What is #CFBrank?
#CFBrank is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along.
How did we rank the players?
We asked 32 of ESPN's college football writers, editors and analysts to rate players on a scale of 0-10 based on their on their expected contributions for the 2016 season.
100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
Conor McDermott
UCLA Bruins
Senior | Offensive Tackle
Score: 7.29
The 6-foot-9, 310-pound McDermott arrived at UCLA as a tight end who was more accomplished as a basketball player. He became a starter on the offensive line in 2014 and he has become a potential early NFL draft pick. He earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2015. His stock could improve dramatically if he handles Texas A&M defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall in the season opener.
Corey Davis
Western Michigan Broncos
Senior | Wide Receiver
Score: 7.30
Davis leads all active FBS receivers with 3,785 career receiving yards and 33 career receiving touchdowns. He has posted two straight 1,400-yard campaigns and needs only 400 more receiving yards to break the all-time MAC record. If he played for a bigger school, he might well be hailed as the best receiver in college football.
Solomon Thomas
Stanford Cardinal
Junior | Defensive Lineman
Score: 7.31
After earning Pac-12 honorable mention last season, where he posted 39 tackles, 10.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks, Thomas comes in to 2015 with preseason all-conference expectations. He's versatile enough to take on multiple blockers while rushing the passer or stopping the run at the point of contact. Look for the Cardinal to find creative ways to get him in the backfield.
Cameron Sutton
Tennessee Volunteers
Senior | Cornerback
Score: 7.35
Turning down a chance to go pro, Sutton returned to Tennessee for his senior year. He has started all 38 games in his career, and has accumulated 32 pass break-ups and six interceptions along the way. He's also an elite punt returner, leading the nation in yards per return (18.7) last season.
Saquon Barkley
Penn State Nittany Lions
Sophomore | Running Back
Score: 7.36
He might only be coming off his true freshman campaign, but Barkley has already been compared to former Penn State All-Americans like Curt Warner and Larry Johnson. No running back in the country, including Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott , was more effective in the fourth quarter last season, as Barkley averaged 8.9 yards a carry.
Quin Blanding
Virginia Cavaliers
Junior | Safety
Score: 7.37
Blanding has started all 24 games in his first two seasons at Virginia, delivering on the hype as one of the nation's top safety prospects. He received numerous All-American mentions last season after finishing second in the ACC in tackles in the regular season (115). He has had six career takeaways, too.
Mike McGlinchey
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Senior | Offensive Lineman
Score: 7.38
The man is a freak: He is 6-foot-7 1/2, 310 pounds and is an immense athlete. McGlinchey played big basketball in high school, and he helped make Notre Dame one of the nation's top lines last season in his first year starting, at right tackle. Now at left, he is the anchor for what the Irish hope is a repeat performance in the trenches.
James Conner
Pittsburgh Panthers
Junior | Running Back
Score: 7.41
The 2014 ACC player of the year is back after a year from hell. Conner missed virtually all of last season because of knee surgery and, upon his completion from rehab, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Conner has bounced back from that, too, though, and the bruising back is now full-speed ahead as he looks to anchor an experienced Pitt offense.
Elijah Hood
North Carolina Tar Heels
Junior | Running Back
Score: 7.43
The once-ballyhooed prep prospect has turned into a game-changer for an already electric UNC offense. Hood rushed for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2015, and with a veteran offensive line ahead of him, those numbers can easily grow this fall.
DeMarcus Walker
Florida State Seminoles
Senior | Defensive Lineman
Score: 7.44
Before his junior season, Walker remarked he felt ready to step up and become a dominant defensive player. It was a breakout season as he recorded 10.5 sacks. He opted to return for his senior season and should have an even better 2016.
100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
Voters: Andrea Adelson, Edward Aschoff, Brian Bennett, Kyle Bonagura, David Ching, Heather Dinich, Matt Fortuna, Kevin Gemmell, David Hale, Travis Haney, Brock Huard, Chantel Jennings, Sharon Katz, Sam Khan Jr., David Lombardi, Chris Low, Tom Luginbill, Ivan Maisel, Ryan McGee, Erik McKinney, Ted Miller, Dan Murphy, Max Olson, Greg Ostendorf, Adam Rittenberg, Alex Scarborough, Jared Shanker, Mitch Sherman, Phil Steele, Jake Trotter, Tom VanHaaren, Austin Ward