Pro Football Focus has unveiled its list of the top 50 players in college football entering the 2026 season.
The ranking, put together by PFF’s Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick, includes 3 SEC players ranked inside the top 10: Mizzou running back Ahmad Hardy, Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy.
Hardy was the SEC’s top player on the list, ranking No. 6 overall. Hardy burst onto the scene last fall as one of college football’s top running backs. He finished 2nd nationally (and 1st among FBS players) in rushing yards with 1,649 across 13 contests.
However, he suffered injuries in an offseason shooting and his status for the start of the 2026 season is still uncertain, per recent comments from coach Eli Drinkwitz. If healthy, Hardy will be regarded as one of the favorites to win the Doak Walker Award.
Manning checked in at No. 9 on PFF’s list. He’s the No. 3 quarterback in the rankings behind only Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Oregon’s Dante Moore. Manning struggled early on last season, but rebounded nicely with 1,368 yards, 11 touchdowns and 1 interception over his final 5 games (Texas went 4-1 in those contests).
Manning is an early favorite for the Heisman Trophy on Kalshi:
RELATED: Interested in learning more about prediction markets like Kalshi? Here’s a Kalshi promo code to help you get started!
Lacy landed at No. 10 on the preseason PFF top 50. The former Mizzou running back had a breakout 2025 season at Ole Miss as he rushed for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns in 15 games. He had 6 more rushing touchdowns than the next-closest power-conference running back last year.
SEC Media Days will begin on July 20.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
