Top 20 Notre Dame, Independent & Pac-12 Players: College Football Preview 2024

Now that Army is in the American Athletic Conference, there are only three independents left in college football. Notre Dame is venturing into the ACC and UMass is headed to the MAC next season, leaving UConn as the only true independent.

Oregon State and Washington State are Pac-12 (or Pac-2) teams and they watch Netflix and hang out with the Mountain West.

Who are the top 20 players from the five programs that aren’t all in one of the Power Four or Group of Five conferences?

Yeah, okay, talent-wise this could and should be a list of 20 guys at Notre Dame, so this is based on projected production for this season and not all-around talent. If any of the top players at the other four schools were that great, they would be on the Fighting Irish.

With that in mind, and to show these players what they deserve as they prepare for the season, here are CollegeFootballNews.com’s top 20 free-agent — and Pac-12/2 — prospects for 2024.

CFN 2024 Preseason Independent Offensive Player of the Year

Riley Leonard, QB Sr. Notre Dame: As long as he’s healthy, the spotlight will be on him, as the Duke transfer has the talent and all-around skills to develop into a Heisman candidate, a top NFL pick and a playmaker who can lead the Irish to a big season. He needs to stay healthy, but all the tools are there to be great.

CFN 2024 Preseason Independent Defensive Player of the Year

Benjamin Morrison, CB Jr. Notre Dame: Morrison, arguably the nation’s best cornerback — or close to it — is buying his time before he becomes an NFL team’s one-sided shutdown man. He’s made 64 tackles with nine interceptions and 14 broken up passes in his first two seasons, but few will dare throw to him this year.

Independent team previews and analyses
Notre Dame | Oregon State | UConn
UMass | Washington State

CFN Preseason Top 20 Independent and Pac-12 Players

1. Benjamin Morrison, CB Jr. Notre Dame
2. Xavier Watts, S Sr. Notre Dame
3. Riley Leonard, QB Sr. Notre Dame
4. Howard Cross, NT Sr. Notre Dame
5. RJ Oben, EDGE Sr. Notre Dame
6. Mitchell Evans, TE Sr. Notre Dame
7. Rylie Mills, DT Sr. Notre Dame
8. Kyle Thornton, LB Sr. Washington State
9. Jack Kiser, LB Sr. Notre Dame
10. Joshua Gray, OG Sr. Oregon State
11. Kris Mitchell, WR Sr. Notre Dame
12. Pryce Yates, DE Jr. UConn
13. Rod Heard, S Sr. Notre Dame
14. Anthony Simpson, WR Sr. UMass
15. Jayden McDonald, LB Sr. UConn
16. Tosh Baker, OT Sr. Notre Dame
17. Kyle Williams, WR Sr. Washington State
18. Malik Dixon-Williams, S Sr. UConn
19. Jeremiyah Love, RB Sophomore Notre Dame
20. Rante Jones, S Sr. UConn