CBS Sports ranks top-20 players who chose college football return over NFL

While many college football standouts made the decision to forego their remaining NCAA eligibility and enter the 2022 NFL Draft, there are some big-name players who made the decision to put off the NFL another year and return for another collegiate season.

As players such as South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler, Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim, Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith and Alabama defensive back Jordan Battle all made the decision to play another season of college football, CBS Sports ranked the top-20 that are returning for the 2022 campaign.

Here’s the complete ranking from CBS Sports, from Nos. 1 to 20.

Note: Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett hadn’t yet announced his decision prior to the publishing of CBS Sports’ ranking. He will be returning to play for the Bulldogs in 2022.

CBS Sports’ Top 20 Returning College Football Players in 2022: Nos. 1-10

1.) Nolan Smith, Linebacker, Georgia: Smith made 56 tackles last season while helping Georgia win the College Football Playoff national championship.

2.) Jack Campbell, Linebacker, Iowa: Campbell was the nation’s leading tackler in 2021 as he recorded 143 total tackles for Iowa.

3.) Spencer Rattler, Quarterback, South Carolina: After throwing for 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over three seasons at Oklahoma, Rattler is now at South Carolina to serve as the Gamecocks’ signal-caller.

4.) Mohamed Ibrahim, Running Back, Minnesota: One of the most explosive players in college football, Ibrahim suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Minnesota’s 2021 opener against Ohio State. Over his time with Minnesota, Ibrahim has 3,003 yards and 33 touchdowns.

5.) Will McDonald, Defensive End, Iowa State: McDonald’s stats included both double-digit sacks and tackles-for-loss in each of the last two seasons. His return for the Cyclones in 2022 is huge for their chances in the Big 12.

6.) Jordan Battle, Defensive Back, Alabama: A veteran defender for Alabama, Battle recorded three interceptions last season and returned two of them for Crimson Tide touchdowns.

7.) Grayson McCall, Quarterback, Coastal Carolina: McCall put together a strong season for Coastal Carolina in 2021, throwing for 2,873 yards and 27 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. He held the nation’s best passer rating at 207.6.

8.) Henry To’o To’o, Linebacker, Alabama: After transferring from Tennessee, To’o To’o quickly became a force for the Alabama defense – registering 111 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks this past season.

9.) Owen Pappoe, Linebacker, Auburn: Pappoe battled with numerous injuries last season and finished with 23 tackles in five games. He recorded 93 total tackles in 11 games for the Tigers in 2020.

10.) Ainias Smith, Wide Receiver, Texas A&M: Smith has tallied 15 receiving touchdowns and a punt return for a touchdown over the course of his first three seasons at Texas A&M.

CBS Sports’ Top 20 Returning College Football Players in 2022: Nos. 11-20

11.) Sam Hartman, Quarterback, Wake Forest

12.) Nick Broeker, Offensive Lineman, Ole Miss

13.) Riley Moss, Defensive Back, Iowa

14.) Bumper Pool, Linebacker, Arkansas

15.) Brenton Cox, Linebacker, Florida

16.) Phil Jurkovec, Quarterback, Boston College

17.) Christopher Smith, Linebacker, Georgia

18.) Ji’Ayir Brown, Defensive Back, Penn State

19.) Brennan Armstrong, Quarterback, Virginia

20.) Devin Leary, Quarterback, NC State