The All-College Football Playoff team: Picking the best players at every spot on the field

This year’s College Football Playoff may lack the marquee first-round matchups of 2024’s inaugural 12-team bracket, but it makes up for it in star power throughout the field. Seven of the top nine finishers in Heisman Trophy voting will compete in this year’s CFP, representing five different teams. Unfortunately, only one of those seven will play this weekend: Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.

Selecting an all-CFP team before the games begin is difficult because it leaves out all but one quarterback. So, let’s offer special mention to Ohio State’s Julian Sayin (fourth in Heisman voting) Georgia’s Gunner Stockton (seventh) and Chambliss (eighth). Likewise, several positions were overloaded and led to tough omissions, like defensive line (Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas), linebacker (Indiana’s Aiden Fisher) and offensive line (Ohio State’s Luke Montgomery and Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon).

Nevertheless, here’s our All-22* pre-CFP roster (with more than 22 players).

QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Mendoza led Indiana to the Big Ten championship and the top overall seed, then claimed the Heisman Trophy. He threw for 2,980 yards with a 71.5 completion percentage, posting 33 touchdowns and six interceptions while engineering multiple comeback victories on the road. He also rushed for six touchdowns.

RB Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

Lacy rushed for 1,279 yards and an Ole Miss single-season record 20 touchdowns to provide the Rebels with a powerful one-two punch alongside Chambliss. A Doak Walker Award finalist and All-American honoree at multiple outlets, Lacy also caught 25 passes for 154 yards.

WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

In his first season at Texas A&M after transferring from NC State, Concepcion earned multiple first-team All-American nods as the nation’s best all-purpose performer. He recorded 57 catches for 886 yards and nine touchdowns while also returning 23 punts for 460 yards and two scores. He also ran for a score.

WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

The best player in last season’s CFP, Smith caught 19 passes for 381 yards and five touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ four Playoff games. No player tilts the field like Smith, who followed up that performance with 80 catches for 1,086 yards and 11 scores as a true sophomore this season.

WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

If opponents pay too much attention to Smith, Tate will make their secondary pay for that strategy. A first-team All-Big Ten selection like Smith, Tate caught 48 passes for 838 yards and nine scores and arguably was the Big Ten’s most explosive receiver, averaging 17.5 yards per catch.

TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

Sadiq earned All-American honors, was named the Big Ten’s top tight end and a Mackey Award finalist after catching 40 passes for 499 yards and eight scores. In a showdown for a CFP slot, Sadiq hauled in six passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-27 win against USC.

OL Carter Smith, Indiana

Smith, who claimed the Big Ten’s top offensive lineman award, was also an Outland Trophy semifinalist and guided the Hoosiers’ offensive line to Joe Moore Award finalist status.

OL Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

A first-team All-American, the 6-7, 366-pound Proctor was co-recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the SEC’s top offensive lineman. Pro Football Focus credited Proctor with 82 knockdown blocks during the Tide’s 13 games. Proctor also ran the ball five times for 16 yards.

OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami

Mauigoa, who landed multiple first-team All-American honors, powered Miami’s rushing attack to 2,456 yards, 188.9 yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry and 30 rushing touchdowns.

OL Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M

Co-winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy alongside Proctor, Zuhn allowed just one sack in 382 pass snaps this year, according to Pro Football Focus. Zuhn has incredible durability with 49 career starts and is the only Power 4 player with more than 500 snaps at left tackle and 100 at center.

C Iapani Laloulu, Oregon

Laloulu has made 27 consecutive starts dating to 2023 and finished the 2025 regular season by allowing just one sack and six pressures in 333 pass-blocking opportunities.

All-Purpose: Wayne Knight, James Madison

One of the nation’s most versatile players, Knight rushed for 1,263 yards and nine touchdowns at 6.7 yards per carry. Knight also was a weapon in the Dukes’ passing game with 37 catches for 379 yards and another score, and he returned 20 punts for 180 yards.

DL Caden Curry, Ohio State

Curry developed into the Big Ten’s top edge rusher, with 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss this fall. He produced one of the season’s best individual games by a defender with 11 tackles, three sacks and five tackles for loss as the Buckeyes ended Washington’s 22-game home winning streak.

