• Georgia’s Carson Beck starts at QB: Beck’s a supremely accurate quarterback with precise timing. His 80.6% adjusted completion rate ranked third in the country this past season while his 2.39-second average time to throw was the fifth-fastest.
• James Pearce Jr. headlines the defense: Pearce became one of the most fearsome pass rushers in college football this past season. The sophomore’s 21.3% pressure rate ranked third among all edge defenders in the country, as did his 92.4 pass-rush grade. Pearce ended the season as the fourth-most-valuable Power Five edge defender, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
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It’s officially time to hit the reset button.
Now that we know who will continue playing on Saturdays this fall, let’s dive into the PFF All-Returners Team, highlighting the best returning players in the nation ahead of the 2024 season.
QB: Carson Beck, Georgia
It’s rare for a program to lose a two-time national champion quarterback and improve under center, but that’s precisely what Georgia did by going from Stetson Bennett to Carson Beck. While the redshirt junior didn’t win a ring in 2023, he finished as the fourth-most valuable quarterback in the nation according to PFF’s wins above average metric. The three above him were all Heisman finalists who are now heading to the NFL (Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and Jayden Daniels). Beck’s 91.5 overall PFF grade and 90.8 PFF passing grade were also fourth among FBS signal-callers.
Beck’s a supremely accurate quarterback with precise timing. His 80.6% adjusted completion rate ranked third in the country this past season while his 2.39-second average time to throw was the fifth-fastest. He doesn’t add much on the ground and is just average under pressure, but it’s difficult to find a better pure passer than Beck in the college game right now.
RB: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
As the reigning Doak Walker Award winner, Gordon was the obvious choice to lead this list. The true sophomore led the nation this past season with 1,732 rushing yards while placing second in rushing touchdowns (21) and yards after contact (1,056). Gordon did all of that while only receiving 19 total carries over the first three games, averaging nearly 150 yards over the final 11 contests. Oklahoma State also finished just 103rd in team PFF run-blocking grade (55.3), making his dominance even more impressive. Gordon was also relied on heavily in the Cowboys’ passing game, as his 330 receiving yards were the third-most by a Power Five running back in 2023.
Next year, he’ll attempt to join Jonathan Taylor, Darren McFadden and Ricky Williams as the only running backs to win the Doak Walker Award twice.
WR: Luther Burden III, Missouri
If you’re looking for the next Deebo Samuel, look no further. Burden has similar size to the San Francisco 49ers’ star receiver (5-foot-11, 208 pounds compared to Samuel’s 6-foot, 215-pound frame) and the two are at their best with the ball in their hands. The sophomore’s 725 yards after the catch were third among all FBS receivers this past season while his 314 receiving yards after contact were the fourth-most.
Burden also displayed impressive hands and body control this past season, dropping just four of his 94 catchable targets while coming down with 56.5% of his contested targets. The former five-star recruit was targeted on 32.7% of his receiving snaps this past season, the highest rate among Power Five receivers.
WR: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
If you throw it McMillan’s way, there’s a very good chance he’ll come down with it. There are two main reasons for that. The first is that he presents a massive target to throw to at 6-foot-5, giving him a larger catch radius than anyone on this list. His 17 contested catches in 2023 were second among FBS receivers to only Rome Odunze. The second is that he also has excellent hands, finishing with the lowest drop rate among Power Five receivers with at least 100 targets this past season (2.1%). Only Malik Nabers and Odunze finished with more receiving yards than McMillan this year in the Power Five (1,396), and those two were the only FBS receivers who had more receiving first downs/touchdowns than the Arizona sophomore (63). Both Nabers and Odunze are projected top-10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, a feat McMillan should accomplish in 2025 if he maintains this pace.
McMillan also has the advantage of having more chemistry with his quarterback than anyone else on this list. He and Noah Fifita, one of PFF’s top-10 returning signal-callers, played together both in middle school and in high school.
WR: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Egbuka entered 2023 as my No. 2 wide receiver in college football, trailing only his teammate in Marvin Harrison Jr. While Harrison continued to shine and is now off to the NFL, Egbuka is returning for his senior season after missing three games due to an ankle injury as a junior. The year before, he finished as the second-most-valuable receiver in the Power Five according to PFF’s wins above-average metric, trailing only Harrison. He was fifth in that same group in receiving yards (1,151) and tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns (10) in 2022.
Egbuka is a smooth route-runner who routinely finds the soft spots in zone coverage. His 86.1% open-target rate puts him in the 96th percentile of wide receivers over the last couple seasons while the junior’s 97.7 PFF receiving grade since 2022 against zone/underneath/top coverage places him in the 90th percentile. Egbuka will be the veteran leader in Ohio State’s receiving room this year, bringing along the next generation of Buckeye greats at the position.
TE: Colston Loveland, Michigan
Loveland went from a promising freshman to one of the nation’s best tight ends as a sophomore. He finished as the fourth-most valuable FBS tight end this past season according to PFF’s wins above average metric and was fifth among them in receiving yards (649).
Loveland’s elite athleticism at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds makes him nearly unguardable. His 88.7% open-target rate in 2023 placed him in the 97th percentile for all tight ends in the country.
