ESPN identifies college football's Top 15 non-QB playmakers ahead of 2026 season

A lot of the top playmaker lists you see this offseason are heavily quarterback-centric, and for good reason. Quarterbacks generally dial in the offense and make things hum.

They have an outsized impact on the game. But that doesn’t mean players at other positions can’t also have a sizeable influence. To that end, ESPN has compiled a list of the top 15 non-quarterback playmakers going into the 2026 college football season.

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Who made the cut for ESPN’s top non-quarterback playmakers? Let’s take a look below.

WR Malachi Toney, Miami

2025 Stats: 1,211 receiving yards, 109 receptions, 10 TDs, 113 rushing yards
As a freshman in 2025, Toney burst onto the scene in a major way as Miami made it all the way to the national title game. He was a human joystick at the receiver position and was virtually impossible to corral in the open field.

What’s scary is that Mario Cristobal believes he’s “bigger, faster, stronger and more motivated” heading into 2026. Toney should be poised for a run at the Biletnikoff Trophy as the nation’s best receiver. Could he also challenge for the Heisman?

DE John Henry Daley, Michigan

2025 Stats (Utah): 11.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 48 tackles
One of the surprise moves of the offseason was Kyle Whittingham heading to Michigan after the ouster of Sherrone Moore. And Whittingham took some talent with him, starting with Daley.

What’s notable is that Daley is coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon. How well he has recovered from that injury could determine how productive he is for the Wolverines, but Whittingham likes the way he has approached rehab in the offseason.

RB Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

2025 Stats: 1,567 rushing yards, 306 carries, 24 TDs, 29 receptions
Few teams got more ink than Ole Miss in the postseason run, courtesy of Lane Kiffin‘s move from the Grove to the Bayou in Baton Rouge. So most fans are pretty familiar with Lacy and everything he offers at the running back position.

Lacy ran for almost 1,600 yards a year ago and his quarterback is back; that’ll help keep eyes from fully focusing on him in the backfield. He’s an elusive playmaker for his running style, which can be downright bruising at times. Not a bad combo.

EDGE Colin Simmons, Texas

2025 Stats: 12 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, 15 quarterback hurries, 43 tackles
This is one of the rare playmaker lists where you’ll find Simmons included but not South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart. Accolade and mention-wise, the two seem completely inseparable since entering the college ranks together in 2024.

But Simmons had the more productive season of the two statistically a year ago and, as such, is recognized here. He’s coming off a double-digit sack season and could be poised for more of the same this fall.

WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

2025 Stats: 1,243 receiving yards, 87 receptions, 12 TDs
The headliner in just about any list mentioning playmakers, Smith could well be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. And he probably could have made an argument for that designation in the last two drafts, as well.

He’s as elite as they come. A virtual cheat code for his quarterback. He has totaled 27 touchdowns in two seasons, scoring at will against just about any defense he faces. And his quarterback is back — and a Heisman contender in his own right. That’s a deadly recipe.

OLB Trey White, Texas Tech

2025 Stats (San Diego State): 7 sacks, 17 quarterback hurries, 10.5 tackles for loss, 53 tackles
Texas Tech has been no stranger to hauling in elite transfer portal players, opening up the wallet to land some of the best of the best. They go back-to-back on ESPN’s list here, adding two players who should help replace the core of a terrific 2025 defense.

White has been absurdly good in the Mountain West. All that’s left is to see if his 19.5 sacks and 29 tackles for a loss over the past two seasons will carry over to the Power Four level.

OLB Adam Trick, Texas Tech

2025 Stats (Miami [OH]): 8.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 12.5 tackles for loss
Like White, Trick is moving to a higher level and also adds some major pass-rush ability for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were looking to add some pop to the pass rush after losing David Bailey and some very talented linebackers.

Trick led all FBS players in defensive pressures, per ESPN, tallying 73 on the season. He was a first-team All-MAC honoree in the process. Don’t be surprised if he’s topping Big 12 honors lists later this year.