DL Cassius Howell, Texas A&M

The SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Howell picked up an SEC-high 11.5 sacks, the most by an Aggie since Myles Garrett in 2014. Howell, who was a finalist for the Lombardi and Bednarik awards, generated 41 quarterback pressures according to PFF and finished the regular season with 14 tackles for loss, 29 overall tackles and six pass breakups.

DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

An Outland Trophy finalist as the nation’s top interior lineman and a consensus first-team All-American, McDonald was a force up front for the Buckeyes. He routinely tied up multiple blockers on the nation’s leading defense in scoring (8.6) and yards allowed (213.5). McDonald has 57 tackles this season, including eight for loss, and three sacks.

DL Rueben Bain, Miami

Considered the nation’s best defensive player in September, Bain attracted tons of attention from opposing offenses but finished with 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 37 tackles, primarily as a defensive end.

LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

Winner of the Nagurski, Bednarik and Butkus awards as the best defender and linebacker, Rodriguez  anchored one of college football’s top defenses in every imaginable way. Rodriquez recorded 117 tackles, including 11 for loss, and intercepted four passes. He scored on a fumble return and ran for two touchdowns on offense as the Red Raiders tried to fuel his Heisman campaign.

LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

The most physically gifted player in the nation, Reese recorded 62 tackles, including 10 for loss, and 6.5 sacks for the Buckeyes. A consensus first-team All-American and the Big Ten’s linebacker of the year, Reese is a multi-talented mismatch for every offense.

LB C.J. Allen, Georgia

The heartbeat of Georgia’s defense and the latest entry in the Bulldogs’ great linebacker tradition, Allen was a finalist for the Butkus Award and the Lott Trophy and posted 85 tackles, including eight for loss, 3.5 sacks, four breakups and two forced fumbles.

DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State

A consensus first-team All-American for two consecutive seasons and the Thorpe Award winner, Downs is one of the best safeties in recent college football history. He recorded 60 tackles, including five for loss, a pair of interceptions and a sack this year, but his impact stretches well beyond his statistics. Every offense must account for where Downs lines up.

DB Bray Hubbard, Alabama

Hubbard was the glue to the Tide’s defense, with team highs in interceptions (four) and pass breakups (six). He also ranked third on the team with 66 tackles, with three for loss and three forced fumbles.

DB Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

In his first season with the Ducks, Thieneman solidified the secondary with 67 tackles to rank second on the defense. A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Thieneman also recorded two interceptions and four pass breakups.

DB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana

Ponds garnered second-team All-American honors last year after transferring from James Madison and now is a two-time All-Big Ten cornerback. This year, he put up 50 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and an interception. He also returned a blocked punt 33 yards for a score against No. 9 Illinois.

All-purpose: David Bailey, Texas Tech

Listed as both a linebacker and edge, Bailey (6-3, 250) was the Big 12’s most feared pass rusher with 13.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss. According to Pro Football Focus, Bailey has an FBS-best 74 quarterback pressures thus far, plus three forced fumbles.

P Brett Thorson, Georgia

The Ray Guy Award winner, Thorson averaged 43 yards a punt, but only four were returned for a combined 15 yards. Of his 42 punts this season, 21 were placed inside the 30, and he forced 22 fair catches.

K Tate Sandell, Oklahoma

Winner of the Groza Award as college football’s best kicker, Sandell drilled all seven field goal attempts from 50-plus yards, four of which were from at least 55 yards. He missed only one field goal all season and was 32 of 32 on extra-point attempts.

Return specialist Isaiah Sategna, Oklahoma

A second-team All-SEC selection at wide receiver, Sategna caught 65 passes for 948 yards and seven scores, but he was equally dangerous as a punt returner with 301 yards on 23 returns (13.1 yards per return).

X-factor: Jake Retzlaff, Tulane

If the Green Wave have any hope of avenging a 45-10 shellacking against Ole Miss, their quarterback will need to play his best game of the season. Retzlaff threw for 2,862 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for 610 yards and 16 scores. He completed just five passes against the Rebels in their first meeting.