LT: Will Campbell, LSU
Campbell started at left tackle for LSU as a true freshman in 2022 and has been nothing but a star during his two years there. His 85.6 pass-blocking grade on true pass sets in 2022 trailed only Peter Skoronski among Power Five tackles. Skoronski was subsequently selected No. 11 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
This past season, Campbell ranked fifth among FBS offensive tackles in run-blocking grade (84.9). He is the fifth-most valuable Power Five tackle since 2022, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. Three of the players above him are projected first-round picks in 2024: Joe Alt, Taliese Fuaga and JC Latham.
While LSU’s offense loses the best quarterback (Jayden Daniels) and wide receiver (Malik Nabers) from the 2023 season, Tiger fans can be excited about having the best offensive tackle entering 2024.
LG: Tyler Booker, Alabama
Booker saw immediate playing time at Alabama, playing 427 snaps as a true freshman at left and right guard. The former five-star recruit earned an 89.0 pass-blocking grade that season, tying for fourth among FBS guards.
He was the Crimson Tide’s full-time starter at left guard as a sophomore and made major strides in the run game, improving his run-blocking grade by more than 10 points (71.2 in 2023 compared to 59.6 in 2022).
C: Parker Brailsford, Alabama
For the first time in these position rankings, the top returning player will be playing for a new school in 2024. Brailsford followed head coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington to Alabama after a fantastic redshirt freshman season.
He finished 2023 as the second-most valuable center in the nation, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. Brailsford’s 80.7 run-blocking grade ranked second among Power Five centers, trailing only a projected first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson). He’s at his best when he can utilize his elite athleticism out in space, leading all FBS centers in 2023 with a 90.7 grade on zone runs.
The transfer portal hurt the Crimson Tide in many ways following Nick Saban’s retirement, with the team losing Caleb Downs, Isaiah Bond and Kadyn Proctor, among others. However, it also helped Alabama to secure the nation’s best interior offensive lineman.
RG: Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Ratledge is the top guard on this list for his dominant pass blocking. His 87.4 pass-blocking grade in 2023 ranked third among Power Five guards, as did his 1.3% pressure rate allowed. The right guard also placed third among Power Five guards in pass-blocking grade on true pass sets (83.8).
Ratledge’s excellence in pass protection extends back to 2022, his first year as a starter. He ranked fourth in pass-blocking grade (87.1), third in pressure rate allowed (1.4%) and second in pass-blocking grade on true pass sets (85.6) among Power Five guards that season. The senior is easily the top returning pass-protecting interior offensive lineman in college football.
RT: Ajani Cornelius, Oregon
Cornelius, a product of FCS school Rhode Island, was one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal a year ago. He showed why as Oregon’s right tackle this past season, not allowing a sack or hit on any of his 115 true pass sets.
The junior also surrendered pressure on only 2.1% of his total pass-blocking snaps in 2023 — the lowest rate of any returning Power Five tackle.
DI: Mason Graham, Michigan
Graham was excellent in his first year at Ann Arbor, leading all FBS true freshmen interior defensive linemen with an 80.3 PFF grade. He took his game to a whole new level as a sophomore. According to PFF’s wins above average metric, he was the fourth-most valuable defensive tackle in the nation and was sixth in that same group with a 15.9% pass-rush win rate. Graham was one of only two interior defensive linemen in the country to finish with top-10 grades as both a pass rusher and run defender. The other was Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat.
The rising junior has a relentless motor to combine with ridiculous agility that makes him nearly unblockable. Even if an offensive lineman gets a clean shot on him, he has great power at 6-foot-3, 318 pounds to shed the block and find the ball carrier. Graham’s a nearly complete defensive tackle who’ll continue terrorizing Big Ten offenses on his way to likely becoming a high selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. If he was eligible for the 2024 draft, he’d likely be the first defensive tackle off the board.
DI: Deone Walker, Kentucky
Walker is the textbook definition of “first guy off the bus”. At 6-foot-6, 348 pounds, he dwarfs nearly every offensive lineman he lines up against. Most defensive tackles that size normally end up serving as run-stuffers who eat double teams while adding little to nothing as a pass-rusher. While Walker can certainly do the first part (81.7 PFF run-defense grade in 2023), the latter couldn’t be further from the truth.
The sophomore’s 51 pressures this past season led all interior defensive linemen in college football while his eight sacks were tied for the most among Power Five ones. Since 2022, he’s the second-most valuable returning Power Five defensive tackle according to PFF’s wins above-average metric (Graham is first). While Walker has the sheer strength to overpower offensive linemen, he often wins with his outstanding agility and finesse at that size. Like Graham, expect Walker to be a high pick in the 2025 draft for just how much of a unicorn he is.
EDGE: James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Pearce became one of the most fearsome pass rushers in college football this past season. The sophomore’s 21.3% pressure rate ranked third among all edge defenders in the country, as did his 92.4 pass-rush grade. Pearce ended the season as the fourth-most-valuable Power Five edge defender, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
He has freakish explosiveness at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, and he converts speed to power at an elite level. With the 2025 NFL Draft looking like it’ll feature a weaker quarterback class, there’s a real chance that Pearce could be the No. 1 overall pick.
