CFP Player Rank: The top 50 players in the playoff - ESPN

There's lots to love about the 12-team playoff (unless you're Alabama), but at the top of the list is this: We get three times as much star power this year.

In the four-team era, the country wouldn't get to see the explosiveness of Ashton Jeanty or the brute force of Cam Skattebo or the all-around brilliance of Tyler Warren. The stage is bigger, so the stars can shine brighter.

With that in mind, ESPN's Bill Connelly, David Hale, Chris Low, Adam Rittenberg and Paolo Uggetti combed through the rosters of all 12 playoff teams to rank the top 50 players of the College Football Playoff.

This isn't a ranking of the stars who accomplished the most in the regular season, per se, though that plays a part. It's also not necessarily a ranking of the players who will put up the biggest numbers over the next seven weeks. Consider it more of a viewer's guide: When you tune in for the College Football Playoff, these are the 50 players you won't want to miss. — David Hale

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WR, Clemson, sophomore
2024 stats: 838 yards, 10 TDs

After a breakout freshman season in 2022, Williams missed all but five games last year. The time away did little to hamper his development, however, and he returned in 2024 with a vengeance. He finished the season as the only player in the country with at least 800 receiving yards, 100 rushing yards and 100 punt return yards, and he also added a passing touchdown to his résumé, too. Williams was Clemson's most consistent receiver, catching 10 touchdown passes and hauling in at least five passes in each of the Tigers' final six games. His 18-yard grab on the final scrimmage play of the ACC championship game set up the game-winning field goal that launched Clemson into the playoff. — Hale

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