• Michigan’s Will Johnson: The rising junior is the top returning corner and has the makings of a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
• Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison: He’s not too far behind Johnson with some of the best ball-skills in the country.
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With the 2023 college football season in the books, it’s time to turn our attention to 2024 by ranking the top returning players at every position.
Next up is cornerback. It’s a very strong position group ahead of next season. One can argue that the first two players on this list would be the first two cornerbacks off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft if they were eligible.
Below is a list of PFF’s top 10 returning cornerbacks in college football. in addition to an honorable mention nominee. Please note that NFL projection was not taken into account in these rankings.
Click below to view our other position rankings:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | IOL | DI | EDGE | LB
1. Will Johnson, Michigan Wolverines
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.
Will Johnson.
CB1 in 2025.
pic.twitter.com/a8FzsQAvEK— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) November 25, 2023
2. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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.
The plays Benjamin Morrison made as a true freshman last season were SPECIAL☘️
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 28, 2023
3. Sebastian Castro, Iowa Hawkeyes
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.
What a wild sequence here
Iowa State gets an INT (not in video) and the next play, Iowa picks it back off
Only this time it’s back to the crib for six from Sebastian Castro
— Your Sports Digest (@YourSportDigest) September 9, 2023
4. Tacario Davis, Arizona Wildcats
The first thing you notice about Davis is his freakish size at 6-foot-4. That length allows him to significantly bother receivers at the catch point. The sophomore posted a 27.8% forced incompletion rate in 2023 to rank fifth among Power Five cornerbacks. In single coverage, Davis forced more incompletions (14) than he allowed catches (11).
He moves very well for a cornerback of his size, which makes it difficult for receivers to beat him. Davis entered the transfer portal in January but is still listed on Arizona’s roster and was recently participating in team workouts, making it likely that he’ll be returning to Tucson for his junior campaign.
.@TacarioD INTERCEPTS IT 💥
📺: Pac-12 Network pic.twitter.com/ap58jUxoTW
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 15, 2023
5. Travis Hunter, Colorado Buffaloes
There’s versatile, and then there’s Travis Hunter. Not only did he serve as Colorado’s top cornerback in 2023, but his 721 receiving yards ranked second on the team. Hunter played 1,044 snaps in nine games, which was the most in college football.
Even though he practically never came off the field and was routinely matched up with the opposition’s best receiver, Hunter still impressed with three interceptions, ranking second among Pac-12 cornerbacks.
He has the best ball skills of any cornerback in college football and is a freak athlete, which shouldn’t be surprising, considering his efficacy as a receiver. While focusing on one position full-time may allow him to excel even more, the Buffaloes will happily settle with their marathon man being a well-above-average player at two incredibly valuable positions.
Travis Hunter vs #17 TCU (2023)
(@TravisHunterJr)
• 11 Receptions
• 119 Receiving Yards
• 1 INT
• 1 Pass deflection (near INT)
• 3 Tackles
• 64 Snaps on offense
• 80 Snaps on defense pic.twitter.com/lyBEkcsVfZ— College Football Report (@CFBRep) September 3, 2023
6. Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon Ducks
Muhammad is currently the only player on this list who will have a new home in 2024 after transferring to Oregon from Washington. The junior led all cornerbacks this past season with 19 forced incompletions, 17 of them coming in single coverage.
While he measures in at only 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, he has excellent burst for the position and brings a feisty, ultra-competitive approach.
JABBAR MUHAMMAD WITH HIS SECOND PICK OF THE GAME!#CollegeFootball #Pac12pic.twitter.com/ylxU6369F8
— Fantom Sports Industries (@Fantom_sports) November 19, 2023
7. Denzel Burke, Ohio State Buckeyes
Burke was one of many draft-eligible Buckeyes who decided to return to Columbus for another season. The junior dominated when he was left on an island in 2023. Burke allowed a catch on only 19.1% of his targets in single coverage, the eighth-best rate among FBS cornerbacks. Of those 21 targets in single coverage, Burke made more plays on the ball (six combined interceptions and forced incompletions) than he allowed catches (five).
Burke has the length and speed required to cover receivers one-on-one and will be the veteran leader in a young but talented Ohio State secondary.
Denzel Burke has been excellent through two weeks of play. pic.twitter.com/XNUUO0drNF
— Buckeye Fett™ (@BuckeyeFett) September 11, 2023
8. Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech Hokies
There isn't much to complain about with Strong’s stats this past season. The senior led all FBS cornerbacks in completion rate allowed (27.3%) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.24) while ranking second in passer rating allowed (11.8).
Strong has excellent mirroring ability with great footwork and quicks for the position.
ANOTHER interception for Dorian Strong!
🎥 @HokiesFB | @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/x4TLUKDBGA
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) November 11, 2023
9. Quincy Riley, Louisville Cardinals
Among returning FBS cornerbacks, only Iowa's Sebastian Castro was more valuable than Riley this past season, according to PFF's wins above average metric. The fifth-year senior allowed 23 catches on 63 targets into his coverage, good for the sixth-lowest completion rate in the FBS (36.5%).
Riley is a highly instinctual player with fantastic quickness and a smooth backpedal.
HE’S BACK!
Quincy Riley, one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC, is returning to Louisville for one more season🔥 pic.twitter.com/5btn9zYZhL
— Dalton Pence (@dpence_) January 12, 2024
10. Cobee Bryant, Kansas Jayhawks
Bryant will do whatever it takes to make a play for Kansas’ defense. His seven interceptions since 2022 are tied for sixth among all cornerbacks in college football. The junior is also more than a willing run defender, earning an 88.8 grade in that aspect last year to rank 11th in the FBS.
He is a physical cornerback, capable of making jaw-dropping picks and bone-crushing hits. If Bryant is more consistent in his fifth season, he has the talent to climb this list.
COBEE BRYANT WITH ONE HAND. #SCTop10
The best interception you will see this season 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/pTUoePyYUQ
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) November 26, 2023
Honorable Mention: Ricardo Hallman, Wisconsin Badgers
Hallman was a ball-magnet in 2023, tying for the national lead with seven interceptions. That helped him generate just a 37.4 passer rating allowed, which ranked ninth among FBS cornerbacks.
Hallman has an incredible ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and get in front of the ball, oftentimes when it’s not even thrown to the receiver that he’s guarding.
Miami native Ricardo Hallman with a 95-yard house call 😳🏠
(via @NBCSports)
pic.twitter.com/WWPIucCwRg— 305 Sports (@305Sportss) October 7, 2023
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