EDGE: Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Like Pearce, Scourton had a breakout true sophomore campaign. His 21.3% pass-rush win rate in 2023 placed ninth among edge defenders, while his 25 run-defense stops tied for the third most in the Power Five.
Unlike Pearce, Scourton will play for a new school in 2024 after transferring to Texas A&M from Purdue in January. The Aggies are getting a powerful edge defender at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds who flashes a nasty spin move often.
LB: Harold Perkins, LSU
Perkins entered Baton Rouge as a top-10 recruit and proved why in his true freshman season. In 2022, he paced all Power Five linebackers with a 91.0 PFF pass-rushing grade and placed second among all FBS linebackers with 18 quarterback knockdowns (sack/hits).
The Tigers asked him to play more in an off-ball role as a sophomore, and he responded with an 81.1 PFF coverage grade that was a top-15 mark among Power Five linebackers. While LSU would be wise to pin his ears back and allow him to rush the passer more as a junior, Perkins has proven that he’s versatile enough to do whatever’s asked of him at a high level.
LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson
Carter was the top linebacker prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft entering the season before surprising many by returning for his senior year. While his junior season didn’t quite live up to what he showed as a sophomore (70.6 PFF grade in 2023 compared to 81.4 in 2022), Carter’s entire body of work over the last two years still earns him one of the top spots on this list.
No returning Power Five linebacker since 2022 has been more valuable than Carter according to PFF’s wins above average metric. He’s especially dominant on passing downs, as he’s the only one in that same group with 80-plus grades as both a pass rusher and run defender in that span. Carter is a supreme athlete who can re-enter first-round conversations with a bounceback 2024 campaign.
CB: Will Johnson, Michigan
Johnson immediately lived up to his five-star billing, posting a 91.1 grade in man coverage as a true freshman in 2022 to lead all Power Five cornerbacks.
He followed that up by allowing just a 29.1 passer rating into his coverage as a sophomore, which placed fifth among all cornerbacks in college football. On six targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze this past season, Johnson allowed just three catches while also coming down with an interception.
He has all the physical traits you’d want in a cornerback at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds with excellent speed, footwork and ball skills for the position. If he was eligible to be selected in 2024, he’d be the first corner off the board. He would’ve been the first one taken in 2023, as well. Johnson has the makings of a special cornerback prospect who’ll likely be a top-five pick next April.
CB: Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
While Will Johnson’s first two college seasons were special, Morrison’s weren’t too far behind. As a true freshman in 2022, he tied for the Power Five lead with six interceptions and his 29.2 passer rating allowed ranked third. In 2023, he tied for eighth in that same group with 13 forced incompletions.
Morrison has posted an 86.8 single-coverage grade since 2022, which paces all returning Power Five cornerbacks. On seven targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. over the past two years, he forced more incompletions (three) than he allowed catches (two). While there’s work to do as a tackler, Morrison has elite ball skills for the position. He and Johnson could be top-10 picks in 2025 and would likely be the first cornerbacks off the board this year if eligible.
S: Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Downs is the first rising sophomore to lead one of PFF’s position rankings since Brock Bowers topped the tight ends list heading into the 2022 season. Unlike Bowers, Downs will try to build off his stellar true freshman campaign at a new school, transferring to Ohio State from Alabama in January.
He entered Tuscaloosa as the highest-rated safety recruit since Derwin James Jr. in 2015 and immediately showed why. The true freshman was named a first-team PFF All-American and was second among Power Five safeties with 16 coverage stops. His 88.9 PFF coverage grade ranked third among that same group.
Downs has no glaring weaknesses in his game, which is pretty ridiculous considering he’s not even a year removed from his senior prom. He’ll surely be joining his older brother, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, in the NFL in a couple of years. In fact, he’d likely be the first safety off the board next month if he was in this year’s class.
S: Malaki Starks, Georgia
Like Downs, Starks lived up to the hype he had coming out of high school. As a true freshman in 2022, the former top-10 recruit led all Georgia defenders with 847 snaps during its national championship run. His eight combined interceptions and forced incompletions that year were tied for fifth among SEC safeties.
Starks built off his freshman year by earning an 84.8 PFF run-defense grade as a sophomore, which placed him seventh in the Power Five for his position. He was also tied for sixth in that same group with seven forced incompletions in 2023.
The rising junior is an elite athlete who’s a standout run defender and tackler for the position while also consistently making plays in coverage. He’s the favorite to be the top safety off the board in 2025 and will likely end up being a first-round selection.
Flex-D: Sebastian Castro, Iowa
Castro was named a PFF first-team All-American this past season and is the top slot cornerback in college football. He was both the highest-graded and the most valuable cornerback in the nation in 2023, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. The fifth-year senior also led the country with 19 coverage stops and paced the Power Five with 16 run-defense stops.
While he might not be a lockdown outside cornerback like the players above him on this list, he’s still a highly instinctual and physical player — and the newest star in Iowa’s secondary.
