Oregon's Brandon Finney Jr.'s Snub Raises Questions Ahead of the Fall

Despite an elite true freshman season, Oregon cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. was left off a recent preseason ranking.

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Finney (4) is interviewed by. ESPN’s Katie George following the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pro Football Focus recently revealed its top five ball hawks heading into the 2026 college football season, and the list features college football's most experienced and statistically dominant defensive backs. 

PFF highlighted Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, Miami safety Bryce Fitzgerald, Texas Tech cornerback Brice Pollock, Minnesota cornerback John Nestor and Virginia Tech cornerback Jaquez White.

Nov 22, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Leonard Moore (15) celebrates scoring against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However for some Oregon fans, the list might have felt incomplete. Despite putting together one of the most dominant true freshman campaigns in recent memory, Oregon’s Brandon Finney Jr. did not find a spot in PFF’s Top 5. 

Brandon Finney's production stacked up with the nation's best

While Finney might not have cracked the top five "ball hawks" per PFF, he is still one of the top defensive backs in the nation.

Oregon defensive back Ify Obidegwu, left, defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. and inside linebacker Jerry Mixon celebrate an interception by Finney as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The former four-star produced at a level comparable to, and in several categories better than, multiple defensive backs who landed on PFF's ranking.

Neither Nestor (0.0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles) nor White (1.0 sack, 0 forced fumbles) matched Finney's combination of disrupting the backfield and forcing fumbles.

Quarterbacks also completed just 40 percent of their passes when targeting Finney. That completion percentage allowed was lower than Pollock (43.1 percent) while matching him with  just one touchdown in coverage all season. 

Finney also missed only four tackles across more than 40 total stops, yielding an 8.7 percent missed tackle rate that comfortably bested both Fitzgerald (11.2 percent) and Pollock (12.5 percent).

Oregon defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. celebrates an interception as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

By the end of the season, Finney posed such a threat that over the final six games of the regular season he was targeted just 2.1 times per game, and a defensive back who consistently eliminates his side of the field can become statistically disadvantaged.

Questions in PFF's Rankings

One of the most interesting part of Finney's omission is that PFF itself seemingly disagrees with the result.

On the main 2026 Preseason College 50 board, which ranks the absolute best players in the country regardless of position, Finney is firmly locked in at No. 39. He sits just one spot behind Alabama's rising star sophomore cornerback, Dijon Lee Jr. at No. 38.

Dec 19, 2025; Norman, OK, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Dijon Lee Jr. (5) against the Oklahoma Sooners during the CFP National Playoff First Round at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The disconnect becomes even more apparent when looking at Georgia safety KJ Bolden. PFF’s macro evaluators place Bolden at No. 11 overall on that same top 50, the highest of any true sophomore defensive back in the nation. Yet Bolden was also left out from the ball hawk ranking. 

The only underclassman defensive back who cracked PFF’s top five ball hawks ranking also raises questions about the evaluation. Fitzgerald, the lone underclassman included in the group, was ranked No. 42 on PFF’s overall Preseason College 50. His ranking places him 16 spots behind Finney. 

That creates a clear contradiction: if Finney is viewed as a more complete and valuable player overall, why does another underclassman receive recognition in a category designed to highlight elite playmaking ability?

Looking Ahead 

Regardless of where he landed on PFF’s list of the nation's top five ball hawks, Finney undoubtedly enters 2026 as one of the nation's top defensive backs.

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Finney (4) makers the interception against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The sophomore has already earned several of the sport's most prestigious preseason honors including First-Team Preseason All-America recognition from the Walter Camp Football Foundation. 

Finney has also been named one of ESPN's top 10 defensive players entering the 2026 season. 

Now, Finney has the opportunity to turn those preseason expectations into on-field production. With Oregon entering the season as a national championship contender and the sophomore expected to play a leading role in one of the country's top defenses, another standout year could leave little room for debate about where he belongs among the nation's best ball hawks 

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