LB Xavier Atkins, Auburn

2025 Stats: 9 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 84 tackles
Atkins isn’t the biggest player as an interior linebacker, but he’s incredibly productive. And any time you’re going through a coaching change, you need some serious playmakers to stick around and help lead your team. Well, Atkins is that.

He had 17 tackles for a loss last season, showing a disruptive streak in the heart of the defense. New coach Alex Golesh called him an All-American this offseason. Can he live up to the billing?

RB Cam Cook, West Virginia

2025 Stats (Jacksonville State): 1,659 rushing yards, 295 carries, 16 TDs, 30 receptions
Yet another playmaker who is moving up from a smaller school to the power conference level, Cook put up numbers similar to Lacy, albeit without quite as many scoring plunges. Still, the numbers are to die for if you’re Rich Rodriguez searching for that elusive playmaker in the backfield.

ESPN included some stats on Cook; he’s both a shifty runner (584 yards before contact) and a powerful runner (1,075 yards after contact). That should make him the ideal piece for the Mountaineers to build around.

LB Kam Robinson, Virginia

2025 Stats: 2 interceptions returned for TDs, 1 blocked kick, 1 safety, 1 fumble recovery, 64 tackles, 25-yard punt return
Robinson’s numbers having a game-changing impact despite being limited to just eight games were eye-opening. As noted above, he had two pick-sixes, blocked a kick, recorded a safety and had a fumble recovery.

He’s also a tackling machine. Virginia has become a program that is to be respected in the ACC. If the Cavaliers want to repeat as the conference’s upstart, they’ll need guys like Robinson to live up to his potential.

DT Tyrique Tucker, Indiana

2025 Stats: 6 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, 40 tackles
The national champions lost a boatload of talent, but the Hoosiers still return plenty of pieces as Curt Cignetti looks to have a third straight season of remarkable success. It usually starts in the trenches, and the good news is Indiana still has some pieces to build around there.

Tucker is one of the more disruptive interior players in the country, having tallied six sacks and 12 tackles for a loss a year ago. Perhaps most importantly, he can provide some leadership continuity as a holdover from the JMU-Cignetti era. That’s important.

RB LJ Martin, BYU

2025 Stats: 1,305 rushing yards, 226 carries, 12 TDs, 36 receptions
Another of the running backs on this top playmaker list, Martin showed he could help turn BYU into a potential playoff contender a year ago. Now the key is getting the Cougars over the hump; as last year showed there’s not a lot of room for error in the Big 12.

In any case, Martin is an elite rusher. He’s also shown to be pretty versatile out of the backfield, a trait he could continue to expand on as one of the conference’s top offerings at the skill positions in 2026.

CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame

2025 Stats: 5 interceptions (1 returned for TD), 7 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 31 tackles
When you think of playmaker, you don’t always necessarily think of a cornerback who’s as close to lockdown as they come. But Moore is every bit of it when you think about how disruptive he is to opposing coordinators’ gameplans.

And if you give him a chance to make plays, he’s going to do it. In all likelihood, Moore’s numbers will probably take a step back this fall. His impact, though, might be even greater. The reality is it’s just not terribly worth throwing at him.

S/RET Koi Perich, Oregon

2025 Stats (Minnesota): 82 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 sack, 5 rushes, 7 receptions, 499 kick return yards, 118 punt return yards
Perich was widely regarded as one of the nation’s top safeties a year ago, and that had very little to do with his additional work as a return man. That’s a trait that lands him on this list for ESPN, on top of the defensive output.

Perich has big shoes to fill, with Dillon Thieneman one of college football’s best back end players. But coach Dan Lanning believes he’s up for the task, describing the Minnesota transfer as “very cerebral.”

DL J’Mond Tapp, Memphis

2025 Stats (Southern Miss): 7.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries, 70 tackles
Tapp was one of the most versatile linemen last year in terms of getting after the quarterback. He can push the pocket and disrupt the entire offensive rhythm and flow for opposing teams. He plays primarily on the edge but can slide inside in a pinch.

He played last season at Southern Miss but transferred to Memphis to join coach Charles Huff. So he should be an important piece in terms of getting the Tigers up to speed on what Huff wants to do defensively.