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 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
Arden Key
LSU Tigers
Sophomore | Defensive End
Score: 7.45
The 6-foot-6 pass-rusher came into his own late in his freshman season, registering 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in LSU's final five games of 2015. Now playing outside linebacker in Dave Aranda's new 3-4 defense, Key has folks at LSU expecting a superb sophomore season.
Joshua Dobbs
Tennessee Volunteers
Senior | Quarterback
Score: 7.46
The big, fast and shifty Dobbs led all SEC quarterbacks with 671 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in 2015. Dobbs also completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 2,291 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions last year. In four games last season, Dobbs threw for 200 yards and ran for at least 50 yards.
Wayne Gallman
Clemson Tigers
Junior | Running Back
Score: 7.47
In 2016, Gallman set the Clemson school record for rushing yards in a season with 1,527 yards. So what does he have in store for an encore? The fourth-year junior said he's looking to also break the school's career rushing record, which would require at least 1,671 yards on the ground in 2016.
Jarrad Davis
Florida Gators
Senior | Linebacker
Score: 7.48
The versatile, sideline-to-sideline middle linebacker isn't just Florida's quarterback on defense; he can drop into coverage and line up as a pass-rusher on the outside. Davis decided to return to school after registering 98 tackles (seven per game) last season. He also had 11 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Gabe Marks
Washington State Cougars
Junior | Wide Receiver
Score: 7.52
After hauling in 15 touchdowns last season, Marks and quarterback Luke Falk are on pace to be one of the most prolific pass-catch duos in Pac-12 history. Marks' numbers from 2015 more than warranted a spot in the NFL, but the Biletnikoff semifinalist opted to return for a final season, in which he's expected to thrive again in Mike Leach's "Air Raid."
Mitch Hyatt
Clemson Tigers
Sophomore | Offensive Lineman
Score: 7.53
Most teams would be terrified to start a true freshman at left tackle -- let alone teams with championship aspirations. But Hyatt proved to be a quick study at Clemson, starting every game and protecting Deshaun Watson's blind side for a unit that allowed just 18 sacks in 15 games. Now Hyatt is a veteran, and he'll be anchoring the line as the Tigers look to return to the ACC title game.
Jake Butt
Michigan Wolverines
Senior | Tight End
Score: 7.54
A "sneaky fast" tight end, according to his teammates, Butt caught 51 passes for 654 yards last season. The All-American will be the leader of a deep and often-deployed tight end group in Ann Arbor this season, and he'll be a welcome weapon for the Wolverines' new quarterback.
Lowell Lotulelei
Utah Utes
Junior | Defensive Tackle
Score: 7.55
Tabbed as a potential first-round draft pick, the defensive tackle recorded 26 tackles with five for a loss and a sack last season. But his job is to eat up blockers so the linebackers behind him can make plays. He is the centerpiece of what should be one of the top defensive lines in the country.
Anthony Walker
Northwestern Wildcats
Junior | Linebacker
Score: 7.56
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is the greatest linebacker in Wildcats history. But Fitzgerald says Walker has a chance to eclipse him. As a sophomore, Walker broke out in a big way, finishing with 122 tackles and 20.5 tackles for loss, earning All-America honors. Teammates call him "The Franchise."
Lamar Jackson
Louisville Cardinals
Sophomore | Quarterback
Score: 7.57
Jackson set the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a season with 960 in his freshman campaign, putting an exclamation point on his year with a bowl-record 453 yards against Texas A&M. Now that he's entrenched as the starter, the expectations have only grown for 2016 after ending the season with a monster performance.
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