The 2024 season is just around the corner. Get excited! Week 0 is just around the corner and I’ll reveal my top 10 players from each power conference and then the top 25 players nationally.
It’s a fun but difficult exercise. In these crowded conferences – especially the SEC and Big Ten – it’s almost impossible to narrow the number of players down to just 10.
But that’s exactly what makes it fun!
Real stars and All-Americans don’t even make the shortlist.
I revealed my top 10 SEC players on Monday and yesterday looked at the 10 most influential players in the Big Ten and then the ACC/Notre Dame.
We end the conference series with a look at the Big 12. While there weren’t as many harsh cuts, there are still some All-Conference candidates that fell by the wayside.
As a reminder, this is not a list of the top 10 future pros – although that plays a role in my equation. But ultimately, these are my top 10 most influential players in the Big Ten right now, heading into the 2024 season.
So feel free to discuss.
Honorable Mention: DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati; OL Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona; RB Devin Neal, Kansas; QB Jalon Daniels, Kansas; QB Cam climbs up, Utah
Together with McMillian and Fifita, Davis’s stay in Tuscany was a great gain for Brent Brennan‘s program this offseason. The 6-4 corner toyed with the idea of transferring for months before deciding to stay with Arizona. In 2023, Davis had more PBUs (15) than catches allowed (11). He has just one career pick, so maybe he’ll turn those breakouts into more game-winning plays in 2024?
Cooper was the ball-chasing playmaker for the Big 12’s stingiest defense last season, intercepting five passes (one of them a pick-six), another 10 PBUs and two forced fumbles. The Iowa State safety doesn’t have the reputation of others on this list, but there won’t be many more influential players in the Big 12 this fall than Cooper.
Harvey had a mostly mediocre career before the 2023 season, and then the speedy Knight took over as a fifth-year senior with MOON ZOOM! The Citronauts’ diminutive tailback (5-8, 190) finished last season with 1,417 yards and was a home run threat whenever he had a little space (17 runs of 20 yards or more, second only to Gordon). The sixth-year senior may not have the same overall production sharing runs with UCF transfers. KJ Jefferson And Penny Boone this fall, but it will still be a central focus Gus Malzahn’s Attack.
Without Gordon, Brooks would be the best tailback in the Big 12 this fall. Texas Tech’s Bowlingball (5-9, 230) was impossible to tackle in his final season, forcing 96 missed tackles (fourth most in the country) and running for 1,000 yards. after contact. Brooks decided to return to Lubbock for a fifth season, and he has a good chance of setting the school’s all-time rushing record.
Like Gordon, Fifita didn’t become Arizona’s full-time starter until late September, but after taking the QB1 job, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound redshirt freshman never relinquished it. Fifita benefits from being able to throw to his best buddy Tetairoa McMillian, but he’s a playmaker in his own right. He’s not a run threat, but Fifita excels at staying in the pocket and throwing passes forward – often for explosive plays. He finished the year with nearly 3,000 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions – numbers that should only rise in his second season as a full-time starter.
While there’s plenty more hot air surrounding Colorado’s program, Sanders has proven that it’s not just about him being an immediate threat as the P5 starting quarterback. He’s certainly struggled with pressure and pocket awareness at times (49 sacks, a national record), but he’s been deadly accurate (70% completion) and took care of the football (27 touchdowns to just three interceptions). The Buffs don’t lack weapons on the perimeter, so if Deion Sanders has truly improved his son’s defense, Shedeur could be in for a showcase season as the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Mountaineers lost center Zach Frazier to the Pittsburg Steelers, but still have the Big 12’s best offensive lineman back this fall. Milum is WVU’s Mountain Man at left tackle. The senior began his career at right guard, but since moving to left tackle in 2022, Milum has proven to be an elite pass-blocking tackle. He had the second-highest rating of any FBS tackle in 2023, according to PFF.
A 6-foot-5, 215-pound T-Rex with octopus arms, McMillian swallows everything with perhaps the best catch radius and hands in the country. He never drops passes (lowest rate nationally) and was second only to Rome Odunze in contested catches (17) last season. McMillian has masterful chemistry with quarterback Noah Fifita, who he has played with since middle school. Overall, he finished the season with 90 catches for 1,400 yards and 10 scores, giving the Wildcats the best X-receiver in the country.
Although Gordon, the Doak Walker Award winner, didn’t assume the RB1 role until Week 4, he led the nation with over 1,700 yards in the running game. He scored 21 touchdowns (second-most in the country) and had nine games with at least 118 yards. Gordon is a balanced, physical runner who can get first downs but also accelerate and create chunk plays (21 runs of 20+ yards, most in the country).
Is he a corner, a receiver, or both at the next level? Not right now. In college, Hunter is just a GUY. He plays all three phases for the Buffs and has averaged over 100 snaps in the games he’s been healthy in 2023. He’s a dangerous receiver, but he’s even more impressive as a corner, with innate instincts, excellent body control, and the hands of a wideout.
