The 8 best players in this year's College Football Playoff

The Heisman hype is finally over, so time to move on to arguing who is actually the best player in this year's College Football Playoff. There's no politics, no consideration of position or age or the endless parade of hassle that can make the Heisman drag. The best news-- we'll settle it all (more or less) on the field. Here's the eight best players in this year's College Football Playoff.

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Smith is the best player in college football as a true sophomore. He caught 80 passes for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns this season for Ohio State. Smith put up five different 100 yard receiving games and was by far the prime mover and shaker at the most dangerous big-play passing attack in the nation. Sayin gets the headlines and the Heisman support, but Smith is the most untouchable talent in his entire sport.

2. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

So he's not the best, but he's pretty darn close. The best argument for Mendoza is that few if any quarterbacks could make Indiana take off with the gusto that Mendoza managed all season. Mendoza has thrown for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns while running for 240 yards and six more scores. He's impressively consistent, is a natural leader, and has done things at Indiana that were previously unimaginable. He deserved the Heisman... but he's not the best player in the CFP.

3. Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech LB

The best defensive player in the nation, there's an argument to be made that Rodriguez is the best overall. He's already racked up 117 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four interceptions, and a pair of rushing touchdowns just for fun. He is the engine that makes the ridiculously good Texas Tech defense roll. The only reason he's not higher than he is would be that Tech's defense would still be formidable without him. But it probably wouldn't be in the CFP.

4. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Yes, it feels like anybody could succeed at QB for Ohio State. But it only feels that way because of how smooth and effortless Sayin makes his job seem. He's completing 78.4% of his passes on the year for 3,323 yards and 31 touchdowns. If that sounds like video game numbers, it's because Sayin makes Ohio State's excellent feel inevitable.

5. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

No Gunner Stockton or Ty Simpson make an appearance here, but Diego Pavia aside, Chambliss was the class of the SEC. Despite starting the season as a backup, he has 3,016 passing yards and another 470 yards on the ground, with a combined 24 touchdowns. He started his career as a starter with three 300+ yard passing games and has replicated that feat in his last three games heading into the CFP.

6. Louis Moore, Indiana

Moore is one of the great weird stories of the season. A JUCO guy who came to Indiana and played well in the struggilng pre-Cignetti days, he transferred to Ole Miss for 2024. He then returned to Indiana for 2025, sued the NCAA to gain eligibility, and played like a maniac. Moore has 74 tackles and six interceptions. He's 24 years old, he's back at a school he originally left, and he's a magnet for the ball at cornerback.

7. Francis Mauigoa, Miami

Offensive linemen tend to get more blame than credit. They don't put up massive totals of stats and they get noticed mostly when they pick up a holding penalty or a false start. But Mauigoa is the real deal. He's helped keep Carson Beck clean, with Miami allowing just 11 total sacks all season. Mauigoa was already great. He almost never gets beat in the trenches and probably is the biggest reason that Miami is even in the CFP.

8. Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

The former Bowling Green edge rusher was an absolute terror to opposing linemen. In the 2025 season, Howell has racked up 14 tackles for loss, including 11.5 sacks. He didn't just feast off easy opponents-- 8.5 of those sacks came in SEC play. Howell's athleticism allows A&M to play aggressively and freely on defense, with no real fear of mistakes. He's a game-changer.