The Best College Football Players of 2024

With the 2024 college football season in the books, it's time to look back at the best players of the year. From Jalon Walker and Cam Skattebo to Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter, here are the best of the best.

Offense

Quarterback

• Cam Ward, Miami: Ward made the most of his one season at Miami after transferring from Washington State. A Heisman Trophy finalist, he tied for the FBS lead by accounting for 44 touchdowns (39 passing, 4 rushing and 1 receiving) on the ACC's No. 1 offense and threw just seven interceptions in 454 pass attempts.

Running Back

• Ashton Jeanty, Boise State: The mere fact that Jeanty made a run at Barry Sanders' hallowed NCAA rushing record of 2,628 yards tells you everything you need to know about Jeanty's 2024 season. He led the country with 2,601 rushing yards and scored 30 touchdowns.

Wide Receiver

• Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who has been a head coach at the NFL and collegiate levels, said he has never had a receiver like Smith, with his blend of size, speed and ability to track the ball in tight coverage. A true freshman, 6-foot-3, 225-pound Smith was uncoverable in the Buckeyes' first two playoff games, with four touchdown catches and 290 receiving yards.

Tight End

• Tyler Warren, Penn State: Warren came to Penn State as a quarterback, and that athleticism was on full display in his sensational redshirt senior season. He caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and 13 combined touchdowns (8 receiving, 4 rushing and 1 passing).

Defense

Defensive End

• Abdul Carter, Penn State: Carter played through a painful shoulder injury in Penn State's playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame yet still managed a sack. He led all FBS players with 23.5 tackles for loss, including 12 sacks.

Defensive Tackle

• Mason Graham, Michigan: The defensive front was Michigan's strength, and it was dominant in the upset win over Ohio State in the regular-season finale. Graham was the rock of that unit and a disrupter in the interior against both the run and pass.

Linebacker

• Jalon Walker, Georgia: The Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker, Walker is the third Georgia player to win the award since 2017. He's a fierce tackler wherever he lines up and led the Bulldogs with 10.5 tackles for loss.

Cornerback

• Jahdae Barron, Texas: Barron was already widely viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in college football, then only raised his stock in helping limit Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith to one catch for 3 yards in the Longhorns' playoff semifinal loss at the Cotton Bowl.

Safety

• Xavier Watts, Notre Dame: Watts has been everything you could ask for in the back end of the Notre Dame defense. He erases mistakes, makes big plays in big moments and raises the game of everybody around him.

Special Teams

Kicker

• Dominic Zvada, Michigan: Zvada came to Ann Arbor by way of Arkansas State and kicked his way into Michigan history in just one season. His winning 21-yard field goal in the final minute gave the Wolverines their fourth straight victory over rival Ohio State, and he was money all season for the Maize and Blue.

Punter

• Eddie Czaplicki, USC: The Trojans led the country in net punting, and Czaplicki's ability to keep opposing offenses backed up against their own goal line was a big part of USC's improvement on defense.

Returner

• Kam Shanks, UAB: Shanks did a little bit of everything for UAB. The redshirt freshman led the nation in punt return yards (329) and punt return average (20.6), and he returned two punts for touchdowns, including a 58-yarder against Tulsa; he accounted for 311 all-purpose yards and four TDs in the game.