The college football season is shifting into the home stretch of the regular season. And with eight weeks played, there’s a decent sample size for ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper to shake up his Top 25 Big Board.
Eight players already ranked in his Top 25 moved up, including one big riser. Three players also climbed into the Top 25. Three players already ranked saw their ranking dip a little, while a number also fell out of the Top 25 entirely.
See Kiper’s full Top 25 Big Board below.
Hunter has been one of the best players in college football and has only been slowed of late because of an injury. Even still, he holds his post atop Kiper’s Big Board.
Right now, the biggest question for Hunter and NFL teams to answer is what position he will play at the next level. And will a team let him play both ways at all? He’ll continue doing both at an elite level for the Buffaloes, and 604 receiving yards, six touchdowns, three PBUs and two interceptions is a pretty good case.
Like his Colorado DB counterpart, Johnson has also been recently slowed by injury. But when the Michigan corner has been healthy, he’s been a lockdown presence.
With nine career interceptions and two this year — both returned for touchdowns — Johnson’s instincts and aggression are evident. And his plus-abilities and willingness as a tackler and run defender only boost his stock.
Carter has versatility and athleticism to spare, and the production has matched so far this season. Playing mostly off the edge, Carter has totaled four sacks, 18 pressures and 11 tackles for loss along with 33 tackles.
In short, Carter is looking like the sort of disruptive, game-altering presence defending the edge that NFL teams seek out. And he has room to refine his game as a pass rusher, making the move to that role in a more full-time capacity this season.
Williams looks the part of a dominant NFL pass rusher and edge run defender at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds. He just needs to turn the white-hot flashes of elite play and upside into season-long consistent production.
An ankle sprain in the opener didn’t help Williams in that regard this season, but he’s come on of late. He picked up his first two sacks of the season in Week 8.
The combination of violent hands, leverage and footwork have made Graham one of the best interior pass rushers in college football the past few seasons. And despite the Wolverines struggling this year, he has not.
Playing at defensive tackle, primarily, Graham has 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks to go with 18 pressures and eight run stops. At a time where NFL teams are prioritizing pocket-crushing interior pass rush, Graham is Kiper’s top option.
Banks, Kiper’s first full-time offensive player in his rankings, is a veteran college lineman with a sterling track record. In 34 starts, he’s given up three sacks.
And at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, Banks certainly looks the part. While he’s proven to be an elite pass blocker, there are still questions about Banks as a run blocker.
Scourton transferred to Texas A&M ahead of the 2024 season and has been the sort of dominant edge rusher the Aggies had hoped for. He’s got 11 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 22 pressures.
Scourton deploys his lengthy and bulk — 6-foot-4, 285 pounds — to blow up edges in the run game. And his pass rushing statistics speak for themselves, as he leans on his power to push lineman back in their tracks.
Starks has been a ballhawk basically since he stepped on the field at Georgia, and at times acrobatically so. Remember this interception against Oregon last season?
Starks has six career interceptions and uses his 6-foot-4 frame and speed to close out passing lanes. He’s also an adept run defender and sure tackler coming down from the backend. The combination of physical talent and production make Starks a fairly likely first rounder.
The hottest commodity in college football has been Jeanty, who is having a historic season. He might not be a Top 10 pick at the end of the day due to positional value, but the talent and production are undeniable — just turn on the highlights.
Entering Week 9, Jeanty has 1248 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, plus another receiving touchdown. He reached 1000 yards in 90 carries and currently averages just under 10 yards per carry.
Walker burst on to the scene in Georgia’s win over Texas, and was a large reason the Bulldogs won. As part of a dominant defensive first half, Walker picked up three sacks.
He’s now got 4.5 on the season and having played some off the edge and some off the ball, he’s got a fair bit of versatility. If he stays hot like he did on Saturday against the Longhorns, he can continue climbing the baord.
11. QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (+1)
12. QB Cam Ward, Miami (+1)
13. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona (-2)
14. OLB James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
15. OT Will Campbell, LSU
16. DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss (joined Top 25)
17. WR Luther Burden, Missouri
18. DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan (+1)
19. OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota (+3)
20. CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina
21. CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
22. TE Tyler Warren, Penn State (+1)
23. OT Josh Simmons, Ohio State (+2)
24. TE Colston Loveland, Michigan (joined Top 25)
25. S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina (joined Top 25)
And with more than a month of the regular season still to play, Kiper’s Big Board is certain to get another shake up or two between now and the draft.
