. That game alone has kept his season grade in the 90.0s.
Through 2 games, the Hawai'i football pass rush ranks 23rd in the nation w/ 17 tackles for loss • Playing a big part in the success is the highest-rated EDGE in the Mountain West, Roosevelt grad and former Saint Francis standout Jackie Johnson III #HawaiiFB #GoBows 🤙🏽… pic.twitter.com/u8IaDLVS6I
— Rob DeMello (@RobDeMelloKHON) September 11, 2024
LINEBACKER
Power Four: Jay Higgins, Iowa Hawkeyes — 91.0
Higgins could be the next great linebacker to come out of Iowa, as this would be his second season in a row with a 90.0-plus PFF overall grade. He has made his presence known through three games, forcing two turnovers, making 15 tackles and missing just one tackle attempt.
Group of Five: Justin Whiteside, Central Michigan Chippewas — 89.5
Central Michigan might have one of the best linebacker duos in college football with Whiteside and Kwiatkowski taking away everything in the middle of the field. Whiteside has eight tackles, one sack and six run stops in 2024.
CORNERBACK
Power Four: Jermari Harris, Iowa Hawkeyes — 90.5
Iowa has recently become a factory for defensive studs, and Harris is one of them. He is coming off an exceptional outing in which he did not allow a single catch on five targets while intercepting a pass and breaking up another. That effort earned him a 91.1 PFF coverage grade for the game.
Group of Five: Brian Blades, FIU Panthers — 87.5
Blades’ 90.0 coverage grade ranks second in the FBS. Despite being targeted eight times, Blades has allowed only three catches for 18 yards.
SAFETY
Power Four: Miles Scott, Illinois Fighting Illini — 87.4
Scott has already recorded two interceptions and two pass breakups on the year. Quarterbacks may want to avoid throwing near him in coverage, as they are posting a 0.0 passer rating when doing so.
PICKED OFF! MILES SCOTT PICKS IT OFF FOR @ILLINIFOOTBALL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YsWRhRBLYB
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 8, 2024
Group of Five: JJ Roberts, Marshall Thundering Herd — 83.8
Roberts has been great in the secondary for Marshall thus far, allowing only 20 yards to earn an 84.9 PFF coverage grade. But he will face the biggest challenge of his career in Week 4 against Ohio State.
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