CFB Player Rank: Top 100 players of the 2023 season - ESPN

The best player in college football is always an arbitrary choice. Is it the guy who won the Heisman Trophy? Jayden Daniels is surely deserving. Is it the player who has carried his team to the highest point? Michael Penix Jr.'s performance in the Allstate Sugar Bowl was legendary. Or is it the player who'll likely go first in the NFL draft? Caleb Williams was awesome in 2023 — even if his defense was not. The answer is always up for debate, but ESPN's staff of college football writers weighed in to come up with not just the nation's best player but a ranking of the top 100 players of the 2023 season. It's a list guaranteed to have you nodding in agreement with each flawless pick. --David Hale

Methodology: Voters were presented with a series of one-on-one votes. For example, «Who should be ranked higher following the 2023 season: Jayden Daniels or Michael Penix Jr.?» Think of it as an Oklahoma drill of statistical reasoning. More than 10,000 votes later, these are the results.

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

QB, LSU, Senior
Notable 2023 stats: 3,812 yards, 40 TD, 4 INT, 10 rushing TD
Preseason ranking: 15

On his way to winning the Heisman Trophy, Daniels led the country with 4,946 yards in total offense (nearly 600 yards more than the next-closest player when the regular season ended) and accounted for 50 touchdowns (40 passing and 10 rushing). Daniels joined Johnny Manziel as the only two players in SEC history to pass for 3,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season.

QB, Washington, Senior
Notable 2023 stats: 4,648 yards, 35 TD, 9 INT
Preseason ranking: 6

In his second year with Washington, Penix had one of the greatest seasons in program history, finishing